VEHICLE SUDDENLY WENT INTO A FAILURE MODE WHERE THROTTLE IS CUT SUDDENLY, ALMOST NO POWER. THEREAFTER CAR ONLY MOVES A MAXIMUM OF APPROXIMATELY 20MPH, MANY LIGHTS ARE ON INST. PANEL. IT CANNOT BE RESET WITHOUT SPECIALIZED DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT. THE CODES GENERATED ARE IN BOTH THE ENGINE COMPUTER AND THE ABS RELATED CONTROL UNIT. SINCE THEY ARE IN THE LATTER, THEY CANNOT BE CLEARED WITH TYPICAL OBDII CODE READERS EITHER. WITHOUT FULLY CLEARING THOSE CODES, THE THROTTLE IS NOT RESTORED. IT HAPPENED ON FREEWAY AT 65+ MPH. THIS IS 3RD TIME IT HAS HAPPENED IN LAST THREE MONTHS, EACH TIME WITH DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIRS ATTEMPTED. THE CAR WAS RECENTLY PURCHASED AND HAS NO ACCIDENT HISTORY OR ANY SERIOUS WORK BEYOND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, ALL DONE BY THE PRIOR OWNER ACCORDING TO THE FACTORY MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE BY A VW DEALER. TROUBLE CODES INDICATE IT IS AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MALFUNCTION, AND BY THE THIRD INCIDENT A CODE ALSO INDICATED THERE WAS A DEFECT. ONLINE SEARCHES ALSO INDICATE EARLIER YEAR VW/AUDI MODELS WITH SIMILAR ENGINES AND THROTTLES WERE RECALLED FOR DEFECTIVE WIRING INVOLVING THE THROTTLE. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS APPROX. 10,000 MILES, AND FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 7,000 MILES. TO BE CLEAR, THE COMPLAINT IS ABOUT BOTH THE THROTTLE OR ITS WIRING AND THE FACTORY FAILURE MODE PROGRAMING. THE THROTTLE IMMEDIATELY GOES ALMOST DEAD IN THE FAILURE MODE. WHEN IT HAPPENS AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, IT IS DIFFICULT OR SOMETIMES IMPOSSIBLE TO EVEN GET TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY IN ANY SAFE MANNER. THAT DESIGN IN ITSELF IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD ALSO BE MODIFIED TO ALLOW SAFE MANEUVERING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN TYPICAL FREEWAY AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS.
NHTSA ODI 11153634