At times gas pedal stops working. When pumped up and down no acceleration, nothing happens until the pedal is released and then reapplied and again works normally. This has happened 9 times in 1000 miles. Vehicle is new. Service engine light was on once before the first pedal problem and reset by dealer. No codes were observed. In 3 trips to dealer for gas pedal issue, no codes or lights, dealer and VW support can not duplicate problem and have no solutions. Very scary when pulling into traffic and pedal quits working.
I would start documenting this thoroughly. It could end up as a ‘lemon law’ case, so check into your state’s requirements for that. The fact that a service engine light came on is important - did they write down what had triggered it? There are a limited number of components that could cause this problem, I would think. At worst they need to start replacing them until this is fixed. Any conditions that make it more likely to happen? Warm, cold, wet, dry, that sort of thing?
I’d also post this on VWVortex, see if anyone there has an idea.
Service engine light came on before any incidents with the gas pedal acceleration issue. Was reset by dealer and there was not any indications of cause. Usually upon quick accelerations but has also occurred at low speeds. Weather conditions do not seem to be a factor.
There is always a code stored if the light comes on. They might not have told you what it was.
Dealer is saying loose gas cap. I checked that when light came on and it was tight. Had not put in gas for several days before light came on.
I don’t know the actual details of the Lemon Law in the OP’s state of residence, but in most states three failed repair attempts for the same issue is the threshold for qualifying. The other threshold that must be met (in every Lemon Law statute that I have seen) is that the problem must be one that “materially affects the safety or drivability of the vehicle”, but nobody at VW of America could possibly claim that this type of problem is not one that materially affects BOTH safety and drivability.
After researching the exact details of the Lemon Law in his/her state, the OP should send a demand letter to VW of America, detailing the events so far, and stating that he/she is initiating a claim under that statute.
If the OP is lucky, the Lemon Law statute in his/her state will give car owners their choice between an exact-same replacement vehicle, and a full refund of the purchase price–including fees. Obviously, a car mfr would rather give you another vehicle, instead of refunding every penny that you paid. In my state, anyone who wins their Lemon Law case gets to choose, and in the demand letter that I crafted for a friend of mine, we informed Toyota that we were opting for a full refund.
That demand must have motivated them, because in short order my friend was informed that his vehicle would be repaired–on a date of his choosing–or he would indeed receive a full refund. On the appointed date, they sent the Regional Service Supervisor and a Japanese Engineer to the dealership, and in ~4 hours, they were able to repair a problem that had eluded the dealership’s mechanics on three prior occasions.
The throttle for your vehicle is a drive-by-wire system
This means there is no throttle cable between the throttle pedal to the throttle body.
Instead there’s an electronic throttle pedal, https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=1515208&cc=3435572&jsn=380 that sends a signal to the computer, and the computer uses that information to operate the electronic throttle body, http://www.dhresource.com/0x0s/f2-albu-g4-M01-F5-7B-rBVaEVcptNyAbBzZAAF3oJzF5u8359.jpg/high-quality-throttle-body-fits-to-fit-vw.jpg
So the problem is either with the electronic accelerator pedal, the computer, or the electronic throttle body
If I were the dealer, I’d first replace the electronic throttle pedal. And if that didn’t fix it, I’d replace the electronic throttle body. And if that didn’t fix it, then I would know the problem is with the computer.
Tester.
Automatic transmission? You’re not leaving your left foot on the brake are you? “Anti-unintended-acceleration” programming might be cutting the throttle.
Left foot not on brake…
Your owner’s manual came with a protocol for pushing a problem “up the ladder” to VW if the dealer is unable to diagnose it. Keep every scrap of paper from the dealer shop (the shop orders), and follow the procedure. They should send a factory rep over to look at it.
Also, follow Texases lead and research your state’s “lemon laws”. If they can’t fix it, they owe you a replacement. Or in your state the law may allow you the option of a full refund.
One thing: do not attempt to fix this yourself or take it to another shop. Doing so may void your warranty as well as your lemon law rights. This must be repaired by the dealer.
Good idea posted above by @insightful, might be some safety feature kicking in. Ask the dealership if that could be a possibility. This is under warranty of course, and I’m sure they’d fix it if they could, but if they can’t get it to happen they can’t fix it for you. Replacing the parts Tester suggests above one by one might fix it of course, but no way to know for certain since the root cause isn’t known. For example it could be a problem in the wiring harness between those parts, not the parts themselves. If this continues to happen for no known reason suggest to have one of the techs drive the car on a daily basis and you use one of their loaners. Eventually it will happen to the tech and they’ll be prepared to do the diagnosis on the spot.
see above post
Gave your suggestion some more thought. I brake with left foot on automatics and after some testing I think you might have the solution. On fast starts maybe I’m getting to the gas pedal before the other foot is totally off the brake. Will continue to test. Thanks for your input.
I had a similar issue with my 2017 Jetta. No lights on dash but on several occasions I will hit the pedal from a stop and nothing happens. Took it back to the dealer and they drove if for a few days and were unable to duplicate the problem. Now it’s happened twice in the last week. Back to VW.
Am a left foot braker. started being more careful getting my left foot off the brake before hitting gas pedal. Problem solved.