VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA

NHTSA investigation DP78014 is a Defect Petition opened on 1977-12-23 and currently closed. The subject of record is VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for VOLKSWAGEN. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1978-04-05 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.

A Defect Petition like DP78014 starts when a person or group formally asks NHTSA to investigate a specific alleged defect. Petitioners submit evidence, NHTSA reviews it within 120 days, and either grants the petition (opening a PE) or denies it with a written explanation in the Federal Register.

Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time. Related VOLKSWAGEN files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.