For the second time the cooling fan assembly on my Volkswagen vanagon (winnebago rialta conversion) has failed catastrophically. The fan blade shattered both times leaving me stranded on the side of the road when the van began shaking violently. Volkswagen refused to offer any assistance whatsoever. I notice that you have an open investigation on this issue. I would like to join that investigation as a co-complainant. In both cases this happened on one of the hottest days of the year. In Alabama, this time, the heat index was over 110 degrees. The previous time was in Tennessee when the heat index was also over 100 degrees, and 3 of my grandchildren were in the car with me. In both cases I was stranded with passengers on the side of the road. While this is not the same as a brake failure, it clearly represents a manufacturing and/or design defect that could have serious consequences. Volkswagen is of course the sole supplier of the necessary parts and refuses to discuss any potential problems other than to say " no one can predict the life of a part ", which is neither true nor relevant. A cursory search of the internet turned up a host of similar complaints - all of which VW refused to ameliorate in any way. I appreciate your attention to this problem on behalf of american consumers. Thank you.

- Athens, AL, USA