Image Credit: LOCAL 12What do you do when your car's software malfunctions because of an update? It isn't as cut and dry as you might think. An Ohio driver says a mandatory software update on his Volkswagen Jetta set off a string of malfunctions that knocked out safety features and the infotainment system. Asher Koreman told WKRC that a dealership then quoted him $1,600 to diagnose and fix the problem. He bought the 2021 Jetta about three years ago for roughly $35,000.Koreman said alerts began flashing on his dashboard last month telling him the car needed a software update. He was given a choice between completing the update automatically over the air or paying a dealership to do it. He said the trouble started the first time he turned on the car after the update was applied.He took the Jetta to a local Volkswagen dealership, where he learned that a diagnosis would cost $200. The repair would be another $1,400. The dealership referred to the issue as a pre-existing condition and told him it would not be covered because the vehicle was out of warranty. He refused to pay and drove the car home. There, he performed a hard battery reset that brought back only a few of the features.AdvertisementAdvertisementKoreman said he escalated the matter to Volkswagen customer care, where he was repeatedly told the same thing. The staff insinuated that the problem predated the update and wouldn't be covered. The dealership was supposedly meant to call and reschedule an appointment, and that call still hasn't come. When WKRC reached out to Volkswagen's U.S. media relations, there hadn't been a response yet at the time of writing, and it doesn't look like one is coming anytime soon.What the Driver Says Happened to His JettaKoreman acknowledged the timing could be coincidental. He also conceded that some of the software failure might have hit at the same moment, though he doesn't believe that's exactly what happened. He told WKRC that nothing had gone wrong with the car before, and that it "didn't break until immediately when I first turned on my car after applying the update."Koreman is not alone in the complaint. WKRC found similar reports from Volkswagen owners elsewhere in the country, particularly among drivers of 2021 Jettas. Koreman said his earlier experience with the brand had been good enough that he talked his fiancee into buying a Volkswagen, a plan the two have since dropped.What Are Your Options When an Out-of-Warranty Repair Is Denied?A driver who disputes a finding that dealerships come back with can seek an independent diagnosis from another shop or another dealership. But that does add a second opinion to the record. Documenting the dashboard alerts, the update prompt, and the timing of the malfunctions gives an owner something concrete to point to.AdvertisementAdvertisementDrivers can also escalate beyond the dealership. Complaints can go to the manufacturer's corporate customer care line, to a state attorney general's consumer protection division, or to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That agency collects reports of vehicle defects and can factor them into an investigation.A pattern of similar owner reports, the kind WKRC turned up among other 2021 Jetta drivers, is what those agencies tend to look for. Koreman's car remains partly functional, with the $1,600 quote unpaid and his complaint unresolved.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.