Faulty cord causing airbag light sensor…

I have a 2003 volkswagen beetle. I had an airbag sensor light go off on my dashboard recently. I got it checked out by a local mechanic and he finally came to the conclusion that it had something to do with a cord under my passenger seat. I have researched this issue and found that it is a very common problem with volkswagen. I had never even seen this light on before. I contacted volkswagen of america and was told in a response email that I would be contacted within 2 business days. Over a week passed, and I had to call them to check on the status of my request. I was then told that they responded, which I never received. Also, they even admitted in the "notes" that the customer service advocate read back to me, that they conducted research and are simply not willing to cover the cost to correct the problem due to the age of my car. It is a 2003 not a 1980. At what point does a timeline for correcting a defect "expire" and who decides this? This is a major safety hazard for me and very inconvenient. With the sensor going off, the airbag is currently disabled. I can not allow any passengers to ride with me. I do not feel that I should have to cover the cost of a faulty part out of my control, especially when there are many many other cases with the same issue. I am very disappointed in the way my request was handled.