Volkswagen Passat Complaints

7,897 consumer complaints on file.

#10291862November 11, 2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
I HAVE A 1999 VW PASSAT. I HAD MY BRAKE PAD REPLACED IN MARCH 2009, SINCE THAT TIME MY ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. IN CHECKING REPORT FOR RECALL NOTICE. I SEE WERE NHTSA.DOT.GOV.HAS A REPORT DATE AUGUST 2009, CONCERNING A PROBLEM WITH LONG-TERM EFFECT OF ABS IN PASSENGER CARS AND LTVS. IT WILL COST ME $200. AND SOMETHING DOLLARS ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10291638November 10, 2009
STEERING
2006 PASSAT THAT WON'T START AND HAS STEERING COLUMN DEFECTIVE LIGHT COME ON. TOLD I NEED NEW COLUMN AND COMFORT CONTROL MODULE ALSO FOR $1500.00 THAT I DON'T HAVE. I AM SO SICK OF THIS CAR. LOTS OF BIG PROBLEMS BUT THEY WERE UNDER WARRANTY, NOW I AM OUT OF WARRANTY BY 5000 MILES. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL WITH SO MANY CUSTOMERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290918November 4, 2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND A TECHNICIAN ADVISED HIM THAT THE ABS WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. THE REPAIR WOULD COST A MINIMUM OF $1,000.00. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED TO-DATE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 99,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 95,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290933November 4, 2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
FAILURE OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM CONTROL MODULE ON 2000 1.8 T VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WITH 90K MILES. THE FAILURE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. REQUIRES REPLACEMENT. INTERMITTENT FAILURE AT FIRST, THAT INCREASES OVER TIME. BRAKES WILL NOT FUNCTION AS ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. BRAKES WILL STILL FUNCTION, BUT MAY LOCK UP IN THE EVENT OF HARD BRAKING, INCREASING STOPPING TIME AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING UNNECESSARY COLLISIONS. TO CORRECT THIS FAILURE, THE ABS CONTROL UNIT MUST BE REPLACED. PART NUMBER (VOLKSWAGEN) 8E0998375G. COST TO REPLACE THIS UNIT IS HIGH AT DEALER THE COST FOR REPLACEMENT IS QUOTED AT $1100. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290955November 4, 2009
SEATS
SEAT HEATER REMAINED ON AFTER SWITCHED TO THE OFF POSITION. HEAT INCREASED TO UNCOMFORTABLE LEVEL, IN-DASH SWITCH BECAME TOO HOT TO TOUCH, AND SMELL OF BURNING PLASTIC FILLED COCKPIT (NO SMOKE THOUGH). *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10291001November 4, 2009
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
MY VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT HAS EXPERIENCED SCARY ACCELERATION WITHOUT ME PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE, BOTH WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY. I CHECKED MY MATS, BUT THEY WERE NOT OBSTRUCTING ANYTHING. I WAS SO SURPRISED TO SEE THE NEWS TONIGHT ON CHANNEL 5 BOSTON COVERING THIS STORY! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290841November 3, 2009
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
COIL PACK CRACKED AFTER 45,000 MILES AND CAUGHT FIRE. I CAUGHT IT IN TIME AND WAS ABLE TO PUT OUT. REPLACED COIL PACK AND ANY DAMAGED WIRES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIRE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290708November 2, 2009
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
I BOUGHT MY CAR WITH 65000 MILES ON IT. OWNED IT FOR MONTH AND A HALF, THEN THE PIECE CONNECTED TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, CLAMP AND GASKET BROKE. I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED AND THEY REPAIRED THIS BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL LAW STATING IT WAS COVERED UP TO 80,000 MILES OR 8 YEARS. WHILE IT WAS AT VW BEING REPAIRED THEY CHECKED FOR ANY OTHER PROBLEMS AND INFORMED ME THAT MY HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP LOBE AND FOLLOWER WERE ALSO IN NEED OF REPAIR SOON. AND BEGAN TELLING ME VW OF AMERICA HAS ADMITTED THAT THE CAMSHAFT LOBE (AND HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP LOBE) WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT, BUT THE BULLETIN WAS ONLY ISSUED TO THE DEALERSHIP (NOT THE PUBLIC). THIS ALSO AFFECTS THE EVAP SYSTEM. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW A COMPANY CAN KNOW OF A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND NOT HAVE A RECALL ON A CAR? THE WARRANTY SPECIALIST SUGGESTED THAT I CALL VW CUSTOMER CARE, BUT THEY DID NOT SHOW ANY CONCERN... WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO GET A RECALL ON THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE BECAUSE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS THIS ISSUE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290336October 30, 2009
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
I OWN A 2002 VW PASSAT AND I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I HAVE NO HEAT AND THE DEALER HAS TOLD ME THAT I NEED A NEW HEATER CORE WHICH APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM W/ VW'S THAT THEY HAVE YET TO ACKNOWLEDGE. THE DEALER SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER UNDER WARRANTY BUT SUGGESTED I CALL VWOA AND SEE IF I COULD GET IT COVERED UNDER GOODWILL. I CALLED VWOA AND STATED MY CASE AND REQUESTED THAT THEY COVER IT UNDER GOODWILL AND THEY REFUSED. MY CAR HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED BY THE DEALER AND I AM VERY UPSET THAT VW HAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO CORRECT IT AND THEY EXPECT ME TO PAY $1000 TO HAVE THIS KNOWN PROBLEM FIXED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290401October 30, 2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
I OWN A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON WITH A 2.0 LITER TURBO ENGINE. IT WAS PURCHASED IN JULY 2008 AS A CERTIFIED PRE OWNED VEHICLE WITH ROUGHLY 8,000 MILES ON IT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, I NOTICED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PRESSED HARD, THE PEDAL WOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. VW INSPECTED THIS AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO FUNCTION THIS WAY. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS (AS I DISCOVERED LATER ON) IS THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL AND GAS PEDAL ARE VERY CLOSE TOGETHER. IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED HARD, IT GOES PAST THE GAS PEDAL. ON TWO OCCASSIONS WHEN BRAKING HARD IN AN EMERGENCY, MY FOOT CAUGHT ON THE GAS PEDAL AND I WAS APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR WHEN TRYING TO BRAKE. THIS IS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE VERY DANGEROUS. VOLKSWAGEN CONTINUES TO TELL ME THAT THIS IS HOW THE CAR IS AND THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE FOR ME. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290286October 29, 2009
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
KEPT SMELLING GAS THREW THE VENTS, STRONG ODOR OF GAS WHEREVER IT WAS PARKED WHEN YOU APPROACHED OR GOT DOWN FROM THE VEHICLE. THE LAST FEW TIMES BEFORE THE FUEL LINE SNAPPED THERE WERE SMALL PUDDLES OF GAS UNDERNEATH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WHEN ONE DROVE AWAY FROM A PARKED POSITION. WHEN I NOTICED THE PUDDLES I OPENED THE HOOD AND REALIZED THAT ONE OF THE FUEL LINES HAD SNAPPED, WENT TO THE AUTO PARTS STORE AND BOUGHT RUBBER FUEL LINE AND CLAMPS TO TEMPORARILY PATCH THE LEAK. STILL SMELLING STRONG GAS ORDER EVEN THOUGH DOES NOT SEEM LIKE LINE IS STILL LEAKING BUT CANNOT GET IT TO THE MECHANIC AGAIN UNTIL THE WEEKEND. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10290099October 28, 2009
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE COIL FOR THE SPARK PLUG MADE A RATTLING NOISE. HE SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL ODOR, THEN THE ENGINE STALLED. AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, SMOKE WAS RELEASED FROM THE COIL ITSELF. HE USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND THEY STATED THAT THEY WANTED TO BUY THE VEHICLE BACK FROM HIM AND GIVE HIM CREDIT TO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS NOW AND THEY ARE WAITING FOR PERMISSION FROM THE MANUFACTURE VOLKSWAGEN TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS WAITING FOR HIM TO ACCEPT. THE OFFER TO BUY THE VEHICLE BACK. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 14000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10289967October 27, 2009
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
CAR HAD SLUDGE IN 2007 DEALER CLEANED ENGINE AND SAID IT WAS FIXED. IN FEB 2009 THE SLUDGE CAME BACK AGAIN AND THE DEALER FIXED THE SLUDGE AGAIN. ON OCTOBER 2009 THE CAR OIL LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN THIS TIME THEY SAID IT WAS NOT SLUDGE BUT THE CAM SHAFT ADJUSTERS WHICH THEY SAID WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. MY RESEARCH SHOWS THAT CAM SHAFT ADJUSTERS ARE DAMAGED AND BREAK UP DUE TO LOW OIL PRESSURE WHICH IS A DIRECT RELATION TO SLUDGE IN YOUR ENGINE WHICH I HAD TWICE. DEALER NOW CLAIMS I DID NOT MAINTAIN MY CAR AND THIS IS WHY THEY ARE NOT COVERING IT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10289993October 27, 2009
STEERING
MY 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT SOMETIMES WILL NOT START-- STEERING COLUMN LOCK DEFECT IS THE ERROR MESSAGE. THIS HAS LEFT MY CAR INOPERABLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS,... EVENTUALLY IT DOES START. I AM PLANNING TO HAVE THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED FOR $1500. THIS HAPPENS ALMOST EVERYDAY NOW. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10289774October 26, 2009
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
RECENTLY I WAS IN A REAR END COLLISION (I WAS CAR IN THE BACK) AND I TOTALED MY 2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED WITH NO PASSENGER AND MY DRIVER AIRBAG FAILED TO GO OFF AT ALL. THIS WORRIES ME AS TO THINK IF I HAD BEEN GOING FASTER THEN 20MPH WHETHER THE AIRBAG WOULD'VE GONE OFF AT ALL. MY FATHER IN LAW WHO IS A MECHANIC SAYS HE HAS NEVER IN HIS LIFE SEEN THE PASSENGER AIRBAG BUT NOT THE DRIVERS GO OFF. HE HAS SEEN IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND BUT NOT THIS WAY. *TR
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10289880October 26, 2009
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
MY '08 PASSAT WITH A 2.0 T ENGINE BURNS THROUGH A GREAT DEAL OF OIL. ABOUT 1/2 LITER PER 1,000 MILES. IT IS A NEW CAR (NOW 28,000 MILES) AND SHOULD NOT BURN OIL! VW STATES THIS OIL CONSUMPTION IS NORMAL, BUT I DISAGREE. I LEASE THE CAR AND HAVE HAD ALL MAINTENANCE DONE AT THE DEALER. I MUST FREQUENTLY ADD OIL TO THE ENGINE AND HAVE BROUGHT IT IN TO BE SERVICED FOR THIS OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE SEVERAL TIMES. FROM RESEARCH DONE ONLINE, THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM UNIQUE TO ME. PLEASE HELP! *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10289688October 24, 2009
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE 2007 VW PASSAT WAGON 2.0T HAS BEEN RIDDLED WITH ELECTRONIC FAILURES WHICH CONTINUE TO ESCALATE. WE HAVE HONESTLY LOST COUNT OF THE AMOUNT OF DAYS THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE - AT LEAST 9 INCIDENTS, TWICE TOWED. INITIALLY THE PROBLEMS WERE BENIGN, SUCH AS THE HORN GOING OFF AT RANDOM INTERVALS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. THERE WERE TWO INCIDENTS OF THE CAR NOT BEING ABLE TO START AFTER SITTING FOR ONLY TWO OR THREE DAYS, WHICH WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY BATTERY. PROBLEM ESCALATED TO INOPERABLE WINDOW AND DOOR MECHANISMS, DELAYS UPON ACCELERATION, AIR CONDITIONER MALFUNCTION, AND MOST RECENTLY COMPLETE ENGINE SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. UPON HAVING VEHICLE TOWED IN TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT, WE WERE TOLD "THE CAR STARTED RIGHT UP AND TESTED FINE ON THE COMPUTER" AND THAT THERE REALLY ISN'T ANYTHING MORE THE MECHANIC COULD DO WITHOUT A BETTER COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS. ATTEMPTS TO SPEAK WITH MANAGERS HAVE GONE IGNORED AND UNANSWERED. I AM CURRENTLY WAITING TO HEAR FROM VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA IN RESPONSE TO AN EMAIL I SENT TO THEIR ONLINE CUSTOMER CARE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10289367October 22, 2009
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2006 PASSAT SECURITY SYSTEM SENSOR BETWEEN KEY AND COMPUTER IN COLUMN FAILS CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME WHILE STARTING, BUT NOT YET WHILE DRIVING. MANY POSTS ON HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2006/VOLKSWAGEN/PASSAT REPORT IT HAPPENING WHILE DRIVING. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10289209October 21, 2009
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
HEATER CORE FAILURE,PLUGGING UP. VEHICLE HAS NO HEAT UNABLE TO CLEAR WINDSHIELD TO SEE. HEATER CORE PORSES TOO SMALL AND CLOGGED FROM REACTION FROM ANTI FREEZE CALCIFIED REACTION WITH METAL USED IN CORE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10289088October 20, 2009
STEERING
I OWN A VW PASSAT 2006 AND KEEP GETTING A STEERING WHEEL COLUMN LOCK DEFECTIVE MESSAGE IN MY HUD. THIS STALLS OUT THE CAR AND TAKES RESTARTS OF IGNITION JUST TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE. I HAVE READ THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND COSTS AROUND1500 DOLLARS TO FIX. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND UNNECESSARY EXPENSE ON THE CONSUMER END WHEN VW SHOULD REALLY BACK THERE PRODUCT BETTER. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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