2002 VOLKSWAGEN Passat

Engine failure due to oil sludge, car was running great then all of a sudden my engine is dead. My mechanic was confused at first until he gave it a look.

Well here is my case.. about 1 mos ago my car stalled out on me and was giving me the low engine pressure light and alert.. i had to turn my car off.. i sent the car to VW to have it diagnosed.. and they told me that there was sludge in the engine! I could not believe it. i found all my oil change reciepts except for 2 receipts, and on 2 occasions i went over the mileage by 2000 miles.. which i have talked to other certified mechanics and have told me that this is not enought to cause engine failure or sludge..I have found several sites including the TS bulleting here where this issue is being addressed to VWOA.. i am still fighting with them to cover my car repairs under warranty but they keep denying me. I am still fighting and will fight till they pay for it or replace the engine! The cost is around 2500$ to flush the engine and replace the Oil pump. Antying that CAS can do for me would be greatly appreciated.. i have not taken this yet to another mechanic in events that VWoa will tell me that they dont cover it because of that.!

VW Passat 1.8T engine failure caused by build-up of oil sludge in oil pump intake screen.

The infamous oil sludge problem.

The cover under the vehicle that collects water and debriecovers the brakes. When the temperature outside is freezingthe brakes freeze leaving us without brakes. If we should be out driving when this occures we could be killed. When I called the main headquarters of Vokeswagon we were told that they were not concern with problem because it did not happen enough to be considered a defect. If was suggested that we park the car where there are no trees and carry a cover with us for the car. I never heard of anything so rediculous. We have owned a number of vehicles and never had this type of problem and parked these cars in the same exact spot. The car is now in the shop for the second time for the same problem. I brought the car based on safety at the time it was rated number one for safety and air bags. It has all wheel drive and cost $40,0000. It is the most expense car to date that I have invested in and has about 38,000 miles on it. We do not abuse the car. I hope that Ior someone else does not get killed because you see Volkswagon says there is no problem.

See failures

oil sludge shut down engine, have complete records for all 5,000 milage oil chanes but 1. VW said to bad all have to be done in order to be under warranty.

Oil sludge build up in system, may have caused engine damage. We have an initial estimate of $3522.00 from dealership which may rise if they also find engine damage. We have not had repair work started as we are trying to get the work covered under the \"oil sludge extended warranty.

Oil light came on and stop engine light came on. Apparently there is an oil sludge problem with the engine. Based on what I have read, it is clear that there is a design defect in the oil pan and turbocharger that causes the oil to sludge. I do not have the original receipts for the interim oil changes between usual service intervals. VW has said it will not pay for repair unless I can produce the receipts. It appears that maintenance is not the issue, but rather design.

Now into week three battling VW over sludge issue on 2001.5 Passat with 99K miles. Have completed ALL of the service intervals and have never missed an oil change. The issue is what constitutes acceptable documentation. For 9 intervals the documentation consists of a date, mileage, and MD State Inspection Stamp entered in the service manual recording that the service was completed. VW is insisting on paper documentation which is not available. I\’ve provided a letter from the VW certified mechanic who completed the service but apparently not acceptable. The VW field rep is declining warranty coverage and stating insufficient documentation but as I\’m not allowed to know who he/she is, or contact them, I\’m getting information relayed from VW Customer Care or the dealership resulting in contradicting statements and inconsistencies.I\’m heading to the dealer tomorrow and then to a lawyer. At this point it\’s the principle fo the matter since the Passat was serviced properly. Have to say I\’ve never encountered customer service as bad as what I\’ve found at VW. Had a blown head gasket at 78K but now suspect that may be related to the sludge issue. However they covered that repair under warranty. February 28 Update: I went back and forth with VW to no avail. I believe, but cannot confirm, that the denial for warranty service was based on several service intervals that were recorded in the service manual but for which I did not have a physical receipt. These service intervals were completed by a neighbor who is a service manager at the auto facilities where the service was performed. He is ASE certified, a VW certified technician and Maryland State Inspector. For each of the service intervals he recorded the date, mileage, and stamped the manual with a Maryland State Inspection stamp. The service manager led me to believe this was the problem so I submitted a signed letter from the neighbor confirming that the service intervals were completed, and completed according to VW specifications. Shortly after submitting this letter I was informed that my case had been closed and warranty coverage was denied.I\’m still not sure if these service intervals were the issue. All decisions concerning the warranty were being made by a VW field representative. Several times I requested the representative\’s name and number in order to discuss the situation but was told that information was confidential. Therefore I was getting second hand information from the Valley Motors service manager and VW Customer Care, which in many cases was contradictory. Everyone seemed to hide behind this \"anonymous\" field representative. I don\’t know if I\’ve ever experienced such poor customer service.I finally ended up paying $1075 to have the oil pump replaced. According to the service manager there was a small amount of oil sludge blocking an oil intake tube which created the low oil pressure. Only good news was that there were no signs of any engine damage which is typically the case when oil sludge is present. We picked up the Passat from Valley Motors on January 26, 2007 and drove it for approximately 2 weeks before making the decision to trade it in for a new vehicle. I\’d lost all confidence in the Passat (and VW) and couldn\’t take the chance that the problem was going to reappear. I need dependable transportation since I\’m frequently long distances from home and I no longer felt that I could rely on the vehicle.I think the most aggravating part of the entire situation was that the Passat was serviced properly and I never missed an oil change or service interval. In fact, I was using synthetic oil for my oil changes even before VW made it a requirement. Regardless of VW\’s position, the problem with our Passat was caused by a design problem and not by any neglect or missed service.

My vehicle has a sludge problem; I took my car to the VW dealership because a warning light told me to stop the engine due to oil pressure – VW evaluated my car & told me there was nothing wrong with it, I have an invoice stating \"no sludge apparent\" but 2 weeks later I get the same warning while drving and now VW is saying that there is so much sludge that the oil system needs to be flushed not once, but twice and I need a new oil pump. They want to charge me $1500.00 for this and will not cover it under warranty unless I come up w/all my oil change receipts. Unfortunately, those receipts were lost in a move and I\’ve been able to retrieve a few of them, but I believe in this case they should make an exception because they should have detected the problem when I took the car in the first time. Right now the car has yet to be repaired because I don\’t feel that I should have to pay for this. I had no idea that this sludge thing was such a problem for VW owners until I found this website – the information I have found here will hopefully help me get this matter resolved to my advantage. At this point, VW doesn\’t want to budge on the sludge!

My four year old car has been diagnosed with engine sludge. VW will not consider my claim unless I submit documentation for every oil change. This is the worst car.

My 2002 Passat, with only 50,100 miles has developed oil sludge. It is hard to imagine a car with only 50,100 miles on it and cost 28,500 dollars can be ruined. Volkswagen should have to pay for all of the costs for faulty engineering.

MIL= Malfunction Indicator light. This light show an icon of an engine. The car vibrates, needed to be towed for service, provided rental car twice. Now being towed tomorrow and customer has two weeks to go for lease. See Autoweek 2/7/2005 which explains problem with oil sludge. Major problem going on for years. People not being covered under warranty. Fraud at it\’s best. Interested in class action suit if available.

I was driving this car on 24th of December 2004 when \"Oil Pressure\" and \"STOP Engine\" lights came up. I immediately stopped and had a car towed by VW 24-hour road assistance.Although, the car is still under warranty, VW declined the warranty because some oil changes were performed outside their dealership. All maintenance was done at the Sunnyvale dealership in California except for 5 oil changes performed elsewhere. I am currently disputing the issue with VW via BBB. Please help!

I was driving the vehicle to Louisville, Ky from cincinnati ohio and the check oil pressure engine light came on pulled over had car towed to bachman vw. They said car was fine gave me a synthetic oil change and sent me on my way.3 weeks later husband was once again driving to louisville and the light came on and engine siezed had towed to dealership century vw said due to my oil changes would be covered 100% parts and labor under extended warranty. came back no oil sludge? Couldn’t tell me what caused it but car was clean, 6500 for new engine. Got towed to another mechanic and he states that it is oil sludge we went and took pictures of the vehicle and now plan on suing. They are lying about the vehicle having a sludge problem per the new mechanic therefore I have to pay for new engine that shoudl be covered!

I started noticing at 18000Km that the car vibrates in drive when stopped at a light. If you take the car out gear and put into neutral the vibrations diminish. But still there. This has been checked 3 times by the dealer. Several adjustments have been made and also Injectors cleaned and vibrations still there. Motor is a 1.8 turbo automatic.

I own a 2002 VW Passat and my oil pressure light came on last week and then my engine seized up. I had to have it towed to the VW dealer and now it is costine me $7000.00 to have a new engine put in. I missed my last 2 scheduled factory maintenances because of family issues. Even so I feel like this should have never happened.

I haven\’t actually gotten the engine replaced yet. I\’m religious about changing the oil in my car, about the maintenance and care of it. I love my Volkswagen Passat. I had the oil pressure light come on, once or twice over the last two years, but always took it into a shop for regular maintenance. The light always went off and nothing ever happened. However, there has been a lot of sludge buildup in the engine, despite my best efforts. So much so that the oil pump was blocked and the engine seized as a result. I had the oil pressure warning come on the day my car died. It was a few miles after it went on it stopped running and I had to push my car into it\’s parking spot at home. Volkswagen dealers @ the Burnsville location told me that they had started with a 100,000 mile warranty on the Passats, but that it had become cost ineffective and so cut the warranty to 50,000. My car seized at under 87,000. I\’ve not been able to afford to fix it, as yet. Had to take time off work and so my paycheck was greatly reduced. Haven\’t been able to make the car payment on it either, as a result, which has a balance of near to $10,000.00. I currently owe $540.00 for the service and storage of the vehicle, but still need to have the engine replaced. That could take the costs to upwards of $1,000.00

Four ignition coils defective – replacedDefective ignition – key stuck in car for over nine daysDefective stereo – replaced twice to dateDefective electrical – windows and locks go up and down while driving, gas cap pops open unexpectedlyComputer problem – computer blacks out at timesDefective wheel bearing – replaced at 17,952 milesDefective motor blower – replacedDefective rear wheel lining – replaced

ENGINE SLUDGE!The minimum repair to working stiffs like us is $1500. Please investigate. It is, yet, ANOTHER VW DEFECT they insist on choking their customers with. I am totally disgusted in this company\’s corporate policy. The VW dealership didn\’t even put \"engine sludge\" on my receipt (I am sure instructed by corporate so I will have no means for recourse if there is ever a recall, I refused to sign, took my check back and my car is still at the dealership in service dept.until I can speak with someone who has authority in the morning! I will NEVER, EVER buy another VW again. (Yes, I paid for the water damage/firewall repair just because it rained and ruined my electrical system and can\’t tell you how much I\’ve paid out in the defective oils,and now, this: Engine Sludge which they have extended the warranty on but you have to show every receipt for every 5000 mile oil change you\’ve had on your car (my car has 87k miles….GIVE ME A BREAK!) But, of course, dedicated yet ANOTHER WHOLE WEEKEND to finding all my receipts for these jerks! No luck! I am short! Imagine that after 85,000 miles! What else is new? I hear if you\’re missing (1) or are 25 miles over on any receipt, you\’re screwed and have to pay in full. Gee, think my next car will be a VW? NOT!

During heavy rain cowl drain became clogged. Water was sucked into cylinders and power brake system resulting in stalling and complete failure of power brake system. No injury occurred but had the vehicle been moving at the time significant physical damage and bodily injury could easily have occurred. VW Customer Care was contacted and they have taken no responsibility. The resulting damage cost $1600.00 to repair.

1/06 oil pump sludge problem $1500-2000 94,000

01/02 – Ignition coil failure – VW paid per recall05/04 – full diagnostic scan to replace misc sensors – $500 (no mention the engine was 3 weeks from seizing)06/04 – complete engine failure – VW refused to pay in spite of extending warranty due to their awareness of the faulty design in the 1.8 L Turbo engine. One oil change slip was lost and even though the missing slip was within 6 months of the previous, it was not within 5,000 miles (change was done – just no record)09/04 – after traveling all summer, had the engine replaced – purchased an engine with 29K miles on it.10/04 – Transmission sensor blown – $50011/04 – tension chain on the new engine blown (covered per salvage companies warranty – not VW)

To whom it my concern My car had been hit on the driver side so I took it to the auto body shop to be repaired, being paid for by the person insurance co that hit me. When I went to pick the car up about 3 weeks later I drive 2 blocks and then lights started flashing (WARNING OIL PRESURE) STOP CAR IMMITTEDATELY. I called the auto body shop so I could take the car back to them because the car was in excellent working order when I took it there no lights were on or flashing only the door was damaged. Few days later the auto body said they would have to have it towed to a dealer Wynn because they don’t know why the lights are on. Wynn Dealer gave diagnoses of oil sludge for the lights flashing and the auto body had replaced the door with the wrong door. I was told this would cost me 2300 dollars, 2300 dollars. I was told by the deal that this is the problem and removal of the sludge will fix the problem. They had the car for a month repairs to replace the door and the oil sludge. Month later when I went to pick up the car at that time there was an engine light came on, had the Manager check why. He hook up a computer and said it may be a bad cylinder he reset the light and I drove it for 2 weeks maybe and now excessive amount of smoke was coming from the car and it was losing power . I took it back to dealer stating you told me the problem was fixed I was told that now it has a turbo charger problem had been damaged which would be covered by my warranty. So I left it there for repairs. Picked it up a week later and was told everything was fine now drove it for not even a day and the car was still losing power and now shaking out of control. I had to take it back to the dealer and now was told I had a bad engine coil so the best they could do for now is replace it with a used one. In the mean time I had called Volkswagen customer service and they told me I had to take it back to them for diagnose. Because when they replaced the coil it still didn’t solve the problem with the car losing power the car was still losing power. This is still pending as of today. I need help with this problem all my saving is gone because of this.

Oil sludge

Engine was running rough, engine light came on (flashing), I was advised engine was missing on a cylinder and could drive ‘slowly’ to the mechanic. On way to dealership warning light came on (STOP – no engine oil). Mechanic changed vacuum hose and reset computer, engine not loosing oil. Week later – warning light (STOP – no engine oil). Mechanic confirmed engine was not loosing oil. Took to VW dealership. Dealership advised vacuum hoses were ‘bad’. Original mechanic changed vacuum hoses. Week later – warning light (STOP – No engine Oil). Took to VW dealership – dealership advised "after market parts" (vacuum hoses) causing issue. – changed hose. Day later – Warning light (STOP- no engine oil) – Took back to VW dealership – dealership advised hoses are ‘bad’ – replaced 3 other hoses. About 2 weeks later – engine running poorly, delay when pulling out from stops, took to VW dealership. Dealership took apart engine. advised that they

1st problem- no heat – had coil cleaned, did not help 2nd – complete engine lock up – had towed to nearest vw dealer: where it now sits. cannot pay to replace engine. bought used in sep 08. kept oil changed – synthetic. checked oil b 4 it quit, had plenty. engine failed anyway.

Ltr from consumer referencing defective front right daytime running lamp constantly failing on his 2002 vw passat, reply directly to constituent. *ts the light has failed three times in the last three years. each time the vehicle was taken to the dealer who explained that the light burn out frequently because they were on all the time. the driver's side daytime running lamp has never failed. *nm

The consumer complained that the front right daytime running lamp was constantly failing on his 2002 vw passat.*mr the dealer explained that the lights a prone to burn out because the are on whenever the vehicle is on. *nm

The defective front right daytime running lamp on consumer's 2002 vw passat.*mr *nm

Nar 02/28/2003 recall issued for ignition coils on 2002 passat. *cb

Periodically, when driving, the "abs", "brake", and the "anti slip regulation" lights will flash with an alarm sound that lasts around three seconds and the lights go off. this happens when the car is running and has happened on the highway and while stopped. there is no difference in the way the car handles, drives, or brakes during and after this occurs. on one instance the "anti slip regulation" light stayed on and i had to stop and shut the car off. when i started it again, the light was extinguished. this has been going on for 3-4 months and only happens about once a week.

Abs light comes on while driving brakes light flashes on and off with noise

Air bag fault message when starting my car everytime.

When fuel tank has approximately 8 gallons or more, fuel pours out from under the rear driver’s side about two feet from the outer kick panel. noticed there was a recall and vwoa said that my vin does not qualify for the recall despite my explaining that the problem is identical to other complaints on vehicles that were recalled. this was at 118k miles and it happened to the previous owner arround 80k.

The gas tank is leaking on the upper side behind the rear seats when is full. i think volkswagen recalled some vehicles for the same problem in the past.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat the contact stated that the vehicle leaked fuel without warning. the vehicle was serviced per nhtsa campaign number: 08v156000 (fuel system), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. the contact stated that the ventilation valve was fractured and caused fuel to leak. also, the tank only leaked when it was more than half full. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 110,000. updated 01/25/17*lj *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the vehicle experienced a fuel leak. upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the fuel leak originated near the rear of the exhaust. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was confirmed that there was a fuel leak in the vehicle coming from the top of the fuel tank. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 08v156000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, the vin was not included. the failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Fuel leak after filling gas tank. leak on driver side under rear door. stops after gage is below 3/4 full.

While driving into the mall parking lot at speed of 20 mph all airbags exploded except the steering wheel airbag and my daughter suffered from arm and air injuries

Headlight pigtails have melted ,fuel pump has gone ,and the plastic reservoir peice from my coolant pump has melted off driver side wiper arm bar has malfunctioned

When it rains the car gets flooded causing the whole wiring system through the car to get damage. the car will suddenly lose power and die as your driving. seems to happen. when on highway most. the car will not start or crank. i've had to vacuum the floor boards and trunk, search for damaged wires, change relays as well as camshaft position sensor, and fuel pump.as well as sensors. trying to get it running again. also the transmission jerks very hard when trying to go into reverse and most of the time in slips out of gear within1or 2 seconds.

The abs light came on and brake light is flashing red. the abs module seems to be bad. the vehicle has these lights when its moving and stationary

I get an audio and visual alert on my dash stating to “stop, brake failure” it has occurred many times while driving, turning, and parked with the car on. the car’s brakes have never failed to brake appropriately. i brought the car into my mechanic. the obd 2 scan shows no faults and my mechanic says the brakes are fine and these cars are known to have a faulty electronic board which falsely alerts of a brake failure.

The abs brakes are faulty....they work randomly. from what i have research this particular modular should have been a factory recall.....

I purchased a 2002 passat w8 4-motion, having only 126,000 miles on the odometer, in october 2017 often after refueling the vehicle, i would notice the faint scent of gasoline. upon investigating where the gasoline smell was originating, i found it had developed a very large fuel leak from which fuel could be seen dripping on the forward, left side of the fuel tank. after performing some brief research, i found that there was a recall on the passat 4-motions, dated april 2008, in regards to a ventilation valve on the fuel tank. i promptly made a appointment with my local vw dealer for dec 4th. on december 6, 2017, i contacted the dealership asking jay, the service manager at the vw dealership, if they found the vent valve to be leaking. i was told that the valve was in fact leaking at the bonded valve point. after hearing nothing the next two days, i received a phone call from vw stating that they found the under-body damage to be the cause of the leak. i requested to see the pictures of the damage so that i could examine them myself. on december 11, 2017, i received the pictures from the service manager showing the heat shields surrounding the tank to have some brush marks and to be disfigured a bit. please keep in mind, this was a known issue in the early 2000's, and the vehicle is now 15 years old with 127,000 miles on it and the recall had been completed. this "damage" would not lead to a fuel tank leak as the fuel tank itself was not damaged. very upset, i wrote to the regional case manager on dec 11, 2017 with my thoughts on the damage and to get more details on the case. i have yet to receive a response.

Abs light is on

Report receipt date: apr 07, 2008 nhtsa campaign number: 08v156000 component(s): fuel system, gasoline when fuel tank is more than 3/4 fuel a fuel smell appears inside the vehicle. a prior recall was done for a heat shield, fuel line and 4motion fuel tank vent valve for inspection and replace as needed. these seem to fail again. most dealers mark recall as performed without a leak and when the leak actually occurs they try to deny the issue as performed already. this needs to be addressed so that owners of lower mileage vehicles ( under 150000) can get the repair fixed under a recall that has been on the vehicle prior.

Low oil pressure light came on for the first time and now engine makes a ticking noise. there was a recall for this issue. now i'm stuck with a car i can't get fixed. for an issue that had a law suit.

I started my car and proceeded to drive down around city streets for about 5 minutes. i was going speed limit(25-30 mph) during a cool night(60*f). i stopped at a red light and then my temperature gauge spiked(car was slightly below normal temperature prior(190*f; according to gauge); this gauge spike was followed by a battery indicator light which simultaneously cut off my engine. my car became immobile and i lost brake and steering function. however, my radio and car lights still worked! luckily there was no surrounding cars and my parking brake was functional. i then turned off the car, waited a few minutes and attempted to turn over the engine once more. it did start however i am worried this may happen again under less forgiving circumstances.

Vehicle was in motion, driving uphill. needle on thermostat gauge suddenly perked really fast towards hot. engine light went on. vehicle was driven to side of road and engine was shut off. smoke was coming out of front of engine. driver stepped out of car. while inspecting the front of the car, the driver saw flickering flames under right side of engine (as seen from inside). driver took sleeping child out of car seat and stepped away from car. car was engulfed in fire within minutes and completely burnt up.

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 25 mph, an extremely loud noise emitted from the engine. the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road. the contact exited the vehicle and large flames ignited underneath the hood. the fire department extinguished the fire and stated that the fire originated from the engine compartment. the vehicle was destroyed. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 172,808.

While driving at 75mph or in city traffic i get an alarm warning that my driver's door is open. to shut the loud warning off, i must open and close the door while going 75mph or in traffic. either i open the door while driving or pull over on the side of the highway with traffic, i find this very dangerous!!! this happens daily this is my second vw passat that the door latch has failed and was told this a common problem with volkswagens this should be a recall because of the dangers of having to open the door to reset the latch electrical switches that are defective!!!

Brake pedal was frozen - brakes inoperative. mechanical inspection revealed water in the brake booster that had frozen, causing loss in brake function. examination of the nhtsa website revealed action number pe07018 which is an exact match of the symptoms of the vehicle affected. the plenum drains were obstructed with debris and there was water in the plenum tray. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. while driving 20 mph, the vehicle had an issue accelerating after slowing down. the vehicle failed to pick up speed while driving. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 125,000.

Two driver's side airbags deployed when i drove through a pothole on a city street. i have driven into potholes no different than this in the past. there was no other damage to the car or tires. the impact was vertical; i did not experience any side-to-side motion. cost of repair estimated to be between $2000 & $3000. *tr

There is water in the brake vacuum booster. when it is cold it will freeze up an no brakes. this is the first year for this problem had car six years.i check the pleum drain an its clean. there should be a recall on this. the part is gno 8eo 612 105 j see this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcq42rabhik. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the engine stalled. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 185,611.

I was driving the car about 30 minutes prior to incident traveling at approximately 45 mph with my child in the car and without warning of any kind my car shuts off and i almost got rear ended . i was able to coast to the side of the road put the vehicle in park tried starting the vehicle and it started right away . i drove vehicle home without incident . i took the vehicle to a mechanic and they couldn't find a problem no engine codes where present . i drove the vehicle for a week and this same scenario played out again i wasn't driving the car any further at this point because again i had my child in the car and again also got rear ended . had it towed to a different mechanic and they to were unable to find any engine codes or problems . i had my boyfriend drive the car home and it stalled on him at a red light . car wouldn't restart so he had to push the vehicle across a lane of traffic to the shoulder of the road . when the car cooled down for 2 hours it restarted and drove fine no check engine light or codes present .. after a month of headaches with the car we discovers it was a faulty engine speed sensor this is a very dangerous part to fail without warning leaving the car powerless if this happened on the freeway i wouldn't have been so lucky i imagine. *tr

Abs fault/flashing brake light. *tr

Every time the car is started, it beeps 3 times and then my abs and brake light flash on my dash for my entire car ride. *tr

First time i filled tank fuel full with fuel and fuel tank started to leak. i send the car to volkswagen dealer nd they found a crack on welded part of the tank, where two parts of the fuel tank are weld together. if fuel tank is less than 3/4 it does not leak but if it is full leak. i call volkswagen and they told me than the car is two old and with too much of the miles to be covert from any recall so they will not pay for fuel tank replacment and they do not support the safety of any car above 100,000 miles are older than 10 years. i payed $2154 for the replacement of the fuel tank . dealer gave to me the cracked tank, i asked for it, and i have it i my garage. *tr

The fuel is leaking when the tank is full, happened the two last time i fill the tank, when the tank is half not leak. *tr

2002 volkswagen passat. consumer writes in regard to being told the recall to repair the faulty equipment on her vehicle was to outdated to repair the vehicle and she would have to pay for the repairs at her expense. *tgw the consumer referenced plenum drain sunroof drain. the consumer stated water damaged the headliner and other components in the vehicle. the consumer stated the vehicle collects 1-2 inches of water, every time it rained or when she washed the vehicle. *jb

Abs brake light comes on and the brake light keep flashing on and off. *tr

Car beeps and displays the abs light and the brake light. at first they appear and then disappear. on 6/12/2014 the abs is on each time i start the vehicle plus the brake light flashes throughout the duration of the drive. on two occurrences the traction control off light came on and remained on. the fear is that i have lost abs and traction control, and also that the e-brake or brakes will engage while in motion. multiple occurrences of this have occurred in vw passat forums and most suggest taking out the abs module and having it refurbished due to a hair sensor that goes faulty on the passat. many requests have been made to have this part recalled and fixed, i am adding my request to the other parties involved. *tr

December 30, 2011, the engine emissions light came on. in addition, the brakes were slow to respond, especially in quick response situations, i.e. traffic light. i took the car to pep boys for a diagnostic on brakes/emission. they said there were no problems. cost $100. february 10, 2012, the engine emission light came on and the brakes were slow to respond especially in quick response situations, i.e. traffic light. i took the car to a vw dealer/repair shop. they replaced the front brake rotors and pads and changed the brake fluid. i still experienced the brake problem during cold weather (below 15 degrees and wind chill). vw suggested bringing the car in when the temperature was the same as the temperature that i experienced the brake problem. unfortunately it was march and there were no further cold days. i began to think the car was a warm weather vehicle. cost $776. december 14, 2012, the vw dealer/repair shop replaced the rear brake rotors and pads. cost $377. december 26, 2013, the engine emission light came on and the brakes were slow to respond, especially in quick response situations, i.e. traffic light. i took the car to a vw dealer/repair shop. they replaced hose and valve to correct a vacuum leak (valve stuck). they replaced the brake fluid. cost $376. january 8, 2014, the brakes were slow to respond. i had to use the hand brake to stop. i called to have the car towed to vw dealer/repair shop. the tow driver stated it was a booster problem. the vw dealer/repair shop replaced brake booster and brake fluid. cost $848. in addition to the brake problems, the belly pan (belly shield, skid plate, lower engine cover) came off twice while driving on major highways on april 21, 2012 and april 12, 2014. i had to pull over and pop the pan back up. i took the car to vw dealer/repair shops to have it reattached. no cost. *tr

On a very cold day (below freezing) in january 2013 while driving down my long driveway with a 4% grade, the brakes failed to stop the car and the car entered the road. the road has a speed limit of 50 mph and fortunately no car was on the highway or i could have been severely injured or killed. on subsequent warmer days the brakes worked fine. i took the car to the vw dealer in charlottesville, flow vw, where they found water in the booster pump and "removed cowl drains and vacuum water of the booster." this problem is cited in a vw service bulletin on the the nhtsa website - p 9-66c8. the invoice did not mention installing an improved pollen filter seal as is described in the service bulletin. the dealer did not charge me for this repair when i complained that it was due a design flaw. this resolved the problem until this year when on another cold day below freezing the brakes again failed to stop the car when driving down my driveway. on subsequent warm days the brakes worked normally. i tested them again on a very cold day and they again failed. i took car back to the same vw dealer on a warm day and they told me there was water in the booster pump and i would have to replace the booster pump at a cost of about $800. when i complained that the problem was due to a design flaw as evidenced by reports of similar problems on websites including nhtsa?s website they eventually offered to lower the price to $500. i believe this is still too much to pay for what is clearly a very dangerous design flaw that allows water to get into the brake system and that the dealer had failed to really correct last year. *tr

My car was turned off and parked when i entered a convenience store. no smoke from underneath the hood or any sign of trouble when i entered the store. i exited the store approximately 3 minutes after entering, and there was a large amount of smoke bellowing from under the hood. something under the hood had caught fire. the fire ultimately grew large enough where a standard fire extinguisher could not put out the flame and a firefighters were required. the engine was damaged beyond repair. the firefighters on the scene and a mechanic afterwards could not determine the cause of the fire, but believed that it was likely mechanical of some sort. *tr

While driving home on a snowy day was going up a steep hill causing the car to slide side to side had to try and ease up the hill, which intern raised he rpm up and the "stop oil pressure light &turn off engine" light came on after researching it seems to be a sludge issue and is going to be costly repair and would most likely have the same issue. would like to know what i can do on this issue the car has been maintained using synthetic oil on all oil changes since purchased did purchase used but according to the car fax and after contacting the dealers that service the vehicle it has always had synthetic. *tr

In august of 2013, while backing out of a driveway, i experienced a total loss of braking. after examining the car, i discovered that the plenum that holds the battery and brake booster was nearly filled with rain water. it was necessary for me to remove one of the duck-billed drain plugs in the plenum as all were clogged with debris, preventing water from draining out. the flooded plenum appears to have resulted in water being drawn through the vacuum lines when attempting to brake. this, in turn, caused a significant amount of water to be drawn into the crankcase. water was also drawn into the cylinders resulting in misfiring. after removing at least one drain plug in the plenum for proper drainage, and double flushing the contaminated oil in the crankcase, i experienced no further braking problems until freezing weather in november 2013. in november, while braking near the bottom of a hill, i again experienced a hard pedal with no depression and almost no braking ability, resulting in the car going into the intersection before fully stopping. the car was towed to the volkswagen dealership for repair. two weeks later, there was again the symptom of a hard pedal? with no depression and near loss of all braking. the car was again returned to the volkswagen dealership for repair. this time, the vacuum booster, the vacuum pipes, and their related items were replaced. as noted in the dealership invoice, evidence of water was found in the replaced vacuum booster. the dealership acknowledged that the plenum had a significant high-water pollen line, indicating flooding of the plenum. it was believed by their service department staff that the brake failures in november and december 2013 were likely the result of residual water freezing in the vacuum booster, causing the booster to be inoperative. also, the ignition coils were replaced. updated 01/30/14 the consumer stated the insufficient fix during the 2008 campaign did not resolve the problem. it allowed for continued flooding of the plenum compartment and subsequent brake failures. updated 02/19/14 updated 03/13/14 updated 05/12/14 updated 06/25/14

There is a dangerous gas leak from the previously recalled fuel tank that is not damaged by the road, or other debris. the recall needs to stay open.

Since early 2009, there has been an evap system problem with my 2002 vw passat 4motion. this has caused me endless hassle and significant expense over the last 4 years. after 3 failed attempts to get the problem diagnosed, a dealer finally identified the problem in 2011 as a fuel vapor leak from the fuel tank. no mention was made of the 2008 recall (vwoa #25e5/r6, nhtsa #08v156000) covering such fuel leaks. after (re-)discovering the recall notice in 2013, i contacted both vw and two separate dealers; all indicated that since my vehicle was serviced in 2008 under the recall (though only the underbody heat shield was replaced; the gas tank and related parts may or may not have been "inspected" but the dealership no longer has those records nor does vw have those details), vw would not cover the fuel tank replacement. i have since contacted vw again, who have agreed to look into the matter but require me to pay to have the vehicle re-diagnosed. since this is a safety matter (a leak at the gas tank could start a fire), it seems clear that vw's responsibilities in the matter should not be limited to merely "inspecting" the affected parts once with no oversight or follow-up, as has happened in this case.

I recently had work done on my vehicle under nhtsa campaign id #08v156000, which required inspection, and the installation of additional heat shields near the fuel tank. the vehicle had been previously serviced under the campaign in 2008. recently, the fuel tank began leaking gasoline, which indicates that the heat shields that were installed had either failed, or that the heat shields were inadequate to prevent eventual damage to the fuel tank. i believe that the fuel tanks for these vehicles should be inspected again in order to determine whether repair to the fuel tanks is required and to prevent vehicle fire, injury, and loss of life. i contacted vw customer service, and they agreed to replace the fuel tank under the nhtsa campaign. the dealership charged me $136.49 in additional labor for the removal of aftermarket parts, even though the campaign clearly states that dealers will "replace components if necessary free of charge." neither vw customer service, nor the dealership would agree to perform the work fully free of charge. i believe that the charge for additional labor is in violation of the nhtsa campaign and request assistance in obtaining reimbursement. *tr

We have attempted to have a gas leak / smell repaired by 3 different volkswagen dealers over 5 years. we first approached the dealer in 2008 when receiving notice of a recall. the recall was the "underbody heat shield/fuel system components (#08v156000). today, 10/17/2013 we finally have a dealer stating that there is a fuel leak even though we have been attempting to get vw to believe us for 5 years. the overwhelming smell of gasoline permeates our entire house after a fill up and immediately park the vehicle in our garage. *tr

Concerning volkswagen recall 08v156000. summary: volkswagen is recalling 412,000 my 1999-2005 passat (5th generation) vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and produced after june 14, 1999. these vehicles may have an underbody heat shield that can become damaged. in addition, affected vehicles with automatic transmissions may have a fuel tank ventilation valve (4motion/all wheel drive only) that can leak due to fracture. consequence: a heat shield that may contact the exhaust system can result in a vehicle fire. in addition, a fuel leak from a fuel line or fuel tank ventilation valve, in the presence of an ignition source, can lead to a vehicle fire. remedy: dealers will install additional underbody heat shields on vehicles with automatic transmissions to cover the possibly damaged areas. dealers will also inspect the fuel tank ventilation valve on 4motion/all wheel drive vehicles, and replace components if necessary free of charge. the recall began on june 13, 2008. fast fwd to 2013. our gas tank is now leaking out and there's every indication it's a ventilation valve. the recall work was complete on this car in 2008, although the dealer service order did not specify the fuel tank ventilation valves were inspected. the work ordered specified installing the heatshields only. vw dealer will not cover costs of checking the ventilation valve given they said the recall work was already performed. who holds dealer accountable for properly completing recall inspection /maintenance? *tr

Abs control module needs to be replaced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that after refueling, fuel spilled out of the fuel tank. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 08v156000 (fuel system, gasoline). the failure mileage was 109,000. updated 07/10/13*lj updated 07/11/2013 *js

After filling my vehicles gas tank and i was smelling a potent gas odor and it went away after a few miles. when arrived at my hotel as i was away on business, i parked the vehicle for the night. the next morning when i woke up there was a large puddle of fuel under the rear of my car. i can no longer fill the tank more than half way or this same issue happens. i saw that there was a recall and i was never informed of the recall by the manufacturer, i would like to have this issue resolved with no out of pocket costs to me. *tr

Cel 17887 brake booster failure. this causes a complete brake failure. hard pedal and vehicle would not come to a stop. after doing research i found out this is a common occurrence with this make/model/year vehicle. the cause of the problem is the brake booster fills with fluid and/or debris causing loss of air pressure. the brake booster can not function without this pressure causing brake failure. i took the vehicle to a mechanic at a reputable dealer and they vacuumed out approximately 1 1/2 gallons of dirty looking water. there is still more inside the part however it is frozen due to single digit temperatures outside. after a thorough inspection of all clamps, hoses and other parts the mechanic assured me there are no cracked hoses, loose or broken clamps (no explanation as to why the booster is filling with fluid or how to prevent it from happening again). the mechanic states the fluid/debris build up inside of the booster. the cel has been reset and the problem has not recurred (yet). this is my 18 year old son's car and every day he drives the vehicle i fear this will happen again since there was no explanation for the occurrence the first time. reports i have read from other owners state they have had the same problem on this model year. why isn't vw being held accountable for this malfunction? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the brake light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnose that the abs module needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made a ware of the failure. the failure mileage was 230,000 and the current mileage was 277,000.

I bought a volkswagen passat 2002 from a local dealer. the vehicle came with no warranty. the day i got the vehicle i filled the car with full tank of gasoline. i parked the car outside my apartment and next day when i checked there was gas leaking from the car. this happened like for 4 days and when the fuel in the car reduced to half of the fuel tank capacity it stopped. i thought it should be some sort of leak which stopped by itself. but next time when i did a full tank re fill again the gasoline started leaking. even this time it stopped after the fuel in the car reduced to half the tank level. i called up volkswagen customer care to get this fuel tank replaced as per nhtsa action number : pe08008. they told the fuel tank was replaced in june 2011. its just a year and again it is happening the same. they didn't give me the information were it was replaced and told it has crossed 1 year of warranty period and they cant help. but here it just 11 days from june 2011 and the fuel tank was spoil yet again. i request you to take this appeal of mine and get this fuel tank replaced for me. this is a matter of safety. if it was something else i wouldn't have worried but here this is fuel leaking from fuel tank. small burst of fire or spark inside or outside the car can be very dangerous. even the leaking fuel mite get ignited while the car is traveling for a longer period in summer due to heat. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who inspected the vehicle and stated that there was a small fuel leak on the filler neck. the vehicle was included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 02v026000 (fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:filler pipe and cap); however at time of inspection, there was no fuel leak. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but stated that the statute of limitations for the recall had passed. the failure and current mileages were 90,000.

My daughter pulled into our neighborhood and noticed a faint odor of smoke. she pulled into our garage, got out of the car and saw smoke coming from the hood. she opened the hood and saw flames on the passenger side of the engine block. she went to get the fire extinguisher and upon her return the flame was out and the smoke subsided. i have inspected the area and i can't identify significant damage from the fire. i just learned of a recent investigation by nhtsa into my2002 vw passat for engine fires caused by a faulty ignition coil (nhtsa action number ea11002 - reported initial as pe10-027). *tt

While accelerating to pass another car, i fully depressed the gas pedal and upon releasing it, noticed it was stuck in the fully depressed position. upon putting the car in neutral and hitting the gas pedal while it was it the stuck position, it became dislodged and was functional again. this is the second time this has happened to my car while driving it, the first time being in mid-november 2011. when the car is off and in park i am now able to recreate the pedal getting stuck, as it gets stuck about 25% of the time when fully depressed. i have not yet had a mechanic look at the pedal. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. she was able to restart the vehicle after 45 minutes. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer replaced the rear catalytic convertor but the failure continued. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileage was 102,000. the vin was not available.

This has happened 3 times now. my car beeps at me about 3-4 times & the abs & brake lights come on for a few seconds before turning off. from everything i have read online, its a problem with the abs module & this is a common problem in the passat. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. while the contact was driving approximately 25 mph, the engine power began to significantly reduce during acceleration. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the upward and downward oxygen sensors were replaced. the malfunction persisted after the repair was performed. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 152,000.

Torque converter failed. the abs module is bad. 02 sensors are bad. *tr

The vehicle has a safety issue as i cannot see when i put the heater on. the windshield becomes completely covered with steam. i have almost crashed 5 times already. help! *tr

Abs system light was activated while driving. car sent to authorized dealer where it was confirmed that abs unit had failed. $3000 repair bill required to bring car back to specs, including replacements of upper links (8e0407505a), and abs unit (8e0614111aq). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the brake pedal was extremely stiff and would not respond when depressed. the contact applied the parking brake and the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the brake booster would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 62,000.

When the outside temperature is below freezing, the brakes on my 2002 passat wagon do not work. the brake pedal is hard, and will not depress. i have been told by a mechanic who has worked on my car for the past ten years that there is a significant amount of water in my brake lines. this water may have entered the brake lines from the brake booster in a manner described in incident report #pe07018. attempts to fix the problem have been unsuccessful so far (water has been drained out of system, drains have been cleared of leaves and other debris, but the problem recurs when the temperature drops below freezing). does vw have any other suggestions how to fix this problem? when the problem happens, i do not have functioning brakes (a rather dangerous situation, to say the least). *tr

Driver's side seatbelt failed to lock into place. had to buy a new seatbelt for safety reasons. *tr

Started car 5 am during winter months-car brakes were completely depressed-brakes were un usable. car was able to accelerate however brakes could not be used at any point. this is a serious and dangerous issue as any freezing temperature will render the brakes un usable and possibly result in a crash. brought the car to several repair shops and was notified that a p9 service which sealed pollen filters to prevent debris from entering the area surrounding the brake booster had been done, but debris still entered. *tr

Heater core let go and created a uncontrollable fog in the inside of the car.tried to get to side of the road and almost hit a truck because i couldn't see. smoke(or steam) was pouring from the car even after i stopped plus the fact that i inhaled the coolant fumes. *kb

I was driving at night and pulled over because my car had no operating tail lights (the headlights and other front lights were working properly). turning the lights off and then back on solved the problem temporarily, but further testing when i returned home revealed that the tail lights were not always turning on with the rest of the lights. an internet search revealed this is a relatively common problem for these cars and that a failed headlight switch is the culprit. replacing the switch solved the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. while parked, the contact noticed that the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics where the mechanic advised that the front driver side air bag sensor would have to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred approximately 2,000 miles later. the vehicle was taken back to the mechanic who stated that the front passenger side sensor would now have to be replaced. the vehicle was not further repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 94,000.

Ignition coils caught fire while driving. mechanic states that they "catch fire all the time". *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. while parked, the contact noticed a strong fuel odor around the exterior of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the mechanic stated there was a leak near the top of the fuel tank. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 08v156000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery). the vehicle was included in the recall and was repaired before the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 113,000.

My fuel tank is leaking for the 2nd time in 2 years. in 2009, i smelled fuel when the tank was full. i took it to the dealer and they said the tank was cracked and had to be replaced, which i paid for. in 2011, the exact same thing occurred. the dealer is paying for the replacement. this concerns me that there may be a problem with the fuel tanks in the 2002 vw passat. i'm not sure if this is the same issue that has been reported earlier and sort of recalled under the heat shield problem. if it is the same issue as that, i shouldn't have paid for the repair in 2009. could you please investigate the fuel tanks...the escape of fuel scares me! *kb

I'm the original owner of a 2002 vw passat 1.8t/automatic transmission with 97,500 miles which had underdash electrical fire while running the car and now is a total loss. the car was in very good condition prior to the events. electrical underdash fire started very fast with smoke coming from driver vent. after searching on the internet appears this is a very common problem, an not many people really report the car fire. *tr

2002 vw passat plastic lens cover over the head lights are so filmy, cloudy can hardly see at night..the lens covers have been cloudy for years, i notice lots of cars with cloudy lens cover not just vw...should be safety recall..... do we wait like we did on no doc loans until we admit we have a problem.........no exact incident but i'm sure they have happened. *tr

Traveling down the street and smelled smoke. smoke began emitting from under the dash and vehicle cut off. fire department was called and extinguished the fire. vehicle was a total loss. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that fumes were entering the vehicle through the ventilation system and the check engine light was illuminated. the contact also mentioned that due to the failure, the vehicle was unable to pass state inspection. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure and stated that in order to find the cause of failure, they would have to drop the fuel tank. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since because the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 08v156000 ( fuel system, gasoline: delivery). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 120,000.

Emission related issues, secondary air pump and combi valve for 2002 volkswagen passat. they are installed in a spot where they are exposed to moisture resulting in a failure. *tr

My complaint is more general in nature. i purchased a 2002 volkswagen passat in 2001. this was the first car i purchased brand new. as i think back over the time that i've had this vehicle and reading the complaints that have been logged in on this site, i can't help but think that volkswagen should offer some type of substantial "hardship" reimbursement besides repairs and such. in the time that i've had this vehicle, i've had the following incidents occur: 1. have a control unit replaced (horn not working, unable to roll down windows, etc..) 2. replace ignition coil (stop motor status light coming on as i'm driving in the midst of traffic) 3. had undershield fall forward as i was driving on the state highway, pretty much scooping up potential debris from the roadway surface. 4. damage to engine from oil sludge and oil pump replacement no less than three times. (stop motor light again) 5. interior of car flooded and frozen over from sunroof flaw and electronics are affected... just on merits of being able to provide proof of ownership of the vehicle and showing that these services were indeed rendered at a volkswagen authorized repair facility, i believe that at minimum, volkswagen should agree to reimburse all expenses, no questions asked. it's become clear that the quality of these vehicles was substantially sub-par and poorly designed all things considered. the car is currently in my parents driveway, as the last time the oil pump went caused so many issues that i ended up not being able to drive the car (live and work out of state now and registration expired the same month the pump went then couldn't afford insurance after repairs). to add insult to injury, i didn't receive the claim notice about fixing the sunroof issue until a year later, as it went to my old address and now it's too late to even file the claim. all i want is have a reliable car to operate without worrying about if i'm gonna have skip lunch because i spent all my money on repairs. *tr

In 2002, i bought my passat new. at the end of december 2010, the stop oil light came on. two weeks later, a recall letter arrived. i drove to pasadena and back to northern california february 2011. after a little malfunction on the freeway in livermore, i pulled into a gas station and the passat started to sound like a diesel engine. towed to dublin vw. they say the engine is fried and a new one would cost $6800. all this due to oil sludge issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 30 mph the contact noticed that the vehicle lost power. he smelled a burning odor, and noticed smoke releasing from the vents. within moments the glove compartment area was on fire. the vehicle will be towed to the dealer. a fire report was filed. the failure and the current mileage as 94,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact was driving approximately 25-30 mph when he heard a noise coming from the engine and the vehicle immediately began to lose power. after driving an additional two miles, the vehicle stalled with the illumination of the check engine warning light. the vehicle was towed to his residence abd was neither inspected nor repaired for the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost power. there were no warning lights prior to the failure. the vehicle began emitting smoke and was towed. the vehicle was destroyed. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified. the failure mileage was 140,000.

2002 vw passat 2.8 v6 . ignition coil pack shorting out( can see streaks of electricity on all three coils at night along sides of coils - - when looking into dark engine compartment ) . car misfires upon acceleration and at idle . it has stalled twice and seems to be very unreliable . i have ordered a new coil pack and will not drive the car until i replace this coil pack . i called the local v.w. dealer and they said no recall for the 2.8 v6 30 valve engine - called v.w. of america and i was told the same thing . i will keep the old coil pack in hope that v.w. will re-imburse me the price of my new coil pack - it is very easy to change . *tr

I had a 2002 vw passat with 1.8t engine. its original engine was dead due to oil sludge 3 years ago; and its replaced engine was dead today again. i think volkswagen should pay back my money, about $6000, for replacing 2 engines; and recall this engine immediately. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the indicator noise that engaged when the turn signals were activated would intermittently engage independently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer twice where the contact was informed that the multi function switch would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure continued to recur intermittently. the failure mileage was 105,000 and the current mileage was 113,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. when the contact started the ignition and attempted to engage the brake pedal, there was no response as a result of a frozen brake line. the failure would occur during cold weather temperatures. there was an opened and closed defect investigation associated with nhtsa action number pe07018 (service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum). the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. in addition, on a separate occasion, the engine stalled and emitted blue smoke from the exhaust system after a rain. also the engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was previously repaired for the engine failure. the failure mileage was 113,000.

We own a 2002 vw passat wagon and are so happy with it we bought another one with lower mileage. shortly after buying the second vw the engine warning light came on the first vehicle. our mechanic said it was the ignition coil pack - $600 to replace. car had over 120,000 miles so we weren't unduly alarmed, and paid it. three weeks later engine warning came on again. took it to a different garage - one that used to be the local vw dealer - and they said the ignition coil was bad again. we assumed the replacement part had turned out to be bad so paid another $600 to have it fixed. took the old part back to the original garage but the mechanic did nothing about it. 'chalked it up to experience. three months later the engine warning light came on the second vw. took it to the second mechanic and he said - voila! - ignition coil bad again! paid another $600 to get it replaced, and then went home to research it online. was stunned to see all the problems listed about the ignition coil pack. called vw and asked for reimbursement for two of the three ignition packs but was told our vws were not listed in the correction bulletins. they also denied there was a recall even though their own pr department had sent out a press release saying all 2002 v6 passats had been recalled due to this problem. i have called vw several times and found their 'customer advocates' to be very courteous and polite but absolutely stonewalling any reimbursement. when pressed was finally told i needed the old ignition packs, the repair bills (original only, no copies) and could send all to them and they would consider it but would probably not make an adjustment! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that when the weather was cold the brakes would fail and he was unable to stop the vehicle. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 58,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns 2002 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 60 mph, the contact smelled a strong burning odor of plastic and pulled over to the side of the road. the contact exited the vehicle. the front of the vehicle erupted into flames. the fire department extinguished the fire. a police report was filed. there was no injury. the vehicle was completely destroyed and towed to an independent mechanic. the failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

The headlight lens on my passat have become "clouded" over time resulting in reduced brightness from the headlamps and creating an unsafe driving condition at night. in discussing the issue with other passat owners, it's clear that this is a common problem. the reduced brightness has become a true safety hazard over time as visibility at night is severely affected. the lens is actually opaque at this point. volkswagen denies responsibility as the car is out of warranty. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that while driving 15 mph and making a left turn, the rear axle broke causing the vehicle to fall onto the ground. the vehicle was unable to be driven; therefore, the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic. the contact was informed that no repairs could be made until the vehicle was inspected by the manufacturer. the contact stated that the rear axle could have caused a major crash. the failure mileage was 101,000.

Fuel tank leaks when 7/8 to 8/8 full. leaking gas damages asphalt and poses a fire threat. *tr

The 2002 volkswagen passat has given a lot of people problems. i called the dealership and spoke to them about the problem with the "stop motor oil pressure". their exact words to me were" they couldn't do anything, but it was a problem with the car. it is a filter in the engine that keeps getting clogged, and there isn't anything they can do." i told them that i needed my car and there has to be something, that cars are catching on fire. they said that i could get an engine flush every couple months. nothing can be done to repair the problem by me. the volkswagen corp. needs to fix the problem they messed up to begin with. thank you *tr

I own a 2002 volkswagen passat. it has stalled while driving and unable to start right away. it sometimes fails to start when i get in, then starts again later. the fuel pump/fuel line failure has left me stranded in the middle of the road on several occasions and i have also been stranded, while waiting for my car to start again. i believe there is a recall for this problem and i would like to know what i can do about it in order to remedy this issue w/ my 2002 passat. *tr

Air bag warning light came on in our 2002 vw passat v6 with 70,040 miles. our repair shop discovered that the seat belt assembly that receives the buckle was not registering the buckle being fastened. we replaced the part #b0858471kfcn to restore the airbag to operation. we were told that the air bag would not inflate while driving with this defective seat belt assembly. we have notified volkswagen of the problem and asked them to cover the $356.35 repair cost. *tr

This just started happening to me and i was searching the web and it seems like it's a problem for a lot of people. about once every 20 minutes while i'm driving my 2002 passat, the car beeps, and then the abs light comes on and the red brake light flashes. i loose a little of my braking power for a few seconds every time it happens. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact was driving 70 mph when the vehicle began to shake abnormally and the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle independently decelerated from 70 mph to 20 mph. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was advised that the ignition coil spring failed. the coil springs and spark plugs were replaced at the contact¿s expense. the contact stated this was the fifth time the ignition coil springs failed. the vehicle was not under recall and the manufacturer was not contacted. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 161,000.

2002 vw passat engine fire while driving. shop said it looks like it started in the wiring harness. no injuries, vehicle total loss. one owner, well cared for. i purchased this vehicle new, intending to drive it a long time. not a good investment. *tr

My abs light on my 2002 volkswagen passat randomly comes on saying stop, brake default. there apparently is nothing wrong with my brakes. there could be a fix by replacing a $1600 part. after researching this, thousands of people have this same problem. mechanics say nothing really wrong with the brakes. if it's indeed a sensor that everyone with this car has, then vw should repair it, so we actually know when something is wrong with the brakes!! *tr

2002 vw passat car jack (oem) failed under normal lifting operation to remove tire. jack assembly twisted and bent during lifting process. it then became necessary to use an alternate jack to lift the vehicle to remove this oem jack from under the vehicle. owner contacted vw of america to alert manufacturer of the safety concern and to request a replacement jack and was informed that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. while the contact was driving approximately 65 mph, a warning chime sounded inside of the vehicle with a "stop" message displayed on the instrument panel. also, the "oil pressure" and "turn off engine" warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on two different occasions for the identical failures. the technician informed that the failures were contributed to an oil sludge buildup. the vehicle had repairs performed related to the identical failures two years ago. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was unavailable.

2002 passat engine fire. car began to show cel while being driven on interstate. left interstate and drove toward home (approx 5 miles). light smoke smell pulled over 1/2 mile from home shut car off. smoke increased called 911. within 3 minutes flames appeared at dashboard. within 10 minutes car was completely in flames. *tr

Turn signal produces continuous turn signal noise after use of the turn signal. this is a significant distraction while driving and discourages use of the turn signal. this has been a persistent problem. *tr

This complaint is related to nhtsa action number pe 07018. my 2002 vw passat experienced a complete transmission control module (tcm) failure in mid 2009. water had gotten into the passenger compartment and disabled all its functions, including brakes, transmission and engine. it included sudden, unpredictable surging when the gas pedal was depressed. this occurred in a parking lot and there were no injuries. vw repaired the car at their expense. several months later, in very cold weather, there was complete loss of brakes and the car rolled down a driveway, across a busy street into a wall. again there was no bodily injury and minor crash damage. vw diagnosed the problem as water (ice) in the brake booster and repaired the car at my expense. vw refused a request for an adjustment claiming that this event was unrelated to the first one. last month, vw sent me an update notice for revised maintenance of the water drains and plenum chamber, as originally described in their service bulletin of nov. 2007. i consider this a serious and potentially life threatening safety issue and request that nhtsa take appropriate action. *tr

My 2002 w-8 passat four times this weekend would not disengage the cruise control when stepping on the brake. the brake feels very solid and cannot be depressed until a very quick & hard quick pressure is put on it about 3-4 times. i noticed after that incident (frightening) that it does not happen going down hill, only uphill or even a slight incline. *tr

Tl-the driver owns a 2002 volkswagen passat glx. while driving approximately 30 mph the vehicle engine light came on. the vehicle was driven to there destination and the vehicle was checked by a local mechanic the next day. the local mechanic did a diagnostic and she was advised that the calaltytic converter failed. the vehicle has not been repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 57,000 and the current mileage was 65,000. vwb

Abs light flashes on and off. dealer says that it would cost over $1000. i just can't believe that such a safety system can i have such defects within it. has anyone investigated this problem because i've seen numerous complaints about this online. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated while driving at approximately 35 mph, smoke began billowing from under the hood and through the interior air vents. the contact moved the vehicle from the roadway and found there was oil leaking from the engine. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the cam shaft chain had broken and the engine would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 94,000.

Abs/brake light comes on while driving. took it to dealer and they did a scan found no problem with brakes. i have been reading on the net that a lot of people with the same yr are having problems with this. even if fixed the abs light still comes on. *tr

1. oil was leaking and we repaired it in a local garage. a day later we noticed the oil sludge problem - which told us oil something, stop engine. we called the vw dealer in hartford, ct, and they suggested to bring the car in immediately otherwise it will impact the engine. we immediately took and droped it at the vw dealer and they called us next day telling the oil is not getting into the engine. everything is blocked. they suggested to repair it otherwise the engine will be dead. we asked them to repair and paid close to $1800. they have replaced bunch of pipes, and parts but labor cost was lot more than parts. but i learned on the internet, that this is an existing problem and vw is aware of it. i read thru few forums on the net, and they all suggested, if i do not have all the oil change receipts, they will not cover the repair charges. but i am surprised, that vw dealer never mentioned about the existing problem, i had to learn thru internet. 2. check engine sign comes all the time on my dashboard, first time i took it, they repaired (same dealer) fixing and replacing small parts and again most of it is labor charges and less parts. we paid about $2000. all these repairs happened within couple of months of each other. again 10 days later, the check engine sign comes and they repaired again few things and charged about $500. a week later the check engiine sign comes again. we call the dealer and he says bring it in. i am sick and tired of taking this car every week to the dealer and paying them lot of money every time i take it. my car is 2002 vw passat 1.8t. i heard there are lot of known problem with this model and dealer never mentioned to us once.

I have a 2002 vw passat. i had numerous problems with it since i bought it, the control arms go, the engine coils fail constantly and just recently my low oil pressure light came on. i had my car towed to the place where i purchased it and they said this means that my engine is shot. i have done some research and tried to look for used parts and it turns out that with the 1.8l turbo passat engine this occurs very frequently. now i am stuck paying almost $11,000 for a car that i cant even drive because it is going to cost me nearly $5,000 to fix. i really would like this problem to be looked into and i am highly surprised that this has not been a recall issue yet. *tr

Fuel leaks when gas tank is more than about half to three quarters full. very strong odor inside and outside vehicle. some wetness around fuel tank, but no visible drips when inspected by owner. when driving at 60 mph soon after filling tank, fuel range indicator decreases by 5 miles for every 1 to 2 miles travelled. assuming normal fuel consumption should be 20 mpg, in 1.5 minutes vehicle should use 0.075 gal, but actually uses 0.250 gal so the leak rate is approximately 0.12 gal/min or 45 ml/min. such leakage would be evident as drips if the leak was below the liquid level when the car is stationary so it is suspected to be in the area of the gas tank vents. vehicle has not yet been inspected by vw. (vehicle was recently purchased used from private seller without maintenance records).

Broken left front suspension coil spring - spontaneously broken - car left undriven in closed private garage for ~2 weeks, found after ~2 weeks listing at left front corner with left front coil spring broken.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. after the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa recall # 08v156000: fuel system, gasoline, delivery, the contact noticed a crack in the fuel line near the fire wall. he also noticed that gasoline spilled over the engine and the catalytic converter. the contact is concerned that the manufacturer did not perform the recall properly. when the dealer was notified of the failure they refused to repair the vehicle again under the recall unless the contact would pay for the repairs. the current and failure mileages were 125,000. updated 04/22/10 *bf the consumer stated to the best of his knowledge the fuel lines on his vehicle had not been replaced under the recall. the consumer stated the dealer refused to make the repairs free charge. updated 07/01/10.*jb

I was in the passenger seat of my 2002 volkswagen passat wagon, when i felt the seat get extremely hot. i immediately turned the seat heater to zero and just lifted my left leg off the seat a little bit until it cooled down. i didn't think much of it until i first saw a burn mark on the left, back side of my coat and then a line of burn marks and holes on my passenger seat. i investigated a little further, and it appears the seat heater began to also overheat/melt the back part of the passenger seat and the driver's seat along the same line that burned my coat and leg in the passenger's seat. *tr

2002 passat wagon, automatic transmission, accelerator pedal became stuck while getting on highway during a cold morning. brakes were non-responsive even when car was put into neutral. car continued to accelerate, driver put car into a lower gear which slowed down the car a bit and finally put the transmission in "park". this caused the car to eventually stop. to get off the highway, driver slowly drove off onto the exit ramp after calling 911 and being advised to get off the highway which had no shoulder. after that the car and brakes appeared to function normally. the next morning car would not start due to the battery being drained and was towed to vw mechanic. after being inspected for 2 days the mechanic did not find anything wrong with the accelerator or the breaks and there was no evidence that the pedal got stuck on the floor mat. no error codes were found on car's computer. we had had no prior problems with the car other than a dash message indicating a break fault would occasionally light up on cold wet days. the vw mechanic could never find anything wrong with the breaks after repeated visits and attributed the message to a computer glitch. after the incident with the accelerator we traded the car in for a new one of a different make since we did not feel safe driving it, despite assurances that nothing unusual was found with the car. *tr

2002 vw passat drivers seat warmers burned through the seat and burned my leg. *tr

While driving home last night, my 2002 vw passat began to lose power and cut off. i was able to let it coast to the side of the road but in the lane of an exit ramp for traffic exiting the highway. i engaged my flashers and called 911 and a tow truck. i tried starting the car again and it would not crank. once the police came, he pushed my car into safety and awaited the tow truck. my car was towed to the vw dealer. this morning, i received a call from the dealer who said the fuel flow to the engine was interrupted and caused by a inoperative fuel pump. my complaint is when i checked online for recalls, i found a recall that was posted in sept 2002 for the same issue i am having with my car. my car was purchased in feb 2002 and the recall is for 2003 models. i called vw of america and explained the issue with them and the only offer they gave me was $1000 towards a new vw. unbelievable! because the recall was for 2003 models, they could not assist me because my vehicle is a 2002. even though i am having the same issues with my vehicle as the 2003 recall. the dealer quoted $589 for the repair. this stall could have been worse than it was due to the inclement weather, night time and the exit ramp. this should be included in a safety recall because there is no warning before the vehicle cuts off which causes a potential for a crash, which is what i was faced with last night. i am not asking to be singled out, but to look into this 6-month gap of the recall in sept 2002 and the purchase date of my vehicle feb 2002. i was also told at vw of america that they could only assist me with my issue if my vin number matched the recalls. so my question, what if the stall of my vehicle caused an accident and serious injuries or fatalities were involved, would vw look into the 2002 recall then or just tell the families, sorry, you didn't have a 2003. *tr

I was filling up my windshield washer fluid and was trying to put the cap back on my 2002 passat when the hood strut failed and the hood crashed down on my forearm, pinning my arm between the hood and car frame. i screamed out both in pain and not being able to pull my arm free and had someone rush over to me within seconds. however, the hood latch had engaged but would not release since the hood was not closed all the way, my arm blocking this from happening. the first gentleman tried to alleve the pressure on my arm, which had already started going numb, while he called out for someone else to come and help and bring a heavy metal bar to pry me out. the second gentleman came with a large wrench and was able to bend the frame enough for me to pull my arm out. major indent of my forearm had me make an emergency room visit. xrays showed nothing was broken though 1 week later i am still swollen and sore. about $1900 body damage to car, as well as at least $250 medical. my mechanic never had an issue with the hood strut, so this incident came as a total surprise to him. he has ordered a replacement strut to be installed tommorow. *cn

About 9 months ago i was caught in a heavy rainstorm with my 2002 passat 1.8t. water flooded the battery compartment due to drainage hole located under the battery clogged with leaf debris. all power (steering, brakes, etc.) was lost and car stalled out on the highway. now the car's brakes are malfunctioning in freezing weather. the brake pedal sticks to the floor at times; other times the pedal is very hard and must be stomped on to stop the car. i cannot use the car under these circumstances as it is too dangerous. vw dealership confirmed diagnosis of problem as resulting from freezing water in brake booster. i reported the problem to vw customer care. they refuse to reimburse me for the dealer's $1600 fee to replace the booster, booster lines and vacuum pump. why hasn't nhtsa forced vw to issue a recall as i've discovered there have been numerous other similar complaints? vw's stance on this was that the problem would be noticed in the driveway or at low speeds and therefore doesn't pose a safety hazard. this is totally unacceptable as temperatures can change quickly during a journey. why has nhtsa backed down in the face of such a lame response? i will never again buy another vw car since their vaulted safety reputation is not deserved and their customer service stinks. *tw

My wife told me last night that there have been 2 cases over the years with her 2002.5 vw passat where her gas pedal also stuck and her car accelerated to 80mph+ on nj rt 1 before she put it into neutral. she remembers that it happened on very cold mornings. is it possible that vw uses a similar design to toyota in these cars? *tr

Approximately 2 years ago, or slightly less, i was driving my wife's 2002 vw passat when the car began to accelerate without apparent cause and we could not stop the acceleration. i turned the ignition key off, and leaving the car in park, re-started it, only to observe the engine again racing. we eventually figured out that the floor mat was the cause of the problem and removed it. my wife sometime later replaced the mat and had no recurrence, but when i drove the car, it happened twice more before we permanently removed the mat. as we had no further problem, we thought no more of the issue, but with the recent publicity over similar situations which resulted in serious crashes and loss of life, we decided it was best to report this series of events. *tr

Water leakage from sunroof to floor boards. the sunroof has drainage tubes, that can and will become clogged. water on floorboard can lead to transmission problems. tubes had to be unclogged, located on front door frames. *tr

Engine compartment fire. started 2002 vw passat 1.8t and there was no heater fan or windshield wipers functional. drove around the block. let car idle to warm up and engine stopped. smelled burning and put out small fire. car towed to dealer. *tr

During heavy rains, water entered the vehicle through the sunroof, which was properly closed and latched. owner did not know that water infiltration had occurred. upon driving the car after the storm, multiple warnings appeared. car shuttered and would not shift gears. eventually car shifted into drive. took car to service station, which diagnosed that water had entered vehicle and pooled in passenger floorboard. transmission module located beneath passenger floorboard flooded and failed. transmission module and related components had to be replaced. we contacted manufacturer of vehicle and were told this was not a known problem, but information obtained by our insurance company indicates otherwise. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. while driving on the highway at 70 mph the sun roof exploded. fragments of glass fell all over of the vehicle. a representative from the manufacturer stated that they are not aware of this type of failure. the failure mileage was 95,000.

Water in brake booster frozen, causing breaks to fail - near incident on the freeway at high speeds. frozen water is due to known service issue with 2002 passat. vw will not take responsibility for failure of brake booster even though mechanics indicate failed air plenum/filter is only way for water to enter brake booster. vw will not take corrective action on brake booster, a $600 repair. this is a major safety issue in cold weather. see investigation #pe07-018. *tr

Shoulder belt in center rear position is fully retracted and locked, making it unusable. unknown cause this time. this is the second time it happened to us. the first time, we folded down the rear seat for cargo and then were unable to pull it back up. the first time, the retractor was replaced under warranty. estimate to replace it this time is $450. additional reports of the problem were found in discussion groups on the internet. *tr

Failure for airbag to deploy when i rear-ended somebody. my approximate speed was 25-25 mph and all my front components in the car were damaged. that includes the radiator, the airconditioning all the fans in the front and the engine cover. it cost me around 9000 to fix it. but the point is with so much damage in the front the airbag failed to deploy. i have never been in such an accident before and now i feel very unsafe driving that car. i do not know if the airbags will ever work also. *tr

During trip in 2008 the "low oil pressure" light came on while driving my 2002 passat 1.8t (w/ auto transmission) on the freeway- i pulled over and shut the engine off the car as the warning light advised. the car was towed to a dealership & i was told i needed a new oil pump due to oil sludge ($1300). the car had approx. 120k miles on it. the dealership did tell me about the extended warranty for 02 passats for oil sludge-related repairs, however, volkswagen wouldn't honor this warranty without receipts for every oil change done on the car - which i did not have. approx. a few months later, the engine stopped running.this is all due to oil sludge issues. i had about 90% of all of my oil change receipts and vw would not honor the warranty. as and engineer in know that the 1.8t engine was not designed correctlybecause if it were, vw would not have changed the size of the original oil filter to a larger one and there would be no need to use synthetic oil. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. for several months he noticed that the headlights were not illuminating properly. the manufacturer stated that he was not experiencing a failure; therefore, they would not repair the vehicle under the warranty. the dealer stated that the plastic cover on the headlight was defected and that the sun's rays caused it to discolor and distort the bulb. the estimated cost for repair was $200.00. the failure mileage was 59,000 and the current mileage was 60,000.

In jan. 2007 the "low oil pressure" light came on while driving my 2002 passat 1.8t (w/ auto transmission) on the freeway- i immediately stopped the car as the warning light advised. the car was towed to a dealership & i was told i needed a new oil pump due to oil sludge ($1300). the car had approx. 60k miles on it. the dealership did not tell me about the extended warranty for '02 passats for oil sludge-related repairs; i found out about it by researching online. however, volkswagen wouldn't honor this warranty without receipts for every oil change done on the car - which i did not have. approx. a year & a half later, the same oil pressure light came on while driving & i had to immediately stop the car. this time, i had to replace the entire engine ($8000!!) due to oil sludge issues. again, extended warranty for oil sludge repairs was useless to me because i didn't have receipts for every single oil change done over the life of the car. *tr

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

I have talked to, blogged with, and communicated with various volkswagen passat owners and previous owners one complaint that has just become my biggest problem is due to oil sludge build up that occurs and effects the oil pressure censor in these vehicles i own a 2002 passat wagon and had a terrible oil leak months after i got it covered by warranty. now months after, i start blogging and investigating on my own the cost to repair this so called oil sludge problem which is so bad in these vehicles i am told this will cost $500-$2000 to fix! why hasn't this problem which is not covered or honored by volkswagen or extended warranty been recalled???? this is a very common problem, and the fact that i take very good care of my vehicle sound be taken into consideration when it goes in the shop for such a common default in these cars...please help shine the light on this issue i am sure if it is investigated by you that you will see the hardship of this problem hopefully you aren't a passat owner yourself. *tr

2002 volkswagen passat has engine problems. *nj the consumer stated the vehicle has not been driven in a year and a half due to the oil sludge and misfiring problems. the catalytic converter failed and the spark plugs and coil packs were constantly being replaced. *jb

I am a the owner of a 2002 volkswagen passat 4motion with an automatic transmission. i am contacting you to seek action in regards to nhtsa campaign number for a recall for faulty gas tanks. i purchased this car as a certified used vehicle in 2004. i took the car to a vw dealership 4 times with a problem with something leaking under the car, and told there was not a leak found. after smelling gas, and finding fuel on my garage floor, the dealership was able to determine that the vehicle had a cracked fuel tank, and repaired the vehicle for $3000. after complaining to vw of america, the costs were covered and shortly thereafter i received a recall letter for the same issue. now, one year later, i again smelled fumes, and found gasoline on the floor. the dealership stated that it is the same problem. vw of america has offered to cover the cost of the repair. my car is parked in our garage where our gas hot water is located. the fuel on the floor was no more than 15 ft from the hot water heater. had there been a spark, i am certain that there would have been a major fire, with potential fatal outcomes. i will not bring this vehicle back to my house for fear of a repeat failure. i also have concerns selling a defective vehicle to a 3rd party knowing the potential severe safety hazards. volkswagen has clearly designed a faulty product they refuse to stand behind, and as a consumer, i will have to incur a finanical loss to replace this vehicle. these problems stem from negligent design and are a very serious potentail hazard. the 4motion cars should be removed from service and compensations should be allowed to owners. i desperately seek your assistance on this issue to review whether a second recall may be necessary. thank you for your assistance. *tr

Hello, my name is robert campbell and i am a the owner of a 2002 volkswagen passat 4motion with an automatic transmission. i am contacting you to seek action in regards to nhtsa campaign number 08v156000, which clearly indicates a recall for faulty gas tanks on this particular make/model due to fractured ventilation valves. upon purchasing the car as a certified used vehicle in 2006, i had to have the gas tank replaced within the first week of ownership due to this very same defect. this was covered by the two year warranty provided by the dealership. a week ago, my gas tank started to leak again. fuel is now leaking on the exhaust system creating a severe safety hazard. upon inspection by the dealer, they have surmised the second tank has once again failed - due to a fractured ventilation valve. both volkswagen of american and my local dealer are refusing to acknowledge this recall and will only replace the tank if i agree to repair costs totaling $1,800. volkswagen has clearly designed a faulty product they refuse to stand behind, and as a consumer, i should not be financially obligated to pay for repairs that clearly stem from negligent design. i desperately seek your assistance on this issue and will gladly offer my full cooperation. *tr

Driving 2002 vw passat in normal winter driving conditions including road salt cause premature failure of rear break calipers. *tr

I put gasoline in my car. i began smelling gasoline and noticed the fuel meter hadn't registered the increase in fuel. i was stopped at a stop light at this point. i heard a big boom and then people around me were shouting at me to "get out of the car". i looked to the right and noticed flames shooting up the right side of the car. i jumped out of the drivers seat to safety. a good samaritan was able to grab a fire extinguisher from a near by business; and another person came running out of a nearby business with another and the were able to extinguish the fire. the flames were primarily under the vehicle and toward the passenger side. police and fire personnel arrived on scene. made sure fire was completely out; then pushed car to safety. a tow truck was called, as my car was completely un-drivable (all the belts, hoses were melted, including the brake cable). the tow truck driver (also a mechanic) told me that the fuel injector had exploded. he then said it was a defect; a manufacturer issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that her vehicle was a lemon when she purchased it in 2002. water enters the vehicle from the sun roof whenever it rains. she received a recall notice, but the vehicle was not repaired according to the recall. the vehicle was taken to the dealer more than fifteen times, but it has never been repaired. the failure mileage was 500 miles. updated 8/24/09 *cn the consumer was told the water leak was coming from the after market speaker. the headlight tail light and fog light bulbs were replaced. the check engine light illuminated and the coolant bottle had a hairline crack. the heat in the vehicle was not working properly. the technician discovered the heater core had a blockage. the water pump was leaking. both outer cv boots were replaced. there was a large evap leak at the purge valve which was replaced. the cruise control light was on. the right side valve cover gasket was leaking oil and the alternator was replaced. updated 08/26/09. *jb

I was driving my 2002 passat 1.8t for a approximately 30, reaching my house the car started sputtering and acting weird. once i parked in my driveway and open the hood the engine was on fire for no apparent reason. the car was running perfectly fine for the first 30 minutes and then was on fire. *tr

Heat shield was replaced in a recall during the summer of 2008. a couple days after the repair we complained of a fire smell, returned the vehicle to the local dealer. at the time they said they replaced the heat shield again and the smell would eventually go away. a year later, the we experienced an engine compartment fire. the car was towed to the dealer that did the recall work. after inspection they admitted to us that the recall work was performed, however the heat shield was installed incorrectly, which caused it to catch fire. they explained that the instructions they were supplied by vw were unclear. they also admitted that they have no way of knowing how many heat shields were installed incorrectly at their dealership before they received the corrected or more clear installation instructions. i am concerned that there may have been many more dealerships with the same problem. if nothing else, the local dealership should be ordered to send out a letter notifying their recall customers of the potential problem. *tr

Got in my car one morning and the brake felt like there was gravel in the shaft-very hard and choppy feeling when depressing the pedal. backed out of driveway and noticed a vapor cloud behind my car but thought it was due to high humidity in air. when i tried to stop the car at the corner the brakes didn't work quite right but the car did stop. went a little further and applied the brakes to make a turn and my care started shuttering and lots of white smoke came out the back -actually almost enveloped my car so i had a hard time making the turn due to poor visibility and the cars vibrations. again the brakes did not respond correctly but luckily was able to pull over without hitting anything. i sat there trying to evaluate the problem by pumping the brakes and every time i did so the car shook violently and huge clouds of smoke enveloped the car. i had it towed to the dealers and they called to say that it was not under warranty and charged me over $700 to fix. i also had them do the p9 recall repair at that time. i drove the car for less than a week and then had a repeat of the same problem! this time the brakes actually failed twice before i could get back to the house. i had the same thick white smoke and the car was shaking violently whenever i pressed down on the brakes. again had car towed to shop. they are now fixing as part of the warranty to the brake booster issue as they found new leaves clogging the brake booster lines and found total failure of that part. the vw service rep said several gallons of water came out of my engine when they removed the debris. their solution was to drill a huge hole to allow the leaves and water to drain away from the brakes! luckily, we borrowed my brother's van two days before to bring my daughter back from college (located in lynchburg, va which is in the mountains or we may had the brakes fail and gone off a cliff!) please do something about this-- it is totally unsafe and unethical! *tr

I am writing to complain about the control arms on the vw 2002 passat. i recently replaced an upper and lower control arm on the right and now have been told that i need to replace three of the four control arms on the left side. i fell these are a safety issue. *tr

My car had been hit on the driver side so i took it to the auto body shop to be repaired, being paid for by the person insurance co that hit me. when i went to pick the car up about 3 weeks later i drive 2 blocks and then lights started flashing (warning oil pressure) stop car immediately. i called the auto body shop so i could take the car back to them because the car was in excellent working order when i took it there no lights were on or flashing only the door was damaged. few days later the auto body said they would have to have it towed to a dealer wynn because they don't know why the lights are on. wynn dealer gave diagnoses of oil sludge for the lights flashing and the auto body had replaced the door with the wrong door. i was told this would cost me 2300 dollars, 2300 dollars. i was told by the deal that this is the problem and removal of the sludge will fix the problem. they had the car for a month repairs to replace the door and the oil sludge. month later when i went to pick up the car at that time there was an engine light came on, had the manager check why. he hook up a computer and said it may be a bad cylinder he reset the light and i drove it for 2 weeks maybe and now excessive amount of smoke was coming from the car and it was losing power . i took it back to dealer stating you told me the problem was fixed i was told that now it has a turbo charger problem had been damaged which would be covered by my warranty. so i left it there for repairs. picked it up a week later and was told everything was fine now drove it for not even a day and the car was still losing power and now shaking out of control. i had to take it back to the dealer and now was told i had a bad engine coil so the best they could do for now is replace it with a used one. in the mean time i had called volkswagen customer service and they told me i had to take it back to them for diagnose. because when they replaced the coil it still didn't. *tr

Loss of engine power check engine light comes on i shut engine off one ignition coil starts to smoke and start on fire along with coil electrical lead. *tr

While driving, the windows instantly fogged up without warning. immediately grabbing something to wipe the windows, nearly hit another vehicle before pulling to the shoulder. also present at this time, was an odor of anti-freeze. vehicle purchased used 2007, 37,469 miles. driven approx 12k miles. current mileage 51k. corresponding with mfg, unsuccessful. research indicates this is a prevalent issue. *tr

We have a 2002 1.8l passat that was affected by the defective coils in the 2003/2004 recall. now less than 5 years later, 2 coils failed at once with complete loss of power and all 4 need to be replaced. luckily we were driving were we could safely get out of traffic but if it had happened on the highway, we could have been killed. i wonder if the replacement coils were also defective. *tr

Oil pump sludge on my volkswagen 2002 1.8t passat engine light came on. engine quite working in the middle of the freeway. it only had 54,818 miles. i had to pay 10,000 out of my own pocket to replace the engine. *tr

Copy (excerpt) of letter sent to vw of america: car history the car was purchased at danbury,ct vw 2002, put in service on 03-19-2002 and is still owned by the original owner (florian kahlert). the car is regularly maintained at vw recommended intervals by foreign car motors inc. and has also been serviced by riverbank vw in stamford, ct. all vw service actions have been addressed by vw dealerships (except the most recent campaign r5 26e5 which is still outstanding). the car is accident free and no after market parts are installed. the overall condition of the car is 9 out of 10 for a car its age. riverbank vw in stamford performed the p9 service action on 10/10/2007at 40957 miles. brake booster failure in cold weather in december 2008 (at approximately 51000 miles) owner experienced repeated brake problems in cold weather, which were eventually diagnosed as a brake booster failure. upon inspection, extensive water and rust was found in the booster as well as the connecting vacuum lines and one-way valves requiring the replacement of the booster and other parts. foreign car motors replaced the booster with a new original vw part 8e0612107e. during replacement foreign car motors also found that the drain below the booster was clogged with heavy debris, indicating that the drains had been clogged for a long time. enclosed expert opinion by foreign car motors states that the only reasonable cause and explanation for the presence of water and rust in the brake booster is that the p9 service action did either not remedy the underlying problem or that the damage started before the p9 action was performed and the damage only became apparent in december 2008/january 2009. in either case, the reason for the booster failure is directly linked to the underlying cause that triggered the p9 service action. based on this assessment i kindly request the reimbursement of incurred repair expenses: *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 08v156000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery) and immediately called the dealer. the contact was informed that they would repair the vehicle according to the remedy; however, if the heat shields and another component became damaged during the installation, he would have to pay for the repair. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer did not assist. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 90,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a recall repair and was informed that other repairs were also needed. prior to the recall being issued, the vehicle was experiencing the same symptoms stated in the recall. the vehicle is currently at the dealer to have the motor mount and cv boot repaired. in addition, there is a rubber component that needs to be repaired. the contact would like to know why she began experiencing so many issues with her vehicle at 15,000 miles. the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown. the failure mileage was 15,000 and current mileage was 44,000.

When car is started the abs light goes on and the brake light flashes. the car drives but its always flashing the brake light. *tr

Suddenly felt strong gasoline smell inside the vehicle (not a result of accident or any other occurrence.) the problem was diagnosed as a fuel tank leak. the gas tank had to be replaced. the vw dealer in sunnyvale, ca, refused to pay for the costly repairs. *tr

My volkswagen passat 2002 caught on fire. i know you are investigating this so i wanted to inform you. *tr

Need to replace at least one bank of cam adjuster. seems to be a problem with part. cost to replace @$6,000. no help from vw. *tr

I have a 2002 volkswagen passat with 79000 miles, in may of 2008 while my daughter was away at school the stop engine light came on. after she took it to a local shop and i spent over $300 in diagnostic services i was advised of vw's tsb 10 07 13, 2013233, published aug 17, 2007which acknowledged the oil sludge issue and the "magic flush". had the car towed at my expense from md to nj. vw agreed with the diagnostics and performed the flush. since that time (<8 months) the car has been in the garage numerous times for additional related oil issues. the latest >6k due to the turbo filling up with oil, can and crank seals leaking, valve covers leaking, premature cracking caused by the oil in the timing belt, etc. independent mechanics as well as the dealers mechanics agree that this can be a residual effect from the oil sludge. vw of america would not listen to the facts and have left me holding the bag. oil changes have been done every 3500 miles, with receipts. vw should be stepping up to the plate, they know that there is a design issue with the 1.8t in the passat. i think that they intentionally make it difficult on the consumer so that they give up. any advice? *tr

Failure of abs module. *tr

Spring 2008, experienced water in cabin due to faulty seals/drainage. winter 2008, experienced brake failure related to previous water intrusion. *tr

First cold evening of november 2008 (below freezing) brake pedal failed to depress, and brakes appeared to be completely locked. after several minutes of warming up, brake function partially returned, but without power assist. husband flushed dot4 brake fluid through abs regulator, brake lines and bled brakes. no change whatsoever. waiting for dealer to recognize problem. dealer failed to acknowledge problem over phone, however, this may help. believed that air/power booster sucked water in to brake booster from defective drain. sunroof also leaks, and 3rd set of cv boots for car in 3 years. *tr

I was at the trying to find a parking spot when suddenly my check engine light came on and started blinking. i lost alot of power and could not accelerate. i then had to have the vehicle towed to my home because i was afraid of causing any further damage to the vehicle. the next day i contacted the dealership and explained the situation. they then informed me that many of these types of vehicles have been repaired due to the proarising from a faulty ignition coil or coil pack and i was told that the cost to repair it would be between $350-$500 to remove and replace faulty ignition coils (4). after further looking into the problem through numerous websites i noticed the same exact problem happening consistently to many owners of such vehicles. *tr

The "brake fault" and "stop" words appear on the dash and then a very loud and annoying beep comes on for 3 beeps. i spoke to a technician at the vw dealership and he said that is a very common problem, especially in 00,01 and 02 models. the module just "craps-out" as he put it and warned me that is usually costs about $1,000 to fix, but would need $120 just to diagnose and make sure that this is indeed the problem. i asked if there was a recall on this issue and was told "no". this is obviously a very common problem based on the over 200 postings i saw in regards to this problem in a mere 20 min. of looking online. i am sad that the car i feel in love with has been nothing but a pain (which is what i was told by many people it would be). i work for mercedes benz and they manufacture their vehicles in germany as well, with much fewer problems. i believe this must be a recall since it is obviously a manufactures defect and costing people way too much money. *tr

Turn signal/hazard relay switch failed while driving, no turn signals...find out there has been a recall on the 2002 jetta and golfs but not on the passat, same switch in all the cars made by vw...this is a huge hazard, why hasn't vw recalled the 2002 passats as well? *tr

On or about 2002 i have been complaining to volkswagen about my 2002 volkswagen passat. whenever it rain the back floor on the passenger side of my car have water in it. while my car was under warranty i carried my car into the volkswagen dealership to have them fix the problem and they never fixed my car. when my warranty ran out i still complained to the dealership and to customer service at volkswagen and nothing was done. i also told volkswagen customer service that i believed that volkswagen had sold me a lemon but volkswagen customer service would not do anything about the problem. year 2007 volkswagen usa sent me a recall notice about the problem with the sun roof on my 2002 volkswagen passat, they (volkswagen) stated that a recall on the sun roof had been recalled, and to take it to a volkswagen dealer for repairs. i took my car to the dealer for the recall and i am still having problem with my car. as of now i have rust damage on the floor of my car and i believe that volkswagen usa should do something about this problem that i have had since 2002, and i am still having since volkswagen usa did the recall. i have repeatedly called volkswagen customer service and they won't do anything about this problem. i am hoping and praying that this message is read by someone who will take the time out of there busy day and help me with this problem. if i decide to sell me car the problem won't go away some person who ever it is will end up with the same problem that i have had since 2002 and that's not right. i believe that volkswagen usa should be held liable and responsible for this problem not just to sell this car and pass the problem on to some innocent person who might end up buying this car. please help me volkswagen recall on this car was october 2007. *tr

In wet weather, my abs module goes haywire. when taken to a repair shop, they state that my brakes are fine and that the control module seems to be defective. this use to only happen once in a great while, be it is starting to become more frequently. *tr

Car driven to airport parking on 9/26 running fine. car picked up at airport parking on 10/4. engine running a bit rough. "check engine" light started to flash. within five miles, there was an engine fire behind engine by firewall low. before emergency/fire personnel could arrive, car fully engulfed and totally destroyed. car regularly maintained. no oil/fluid leakage. running fine prior to eight day idle in parking garage. *tr

My wife was driving the vehicle and heard a pop from under the car. she pulled over right away and saw fluids and smoke coming from the engine compartment. within five minutes the engine and passenger compartments were fully engulfed in flames. the vehicle was considered totaled. volkswagen is blaming it on an after market stereo power cable and an investigator with 23 years of experience said oil lines ruptured and the fire initially ignited low in the engine compartment -- not on top by the stereo power lead. photos and a description of the incident is posted at the following link: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r21108730-rant-our-2002-volkswagen-passat-glx-death-trap. *tr

The abs warning light would flash and brake warning would light up. the car was still drivable. this started just around 101,000 miles. i looked up this type of warning light to see if any one else had experienced this, an online forums suggested that the abs electronic control module failed. i used vagcom, an obdii device, to see if the abs module could be the cause to the problem. the abs module failed. i sent in the module to be "rebuilt".*tr

Rear tail light on 2002 volkswagen passat 4 motion remained on even when car was shut off or locked. dealership replaced comfort control model for $500.00. since the replacement, interior lights come on periodically causing the battery to drain and the passenger doors will not unlock with the key fob. *tr

Driving at 60 mph the engine completely stalled requiring an emergency maneuver to clear highway. vw mechanic says rod snapped and put hole through engine. not oil-related. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed smoke coming from the front end of the vehicle. she pulled over to a local service station and noticed that the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. the fire was extinguished by a representative at the service station. weeks later, the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 08v156000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery). she is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure and current mileages were unknown.

Had a car accident in 2006, took car to recommend insurance shop. they replace 3 tires, a week later a bubble pop up on the other tire. they had to order the other tire. year later , less than 10,000 miles, the tire outside wall had small crack and got larger over time. i replace the two tires. while removing the tires to the rear. the other tire had a large crack on the inside unknown to me if i didn't removed it. didn't check the other tire as of yet. the 3 tires are road huggers radial gt. *tr

My car has suddenly started to downshift on it's own , rpm's will also continue to increase when taking foot off accelerator, and then suddenly when attempting to accelerate from a stop the car will not react at all for several seconds and then rapidly surges forward uncontrollably. this all in conjunction with a continued complaint of a burning smell from my central dashboard vent. ( this burning was supposed to have been remedied by a recent recall. the mechanic and service advisor were able to duplicate this , but it was deemed normal and without duplication by the head mechanic. the service manager later investigated this and decided a new catalytic converter may remedy the situation. this has not helped and the car continues to react inconsistently with sudden downshifting while accelerating and then sudden rapid acceleration surges forward which seem very unsafe when negotiating busy city streets. my car has only 49,000 miles on it! *tr

Vehicle leaked a large amount of fuel (~4 gallons in 3 days). no fire, but there is now a large hole in my driveway. shop says leak is from top of engine. *tr

2002 volkswagen passat with fuel odor. consumer states that she noticed a strong fuel smell filling her garage. mechanic stated that there was a crack in the fuel tank. mechanic stated that the consumer hit the bottom of the fuel tank on something. *kb the consumer stated a few months after the fuel tank was replaced, the timing belt failed. *jb

My 2002 vw passat initially blew the #5 fuse which controls the a/c, steering wheel items (horn, volume control, etc.) and items on the driver side sun visor. the fuse was replaced and subsequently i experienced smoking in the area of the sun visor. removing the visor, i noticed frayed wiring and burnt wiring insulation. in addition there was sparking inside the roof area. i took the car to the dealer and they cut the frayed wire and taped it up, with a more complete repair to come in a couple of days. driving the car home later that day the car started smoking again with the addition of crackling sounds. i had the car towed to the dealer that evening. the dealer is now looking at the wiring and has found at least one wire leading from the visor area all the way down to the fuse box which is bare because it's insulation has been burned off. the fuse that should have blown was melted into the fuse box. the burned wire has also burned off insulation on other wires which were touching the damaged wire. the dealer is trying to track down all the wires that may have been damaged. current cost is approximately $2400 with volkswagen agreeing to pick up $900 of the cost. based on internet research, there have been other reports of frayed wiring in the visor area of the 2002 passat. i have numerous postings by people who have blown the fuse and had their visors replaced. others have pulled down the visor and taped up the frayed wiring in their visor. i believe this to be a design or manufacturing flaw and i believe that my visor wiring has been fraying for some time prior to the catastrophic failure. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. in 2007, the contact stated that water would drain into the motor during heavy rains, and cause the brakes to fail. the dealer discovered that water was entering the brake line, but never informed the contact of a recall. instead, the dealer repaired the brake system and stated that it was a courtesy from volkswagen. after the repair, the failure recurred and the brakes failed while driving 30 mph. the contact noticed thick, white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. she had to strike the wheel against the curb in order to stop the vehicle. the following day, she took the vehicle to the dealer and they made repairs again. the failure mileage was 21,000.

Engine was running rough, engine light came on (flashing), i was advised engine was missing on a cylinder and could drive 'slowly' to the mechanic. on way to dealership warning light came on (stop - no engine oil). mechanic changed vacuum hose and reset computer, engine not loosing oil. week later - warning light (stop - no engine oil). mechanic confirmed engine was not loosing oil. took to vw dealership. dealership advised vacuum hoses were 'bad'. original mechanic changed vacuum hoses. week later - warning light (stop - no engine oil). took to vw dealership - dealership advised "after market parts" (vacuum hoses) causing issue. - changed hose. day later - warning light (stop- no engine oil) - took back to vw dealership - dealership advised hoses are 'bad' - replaced 3 other hoses. about 2 weeks later - engine running poorly, delay when pulling out from stops, took to vw dealership. dealership took apart engine. advised that they ¿scraped carbon deposits¿ from the filter leading to the oil pump. (cost $500+) car ran well for approx 2 weeks. spoke to original mechanic about ¿carbon deposits¿. mechanic advised ¿carbon deposits¿ are ¿engine sludge¿ - vw will not replace engine under ¿sludge¿ recall because i do not have all oil change receipts for the last 6 years. *tr

For the past nine months i have smelled gas when i filled my gas tank past half full. i checked for recalls on your website last month an came across the vw passat fuel tank safety recall. since my car was at the dealership to take care of yet another problem, i told them about my gas smell problem and informed them about the recall. i told them that it only occurs when the gas tank is past half full and told them to put gas in it and test it. when i picked up the car they hadn't done the gas tank test. the service advisor looked up the recall and found information on the gas tank safety recall r5 and printed out a faq sheet. he informed me that they didn't have the new tank for the recall and he expected them on may 30th. he told me to contact him and make an appointment to have the tank replaced once they had the parts in. i called the dealer on may 30th and made an appointment for today june 3rd. i brought my car to the dealership and i was informed by another service advisor and she couldn't find any volkswagen recall covering my vin. the service adviser i spoke to when i had picked up my car after the repairs i had done in may came over. he recalled obtaining the information and searched for it again and it wasn't listed. they let me call volkswagen customer service. the vw customer service representative said that there wasn't a safety recall on the my volkswagen w8. i told him that it smells like gas when the gas tank is filled past half full. he said he would contact the service manager at the dealership i was at and see what could be done. i read the information on your website involving this recall and it seams pretty clear that any 1999- 2005 model year passat with a gasoline engine is covered. i have a 2002 vw passat w8 with 4motion. one of the responses from vw lists vin number ranges, but mine doesn't appear to be within that range. i think that vw erred in their investigation and didn't look into the w8. *tr

All headlight bulbs on vehicle do not last long and or do not work correctly directly following installation of new bulbs. headlight bulbs require replacement weeks and sometimes days following new installation. there is a defect in wiring. certain times a headlight bulb will work while the car is cold, but go off when the car becomes warm or hot. dangerous situation for driver of car while driving at night. roads are difficult to see, road signs are very difficult to read. other drivers do not see vehicle well in the dark. this defect is with all headlights - daytime running and night driving headlights. this is an ongoing incident concerning each of the headlights and therefore dates do not apply to this defect in wiring. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact noticed a haze and/or a frosted glaze over his headlights. over the course of a year, the headlight issue progressively worsened and affected the contact's visibility at night. the dealer and the manufacturer stated that his vehicle was out of warranty, however, the vehicle could be repaired for approximately $700. the current mileage was 55,000 and failure mileage was 48,000. updated 07/29/08. *lj updated 08/05/08

Cylinder head failed without warning, car had less than 75k. car was serviced on a regular basis. vw refused to pay for cost losing a thirty year loyal customer. they offered to apply $2200 to the repair of the car or apply it toward another new vw on the dealer lot, what a insult. i will never recommend their product. *tr

The abs light flashes along with the brake light. also words appear on the dash that say "stop" "brake fault" "service manual". when i checked the manual it says that there is a fault or problem with the abs system. *tr

I have a 2002 vw passat v6 glx wagon with 37,000 miles. whenever the fuel tank is full, or near-full, there is a strong smell of gasoline from the right rear side. i have had to leave my garage door partially open because of the danger of igniting fumes from the pilot lights of my home gas water heater and furnace in the garage. i have found wet patches smelling strongly of gasoline on the underside of the fuel tank. it is obvious that the gasoline tank is leaking somehow and presents a fire safety issue. i suspect it might be the same problem that is being investigated in nhtsa action number pe08008 even though my model is not an all-wheel-drive. meanwhile, whenever the vehicle is parked, in my garage or out in the open, there is a constant danger of fire being ignited. *tr

2002 passat 4 motion v6 leaking gas then filled up over half a tank? *tr

Was driving on the interstate when the car started sputtering. then i saw smoke coming up from the hood. pulled the car over, opened the hood and saw flames. grabbed my kid out of the car and watched the car become engulfed in fire. car was in excellent condition with all maintenance up to date. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle began shaking violently and shut down in the middle of an intersection. the vehicle then skidded into an intersection and almost struck a child. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the ignition coil housing burned. the dealer would not repair the vehicle or allow him to pay $785 with a credit card to repair the ignition coil. the turbo coil also failed; however, the dealer does not agree with this diagnosis. the manufacturer was unable to assist. the contact also smelled electrical wiring burning. he stated that oil breaks down prematurely, which caused the engine to seize and the vehicle to overheat. the manufacturer stated in writing that they see no reason why they should offer any assistance, and that there was a previous recall on a case by case basis related to other engine failures. the federal trade commission complaint number was 13323205. the current mileage was 101,222 and failure mileage was 86,000.

Driverside heated seat caught on fire. burnt 2 small holes through seat and the pocket of my wife's pants. *tr

This is the second time that the window regulator has gone out on my 2002 vw passat 4motion glx.  the first time this happened the drivers window regulator failed due to a corroded cable in the assembly.  the most recent just happened to the rear passenger regulator, but this time the plastic assembly that holds the glass window broke and and the window fell down in traffic.  i am very mechanically inclined and have fixed both of these problems on my own time, at my own expense.  just wondering if anyone else is experiencing these problematic issues.   thank you,  darin. *tr

3 1/2 months after purchasing my 2002 vw passat, i was driving on the highway went my oil pressure light came on with a grinding noise and the computer advised me to shut down my engine immediately. i though my oil was low since i missed my last oil change and was planning on getting one done that weekend and added more oil to my car. the problem never went away and i had to tow my car to the vw dealer (heritage vw). i was charged $1178 for a desludge because the warranty was no good since my oil changed was overdue. after the desludge my check engine light came on and the dealer told me that my timing was off and would require me to pay another $1100 to repair the problem. i removed my car from their shop because i did not have this issue when i brought my car to the dealer and now i have to pay to repair, their error. i would like vw to pay for their faulty engineering or poor workmanship, since the sludge buildup seems to be a defect and not a maintenance issue has they claim. *tr

After a gas fill in february 2008 a strong odor of gasoline was evident. upon inspection, it was noted that gas was leaking onto the pavement under the car. the problem seemed to resolve itself after about 1/4 tank of gas was burned. after the next fill, the problem recurred. the dealership determined that a sending unit had failed, which was replaced. again the problem recurred upon filling the gas tank. the dealership then determined that there was a broken vent on the fuel tank causing the leak which required a replacement tank. during all of this there was never a warning light that would alert to the problem. *tr

2002 volkswagen passat defective sunroof. consumer states that she didn't drive the vehicle for one week and when she started driving it, there was a sloshing noise. she noticed the entire rear floorboard was flooded with water. *kb the dealer informed the consumer the problem was inherent and there was definitely a defect in the sunroof design. *jb

Mechanical defect in the 2002 vw passat that causes sludge build up in the engine on august 8, 2006 which in turn caused the engine to breakdown on sept. 29, 2006 and other associated mechanical problems like stalling approximately june 2007 and failure of front wheel suspension on february 3, 2008 upon exiting the highway. *tr

Oil sludge -- need new engine. *tr

Last saturday (feb.9, 2008) around 11:00am, while i was picking up my two daughters from ballet school (boston ballet, 19 clarendon street, boston), the check engine lamp started to blink and i could feel my car (2002 passat wagon, all wheel drive) was a little bit shaking. as the car manual says, i drove in low power to the closest volkswagen dealership (boston volkswagen, 168 western avenue, allston). while i was driving to the dealership, i saw some smoke coming out from the front hood (right front side). we (my daughters, my wife, and myself) got the dealership around 11:30am. a sales consultant (michael petersante) and another person there saw my car, and said that my car possibly would catch on fire. we evacuated from the car, they moved all the cars around my car to the other place. the dealer called for a fire department. before the fire department came in, while i was looking at my car from the inside of the dealership building, i could see the flame coming out above the right front wheel in the car (somewhere the engine is located) and smoke filling up inside of my car. the fire department (boston fire-engine 41, ladder 14, unit d11) came and put out the fire. a police officer (boston police district 14, 301 washington street, brighton) came after the fire was extinguished (arrived at 11:53am), and checked out the scene and had my car, whose front part (engine compartment) was all broken and crushed while the wire was put out, be towed. it was hard to believe that a 5-6 years old car caught on fire while i was driving and in just 30 minutes reached to such situation. fortunately, we were close to the dealership and were able to get there before the worst thing happens. and again, very fortunately, my family was able to get away to the safe place before the worst thing happens. but if it happened 10 minutes earlier or if it took 10 minutes longer than actually it did to get there, things that i don¿t ever want to imagine could happen to my family. *tr

When i started my 2002 passat station wagon yesterday, there was no power assist function on the brakes. this was experienced two days in a row, and braking was extremely difficult. braking distance was greatly increased over what it had previously been. this phenomenon happened when i first started driving the vehicle after it was parked a while. pumping the brakes seemed to improve the effectiveness of the braking, but never enough to give me confidence that i could stop when i needed to. i have taken the car to the dealer, and they have said the master cylinder needs replacing. i participated in the air plenum recall and had the air plenum replaced on 9/7/07. i am sending in the present complaint after reading the nhtsa action # pe07018. the problems with the brakes in complaint #pe07018 sound very much like my problem, and i thought you should be aware of my situation. i also live in wisconsin where we are currently having a cold wet winter. *tr

After heavy rainfall, water filled the passenger floor well. i vacuumed out the water and moved vehicle on a surface that is sloped and another 3 gallons of water came through the front passenger kick panel where there are electrical components. in total, there was 7 gallons of water. now all the service lights comes and remains on. *tr

1) both failures occurred in wet conditions --- once in pouring rain after the car had been driven for a while, and once during the first drive on a cold morning (just below freezing) after an inch or two of snow. 2) in both cases, the brake pedal moved only a little (an inch or two perhaps?) and then became very hard, not moving any further with additional pushing, and providing very little braking power (perhaps 5% of normal braking?). fortunately both incidents occurred at relatively low speed, and the hand brake was not affected. in both cases, the brakes worked normally again by the time we had organized ourselves to take the car in for service --- both times, this was days later (though we had not driven the car); in the second incident, we left the car on the street overnight before putting it in our driveway the next morning, and the brakes were still not working at that time. 3) in the first incident (occuring in august '07?), we took the vehicle in for service at a service station, learned of a vw recall involving water leaking that could affect the brakes and leak water into the passenger compartment (which was also happening during heavy rain), and then took the car to the dealership (piazza acura/vw of ardmore, pa) for service --- they repaired the leak problem and cleaned the interior, but i am not sure whether they did anything about the brakes (we may not have mentioned this specifically to them, since it was mentioned in the recall). the car seemed fine afterward. after the second incident (on 12/6/07), we are once again having the car checked out at our regular service station (we have been impressed by their diagnostic skills in the past). so far they have not identified any brake problem, and we plan to take the car to the dealership next if our regular station mechanics cannot find a problem that would explain the brake failure. *tr

I pay $1500 for used 2002 passat vw two years ago now dealer wants to charge me $ 6700 for new engine. old engine was damage due to engine sludge. i submitted regular oil change receipts and was denied warranty. my passat has 84,000 mile and only two years of riding enjoyment. my car sitting at dealership for almost two weeks. please help car needed for work. *tr

Engine fails due to oil sludge problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the rear brake pads wear out every 15,000 miles, which is about four times faster than a normal vehicle. this is unexpected on a vehicle with such low mileage and could cause brake failure. in february of 2006, at 25,359 miles, the dealer informed the contact of this possibility. he notified the manufacturer and they denied any knowledge of the failure. the current mileage was 39,722 and failure mileage was 25,359.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that his vehicle caught fire with flames rising approximately three feet above the hood. the fire and police departments arrived at the scene. a police report was filed. the fire was extinguished, however, the vehicle was destroyed. the contact has not spoken with the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 91,000. updated 01-15-08. * bf the fire was due to an electrical short in the ground of an electrical harness. the wiring shorted out against the vehicle's steel cowl with temperatures high enough to weld the 12 gauge against the body panel . updated *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact noticed that the headlights were not working. she took the vehicle to the dealer and they informed her that the bulbs were burned out and the passenger side headlight harness melted. she searched online and found that this was a common manufacturer defect on older models of her vehicle make, but not for her year. she called the manufacturer and they refused to take responsibility for the defect. the powertrain was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 35,000.

This complaint is about a 2002 passat 4-motion v6 car. gas odor entered my house for 2 weeks and i did not know what was causing the problem. i called the gas company to see if i had a gas leak with my furnace. the gas company came and tested but found nothing wrong with my furnace or equipment using natural gas. i decided to find the root cause and began ruling out possibilities. i observes the gas smell was in my garage. i observed whenever my gas tank was filled, more odor came into the house. i filled the gas tank on 10/1/07 and parked the car out on the street. on 10/2/07, when i entered the car in the early am hours, the gas scent made me throw up and i became dizzy. i had no idea what was wrong and i drove - while praying - the car to the dealer. they immediately told me they would not let me drive the car out of there without finding out the problem because of the very strong gas odor. i was later told if anyone had thrown a cigarette by my car, it would have caught on fire! the car was dripping gas as i drove to the dealer! the dealership found the problem was cause by a leak on my fuel tank. a new fuel tank was needed - that is the only way it could be fixed. i requested my old tank and said it has to be brought and shown to the government agency over transportation and the environment because i could have died and no one would have known it was a faulty manufacturer's part. the old tank shows 3 plastic tubes used on the gas tank that drains the gas! plastic ! one of the plastic tubes broke off causing the gas leak! i visited a website and found so many other passat owners have had this problem and vw is doing nothing to change the design! i spoke to vw and i was told there is nothing they can do and i have to pay the cost of the repair! i am asking your office to investigate this safety issue. this is a dangerous safety issue to all passat owners! i have my old gas tank and will be happy to bring it to your office . *tr

The abs control module failed on my car causing the abs system and the asr (anti-slip regulation) traction control systems to no longer function. this happened without warning with no signs leading up to the failure. this has also caused other strange electrical issues where my keyless entry will no longer work. also, the error lights continue to flash on the instrument panel and the radio remains turned on (unless i manually turn it off) even after the car has been turned off and the key has been removed from the ignition. this caused a dead battery after 4 days of flashing (radio was off). it has also caused an error between the communication paths from my transmission control module (tcm) and my engine's ecu and instrument panel as evidenced by the error codes produced. the last issue that has been caused by the abs failure is that the car continues to run for several seconds after the ignition has been turned off and the key has been removed. it will then sputter out and turn off. from my research, this appears to be a common problem on these cars: http://www.passatworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173334 *tr

Fuel system failed. the car ran like a tractor, misfiring and emitting explosive like sounds. the dashboard warning light came on and stayed on. we limped to the next vw dealer who found it necessary to replace the ignition coils. the coils were already once replaced under warranty on july 23, 20003. why do we have to pay $200.44 plus tax for these obviously unreliable parts? *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact smelled gasoline and noticed a leak coming from the rear driver side of the vehicle. the float assembly was replaced, but it did not correct the failure. the dealer stated that a new fuel tank was needed and would cost $1,700. they also stated that the metal flange seal and tank were connected and would not be replaced. the manufacturer investigated the failure and stated that there were no recalls and the vehicle was out of warranty. the current and failure mileages were 91,000.

On september 6th of this year, a message appeared on the dashboard display low oil pressure, stop motor. i immediately called the dealership in pompton plains, nj (the closest dealership to my house) to arrange servicing, since the car was not to be driven. the volkswagen representative with whom i spoke on the phone instructed me to bring my car to the dealership. when i finally brought the car in, service manager joe informed me that what i experienced was likely engine trouble requiring of multiple part replacement and called oil sludge. i was told that it would cost $2,800 for repairs because the warranty on my five-year-old/56,000-mile car ran out. i called customer care at 1-800-822-8987 and spoke with representative named frodet and her supervisor, james custer, both of whom told me that this problem is not unheard of and has even been termed oil sludge and is covered under vw's special extended warranty 8 years/unlimited miles. frodet opened case no. 70295194 in my name and called service manager. i received a call next day. i was told that in order to fix this problem under vw?s special extended warranty, i needed to provide all eleven receipts for oil changes that took place within the entire five-year period of ownership. after scouring my files, i found that i have a total of 20 receipts pertaining to service and maintenance of the vehicle, seventeen of which were not from the crest mont dealership. i faxed these seventeen receipts to the attention of service manager joe. the very next day september 18th, joe called me again to let me know me that a field factory representative reviewed these receipts and refused to admit sixteen of them. these receipts were from my personal mechanic to whom i had entrusted the care and service of every car i had. but, because my mechanic failed to specify my car's vin, license plate number, and oil filter part numbers in the receipts, i was out of luck. *tr

If fuel tank is filled more than approx. 3/4 full, the odor of gas is apparent very soon after. it permeated my garage overnight and overwhelmed me when i opened the door. my mechanic told me a vent tube on the top of the fuel tank is defective and has seen a number of these, as has the dealers mechanic. they have told me the only remedy is to replace the tank. i personally have not been in any accidents, and have owned the car for over a year. my local vw dealer will be replacing this for free based on the approval of a regional vw manager, but i called vw of america and was told that this issue was news to them, and no such recalls or extended warranties applied. i feel that this is a significant safety issue, and i was only saved the ~$3,000 in repair expense because one specific dealers adviser happened to be aware of a "soft recall," as he put it. he told me a number of these tanks are failing on my particular vehicle, and have ordered extra fuel tanks to accommodate customers. vw should be notifying customers or at the very least have information on it through their national customer care center. *tr

I am complaining about a 2002 volkswagen passat 1.8t. with 76,000 miles on the car based on the latest news from the dealer today i will have invested over $1000 on various failures of the fuel evap system. first it was vacuum hoses and now it is the charcoal canister and purge valve. there has been one recall on one part of the system which of course was not what was wrong at any point with my vehicle. the entire fuel evap system is faulty and vw knows it and refuses to do anything about. it is a great moneymaker for them as only they have the access to the electronic codes and parts to repair the system and tremendously over inflated prices. *jb

2002 passat began thumping and lurching while in motion and while idling. check engine light came on. acceleration was abnormally slow. three inches of standing water appeared in right rear footwell. dealer informed me acceleration problem was due to water in tcm. tcm short circuited and then powertrain dropped. water damage was due to leaking pollen filter seal, which was subject to p9 recall. car was past warranty on time, but not miles. they fixed pollen filter seal and told me they couldn't do anything about the $4,000-$5000 damage from the leaking water. the car is not safe to drive. my car is parked outside. we had several rainy days in the week before the problem. the service manager suggested i must have left the window open. i contacted vw corp and they suggested i take it to a dealer for repair at my own expense. *tr

I was driving my 2002 vw passat with the seat heater on when i noticed the underside of my thigh was very warm. i pulled into a parking lot, got out and looked at my seat and there was a burn hole on the upholstered seat. i had only been driving with the seat heater on for about 15 minutes - on level 3 (or 4 max). i have not turned on the driver side seat heater since and have not allowed a passenger to turn on the passenger side seat heater. luckily, i incurred no injury and my clothing was not burned, but i am concerned what might happen if someone had not been paying attention, had not been wearing thin clothing at the time, or if a child had been sitting on a malfunctioning seat. i have been to the dealer who said both the driver side and passenger side seat heaters need to be replaced (they said the passenger side was also on its way to burning- although it had not come through the cloth yet). i have not yet reached any resolution with volkwagen, although they have been notified of the problem. i have been told that my particular vehicle was not covered by a recall. *tr

Sun roof cycles on its own to raise and lower aftter end (in the moon roof mode). *jb

Had to replace both cv boots with less than 55,000 miles on car. *tr

We purchased a used 2002 passat and during a storm, the passenger floor became filled with water, coming through the glove compartment. dealer could not locate entry of water from hose at dealership so we changed to another 2002. on july 21, during a storm, the passenger side filled with rain on the floor but not through the glove compartment. on july 30, the driver floor was filled with water from a storm. but the passenger side was dry. since this car is only a few years old, is this a defect? *jb

Check engine light came on for 6 times since purchased new. latest incident, in first week of august, 2007 - the diagnosis was "found fault for evap system incorrect purge flow, tested purge valve and found to be stuck". for 6 dealer visits, 2 identical diagnosis with 2 replacements. is this a design fault? defective part? why the repetitive issue with the same area. car only has 48,000 miles. *tr

The clutch on my 2002 vw passat failed at 47k miles! my wife and i are both in our mid-forties and are very experienced and gentle clutch drivers. we haven't owned cars without a clutch for over 20 years. in addition the repair cost to replace the clutch on this car is outrageous. i am writing because i noticed several people with the same problem on a number of chat boards. has this ever been investigated? thanks,

I'm religious about changing the oil in the car, about the maintenance and care of it. i love my volkswagen passat. i had the oil pressure light came on once or twice over the last two years, but always took it into a shop for regular maintenance. the light always went off and nothing ever happened. however, there has been a lot of sludge buildup in the engine, despite the best efforts. so much so that the oil pump was blocked and the engine seized as a result. i had the oil pressure warning come on the day my car died. it was a few miles after it went on it stopped running and i had to push my car into it's parking spot at home. volkswagen dealers @ the burnsville location told me that they had started with a 100,000 mile warranty on the passats, but that it had become cost ineffective and so cut the warranty to 50,000. my car seized at under 87,000. i've not been able to afford to fix it, as yet. had to take time off work and so my paycheck was greatly reduced. haven't been able to make the car payment on it either, as a result, which has a balance of near to $10,000.00. *ak

2002 volkswagen passat, wagon, 4 cyl 2.0 l motor. i had 2 occasions where the wiring harness shorted out on the front headlights, once on the driver's side at 75,000 miles, and once on the passenger's side at 40,000 miles. there was no fire, but in both incidents the wires had completely melted to the wiring harness where the headlights were attached. the wires were completely exposed in both incidents. *ak

The 2002 volkswagen passat glx 4 motion with just over 66,000 miles had just been refueled with a full tank of gas and driven into our garage when my wife smelled strong gasoline fumes and noticed puddles underneath the vehicle. i brought it to volkswagen dealership, and was charged $70 for the diagnosis , and then a total of $302.77 to replace the gasket for the fuel pump. they did not fill the tank to confirm that the problem no longer existed, but said that the problem was fixed. a week later the same situation, gasoline fumes and puddles under vehicle. returned to dealership, and they kept car for 4 days to diagnose. bottom line ,they informed me that "the vehicle may need a new fuel tank , $1,622. and /or new fuel lines, $922.25. they will need to lower the fuel tank to completely diagnose" at a cost of $700 because of 5 hours. labor. we had already spent over $300 for repairs that apparently wasn't necessary because it did not fix the problem. they did not refund our $300. also , my wife called volkswagen of america, and we were told that the car was out of warranty, so they would offer no help. i purchased this car brand new. it was top of the line i expect better performance and service as i have had a number of volkswagens and none had given me grief until this one. a gasoline tank and fuel lines were safety issues and if they fail in such a short time they would have to be either defective or poorly designed, and the responsibility to correct them should lie with the manufacturer. any reasonable person would think that the $300 repair bill would be acceptable but not anywhere between $2000 and $3000. why should the customer pay for a poor design that involved $700 just to diagnose? from the look of some of the other complaints found on this site they would already know and gladly extend some good will to the owners of these vehicles. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. while driving 70 mph, the vehicle began to overheat and smoke. the contact pulled off the road, waited until the vehicle cooled down, and drove to the nearest dealer. the mechanic stated that the primary fan had burned out. he also stated that it was a very common failure with his model of vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 58,300. updated 02-01-08 *bf updated 02/01/08 *tr

The 2002 volkwagen passat 1.8t problem started with the car stalling while driving on the road on saturday july 1 2007, and the epc light coming on. i took it to the dealership the following monday, and they ended up replacing a faulty engine rpm sensor. the following saturday i picked up the car and drove off. exactly 12 miles from the dealership the car stalled with the same epc light. the only consequences of this incident were me stranded on the side of the road for almost an hour with slightly charred engine. i coasted off the road and smelled smoke. needless to say the dealership stated that it was short coil-packs and not their responsibility, so i was stuck with a $3,000.00 repair bill. after researching online i know there have been several similar instances and am wondering why it was never recalled. *ak

I own a volkswagon 2002 passat wagon. i have replaced the coils at least 7 times . i replaced #4 two weeks ago, and #1 & 2 blew yesterday. i took it into livingston volkswagen in woodland hills, ca., and they told me i needed to have all four replaced, and,, i have complained to corporate, saying this was obviously a defect and was dangerous as the time before last. i was in the fast lane on the freeway, doing 65 mph and the car went from 65 mph to 25d mph in a 10 seconds! not dangerous? *ak

When it rains water leaks into the car under the passenger dash over electrical components for the car. *tr

I was traveling from ga back to tampa when the message of "stop oil pressure, stop motor" appeared on the dash. of course i was terrified because this has never happened before. i pulled into a gas station and had a gentleman to check my oil. i knew there was oil because i had an oil change on may 3, 2007. the gentleman stated there was oil and to allow my car to cool. i waited about 30 minutes, the gentleman checked my oil again and it read the same.i preceeded to try to reach to interstate to go home and the light came on again. this time the message was "stop, stop motor and check service manual". now i'm really terrified. i pulled into an advance discount auto shop and called my extended warranty and had my car towed from gainesville, fl to tampa (approximately 145 miles). i cost me $227.00. my extended warranty covered $100.00. the full price was $327.00. monday morning i called kuhn vw and was told to bring in my car. i was informed by a lady (who was taking my information) that it was a common problem. a diagnostic was ran ($94.00). i was told that suldge was in my engine and that a further diagnostic needed to be ran which would cost $282.00. to de-sludge the engine wolud cost $2,788.00 plus tax. needless to say, i instructed them to put my car back together. i called my extended warranty and informed them about it and they would not cover it. i have my car at a mechanic who "de-sludged" my engine for $450.00. the light continued to come on and with further examination it was diagnosed that the oil pump was the problem. the mechanic is trying to fix the oil pump and then will i trade it in for another car. my car is five years old. i bought my car brand new in 2002, from the dealership. i've had all of my services completed by the dealership; except for two. i have all of my receipts. i was not aware of this defect until now and i'm very upset and concerned that a company can put people's life in danger. my car has approximately 77,360 miles.

Brake switch light failure. my first indication of failure was the brake lights remained on after shutting down the car. i pumped the pedal and this extinguished the light. the car continued to operate normally for another 500 miles until i noticed the cruise control was out. i then noticed the brake lights were not operating at all. after researching the problem i found that this is a common problem with vw's. to my surprise though the passat which uses the same switch other vws have been recalled on has no recall yet. this switch is a very dangerous switch as it disables the brake lights providing no warning to another driver behind the car. *tr

My 2002 volkswagen passat developed a major fuel line leak inside the engine compartment. a metal high pressure fuel line that is mounted to the firewall either cracked or somehow blew a hole in the line. a high pressure stream of gasoline was being sprayed directly on top of the engine. this gasoline eruption as i will call it because the word leak is inadequate to describe the amount of gasoline that was spraying out of the hose in a location that is directly adjacent to a fuel line mounting bracket on the firewall. it is very visible in the photos i took. ak when i opened the hood of the vehicle i found a gasoline mist had covered the entire inside of the engine compartment. the leak was so bad i initially parked the vehicle in my garage but could smell the gasoline inside my home so i had to move it outside. the next day i had a dealer look at. he informed of he found the leak, i came into see the leak before he repaired it, he started the vehicle with the hood open and within seconds the top of the engine had gasoline spilling on top of it. i took some photographs that clearly show the spray of gasoline onto the engine. i requested that the dealer save the fuel lines that he removed from my vehicle, so i now have those at my home. i would be happy to supply these failed components as well as send in the photos. i contacted volkswagen regarding this incident and they expressed no interest in taking this opportunity to learn what could cause this major fuel line leak. they have not yet called the dealer to learn more about the repair, and they were not interested in me sending them the failed fuel line parts. i am appalled at volkswagen's lack of concern over this issue. i feel very strongly that safety needs to be a top concern for auto manufacturers and i do not believe that volkswagen is giving this incident the appropriate attention. please investigate this, i will be more than willing to assist in any way i can.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact was driving with the cruise control set at 67 mph when the vehicle shut off. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was repaired. the current mileage is 70,000 and failure mileage was 7,586.

Right daytime driving light burned out on 3 occasions. last incident included a melted wiring harness as well

Tl*- the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passsat wagon gls with a failure mileage of 41,926 . the contact stated that when she tried to start the vehicle it would not start. she noticed white smoke coming from the tail pipe, and some fluid squirting from the brake hose. the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and the contact was informed that there was water in the engine. also, the dealer determined that the brake booster had condensation build up which was getting into the intake manifold. the manufacturer stated it was an environmental issue due to the climate in which she lived. the current mileage was 42,400.*ak

I have a 2002 vw passat. in october 2006, with approximately 50000 miles on the car, the rear brake lights suddenly stopped lighting up at all. my mechanic replaced the brake light switch, and now my lights operate normally. vw has a recall on this exact issue for other models, but not on the passat. in my case, it seems obvious that my 2002 passat should have been included as part of this recall as well. if this is a known problem with vw models in this year, i'm disappointed that i had to drive without brake lights (when the switch first failed), then pay out-of-pocket to fix a known failure. *jb

Tl* - the contact stated that the design of the brake system allowed water to enter into the booster and freezes. this caused the brake pedal to lock and the contact was unable to depress the pedal in the morning. also, while driving, the brake pedal stayed down after apply,locking up all four wheels blocking traffic. the cable on the tow truck broke when trying to drag my car onto the bed. the brake pedal was eventualy came back up after a hard push and i was able to drive the vehicle slowly to the volkswagen dealer using the parking brake. the dealer could not duplicate the problem. the contact stated that the failure occurred again. the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer and a mechanic knew what caused the failure. the master cylinder and the brake vacuum booster were replaced. the failure mileage was 54,000. the current mileage was 56,000.*ak updated 03/30/07. *jb

Tl*- the contact stated that while in the driveway the brake pedal would not depress and the 2002 volkswagen passat would not stop. fortunately, my driveway goes uphill and the vehicle stopped. towed the vehicle to the dealership, who determined the tree debris clogged a tray and the rain water overflowed into the brake booster and freezed. and this freezing caused the failure. the debris was cleared, and the master vacuum and other components were replaced at cost of $780.

My car started making horrible noises in the engine so i stopped driving it and had it towed to the vw dealership. i was told that my turbo would need replacing at a cost of $5600. the dealership wouldn't honor my warranty because i couldn't produce every receipt from my oil changes-i had lived in 3 states since i got the car. however, i complained enough that they told me they would only charge me $3200 to fix the car and would give me a good trade in on another vw. i have decided one vw is enough of a problem and i didn't need another car with the same problems and lack of service from the company. i felt vw left me without any choice other than to pay the money so i could have a car and they definitely didn't stand by there product. is there anything i can do? *jb

Volkswagen 2002 passat 1.8l turbo. engine stalled completely going 60 mph on freeway. coasted to side of road. was able to restart. very dangerous. issue sounds identical to fuel pump issue with 2003 passat which causes dangerous stalling without warning. *nm

I was driving car on a cold morning and coming to a stop on a hill and the brake pedal would not go down. i literally had to stand on the pedal to get car to stop. this had happened to my wife two previous times and the dealer could not find a problem as no codes indicated anything wrong. i was able to get the vehicle to the dealer and had service writer get in car and experience what i was experiencing. it was determined after diagnosis that there was water in the brake booster system and the brake booster needed to be replaced. apparently water had entered in cowl area which had been clogged with debris. *nm

Drivers side heated seat element burned a whole through fabric.. *nm

2002 vw passat with total brake failure customer is requesting compensation for repair work to car and house**nar**cc it was discovered the brake booster assembly, which was supposed to be vacuum-sealed had 1 quart of water in it. the mechanic stated that due to the cold night, the assembly froze up, and when the consumers wife started to pull the vehicle into the garage to warm it up, the brake system failed. *jb

Owner started up engine of volkswagen, ran back inside house to get wallet. came back 2-3 minutes later and saw smoke and flames from center of dashboard area. called 911 and ran back inside to shut windows because smoke was coming into the house. radio had not been working for several weeks prior to the fire incident. within one week prior to the fire incident, the digital readout in the climate control panel flashed and looked scrambled. vehicle burned throughout passenger compartment, scorching to underside of front floor and transaxle near exhaust system. *nm

Owner's wife drove volkswagen home, parked it in the left bay of a two-car garage. approximately one hour later, owner was alerted by a smoke alarm/smell of smoke. owner went out to garage and observed flames coming from the engine compartment of the volkswagen. ran back into house and told wife to call 911. returned to garage and observed volkswagen almost completely engulfed in flames. fire destroyed vehicle and house. cause undetermined. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 30 mph, the abs brake system failed. the brake pedal could not be depressed. when it finally released, the brakes self-applied and released without warning and repeated several times. the contact had to stop the vehicle using the hand brake, because the brake pedal did not function properly. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer by a private wrecker service. the service dealer replaced the brake booster. they also gave him the old booster and a bag containing cherry tree debris deposited on and around the old booster. the repair cost was about $900. the manufacturer was notified.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph on normal road conditions the head lights failed. no warning light alerted the contact of an electrical problem. the vehicle was taken to the dealership who replaced the bulbs and connectors but did not repair any wiring due to heating. the failure had occurred on two previous occasions but the dealership did not identified the source of the problem to be wiring over heating. the head light failure also occurred between the repairs intermittently creating a safety risk during night driving. the manufacturer was notified who opened a case but there has been no resolution yet.

On august 24, 2006 my 2002 vw passat with 64777 miles was taken in to replace the spark plugs. no problem so far, i picked up the car a got as far as two blocks when the temp gauge pegged out. i immediately stopped the car and checked for leakage, no leakage was noticeable i drove the car back to the dealership and was informed that the water pump failed. i had fork out nearly $1000 dollars to get the car back on the road. the service manager showed my the failed pump and was astonished that the impeller was made out of plastic. to add insult when i contacted vw and request some type of relief for the expense. i requested a written response which i never received only a terse phone call. vw's response was sorry for your loss. *nm

I owned a 2002 vw passat v6 for 2 years. three times within that time during rainstorms, the engine died and all the electrical equipment, including the power brakes , failed. i have just found out that the air intake for the engine is either near a wheel well or behind a headlight, as is apparently common for sporty cars. the water gets sucked into the engine. vw charged me $9000 after the second event, blaming it on pine needles in drainage wells. five days later, i went through a small puddle and it happened again. i sold the car. i think this warrants investigation as a major safety hazard. *nm

I would like to lodge a complaint regarding the excessive failure of vacuum hoses causing the engine malfunction indicator light to come on repeatedly on the 2002 vw passat wagon. on august 2, 2006, the vacuum hose failed (replaced with p/n 06b-133-783 bc). the cost of the repair was $271.63. on september 11, 2006, the vacuum hose was replaced as per vehicle recall (replaced with p/n 06b-103-221p). and on october 18, 2006, the vacuum hose failed (replaced with p/n 1n-020-353-5). the cost of this repair was $137.93. also to be considered is the inconvenience of taking the car to a repair facility time after time. *nm

Took car (2002 volkswagen passat) to local dealer for 65,000 mile service at which time they found a deteriorating axle problem. informed by dealer that usually this issue is associated with a design flaw. car out of warranty and repair was performed. in turn contacted volkswagan customer service department and was told that their was nothing they could do since the care was out of warranty. i in turn wrote a letter to the president of volkswagen and received a phone call (i am sure he did not see it)reinforcing what their customer service department told me. if this in fact is a design issue i do not feel you should be having problems with axle's @ 65,000 miles since the car has been serviced every 5,000 miles per manufacturers recommendations and is in excellent condition. mileage should have nothing to do with it. *jb

I got into my car for the first time that day - around 11:00 am. i started the car, adjusted the heat and put on the driver's side seat warmer. after about 15 seconds, i smelled something burning, but was unaware of what it was. at the same time i felt something cutting in to my leg. i put my hand under my leg to see what was poking into me but couldn't find anything. the smell was getting worse and the stabbing pain in my leg was still there. after about 60 seconds there was smoke coming from my seat and i realized the smell was coming from inside my car and the seat warmer was burning. i pulled over, shut the car off and jumped out of my car. i pressed my hands to the seat in an attempt to stop the burning and smoke. i waited a few minutes and when i was convinced the burning had stopped, jumped in my car and headed back to the hotel i had been at. i removed the fuse for the seat warmers. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated there was a leak from the sunroof that went under the floor mat on the passenger side affecting the computer that controlled the vehicle. it was taken to the service dealer, who determined a new computer was needed.

Following a heavy rain, entire floorboard wet with no evidence of overhead or side panel wetness. water drained directly into car but not through door seals or windows. drain plugs in undercarriage removed and water streamed out for approx. 10 minutes. initial assessment by dealer indicates water damaged comfort module (controlling all powered components like windows, door locks, sunroof, cruise, seats, etc.) and transmission module and connectors. over $4500 estimate (not finished to date). source of leak not yet found by dealer. *nm

The engine sputters and appears to misfire after the car has been sitting or driven in the rain. preceding and after this event the check engine light comes on. this happened twice during the week of september 11, 2006. the dealership could not identify the problem and said the car was safe to drive, but suggested we get a tune up, including getting the spark plugs changed (the car didn't need it!). on a rainy october 6 at 5:00 a.m., the car stalled in the middle of a 2-lane state road. when we attempted to restart the car, it sputtered a bit and then died. the car would not restart and had to be pushed off the road. we are going to ask the dealership to inspect the ignition coil. *nm

A chemical smell permeating my entire house for 2 months. i had home gas company come out and check for a gas leak,gas company did not find a gas leak. the smell would be worse some days. a friend found my tank leaking . i took my car in the next day, monday p.m. to have it looked at baron vw. they said it was a nipple on a hose inside the tank, and the whole tank had to be replaced. this is a very expensive repair, that they are estimating to be two thousand dollars. i do not believe that this just happened, with the hose being inside the tank, i think this is a bad part. i have found other incidents of this online , for this particular 2002 passat, with four motion. i think it is a defect of the part and it is expensive because the whole drive train must be removed to replace it. i am hoping you will look into this because that is a very dangerous problem. i don't think some people would even notice their tanks leaking. if my car was not stored in my garage everyday i would have never noticed it. it could have blown my house up when i turned my heater on for the winter with the fumes that were in this house, not to mention driving with a leaking tank, and the chance of static or a cigarette butt getting tossed my way. the car has been out of my garage for 3 days now and the attic fan has been on until last night and my house still stinks. i am afraid now to turn my home furnace on. people who own these cars should be warned to check them for gas leaks, especially if they keep them in their garage. i also think about the times i had my grandson strapped into a child seat right there over that leaking tank. the reason the smell was in my house stronger some days was because i would leave the car outside sometimes and i had the windows open and attic fan on would draw the smell out. the day i discovered it was particularly strong was because i had put the car back in and shut the windows and turned my a/c back on in the house. *jb

Faulty abs light, faulty brake light sensor annoying beeping, 2002 vw passat. *nm

I had the check engine light on and took it to the dealer. he said there was problem with combi valve, vacuum hose and secondary air pump which costs a total of >1200$ in total. luckily, i had the extended warranty and i have to pay 700$. the car is 2002 vw passat gls (1.8) and have only 40k on it. this is the second major repair and the previous one was some kind of cv joint issue. all this problems seems to be a common problem for all passat owners and i wonder why there is not even a recall for this. may be they know this problem and want people to go and pay money. one thing is sure. this will be my first and last vw. i don't recommend any one to buy vw, but better buy cheap japanese cars like mitsubhishi which runs for years and years without any problem. *jb

After turning on the heated seat option of my car i started to smell something burning. after about a minute i felt something sting the left side of my buttocks towards the side. with in seconds i realized that it was my seat burning my bottom. not only my bottom, but a whole right through the seat and my jogging pants. i quickly turned off the heat to my seat. looks like a cigarette burn. my husband and i were afraid to leave the car in the garage in case it was still smoldering and potentially start a fire. i called our dealer and was told that my car was no longer under warranty. past mileage. they suggested that i contact the manufacturer which i have not done quite yet. i am afraid to turn it on again of course! *jb

2002 volkswagen passat wagon / 92350 miles placed in "park" on a slight incline (parking brake not used). engine was turned off and the keys were removed. driver stepped out of the car and a few seconds later car started rolling backwards with children (ages 3 and 10 mo) in the car. driver jumped in car to set the brake, but fell on street as car rolled. car crossed street and headed down a steeper incline hitting bushes, crossing another driveway, and finally hitting a rock wall coming to a stop. children were ok. driver had bruises / scratches from falling on pavement. car sustained $3,400 in damage. neighbors verified car was in park, and owner manual states that keys cannot be removed without the car being in park ( keys were observed by several neighbors to be out of the car). volkswagen of america asked me to go to a dealer for problem determination. dealer tried parking the car 5 times on uphill and downhill inclines, and park held. they also checked the computer and found no faults. no attempt was made to check the internals of the transmission, to determine whether the incline was the same as the driveway where it occurred, or to determine whether there was a reason for an intermittent problem. vw of america stated that the dealer had found the car was in spec (with the 5 hill tests and computer check), and no further action would be taken. vw stated that we should also have been using the parking brake any time we park (we do on steeper hills, but not on hills as slight as our driveway). nobody has explained why park failed even though the keys were out of the ignition (and observed to be by others) -- i concede the parking brake should always be used out of extreme caution, but most people do not on slight hills -- park should not fail in any case. we feel we have to get rid of the car asap because this has not been explained / addressed. other cars (like 2006 bmw) have recalls on the parking pawl, but vw will not investigate further. *nm

2002 vw passat, v6 4motion just turned over 50,000 miles (warranty expired) and noticed that when i filled the gas tank, for several days until the gas level went down, there was a very strong gas odor in the car and around the car. took it to the dealer, who first pointed out that it was time for me to pay the passat driver privilege tax, a.k.a., $650 for standard maintenance work. regarding the gas smell, after the mechanics allegedly checked the car, the service advisor speculated that it was a leak in one of the fuel pump seals, which are located under the back seat (where the strongest smell was coming from). he said that he had seen other passats at around my same mileage with the same problem. the tank was only ½ full though, and the smell was not present, so he asked me to bring the car back on another day, with a full gas tank, so that the mechanics could smell it. when i suggested that it might be more difficult (and dangerous) to examine a full gas tank, he agreed and when i brought the car back a week later for the mechanics check it out, that's when the service advisor told me that the gas tank was 'cracked' (near the top) ¿ and that it would cost $2,000+ to fix it. this is obviously not caused by 'wear and tear'- nor is it a problem that i could have caused absent some sort of impact. i called vw america to ask them to pay for the repair, and after they investigated my claim, they told me that the dealership offered to pay 1/2 the cost of the repair, ($1,000). when i next spoke with the service advisor at the dealership, he told me that vw had offered to pay 1/2 the cost of the repair, or would give me a $1,000 credit toward a new car. my investigations have led me to the conclusion that this is either a defect of the vw fuel tanks or the crack is due to corrosion, which should be 100% covered under the 12 year corrosion warranty. either way, vw should be held accountable. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated on 8-5-06 the rear driver's side tire blew out while driving at 55 mph on a dry highway. upon inspecting the tire, the contact noticed holes on the inside and outside of the tire. prior to this incident, the steering wheel was pulling to the right. the dealership rotated the tires which seemed to help for a while, but eventually the steering continued to pull to the right. there was a nhtsa recall, # 03v154000 regarding the tires. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin.

When it rains heavily, the air bag fault light and the mil come on. water gets into the vehicle and shorts out the electronics. fortunately the oct. 2005 repair was still under warranty. i was without the car for a week that time. i took the car in july 5th, 2006 for the same thing and have not seen the car yet (7/20/06). each time the service person calls, i am told that there is more electrical damage. now the transmission module also must be replaced for $800+. there is obviously a design flaw in the passat. if you cannot keep the car in a garage, you should not purchase a vw passat. the dealership is inundated with these cars whenever we experience heavy rain. i have placed numerous calls to vw, and have received no assistance. the response is that the vehicle is out of warranty. too bad. the car has only 21,000 miles on it. the master cylinder also had to be replaced last year. vw needs to do something about this design flaw. *nm

Stop oil pressure light went on and car died. towed car to dealer who accused me of not servicing car. i took exception to this nonsense and noted a manufacturing defect that caused vw to extend their warranty to 8 years. i produced all oil change receipts as required and have still not heard a verdict. they extend a warranty with the strictest of conditions and then refuse to honor it in a timely manner. *jb

2002 volkswagen passat failed to start suddenly, with no warning signs. it had to be towed to the mechanic, with no answer immediately for its failure to start. the fuel pump was the reason for the breakdown, and volkswagen recalled the 2002 passat for faulty fuel pumps, but not all 2002's qualified for the recall, like mine. there was a waiting list of 3 months just to get a pump from the dealer. the fuel pump had to be replaced at a charge of $615.87, and it should have been included in a recall if this problem affects all 2002 models. *jb

Bought the car new and have had to deal with defective tires, defective ignition coils causing two major breakdowns at highway speeds with children in the car. the last two ignition coils were recalled. the car will not run if it is wet from heavy rain and has to be completely dried before the breaks work properly. oil pump was replaced 14 months ago, another major breakdown on highway with children. it has broken down yet again...the dealership says it needs another oil pump because of sludge, about $2000, not under warranty because it is past the 12 month, 12,000mile mark. two other private mechanics told me, replacing the oil pump would only disguise, temporarily the real issue....the engine is junk. it now sits in my driveway because it is not under warranty because i am missing some oil change receipts. also the blinkers don't work, the rear door won't open, auto locks work intermittently and headlights have been replaced twice and are out again. this was the first new car i ever bought. i bought the car after a divorce because i wanted a dependable car to commute to work and transport my children safely. the car has 85,00 mi. *nm

I bought a 2002 passat wagon glx certified used at lindsay vw in sterling va. i have only had the car 10 months. i had my car washed the week before june 27th, my car is garage kept day and night. we had bad rain storms in the washington dc area which i did not drive in the first day... the second day i did get caught in a rain storm but it was not unusually hard and i did not go through and large puddles. when i got home i noticed a ton of water had collected on the floor of the drivers side of the car. the lights began to flicker and go on and off... the electrical system was not working... so i called the dealer who informed me this was the case with a lot of their customers and could be a backed up drain from the sunroof. he said to have to car towed in ... which i did. i then heard from the dealer two days later who said there were some leaves in the windshield wiper catch and that was what caused the water to pool into the car... it was not covered under warranty essentially my fault and the repair consisted of gutting the interior replacement of carpet and electrical boxes under drivers side etc. that is would be expensive.. parts alone estimated over 1k. i was shaken... he said he had to break the news to a lot of customers... i have checked message boards and this seems to be a very common and costly problem for a lot of passat vw owners. this seems that if so many people are having a problem there must be a design flaw. i am still trying to appeal the fact i have to pay with the dealer.. have not yet heard from them in 3 days. vw needs to pay or recall and fix these problems. thank your for your help. *jb

I currently own a 2002 volkswagen passat. in may 2006 after some heavy rain, i noticed some dampness and odor emanating from the passenger-side flooring of my vehicle. during the last two months, the leakage has dramatically increased. after a heavy rain i have seen as much as one inch of standing water in the rear footwell. i took it to a local vw dealership today, who suggested the problem was due to an after-market piece of radio equipment that was installed more than two years ago. after returning home and carefully examining all of the sunroof drainage hole, i have determined that the rear passenger side drain does not drain to its intended location. the water seeps through the rear door's casing/seal and into the floor. the leak has caused my undercarriage to rust and leak. many other vw owners have experienced this same problem. the average cost to repair the damage is over $1000. some consumers had electrical failures as the standing water occurs directly over electrical compartments. the defect is not under warranty from vw, regardless rf the age of the vehicle. vw states this is a maintenance issue; however, this is not mentioned in any owner's manual, and it is not a part of any vw service plan. *nm

My 2001.5 vw passat abruptly stopped recognizing its keys. these keys have some kind of magic number that is used to validate their authenticity. however, the car stopped recognizing its three keys yesterday. the vw dealership does not have a sense for what might be wrong. i disconnected the battery for 5 minutes yesterday and the car started recognizing the key after that. however, i had the same problem again today, and looks like its going to keep happening unless i figure out what the root cause is. as of now, the engine does not start, central locking does not let me lock the car. the trunk doesn't pop. the only thing that works is the unlocking of the car, and the locking of the driver side door (only). *nm

1) interior of car floods (3rd incident in 4 years)-first incident 11/2003 2) don't know what impact the pooling water has on integrity of vehicle 3) dealer claimed to have repaired problem. *jb

Severe flood damage inside the rear passenger side foot well of my 2002 volkswagen passat. flooding occurred after a moderate rain. could find no blocked drains in the sun roof of the pollen filter. *jb

Water leakage in 2002 passat 1.8t gls. after rain, water seeped in through faulty pollen filter housing. fried engine cluster. after being returned, water continued to seep in. it corroded electrical wires and caused many problems. after 5+ dealer visits, no one was able to fix it until i personally stripped all carpeting and found the faulty wire. dealer had told me filter housing was susceptible to water leakage, and yet he did no fix it... *jb

Debris in cowl area can clog drain hole causing water to enter vehicle shorting out computer and wiring. *nm

1 - heavy rains - car parked outside in driveway - no flooding. water leaked into 2002 vw passat passenger side rear foot well, via vent/air filter - 3 inches of standing water on the floor. 2 - carpeting saturated - due to insulation underneath, unable to dry without removing. vehicle computer systems under same side carpeting all damaged - in need of replacement - dealership estimates repairs at over $2000. 3 - called vw customer care center - they said that because the car is out of warranty, they will give no consideration to helping with repair costs. will contact insurance company and/or lawyer. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated that vehicle was purchased with 3 tires which have a sidewall defect. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they determined there was a manufacturer defect and provided a pro rate discount on the first visit. the vehicle was taken to the dealer 2 more times for the same problem. the tire manufacturer also determined that the tires needed to be replaced but did not offer service or replacement of tires. updated 7/13/2006 - the tire split apart at the seam along the sidewall while the consumer was driving 20 mph. michelin offered prorated adjustment. another tire, front right, developed a crack about 6 inches long at the seam in the sidewall, tire was replaced. the left rear tire was also cracked at the sidewall. the manufacturer agreed to replace the defective tire, but condtioned replacement on front wheel alignment at outside vendor. the manufacturer refused to refund the cost of the first failed tire. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the passenger side floor board flooded. then while traveling at 35 mph, numerous warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where it was determined the sunroof drains had clogged, causing the flooding and a short in a module in the wiring system. the debris in the drains was blown out. updated 6/19/2006 - this has continued to be a problem. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the headlight lenses are fogged. the vehicle was taken to the dealership, where it was determined the lenses need to be replaced. the fogging occurred shortly after the factory warranty expired. the extended warranty did not cover the problem. updated 08/03/06. *jb

Failure of air bag system caused by failure of the micro switch in driver's seat belt buckle. fault occurred at 52,000 miles, at 104% of the original warranty. manufacturer refused to acknowledge responsibility for failure by replacing part. car had never been in an accident or any other traumatic event. *nm

Clogged drain,for sun roof,causes water build up on rt. side floor of car,electronic module($800.00),not water proof,creates mixed signals-airbag fault have serviced-engine lubrication fault "stop engine"--there defect,they don't pay due to "water exclusion"-carpeting $1,400.00-"water exclusion!!!!!

Following recent heavy rains my 2002 vw passat wagon engine light came on and engine ran a bit rough at times. $1989 repairs are traced to a "cracked pollen filter housing" that allowed water to enter cabin and throw off control modules located under the front seats.*jb

Customer was driving from mississippi when light come on reading stop. customer stopped vehicle. nothing found wrong. drove to south carolina without anymore incident. took vehicle into dealer in columbia, sc when got here to have oil changed, and check out vehicle for light coming on. dealership performed oil change, said they could not duplicate problem. sold customer on replacing both front cv joint boots and repacking bearings. two weeks later light came back on reading stop, oil pressure. turned vehicle off, had towed to dealership. dealer said they were checking car, would have to order new oil pan. called dealer when didn't hear back for several days, told engine had oil sludge, would need to get all receipts for oil changes to get covered under warranty. called three dealerships, all said would fax records. one faxed records, but the service manager that had them was no longer working there when we went to dealership and records were gone. records were faxed from all 3, no oil changes now existed. after talking to vw america, got some oil changes sent, said that was our responsibility to provide. asked dealer what the actual problem was with engine, not sure, but i needed to buy a new or remanufactured one though. i requested to speak to tech who worked on car, he said they found the problem when brought car in for oil change first time, said bearings burned out in engine, when they used the synthetic oil that was now recommended by vw, it would have freed up the sludge in the engine and caused it to clog up the oil pump and the bearing to be burned as they were. i know that customer having problem locating three oil changes from various facilities, 55k mi on car, vw not even considering any assistance in engine replacement. strongly advise against engine repair only replacement, denial of any responsibility on vx part. *nm

Ever since the vehicle was purchased, the drivers seat emitted a clicking sound and a slight feeling of movement in the seat when the car lunges forward or is stopped. we complained about the issue several times. this is documented on my bills with mileage reading 19k and 35k miles. the dealer was unable to identify the cause of the sound and movement. finally, when the car had 40k miles on it (after the warranty period) the issue was identified. a factory rep was on hand that day at the dealership and identified that there was play in the seat track. i asked that this be covered and fixed under vw's goodwill program and appealed that this has been an issue since the beginning of the life of the car (during the warranty). i was denied this claim as the rep said that the seat did not pose any safety threats and this resulted from normal wear and tear. i felt that this was not a fare determination of this case so i appealed twice to vw (case # 60127133). they stated twice that they had to stand by the determination of the rep on hand that day and would not fix the issue (cost = over $800). i have been advised by consumers union to contact you as they stated that any play in the seat track is in fact a safety issue... *jb *nm

Both front seat belts failed within 1 week of each other. the buckles no longer hold the belt. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving a terrible smell was present and white gases started coming from the vents. it was taken to an independent repair shop where the mechanic determined the heater core needed to be replaced. the manufacturer has been alerted. 04/11/06. *jb

My wife purchased a 2002 passat with a 1.8t engine. all was well (except for the very expensive maintenance on this vehicle) up until a couple of weeks ago. my check engine light came on so i took it to the dealer. they told me they were going to clean the throttle body and replace an axle boot. this was a friday morning and i had my car friday night, $512 later. saturday i took the car for inspection and it failed due to emissions. on monday (2 days later) the check engine light came on again. i took it back to the dealer tuesday morning. wednesday i picked it up. belts were changed, including the timing belt, the water pump was changed, and various other repairs not properly explained to me. this time it cost me an additional $1,087.00. so far in less than a week i had spent $1,600.00. thursday morning i drove to work and i called the dealer to report that i still felt a "twitch" in the engine. he said that was "strange" and asked me to bring it in. on thursday i was driving to a lunch meeting with a colleague when all of a sudden a loud rattling noise was heard coming from the engine. i immediately pulled over and discovered engine oil all over the ground. i called the dealer who was "shocked" and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. turns out the engine threw a rod right threw the block and oil pan. basically my engine is toast. coincidence? i have a hard time swallowing that. this is less than one week after i originally took the car in and they worked on it. now i have to spend upwards of $4,000.00 to fix this and no one, not the dealer and certainly now vw, is willing to help me with this. vw totally dismissed me because while the car is only 4 years old it has 91,000 miles. i have kept up with the maintenance and an engine should not throw a rod after 90,000. this is obviously a defect of some kind or something the mechanic at the dealership did to it. *jb

We have a vw passat wagon with cloth seats. sometime the seat heater ignited the foam and fabric of the car and burned three holes in the seat. i'm afraid that this could cause a fire in the car. the vw dealer tried to get vw to replace the seat but they won't. they have a recall on many 02 passat's now but won't repair or fix mine. i feel this is a danger would like some help from your organization. thanks for any help craig beisker. *jb

I received a letter from volkswagen (vw) of america, dated august 2004, detailing an engine malfunction being reported by some vw owners. the problem is described as "oil sludge." as a result the letter states that my warranty on the 2002 vw passat is being extended to 8 years regardless of mileage. it goes onto state that, "volkswagen will cover necessary engine repairs if oil "sludge" causes a malfunction in your engine and you can provide documentation of oil changes according to the maintenance schedule for your vehicle." on march 18, 2006, i was returning from a conference in wisconsin when my engine light and oil lamp appeared on my car. i had my car towed to hatfield vw. i was shocked to find out that vw would not even diagnose the problem until i could produce "documentation" of oil changes. while my husband was outraged, i was confident that all would be resolved. my husband changes the oil in both our vehicles from products purchased from autozone; however, he did not realize that i began keeping documented records on my computer at home detailing the date and mileage of our oil changes. i began doing this as a result of the august 2002 letter from vw. i soon found out from the hatfield vw service department that my oil change log was not sufficient "documentation." i spent the next 2-3 days working with chase bank in order to get my bank statements. i found the purchases to autozone, and each corroborated with the log. i took them to the hatfield regional manager on saturday, march 25, 2006. he felt confident that the matter would be resolved. as soon as we got home, we received a call from the hatfield service manager stating that the documentation was insufficient. the service manager told us we needed itemized receipts. i went to autozone that evening and was able to reproduce the last oil change receipt. i was then informed that i needed a new engine costing $4000-5000.00, yet they had no diagnosis. *jb

Numerous spontaneous electrical failures within 24 hours. a week ago today) the gas gauge on my 2002 passat w8 went dead, both the analogue gauge and the computer readout; then the ac went dead, windows, horn, door locks and lock remote and lights suddenly stopped working. the radio stop working, then came back on, but the reception was very bad, a lot of static, and the radio did not shut off when the car was turned off and the key removed. i had to manually turn it off. while driving the speedometer & odometer went dead, all of the warning lights came on but the engine displayed no problems. i got a call from the dealer the next day, the car will not even start now. the comfort control module needed to be replaced, he stated that"it stopped communicating". $500.00 for that. it's a week later today. my w8 is still at the dealer. it took them 6 days to get the comfort control module. they installed it and the car still will not start. my bill is at $630, and they want me to authorize more time so they can start tearing apart the wiring and the wiring harnesses. there are hundreds of postings on many websites from owners with the identical issues. the wiring is corroded going to/from the ccm. *jb

My 2002 vw passat 4 motion developed a severe fuel leak from a defective fuel tank which ruptured along the top and was leaking in 3 places. vehicle has not been involved with any collision. vw refused to cover the repair due to my vehicle having 65000 miles. dealer mechanic said he has seen several other passats with 4 motion have the same problem. repair cost estimate is 3000.00. *jb

Car is 3 1/2 years old. 52,500 miles. (2500 miles out of warranty) engine coolant flushed/replaced at 40,000 miles as required. heater core just failed while on the freeway, blowing vapor into the cabin and steaming up the windows to the point the car was barely drivable. vw america would not assist with the repair citing the age of the vehicle. i guess vw considers a car that's less than 4 years old to have significant problems. repair cost is close to $1300. i will never buy a vw again, and i have already dissuaded a colleague at work from buying one as he was in the market for a new car. *jb

Low engine oil pressure light came on. turned car off and pulled over. had it towed to the dealer. before it was even looked at the dealer tells me that it is going to cost me $2600 and that i am lucky. he said the last person that came in with this problem had to get a new engine, but that he didn't think that my car is that bad. don't know how he could say that without looking in the engine or turning the engine on. it sounds like a money making scam for the dealer. they know that people don't keep all their receipts so they can deny the warranty claim and the dealer charges people $2600 for this very known issue with many vw's. i was told this is a bunch of hoses that will need replaced. i don't see how or why this would cost $2600. *nm

The throttle body on my 2002 passat gls 1.8 turbo failed at only 56,000 miles. this part is not covered under the power train warranty. this seems to premature of a failure, and volkswagen should look into this. i have spoken to other volkswagen owners who own other passat models and they have had the same issues, some even at 30,000 miles. vw take action please and investigate this issue. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the cowling drainage became filled will debris causing water to enter the transmission module. the vehicle lost partial power. the vehicle was towed to a dealership. the dealership cleaned the cowling drains, repaired the wiring and battery. additionally, the brake booster, the transmission module and the carpeting were replaced. *nm

2002 vw passat: water leakage into the car accumulating in the floor wells when it rains. no immediate cause determined. windows all closed. drains for sunroof open and clear. happens repeatedly when raining. *jb

We have a 2002 volkswagen passat station wagon. several days ago, the air bag light came on steadily & the car was accelerating sluggishly. we took it into the dealership the following day. there was a crack in the pollen filter housing which had allowed rainwater to track into the passenger compartment, under the carpets. a number of key electronic modules are in this location, including the transmission control module and the comfort control module. these units had been destroyed by the pooling water and will have to be replaced. the dealership tells us that this has been a common problem with passats; further research on the internet reveals a large number of people who've had similar problems (see http://www.theautobahn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12789&page=1&pp=10). i believe that this is a serious defect with passats that carries risk to drivers and passengers of these cars. *nm

2002 volkswagen passat 1.8t engine failure due to oil sludge at 62,600 miles. . *ak

Every time it rains, rear passenger floor is filled with water. dealer tried to repair line from sun roof, but problem is not fixed. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while in the driveway, the brake pedal would not depress and the vehicle would not stop. the vehicle was put in neutral and the parking brake was applied. the contact waited for the thermostat on the vehicle to go above freezing then took the vehicle to the dealership. the dealership determined the drain holes in the battery compartment had filled with road debris. this caused water to get trapped in the compartment and freeze. the master vacuum for the brakes is located in this compartment, and this freezing caused the failure. the debris was cleared out and the master vacuum and other components were replaced. *ak

I own a 2002 vw passat v6 glx with 42,700 miles. within the past 2 months an intermittent problem started with very strong gasoline fumes coming from the car after the tank is filled and the car is parked in a residential garage. the gas tank is filled until the first click off of the gas nozzle ( at several different gas stations). the gasoline fumes are very strong, requiring that the garage doors be left partially open to reduce the fumes to a tolerable level. no fuel drips from the vehicle. the fumes seem to be coming from the right rear of the car. fumes can sometimes be smelled briefly outdoors when the vehicle's gas tank is full. the fumes stop after the tank level is down to about 3/4 tank. the problem recurs consistently now for me everytime the vehicle is refueled. i brought the vehicle to the local vw dealer on 11/5/05. they pressured tested the vehicle's fuel system with argon and reported that they can find no fuel leak or duplicate the problem with a full tank of gas. the service manager contacted vw technical assistance. i brought the vehicle in on 12/15/05 with a half tank of fuel as requested. the service technicians, as recommended by vw technical assistance, removed the gas tank and weighed the charcoal canister to determine if adequate charcoal was present. the charcoal canister was within factory specifications. the service technicians reinstalled the same parts and then filled the gas tank. they then pressure tested the vehicle's fuel system with argon overnight, leaving the vehicle in the service bay. they could not detect any fuel leaks or reproduce the problem. vw technical assistance reportedly told the tech's that they had done all that was possible and that there was nothing else to do. the service manager acknowledged that their service bay is quite large and ventilated so that the conditions do not duplicate having the vehicle in a residential garage. a fire risk and fume exposure remain. *jb

Failure at 8100 miles on 2003 vw passat glx v6. failure reported by computer: brake fault, stop, read service manual. dealer reports this is an abs module failure. www.passatworld.com forums report this as a common failure among passats. please hold vw's feet to the fire on this problem. *jb

I went to turn on 2002 passat volkswagen a couple days ago and a flashing "stop" came on. i called my dealer after checking the manual and they said it sounded like a problem with the oil pick up tube and for me not to turn my car back on because it could ruin the engine. so i had my car towed to the dealer and they informed me that it is only under warranty if i can supply them with every receipt from owning the car. i have misplaced two so now they will not cover this and is costing me around $950.00 to get this fixed. i have always changed my oil on time. this seems to be there way of screwing there so called valued customers. i was on a web site (myvwlemon.com) and found numerous of passat owners with this exact problem and out come. why is the consumer responsible for a poorly designed engine? the heat of the 1.8l turbo is breaking the oil down creating sludge. they obviously know of this problem because they issued a warranty extension. however, vw of america will only cover the warranty if the owner can provide every single receipt, something they know that very few people can do especially if some change their own oil. this is just one of the problems that i have dealt with since i bought by passat brand new. checking the website also tells me this may not be the last of my problems. *jb

After heavy rain, power brake system failed completely in 2002 vw passat. this was attributed to clogged cowl drain. water was diverted into engine cylinders and power braking system thus leading to failure. although no accident occurred i believe that this represents significant potential safety risk and that this risk is due to a design flaw in the vehicle. this incident led to $1600.00 in damage to the vehicle. *nm

Dt: the contact stated 10 days ago the vehicle began to smell of oil. the dealer attempted to repair the vehicle, but once the vehicle was returned, the smell was still there. she took the vehicle back to the service dealer for repair. this time the dealer said a gasket was loose. the dealer replaced the gasket, and it seemed to have repaired the problem. *ak

I turned on my driver's seat warmer after not having used it for several months. within 60 seconds, i smelled a burning smell and turned the warmer off immediately. i immediately noticed a deep burn on the seat, just to the left of where i sit, that is larger than the size of a quarter. i have not yet brought this to volkswagen's attention, but i intend to do so shortly. *jb

Ltr from consumer referencing defective front right daytime running lamp constantly failing on his 2002 vw passat, reply directly to constituent. *ts the light has failed three times in the last three years. each time the vehicle was taken to the dealer who explained that the light burn out frequently because they were on all the time. the driver's side daytime running lamp has never failed. *nm

During normal driving, my 2002 passat 1.8t has suffered damage to the engine shield twice in the last year. the shield comes loose or tears loose from its moorings and needed replacement. i do not drive off road or use excessive speed. my second appointment to replace the engine shield is october 13, 2005. at lithia volkswagen in reno, nevada. *nm

Consumer concerned that the 2002 vw passat are equipped w/defective rear brake pads. *ts the faulty brakes caused the vehicle to vibrate while braking. since brakes are not warranty item the consumer was responsible for service fee associated with replacing them. *nm

My turn signals and hazard lights stopped working suddenly at 50058 miles, dealer would not do work under warranty (50k). found that this part (hazard flasher switch/relay) was recalled on 2000-2002 vw golf, gti, and jetta. i have heard from other passat owners online that this has been a common problem for passat's too. vw needs to extend the recall to include. driving the 45 miles to the dealership to have this part replaced on major interstates without blinkers drove home the danger involved with this defective part!*jb

I have a 2002 volkswagen passat. since september, i've been having problems with the abs light coming on and staying on. twice, i've also had "brake fault" warnings to stop the vehicle. it's been in for service four times since october 3 to fix the problem. the cv joint was replaced yesterday, which was supposed to fix the problem. first thing this morning, the abs light is on again. i have a fifth service appointment with bachman volkswagen on monday. i've been reading about quite a few abs problems on various online forums, so i don't seem to be alone with this particular problem. *jb

I was driving my 2002 volkswagen passat when my engine light came on. i immediately pulled over. i was in new york at the time so i had the car towed to the nearest vw dealership, which was romano vw in fayetville, ny. i had did some research and found that the vw has a problem with the pollen housing filter. i asked the service manager omar to check the filter, which in return he stated it was fine. the problem was the oil pump, and the computer. i eventually found out that the computer failed do to a water leak on the passenger side of the car, which is where the computer is located. romano vw said there was a water leak but it was not caused by the filter. i have been fighting with vw customer care and they keep denying my claim. i eventually had my car fixed and picked the car up and drove home. once i got home the engine light came on again. i took the car to prestige vw in turnersville, nj and they stated that the problem is cause from the pollen housing filter. vw customer care has still denied my claim. after doing more research it turns out the pollen housing filter is a major issue in the volkswagen, but vw themselves do not agree. *nm

Oil pressure light coming on and telling me to turn the vehicle off immediately. found out it is a oil sludge issue with the 1.8t engine. it is a $1,600 bill to fix the vehicle. volkswagen will not cover the expenses unless we show a copy of our oil change receipts since we have owned the car. well, we have owned the car for 3.5 years and we don't hang onto receipts for more than 3 months. so, they are not going to cover the damage to the vehicle. i have found out that volkswagen has known of a sludging problem with the 1.8t engine since late 2004. we bought the car early 2002. *jb

Sludge in the motor was found. i changed to synthetic oil soon after my warranty was over but was never told to change to synthetic because of possible sludge. i was never told that this problem was common in vw 1.8t engines. this problem will cost me $2,000 so far. i have kept great care of the car and have records except those who were service by the dealership because those are stamped in my book (the one that is given to you at the dealership) the information should be enough for the warranty. i have yet to solve this , but in dealing with the other dealerships they only keep records for a few years. *jb

On sept 1,2005 on my way to the e.r. at a local hospital the oil light came on telling me to stop engine/check oil pressure. i turned engine off, and checked oil level, all ok. tried to start engine to get off of new york state thruway, engine making terrible noise, turned off had car towed to dealer. was told by dealer it would be at least $400.00 to look at the car and diagnose it. after one week dealer called and said it would cost $9000.00 to replace entire motor, on sept. 2 2005 called v.w. of america they stated to me at that time that they were aware of the problem with the 1.8 turbo building up oil sludge in the motor, and that they had extended the warranty on the engine. they said that they needed maintenance records to prove my case, they gave me a fax # which was the wrong #. after the long holiday weekend i phoned v.w. of america again and they stated , to fax the documents directly to the dealer that they did not receive them, the consumer advocate that i was speaking with was new and did not know the fax #. the dealer stated that my records were not detailed enough and that i was missing six receipts, i moved one year ago and the valvoline station where i had the oil changed faithfully stated that if you do not use there services for 6 months that the computer automatically drops your records. i seem to be caught between a rock and a hard place, v.w. and the dealer keep shuffling me back and forth, in the mean time i have no vehicle and i am renting a car to get back and forth to work. after searching your web site i found 8 complaints including my own out of 50 that's almost 20% of the complaints for the same problem, and the other people are given the same run around. this has to stop somewhere and some one has to take responsibility for an obviously defective product. i have contacted an attorney and are prepared to litigate if necessary. *nm

Airbag light and buzzer stays on all the time. prestige auto of santa rosa wanted to charge me over $100 just to diagnose it. according to what i've read, a safety problem is supposed to be fixed with no charge. *jb

Dt: there was mold in the air conditioner and has been there since january 2003. the dealership cleaned it out twice. the third time they replaced the evaporator. the fourth time there was a slight odor. consumer said that the odor was there in the morning and after the vehicle set for awhile. consumer contacted the manufacturer, they told her to take vehicle to the dealer to be cleaned. *ak *jb

On august 12, 2005 i was driving my 2002 passat to work when my oil pressure light came on. i had the car towed to the nearest vw dealer when they told me that my car had oil sludge due to manufacturer error. the car has 50,100 miles and is completely ruined. vw will not replace without all oil receipts. i am missing 2 receipts. i do not understand how a car with 50000 miles on it can ruin so easily.

The consumer complained that the front right daytime running lamp was constantly failing on his 2002 vw passat.*mr the dealer explained that the lights a prone to burn out because the are on whenever the vehicle is on. *nm

The defective front right daytime running lamp on consumer's 2002 vw passat.*mr *nm

Horn quit working

Dt: the check engine light came on while vehicle still under warranty, but the dealer said there was nothing wrong. after owning the car for one year the transmission had to be replaced. but it still transmission not work properly. . it jumped into gear. also, the engine air bag, and thermostat lights kept coming on. one week ago, the car wouldn't start. replaced the battery, and a few days after that it wouldn't start again. currently, the dealer insisted it needed a new alternator, and f warranty expired. in order to get to the original problem, it would cost $1100.00.*ak

I had to have my engine replaced by vw and my car still isn't right. i bought my car in germany not the us. but it is registered with vwoa i feel like they sold me a defective product. they would not even consider listening to my complaints on the oil sludge problem. this cost me $7000.00 to replace my whole engine and time missed from work. (lost income) what can be done?

I have my oil changed every 5000 miles as suggested. at 48,880 miles my oil was changed with know problems. at 53880 miles my oil change again. but at this change i was told that the front axel boots were cracked and needed to be changed. i asked since it was just 3,000 miles past warranty if this would be covered. both the dealer and volkswagan said no. i had the axel boots fixed. but after speaking to many people no one has ever heard of axel boots breaking at 53,000 miles. i believe this must be defect with the car, since both axel boots broke at the same time.

Dt: contact stated the headlights have been replaced four times, but continue to blow out. the service dealer stated the headlights installed were not a quality line headlights.*ak

Failed of both left and right outer cv boots.

Caller stated: vehicle with heated seats. driver's seat caught on fire. caller was sitting in the vehicle, and felt that the seat was becoming overly warm, and noticed considerable smoke coming from the seat itself. small flames were noticed, and the heat melted a nickel-sized portion of the seat before heat was turned off manually. caller's pants were burned. taken vehicle to dealer under warranty, and dealer stated that the problem was repaired, and then the problem recurred in almost the exact same spot on the seat.*ak

2002 volkswagen passat experiencing problems with passenger seat, door panels, glove compartment, radio equipment, buttons for the mirror equipment and the vehicle kept cutting off.*mr the consumer stated when the passenger seat went forward it would not stop, the heated seats burned the consumers children, however he did not state how many children. the vehicle could not be aligned. the door panels and arm rest were peeling. the headlights were always going out. the brakes squeaked. the battery, generator and ground wire were replaced due to vehicle stalling. *jb

Consumer inquiring on how to gain information regarding 2002 volkswagen passat. *mr the dealership where the vehicle was purchased no longer exist. *nm

When accerating from a dead stop the vehicle has a delay before taking off. consumer was concerned that he will be rear ended because of this. *ak

The engine check light came on, and then smoke started coming out of the tail pipe. consumer later had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and they found out that there was oil sludge in the engine. the dealer asked for maintenance record. dealer told the consumer they would not provide service until all receipts were provided, showing oil changes.*ak

Vw passat 2002. malfunction indicator light indicating problem with engine. returned to dealership for repair. lease about to expire, brought in (3) prior times.. 2/21 towed to nearest dealer, being told don't know what is wrong, needs all oil change receipts, needs permission from manufacturer to ok repair under warranty. warranty is extended for 8 years in writing. manufacture blames dealer, dealer blames customer. car is a lemon. see article autoweek 2/7/2005 and prior articles. customers are well aware there is an engine problem and now causing oil sludge related problems. absolutely outrageous. since 2002 until now, payments being made for a defective car due to faulty engineering! and now the customers must pay for it! no way. *nm

Oil sludge problem, engine light came on and a loud knocking sound electric problems, smoke coming from under dash electric problems with windows and the "chime" indicator when lights are on and the engine is off. *jb

Complete failure of steering control arms. wheel shakes like it is going to fall off, this is a common problem with the volkswagen passat and vw will not warrant this issue or perform a recall. this is a very dangerous situation. *nm

Radio went completely dark. took it in, they unplugged and reconnected it. went dead again a few weeks later. this time, it drained the battery completely while it was "dead" so i had to get a jump. took it in and the dealer told me they'd had several vehicles, mostly passats but also jettas, where the radios were going bad and draining batteries through the comfort control module. they had to replace both the radio and the battery. car only has 12,000 miles on it.*ak

This is the email i sent to volkswagen of america. we had to slow down on the interstate to look for an exit because of the warning light coming on. i felt in great danger at the time. i am 58 years old and have purchased a number of new automobiles in my life. never have i had such a terrible experience. i have a passat parked because the oil light is warning me i was sold a defective motor. this has been a horrific experience. i am making automobile payments to volkswagen credit even though i am afraid to start the engine. i was sent a letter stating the car was defective but i would need each and every oil change receipt for volkswagen to address your faulty engine. this is ludicrous. i take excellent care of my automobiles and thus realize good trade in value. i will be stating the facts of my experience with this volkswagen purchase via the internet, automobile magazines, the greater dallas chamber of commerce, the better business bureau and will purchase one quarter page ads in the dallas morning news and the new york times. this automobile has a manufacturer's defect and should just be recalled by volkswagen. i will be on a campaign until eternity and will solicit other volkswagen owners across the world to join me. this is the worse automobile buying experience i can imagine. louis mcelroy director the greater dallas chamber. *ak

The brake booster on my 2002 volkswagen passat started acting up in freezing weather on numerous occasions. when this happened, i lost all power assist for the brakes and braking performance was severely degraded. on several occasions this also led, for reasons unknown to me, to the front brakes locking up, immobilizing the vehicle. the problem was eventually fixed by the volkswagen dealer, who replaced the brake booster unit under warranty. i think there is a class problem with the brake booster system in at least 2002 passats and no effort has been made by volkswagen of america (voa) to communicate this to owners of these vehicles. i learned from the dealer that they had experienced many similar instances with the brake booster system on passats. if not a formal recall, at least some communication to owners from volkswagen should be forced as this is serious safety issue. i have talked to voa customer service by phone and their response was that they do not issue voluntary recalls. this is done, according to the voa rep, only when ordered by the government. if true, this seems a sad commentary. so i am working this issue through nhtsa asd my only recourse. *ak

While driving at any speed vehicle stalled. vehicle was taken to the dealer on two occasions, and dealer replaced the mass air sensors, but problem recurred. *ak

Significant engine problems with my 2002 vw passat 1.8t wagon - ranging from: common oil sludge issue at 51000- electrical problems with the rear driver side window (twice) (~5k & 52k) -the coil recall issue. *ak -vacuum hose failure (~40k) -cv joint failure (53k) -radio knob falls off - stem split (~45k) -fuel door snaps in two in 156 degree weather (~35k) vw has failed to stand by the oil sludge issue due to a lack of proof of oil changes - i am not the only one with this problem - many owners have had the same problem, regardless of timely oil changes or not.

I have a 2002 volswagen passat with 39000 miles, on 1/13/2005 the oil pressure stop engine message came on the dash, and the engine started smoking and running rough. i had it towed to the dealer that day. the dealer and vw said they would not even look at it until i provided a service record. i made them a copy of my log which had the exact date and mileage, but that wasn't good enough. they wanted copies of the receipts which i went out and got, but i learned today that wasn't good enough. they wanted name and address of the mech. which i provided, but vw says i don't have proper documt. because there is not a specific receipt for the oil filter even though the part # for the filter is on the receipt. it took over 3 weeks and dozens of phone calls to both the dealer and volkswagen of america to finally get a diagnosis (note: the asm of volkswagen of amer. denied my warranty on 02/02/2005 without being able to tell me the problem with the car!!) which appears to be oil sludge buildup. *jb

There were numerous problems with this vehicle. the filter and carpet on the back passenger side was replaced. the mlp light had come on and the dealer installed a new vacuum hose. the radio did not work, standing water was found in the back right side of the vehicle under the front seat, the pollen filter was clogged and the air pollen filter was cracked due to the factory, the back door locks refused to open and could not be opened from the inside or out, a bumping noise was heard coming from under the vehicle, the engine revved, the vehicle lurched forward and accelerated at rapid speed all while the brakes were pumped with no response. the vehicle hit a curb doing over 50 mph all while pumping the brakes until it finally stopped 20-30 yards into a field damaging tires, rims and the bumper. *sc *jb

Varioud head, tail and brake lights on my 2002 vw passat have burned out 6 times in the last 9 months: /3/04 - both headlights replaced by vw, /17/04 - headlight and brake light replaced by vw, 10/9/04 - tail light replaced by vw, 0/23/04 - both headlights laced by vw, 2/11/04 - headlight and parking light replaced by vw, 1/5/05 - head light replaced, /5/05 vw service of bernardsville, new jersey refused to perform an electrical diagnostic check because the "light bulbs they get from another vendor are faulty". therefore, vw of bernanrdsville is knowingly installing faulty safety equipment. i was told this in front of another woman who was bringing her car in for light bulb replacement also. i told the service department this was an unacceptable safety risk. i hit a deer one night when my headlight was out and it is dark when i drop-off and pick-up my children from school. although i told the vw service department that it is unsafe to drive the car because i'm afraid i would hit a child crossing the road or school parking lot, they refused to perform an elctrical diagnostic check on the car. i reported this information to the bernardsville new jersey police department, in case someone who gets lights replaced by vw of bernardsville gets into an accident or hurt. although it is not a criminal offense to knowningly install "faulty" equipment, it is a civil offense and should be reported before someone gets hurt.*ak

Burning of heat warming wire in driver's seat. *ak

I am leasing a 2002 v.w. passat. the vehicle has aproximately 33,000 miles and is equipped with the 1.8 liter turbo. i was driving the vehicle home from work when the oil pressure warning light came on, followed by the word stop on the dashboard. i pulled the vehicle over and had it towed to the closest v.w. dealer. the dealer diagnosed the problem as an oil sludge problem and advised me it would cost $900 to fix the problem unless i could show proof of oil changes through receipts. i supplied the dealer with 6 oil change receipts from a small garage near my house where i get the oil changed. i called the dealer back a few days later and asked the status of my car. the g.m. of the shop accused me of forgery due to the fact the receipts did not have tax or method of payment at the bottom. i replied that the shop charges me $30.00 to change the oil, i give them $30.00, and i leave. he then stated if i paid cash for the oil changes, i guess i couldn't give them what they wanted(proof of payment i.e. check stub, credit card statement's). he estimated the repair at $900 and that the warrenty would not cover any of it. so because i pay cash for my oil changes i am being denied repair under warrenty. the repair consists of clearing out the oil pump pick up screen of the sludge and replacing a couple of vent tubes that may be clogged. the car is presently sitting at the dealer in need of repair. i plan on greiving the decision by v.w of amer.and hope for the best.*ak

Numberous problems with vehicle. after bumping noise, engine revved, car lurched forward and accelerated to a rapid speed. *bf the mlp light cam on several times. the radio did not work. the radio was repaired and broke again then was replaced. the consumer stated that she found standing water in the car on the back right side under the front seat. the air pollen filter was cracked . filter and carpet was replaced. the back door locks refused to unlock therefore the consumer could not open either back door from inside or out. the vehicle accelerated out of control of the driver and hit a curb at 50 miles an hour. the consumer continued to pump the brakes finally getting the vehicle to stop. the vehicle had 4 flat tires as a result of hitting the curb head on with rims bent as well. the bumper came off. *tc

Passenger original low beam light failed. brought into dealer and problem was determined to be a melted wiring harness. i observed the harness behind the bulb and it was melted. dealer replaced the harness. this was the original bulb and had never been serviced. taking with the dealer he said they had replaced several in the past week in passats and i had to wait a week until they got a new shipment in. my concern here is that a melted wire harness should not happen and could lead to a fire.*ak

Tire jack rotated on solid level ground and kicked out resulting in the car collapsing on the spare which was not yet attached. the resulting impact resulted in needing to replace the front bumper cover, right front fender, and right rocker plate. the fender was torn from the car. approximate damage to the vehicle was $1500. at the point of the collapse, the owners hand was on the side of the tire resulting in a pinch injury that caused brusing and swelling, but did not require emergency care. i still have possession of the faulty jack. vwoa was contacted, but said because the 2002 vw passat jack had not been recalled, they were not liable for the damage. they have received other reports of the same type of jack failure.*ak

2002 passat volkswagen sludge in engine. *bf the consumer stated she had to have engine repair work done twice on the vehicle. the dealer stated the vehicle required special oil. *jb

Vehicle serviced by findlay vw on sat 10/16/2004- 30,000 mile service. 3 days later the brake fault warning sounded. i thought perhaps because of the slick road conditions. on sat 10/23/2004 it sounded again. at this point, i did not drive my car until bringing to dealership on mon 10/25/2004. i reviewed manual and had surmised that possibly not enough brake fluid had been put in. i was informed that at only 30, 600 miles, car needed rear brakes and rotor-down to 2%. i was also informed that vw ships cars with minimal amount thickness rotor and any wear at all requires replacement. this is my 3rd consecutive vw, i never experienced this problem. 30,000+ miles should not warrent rear brakes / rotors, even in tough city conditions. i did not experience any squeaking or rubbing nor did brakes require added pressure to adequately slow or stop the vehicle. i don't believe this is necessary work or if true of rotor ship conditions is unfair. at this point, i will not purchase a 4th vw. *ak

Front end/engine protector has separated from vehicle while driving. *bf in both cases, the turn bolts on the left front and right side separated. a single central screw bolt at it's front then supported the air dam. the plastic around it finally tore under vibration and air pressure forces. *sc

My 2002 passat has had the turbo replaced twice, the comfort control module replaced twice, and numerous other recalls. thursday, 10/7/04 my car was at the dealer to replace the comfort control module for the second time. i drove home (8 miles, low speed). the next morning while driving to a meeting i noticed a strong petroleum smell, i thought it was the truck ahead of me. sunday 10/10/04 i noticed spots on the side of my car, and after crawling under it i noticed that my cv joint boot had split. this is after 67000 miles. i feel that this is very premature and think that vw should absorb the cost for repair. i am currently fighting with vw for this correction.

My 2002 passat has had the turbo replaced twice, the comfort control module replaced twice, and numerous other recalls. thursday, 10/7/04 my car was at the dealer to replace the comfort control module for the second time. i drove home (8 miles, low speed). the next morning while driving to a meeting i noticed a strong petroleum smell, i thought it was the truck ahead of me. sunday 10/10/04 i noticed spots on the side of my car, and after crawling under it i noticed that my cv joint boot had split. this is after 67000 miles. i feel that this is very premature and think that vw should absorb the cost for repair. i am currently fighting with vw for this correction. *nm

Following heavy rains on 29 sept 2004 vehicle windows/locks were inoperable. fuse blown. replaced fuse, horn would not stop and windows still inoperable. unable to turn off vehicle lights. new fuse blown. towed passat via vw roadside to dealer. told fri 1 oct 2004 that there was standing water in car and comfort module would need replacement. due to water, the carpet & module would not be covered under warranty. est 1500.00 in parts pre-labor. as the windows were not operable, we do not know how this water damage occurred. vw claims to due debris in sunroof, drains clogged and flooded floor. unacceptable as car was detailed 2.5 wks prior and is washed every week. asked to see debris, they could not provide anything. we feel this may be due to the window surround trim that continually came loose/fell off or prior concealed damage (certified used vehicle). note that seats/headliner were completely dry. we did not notice wet carpets as only the rear was wet. car smelled awful @ vw on friday 1 oct as it is turning into a mold pit. filed geico insurance claim-waiting on adjuster. *ak

Manufacturer's fastened car mat ends exactly where the accelerator pedal meets the floor when fully depressed and caught the pedal. this causes the car to continue to accelerate.*ak

Total engine malfunction/failure of 1.8t volkswagon 2002 passat - volkswagon just issued internal memo to dealers about the potential for this problem. it is described by vw as "oil sludge related repairs" however; is a known engine design flaw and repeated problem which will occur much more in the future. i was told i would not be covered under warranty because i cannot prove by receipt oil changes every 5000 mile interval. i had 6 receipts i could find to show for 41000 miles. *ak

While driving 25 mph vehicle stalled. dealership repaired the problem once, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

I purchased my 2002 volks passat gls. i have had nothing but problems with this vehicle. my radio quit, i had the speakers replaced twice, i had the heater blower motor replaced, i had the ignition coils replaced 3 times (recall), wv campaign (recall), sludge in the engine (recall), the right wheel tire hull reinforced (recall). i have talked with volkswagen corporate office and have an active complaint number. their customer service is terrible both at the corporate and dealer level. the volkswagen dealer in auburn, wa is inept and has put the wrong oil in the my car 2 times. i would like volkwagen to buy-back my car or give me a life-time warranty on the car. any ideas? there have been too many incidents to list just one. it has been an ongoing problem.*ak

While driving at 40 mph, the vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. without warning then the vehicle stalled. the driver tried to restart the vehicle but was unable to do so. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the engine needed to be replaced. *la the dealer replaced the mass air flow sensor and cleaned the fuel pump relay to resolve the stalling problem. the radio was inoperative due to a short in the wiring. *nm*nm

Engine seized due to defect in turbo/oil pump; vw dealer stated due to improper maintenance (not enough oil changes); vw usa said due to defective oil pump, but still won't cover under warranty; engine replaced; cause found to be defective turbo. *ak

Ignition coils failed two times, resulting in loss of power and causing vehicle to shudder. coils were supposedly replaced. on a separate occasion (following the coil repair) vehicle completely shut down on the interstate- going from 80 to 0 mph in the matter of seconds. i had already been driving the vehicle for over an hour. i lost all power and was barely able to get the car to the shoulder. problem was diagnosed as bad gas (not possibly the coil). in addition, my rear door quit closing, headlights have burnt out, filters have gone bad causing front of car to become flooded, vacuum hose defective, rear brakes went bad, and radio quit working. parts were replaced either under the warranty or out of my pocket. vw refuses to admit there is a problem with this car. i have approximately 40000 miles on it. *ak

My 2002 passat wagon has an intermittent problem with the rear running lights not coming on when the light switch is turned on. i have been pulled over two times by law enforcement for this problem. i have taken the car to the dealer to have them look at the problem but they have done nothing to correct the problem. i fear that i will be killed or a member of my family will be killed in a rear end collision at night.(ak

I had problems with the faulty ignition coil two times and the second time, they replaced all the coils. here in texas, when the temperature goes down below 28 f ( which is very rare) i am afraid.i can be stuck in the road. hope the coil problem wont happen again. i also have problem with the brakes. its making creaking sounds with the parking brake / hand brake. the technition told me that its natural..i cant beleive that. i gues i have to spend lot of money in near future to replace all those brake parts. also the metal beeding on the roof is coming up. it is not causing any problem, but i have to push it hard almost everyday. i guess vw never tested the car for long time. so far i found so many complaints about passat. hope they will improve it.*ak

While driving automobile accelerated to 7000rpm and to 50 mph from 35 mph. foot was not on accelerator. i pulled over to the side of the road and placed the auto into park. after a few seconds the engine again raced to 7000 rpm wiithout having me place my foot on the accelerator. this is very dangerous.*ak

Four ignition coils defective - replaced defective ignition - key stuck in car for over nine days defective stereo - replaced twice to date defective electrical - windows and locks go up and down while driving, gas cap pops open unexpectedly computer problem - computer blacks out at times defective wheel bearing - replaced at 17,952 miles defective motor blower - replaced defective rear wheel lining - replaced

In late january, the heated seat on my 2002 volkswagen passat burned through the seat cover. it also burned through my pants and gave me a minor burn. volkswagen repaired the problem, but the mechanics informed me that i was the third such problem in a 48 hour period. the other two cars were jettas. another mechanic said that the heated seats ran too hot on the highest setting and weren't meant to run on setting 5 for too long. the repair documentation i received from my local volkswagen dealer stated that the problem was due to faulty wiring. i have been unable to find out from volkswagen what steps they plan to take to fix this problem and i am concerned that someone else may suffer a far more serious issue if the problem is not fixed. i have reported this problem to volkswagen, but they appear unconcerned. i hope that you will have more luck than i have.*ak

There is a crack in windshield starting in front of driver below wiper blade, up 5 inches and over 3 feet. the crack appeared when the car was parked in direct sun on a hot day in a parking lot pointed away from other moving vehicles. there is only one shared of glass missing from behind the wiper that is perhaps 1/4 inch long and 1/8 inch deep. vw maintains this is an impact point as determined by running a ballpoint pen along the crack. my position is that this is a defect. the heat and expansion caused the crack. in order for this to be impact related, a tiny stone would have to hit behind the wiper from directly overhead. the laws of physics rules out that an object with so little mass could have had enough energy to cause this much damage. *la

Volkswagen passat 4 motion. purchased to use in sometimes snowy upstate new york. wheels rims fill with ice and mud and throw tire balance off. this causes excessive vibration while driving. this happened repeatedly for two winters. both vw dealer and independent tire shop confirm a design flaw in the wheel/rim alllow for the buildup. the tires have to be taken off and the buildup removed. volkswagon customer support contacted for two years but no acknowledgment that they have a problem or will do anything.*ak

2002 passat having electrical problems, car still under warranty, dealer refuses to honor warranty, cannot keep engine light off for more than 2 months car floods and spits raw gas out exhaust, spits and stalls, car has been returned to dealer over 20 times within 10 months, 3 radios replaced 2 mass air flow sensors, 1 main computer, car would not pass emissions temporary tag had to be issued, car has less than 37000 miles on it and has gone through about 10 sets of plugs, cannot settle with consumer service or dealership, dealer refuses to refund $80 service charge when car was improperly serviced, lawsuit to follow. *ak

I was driving on the freeway when my driver side window shattered and imploded for no explainable reason. dealership refused to replace window as manufacturer defect. the service dealer said he had never heard of this happening before and that there had been no other complaints regarding this. *ak

Front driver side wheel hit a pothole while turning right, which flattened the tire. all driver side airbags as well as side curtain airbags deployed. sensors appeared to be overly sensitive as there was no impending roll over or collision. *ak

When driving air conditioner/radio failed. consumer stated that vehicle had an electrical problem. *ak

My 2002 vw passat suffered another coilpack failure including a loss of power on a busy city street. the failed coils had already been replaced under vw's coilpack recall. looks like the new coils do not fix the problem.*ak

I have had excessive tread wear in 2 years versus actual driven mileage for my michelin energy mxv4 +, 205/55hr16 tires. the tire manufacturer refuses to live up to the 50,,000 mile warranty. driving these tires with any moisture on the road has caused many near miss accidents. they are dangerous for the consumer to have on their car and a government inquiry should be performed to judge whether they are the subject of a recall. *jb

Headlight failures. passenger and driver side lights have failed 5 times in 18 months. (service dates: 11/23/02, 1/28/03, 8/1/03, 10/7/03, 1/27/04) dealership insists this is normal operation because headlights are constanly on. wiring harness checked on 8/1/03. no problem found. wiring harness and headlight assembly checked and failed on 1/27/04 checked by "master technician". headlight assembly replaced. the service technicians continually refer to the 'dual element' of the headlights causing the failures. i suspect either a design flaw with the headlights or an electrical problem.*ak

Vehicle failed to start because the battery was drained. this occurred 4 times. dealership replaced the battery, but the problem recurred. dealership did not know what electrical components were draining the battery.*ak *mr

Recurrent brake failures. at 10,000 miles, brake life was measured at 12 mm front and 8 mm rear, but then at about 20,000 miles, dealer determined that vehicle needed brake pads all around and rear discs. at 40,000, rear brake pads were replaced. this time dealer found that the rear driver side calipher had stuck, causing the brake pad to wear down to metal on that one side. a large percentage of mileage on the vehicle is highway miles, and driver does not ride the brakes. owner believes vw tried to hide an inherent brake design problem by replacing all 4 brake pads at 20,000 miles. vehicle had to be towed to dealer one time due to brake fault & brake fluid warning lights.

Automobile requires special windshield wipers which are only available through dealers. these are currently on "national backorder" with no time to fulfill. wipers are generally of poor quality anyway and thus the need to replace to maintain visibility is imperative. *cb

When it rains, my volkswagen passat 2002 station wagon floors get soaked and puddle. had back to dealer 3 times over 1.5 years of ownership, had rugs replaced 2x, they said it was a filter seal that was bad. problem has not been resolved.*ak

My volkswagen 2002 passat has been having problems with the oil pump for sometime now. deel vw has not honor the warranty and i have had to pay for the repairs. i have also complaint to vw of america and my complaint has been ignored. deel vw and vw of america has always pass on the problem on me (the consumer), instead of taking responsibility upon themselves for a 'lemon'. i have showed maintenance proof several times; on the vw 2002 passat and they always blame someone else. the car was also recall; for ignition coil problem. this condition may also effect the emissions of the vehicle. the problem has been repair; but i have absolutely no trust on deel vw and vw of america! the car is back in the dealer; for problems with the turbo and they won't honor the warranty on that ether. the cost to replace the turbo is 3089.00; bringing the total cost of the repairs to $8,536.80 out of pocket; not including the car rentals&that they refuse to pay also. *ak

The driver's heated seat burned (vw passat 2002). *nlm

Engine coils failure again. last winter i had a failure in january and the car was in the shop for 4 weeks with a backorder problem. after the coil was replaced, another failed 1 week later and the other 3 were replaced. less then the 10 months later, on the coldest day this year.... another failure. not sure if the problem was resolved. *nlm

Brake failure at 22,000 miles. my car was just under 2 years old with 22,000 miles when i was told that i needed new rear brakes. the car was redesigned with "soft" brake pads to reduce noise, so this is considered "normal wear". no it isn"t! also, the rotors must be replaced when you put on new pads; they cannot be machined. this car is designed to have pads and rotors replaced every 22,000 miles! this is unacceptable service and disgraceful design.*ak

Windshield wipers "bounce"/"stutters" across the wind shield in light to mild rain causing unsafe visibility while driving the vehicle. manufacturer warrants wipers for period of 12,000 miles, dealer was told about the unsafe conditions, however they did not document my complaint. they always told me that they were ok. *la

Ignition coil defect. as with the other 136 complaints. i have had my car towed 5 times to the dealer in two years, to replace the ignition coils. two of the new coils have been replaced again. volkswagen (vw) refuses to replace the one original coil that is still in the car. my car has left me sit in minus 23 degree weather for 2 hours with a 4 year old in the back seat because of the coil malfunction. since my car has had two new coils replaced a second time, i don't trust the car. we have cancelled our thanksgiving plans with family 9 hours away, because our car sits in the driveway with another coil that just malfunctioned yesterday. *la

Automatic lock and power window on rear passenger side door are inoperative. dealer took two attempts to fix it. on the first, they applied some electrolytic grease in the hope that it would be enough. the next time they replaced the motor and lock unit. *ak

Check engine light appeared on the dashboard while driving about 45 mph on the highway vehicle was inspected by a mechanic, who stated that oil was a quart low. the mechanic added a quart of oil. the light was still on the dashboard. the next day the vehicle had a knocking noise coming from underneath the vehicle. *ak

While traveling on the highway and without prior warning, the vehicle shut down and failed to restart. *ak the #4 coil failed. there was a replacement (coil "l") which was not available until april. vw never warned the consumer that the faulty "j" coils were replaced with faulty "j" coils. *scc *jb

Consumer noticed after filling vehicle with fuel vehicle intication light would flash, stating low on fuel. dealer had been notified could not duplicate the problem. *ak

When vehicle lightly hit retaining wall while parking the air bags deployed taking out the front windshield. *mr the consumer requested that vw pay his insurance company for damages. *scc

Oil pan failed or was damaged by "outside influence" resulting in severe oil loss and risk of fire. oil pan is constructed with a thin sheet of aluminum and is protected by a simple sheet of plastic.*ak

Instrumental panel never provides accurate information on the performing of the engine, engine dies due to running short on oil dealer notified. *ak

I have a 2002 volkswagen passat wagon. the mileage at the time of the repair was 35,369 miles. in may, i was on a road trip with highway speeds and hill climbs and decents. it felt like the rear of the car would shake. it became progressively worse. when i took it into the dealership, they told me that my rear brakes needed to be replaced. it was because of the design of the parking brake and the rear brakes. in the winter, the parking brake cable is grabbing. well, i never use the parking brake. afew times i have had a valet parking service maybe they used it. so, i just had the rear brake pads and rotors replaced on my car.it was 461.26 cents. if brakes would go in this car, i felt it should be the front brakes not the rear. if there is a design flaw volkswagen should know about it and i am not happy with this bill with a fairly new car.brakes are an important safety feature to a vehicle. the warrenty is for 12 months or 12,000 miles. *ak

While driving on the highway right rear michelin mxv4 tire disintegrated. parts of the tire ruptured the gas tank. on 6/18/2003 the consumer contacted the manufacturer, who stated that vehicle was not involved in the recall# 02v026000. on 6/20/2003 the dealer called and informed the consumer all damages to the vehicle would be fixed per the recall. a recall notice was received after the call from the dealer was made. *ak *ph

At 10,000 miles the tread separated on the right rear side. the same problem happened on 7/5/2003 at 22,000. the tread separated on the right rear side. michelin xfe mxv4+. *ak *jb

The entire floor of the vehicle floods when it rains.cause/location of the leak is unknown. *ak

I have owned a vw passat v6 4motion since march of 2002. there have been many minor defects including electrical problems and paint. the one defect of importance is a throttle delay. when depressing the accelerator, there is a delay in response, especially while making a left hand turn. this problem has developed over time and worsened and now the steering also whines when making left turns. it feels like the pedal is hard to push, but then the car suddenly accelerates.. at "mid range," there is no problem with the throttle. the dealership has attempted to remedy the throttle problem. there was some improvement after replacing the throttle body assembly in 1/03, but the problem has worsened again. during a test drive in 4/03 the service manager acknowledged the problem, stating that it needs to be fixed. last word from the dealership was the passat naturally has a throttle delay- in other words they are not able to fix the problem. 4/03, i sent paperwork initiating a lemon law buy back. *nlm

The tire blew out while driving. *nlm the tire sidewall blew out and the rubber of the tire melted *ts *jb

The right front tire on the vehicle exploded. michelin mxv4 plus 195/65r15. *jb

Since purchasing my 2002 passat in november 2001 it has regularly had problems with the electrical system. the items that have broken have been: stereo (on 3 different occasions, has necessitated 6 trips to dealership), engine failure light gone off 3 times, headlights failed to go on, indicator light stopped functioning, car more often than not fails to turn over without multiple attempts. *nlm

Dealer will do major repairs on brakes, replace back and front brakes and rotors.*ak

Letter on behalf of ms eva doukakis and mr. robert cisneros who inquired about a costumers satisfaction campaign intiated by volkswagen of america, inc (volkswagen) to replace potentially defective ignition coils in certain 2001 and 2002 volkswagen and audi vehicles. *ak

One of the vehicles headlights went out soon after the consumer purchased the vehicle. the dealer replaced it with a different kind but now the vehicle is equipped with two different headlights. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer because the consumer received a citation from the police because it appeared that one of the headlights were out, but it was not. the headlights did not shine the same, one was dull and one was bright. *nlm

Re: ms. diane tsurutani 2002 volkswagen passat. mr the engine light illuminated. the dealer informed the consumer that codes were inconlusive and no repair work was done. after doing research it was discovered there was a possible problem with the ignition coil. *jb

Can't get any parts of car warranted since i had filed a complaint with bbb. including no horn, both headlights went out with in 4 days of each other, the engine has erratic shift points especially when cold. the problem is vw says not to let the engine warm up but my engine oil heater is broken. takes about 10 minutes at freeway speed to warm up. and the supposed abs are not really abs brakes when emergency braking from 75 mph. and many little interior mechanical issues.*jb

The brake pads made a grinding noise when the brakes were applied. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who indicated that the emergency brake may have been engaged. *nlm

Same as other complaint listed: "dangerous situation. when accelerating from a complete stop vehicle does 1 of 3 things: 1)gasps for gas and goes nowhere (dangerous when making left hand turns) or 2) tries to move ahead like a carbureted care with vapor lock or 3) performs normally." problems are more noticeable when outside temperature is hot. i live in nevada. i have complained to vw and dealership basically said that vw knows about it but there's nothing that can be done. many on vw forums have same problems. this is extremely dangerous and i'm surprised no one has been in an accident. *nlm

Radio/tape deck/cd player failed on a 10 month old car. replaced under warranty.

Nar 3-10-03 with the consumer vehicle having less than 7000 miles, many problems occurred, the front and rear windows froze from the inside, the vehicle began to stall, the ignition coil needed to be replaced, the glove compartment flooded when it rained or snowed, also the carpets and pollen filter were damaged due to the flood. the consumers was very disappointed and suggested that a full refund be given or have volvo to give them a new 2003 passat, equally equipped as the 2002 at the same purchase price. *cb *jb

Ignition coils on 2002 vw passat there is a "service action" out but we were never notified. our car had broken down 2 times due to this. we had 1 coil go on 12/7/02 & then again on 3/6/03. we were just notified that a mailing was sent about this but we never received. vw is now telling me, they cannot send me a copy of the notice. i know of 2 other vehicles that were brought into the dealer on 12/8/02 with the same problem.*jb

The ignition coil pack failed. the dealer and manufacturer were contacted and stated that there is a back order on the parts. *nlm

Manufacturer is refusing to properly repair faulty brakes. rear rotors were replaced 5000 miles ago because of over heating and scoring. on april 2, the front rotors were replaced for the same reason, and the rear rotors were again identified by the dealer tech with the same problem. however, the manufacturer would only replace the front rotors. with 20000 miles total on the car, my front brake pads have 60% left, my rear 30%. i suspect a malfunction with the brake calipers and / or brake rotor design. *jb

The engine light illuminated, and idled rough, the problem was determined to be a defective ignition coil. *ts *jb

The windshield cracked, while the vehicle was parked, the dealer indicated it was caused by the weather.*jb

The vehicle experienced a severe vibration.*jb

I own a volkswagen passat 2002 1.8 turbo model.. the coils on the engine are defective. volkswagen knows this and has improved the coil and replaced it with a new design. i have a 4 cylinder engine. that means i have one coil on each cylinder. i had 1 coil go bad. when they go bad while you are driving you lose power to the car and are unable to drive at your current speed. i had one coil go bad in march of 2003. volkswagen won't replace all the coils until they break. i have three more to fix but they won't fix it. it is dangerous to drive the car or to take long trips with the car due to the fact you never know when the coils will break. *jb

Nar 02/28/2003 recall issued for ignition coils on 2002 passat. *cb

The vehicle stalled without warning.*jb

I purchased a brand new vw passat gls 2002, on june 18, 2002 at commonwealth vw audi, 1450 auto mall drive, santa ana ca 92705. unfortunately, the vw passat gls 2002 has not held up to its promise of being a well-engineered car. after less than 9 months of ownership, i had to bring the car to the dealership for repairs 3 times, which is a far drive from my present residence in highland, ca. i purchased a brand new car with the intention of having a reliable mode of transportation for the two-hour trip back and fourth from tustin to ontario on a daily basis for work. i had confidence in volkswagen because of its prestigious reputation. having successive car problems has made me reluctant to drive this car. the first breakdown was in oct. 2002, the mil (malfunction indicator lamp) light came on, the car started to shake, and it lost power on my way to work. i was able to make it and i had the car towed to the dealership. the dealership replaced the defective ignition coil, and set the readiness code. i did not get a loaner car, and the car was left at the dealership for two days. the second time, was in dec. 2003. the exact same problem arose. this time they had replaced all four ignition coils, set the readiness code, and supplied me with a vw rental. the car was in the shop for two days as well. i had lost all confidence in the passat i purchased. the third occasion, as i exited the freeway to get to work, the mil light came on again. i was at a complete stop. when i pressed on the gas, the car jerked two times. i made it to the parking lot of my job, and had the car towed yet another time. this was march 18, 2003. the dealership removed and installed the automatic transmission fluid pan, the transmission speed sender, and the vehicle speed sensor. they supplied me with a 3-day loaner car. the passat stayed in the shop for 4 days. *jb

Ignition coil is defective, leaving automobile inoperative. second time this has happened in 3 months. car was just in for 40k warranty service 4 days ago. *nlm

Bought the car new 4/02, ignition coil failed in 8/02 with only 1000 miles on car. the vehicle started shaking and lost power w/ baby in the car on a highway. car was towed to the dealer and they replaced the ignition coil. happened again on 10/31/02, car was at the dealership for almost 1 month waiting for another ignition coil. dealer provided rental car and complaint was filed with v.w. they paid my car payment for month of 11/02. many people having same problem. dealer's lot was full of cars waiting for this part. i took their last rental car, lucky for me, since i got an impala ss instead of a 2 door cavalier. there should be a recall issued on these ignition coils. there are many lemon law cases filed against vw. also very poor gas mileage and acceleration. very dangerous left hand turns when the car just sits there and you're hitting the gas!!!*jb

The ecm was replaced twice. the replacement failed before the vehicle made it out of the service parking lot and the ignition coils were replaced twice, 4 were replaced the first time, then two on the second. the check engine light illuminated repeatedly, and demonstrated a loss of power/rough ride. scc *jb

The ignition coil failed twice without warning.*ak *nlm

The back left tire tread experienced tread separation. *jb

The coil packs haven't failed yet, but i'm hearing stories that it will and it's just a matter of time. vw should issue a recall. *ph *jb **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**770858

2002 volkswagen passat. *ph *jb **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**770842

I am having the same ignition coil problem as so many other people. even after 3 months, vw is not interested in replacing defective coils, except when they actually fail. *jb

I had a 2002 volkswagen passat for less than six months now. i had the check engine light go on three times now. 1) the first time they told me it was a loose hose on my engine. 2) the next time it was one of my ignition coils. the car sputtered and was undriveable. we had it towed to the dealer on christmas eve and we were without our car for 3 days. 3) next the check engine light went on it was another ignition coil. again the car sputtered and hesitated unless it was given a lot of gas. i felt the car was unsafe to drive and took it to the dealer immediately. luckily i was only a mile away. this time it was a different ignition coil. both times the ignition coil went bad it was a different one. i have four of these in my care which means i will have this problem at least two more times. the service manager told me that vw was not replacing all of them because they weren't able to produce enough of them to keep the cars on the road. this is an unacceptable excuse in my book. this is a brand new car with a known problem that vw is getting away with. i also expressed my concern about being stranded with this car somewhere the next time this happens and the service manager just dismissed me. we called vw and they gave us the same lack of concern about the problem. we told them all the issues we have had and they showed their concern by assigning us a case number and telling us to call back when it happens again. i guess after they make a sale all i am is data to them. they don't feel obligated to make my car work correctly. *jb

Inoperative climatic control, cruise control, homelink visor, steering wheel button lights & controls. number 5 fuse has blown a second time. suspected cause is faulty homevisor link (remote control) on driver's side visor. several complaints have been noted through vwvortex.com on the 2002 passat model. both times the fuse blew were in cold weather. will attempt to get dealership to investigate and/or replace homevisor link. other reports in the complaint of nhtsa section have reported that this also occurs during hot weather. first suspect of this occuring is that the climatic control (heating & ac) is not operational. when the climatic control is off, it should say "off" on the digital screen. when this issue occured the second time it was while on the highway which caused my windows to fog up do to the heating system fan not operational for heat and defog...had to roll down windows with temps in the teens to help clear windows. very "unsafe" thing to happen while driving.

There was no parts available to perform the recall regarding the spring coils.*jb

Vehicle was in a frontal collision, but none of the air bag deployed upon impact. please provide more details. ph

The ignition coils needed to be replaced. *ph *jb

Inability and/or unwillingness of dealer and/or manufacturer to respond timely to problem of faulty ignition coils on vw passats. ph

The ignition coils on my 2002 vw passat 1.8t ar about to fail for the third time. the car was bought in may of 2002. the first incident occured in december, the second in january, and now it is about to happen again now in february. each incident is preluded by a slight jolt in the car upon start up followed bu rough idleing. every time we take it and and are told it is fixed and then sure enough a month later i am back there again. i do not see this problem getting any better. in addition the mach rstereo system has been fixed, then replaced. the replacement unit's qulaity is poor in comparison to the original. this car has been a nightmare.

Brand new 2002 vw passat with 2,500 miles - ignition coil failed. car was towed to dealership and was not repaired for 21 days. only one coil was replaced even though they stated all 4 coils are defective. i offered to pay out of pocket to replace all the coils and they refused stating they did not have enough to go around. this car should not be driven long distances and certainly not on the highway knowing full well the other 3 coils are defective and are expected to break -- by tully volkswagon of nashua new hampshire's own admission. there should be a total recall on this vehicle immediately. only 3,000 miles accumulated so far and i'm concerned about highway driving! ridiculous. ts

Volkswagen vehicle is unsafe because ignition coils on 4,6,8 cyl. engines may fail at any time, causing car to limp along on reduced power in possibly perilous traffic conditions. vw refuses to take proactive measures to correct the problem and avoid possible life-threatening situations. i beg you, force them to do a recall.

The ignition coils in my 2002 vw passat, with a 1.8t engine, are failing. you lose power and then have to try to get over to the side of the road. ts

The dealer replaced the faulty coil, however it failed two weeks later. the dealer refused to change the other three coils. *ph. the manufacturer refused to authorize the replacement of the other 3 coils. *jb

2 ignition coils failed--oct 02 and jan 03--recall recommended. scc ****dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****770853

There is a mild to severe shaking in the steering wheel of my 2002 volkswagen passat 1.8 turbo 4 door sedan. i have had the vehical at the dealership 5 times and they have yet to determine what the cause is. the dealership has had a representative from volkswagen at their facility on at least two occations and have performed a number of test and adjustments including a four wheel alignment and draining the power stearing fluid and refilling it. to this day they are still unable to determine what the cause of this issue is. the dealership has told me that they have exceeded their knowledge on this matter and have asked volkswagen to take over. volkswagen has told the dealership that they will not be available until at least march 2003. however there is no guarantee that they will be available then either.

Three out of four ignition coils in my 2002 vw passat have failed. vw states that this is not a major problem. i believe it is a major problem because when the first two went i was driving the car on route 128 and had to get over to the side of the road to stop because of the extreme decrease in power. we waited two weeks to get the car back and the third coil went less than 48 hours later. i now have one more coil to go bad and i find that i no longer drive my vw because of that. i fear that my 60 mile a day commute into work will find me on the side of the mass turnpike instead of driving on it. there seems to be quite the number of vw & audi motor vehcile that are having this problem but vw deems it not to be of importance for the the peace of mind of their car owners. i will now need to wait for this coil to fail before vw will finally replace the defective coil still residing in my car.

The car was taken to the dealer with a failed engine. two engine coils had failed, but the dealer admitted that all four coils were defective. the dealer had the car for 2 weeks and replaced only 2 of the 4 coils. since the coils are rationed, they will not replace the remaining coils until they fail. am i suppose to wait until i have an accident on the highway? both the dealer and the manufacturer admit the defect. why hasn't a recall been issued? there are 40+ customers at this dealership with the same problem, all waiting for a major part that is not available. i will not drive the car until all four are replaced. i have a young son and will not drive the car with a known engine problem, particularly a problem that appears to be pretty widespread. (the other complaints listed on your web site for this model sound like i could have written them.) the manufacturer when contacted has been completely unresponsive. *jb ****dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis*****770835

Vehicle hesitated to start,when it finally started, there was a loud noise. dealership indicated that 1 of the ignition coil spring had went bad. they replaced it, then the another 3 went bad. ph

I received a ltr from volkswagon stating that they are experiencing problems with the ignition recoils, that could possibly cause the vehicle to lose power. so, i immediately scheduled an appointment for my vehicle. only to find out that they are only going to replace the iginition recoils if the vehicle experiences this malfunction. my concern is that why would i want to drive a vehiclethat could possibly lose power at anytime?? evidenutally, this is a concern to volkswagon because they sent a ltr to their customers. as a customer, i am very concerned knowing my vehicle has a possible problem and the dealer(volkswagon) will not take action! why then was i even notified about the problem?

I have a 2002 volkswagen passat gls 1.8t whose engined has stalled on 3 different ocasions while operating the vehicle at high speeds on an interstate highway. vw dealers have attempted to fix the problem on 3 different ocasions and i am not satisfied that the problem has been permanently resolved. the problem has been diagnosed as an ignition coil failure which causes one cylinder to shut-down during the engine operation. this happens randomly due to a faulty original equipment part. on two of these ocasions the car has lost power and shut down while operaring the vehicle on i-95. on the second ocasion i was being tailgated by a tractor trailer which almost overrun me after the sudden loss of speed. i had to veer out of the highway crossing several lanes to get out of the truck's way at the springfield interchange in northern virginia. vw has not responded to my letters or requests to permanently fix this problem. i would like you to force them to recall all 1.8t engine-equipped vehicles with this known problem (see new york times auto section feb 2/2003) before there are incidents of this failure where there are fatalities.

Engine coil problem! engine lite went on, lose power. had to have car towed to dealer. they are only going to repair bad coil, not replace the other 3 coils!

Ignition coil pack failure (s) caused sudden loss of power and lurching of vehicle when attempting to accelerate out of driveway onto road. no accident occurred and vehicle was driven slowly back to parking. power was not recovered and engine vibration was severe. no prior warning was given. check engine light came on after failure. followed a cold night while car was parked for 12+ hours. after parking car overnight again, failure recurred upon start up and vehicle was flat bedded at no cost to vw old skybrook,ct, where it was determined that according to ecu all 4 coil packs misfired. car has been awaiting parts for 4 weeks and has not been returned to service as of 1/4/03. ******dims 11 ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis***** 770817. *ak *jb

Ignition coil on 2002 passat--luckily, this did not happen on thruway. car bucked, unable to get over 45 mph. this happening at a high speed would be a definite safety hazard. car was towed to dealership; parts will not be available for at least another week--even then only one of four will be replaced. talked to vw customer relations==indicated manufacturer in germany is now on 3 shift basis struggling to meet demand. i don't understand why owners were not notified, why this is not a safety recall, why we don't know when or if all coils will be replaced. i would not trust this car on the road.

Volkswagen 2002 passat turbo, ignition coils are bad and volkswagen won't replace them until they start to go bad, which means that you have to wait for your car to break down 4 times and get towed four times before they will fix it. i have read reviews where people have had all 4 coils replaced and then had to have those replaced. i am terrified to drive my car that i pay over $300 dollars a month on and i do not want it anymore!

During operation of the vehicle the #4 h-style coil pack failed causing the engine and car to shake violently. the car wan not safely drivable after the failure. although volkswagen replaced the failed coil pack, there are 3 other identical coil packs by the same manufacturer (bremi) that volkswagen will not replace (until failure). it is widely known among volkswagen and audi owners who have this engine (1.8t) that the h-style coils are unreliable and defective. one online vw owner forum (club b5) 600 complaints have been posted. vw needs to recall these defective coil pack before someone gets seriously or fatally injured in a crash or collision caused by them. ph **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**770845

Coil pack #2 failed upon warm start after having sat for approximately 20 minutes. mil was flashing indicating a serious problem. drove car on three cylinders less than 2 miles to home, and called vw customer service to coordinate towing and dealer. **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**770849

Vehicle's ignition coil pack has malfunctioned and vehicle shut off. dealer notified. please provide additional information. ph

The vehicle engine coil is failing, making the speed very slow. dealer has been notified. ph

Loss of vehicle power for the third time due to faulty manufacturer's engine coils. resulting in another tow to the dealership.

One of the four ignition coils failed, which caused the engine light to flicker on and off. *jb

Defect is a faulty engine coil pack. dealer has been notified. ph

The check engine light had illuminated. the vehicle started to misfire and shake. the dealer replaced one of the ignition coils. mr scc

Due to the defective ignition coils, the engine lost power unexpectedly, while driving. luckily, the person behind me was alert enough to stop quickly. the dealer will not replace all the ignition coils, and according to vw all have the potential to become defective, leaving a very dangerous situation for all drivers, not just the owners of vw's . i do not want to drive my car, i am so scared that the next time i will not be so lucky. please help all drivers and advise vw to fix all ignition coils before fatalities occur. *jb

2 ignition coils failed in less than 3 weeks. one on the road. we had to pull over, the second time on a parking lot. what's next?

Engine began misfiring and running very roughly. the check engine light came on and then began flashing. dealer scanned and found misfires in #1 cylinder. dealer replaced coil pack#1. *jb *nlm **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis*768336

Consumer was pulling out there driveway, and vehicle started hesitating to accelerated, and the mil(malfunction indicator light) came on. the dealership indicated that one of ignition coil spring had broke. please provide more details. ts

Check engine light illuminated and dealer stated engine coil needed replacing. ts

Consumer was told by dealer that the qual pack were defective on her vehicle, also stated that the vehicle takes a while to heat up. ts

Consumer stated that while driving and without warning the vehicle would vibrate then lose power. dealer notified. ts

Ignition coils. the ignition coils on my 2002 passat wagon 1.8t have failed 3 times in the last month. they have failed twice in the past week. thus, while driving to work today, after having two of the coils replaced yesterday, another coil failed. now i have 3 of the 4 coils which are allegedly non-defective. i asked the dealer to replace the 4th coil and he refused. i called vw of america and they said that they will not authorize the repair of the 4th coil. i informed them of the danger posed by this condition, namely the car losing power on the highway and/or stranding people in bad situations. he stated that they were aware of the problem and the dangers posed, but would not replace any part that had not failed.

My car is in the shop for an ignition coil replacement. this is the second blown coil in 4 weeks. i am disappointed in this vehicle because of these unreliable failures. this is not acceptable and i hope this will be recalled and fixed! ph

Ignition coil failure. first one failed, dealer replaced but informed us one failed coil would be replaced, not all 4 even though vw knows there is a problem with this type of coil. they will not issue a recall, but because so many are failing, there is a backorder on the parts. due to the high demmand, they will only replace failed coils because they do not have enough coils to due the right thing, replace them all. their response is to have the customer turn off the car, call roadside assistance, and wait for a tow. 18 miles after the first failure, a second failure occurred. we called roadside assistance, and were informed it is usually a 90 minute wait. we live in massachusetts, it is winter, and the car is used to transport an 8 week old and a 3 year old. vw wants them to wait without heat until a tow arrives. i contacted vw customer care and was given the company line. they fail to see the danger in having two children waiting in below-freezing temps for a tow. this incident has so changed how i view vw and has basically rendered a vehicle that is less than 1 year old useless. we are afraid to drive it, expecting another engine failure.

Customer states that while driving at any speed the vehicle will stall without warning making it hard for the driver to control the vehicle, the dealer has been notified. *nlm

Consumer states his vehicle stalls while driving at 50mph. due to faulty engine coil. on november 10, dealer changed the engine coil #4 on december 26, dealer changed engine coil #3, consumer asked the dealer to change the other 4 inoperable coils and dealer refused. please provide further information. ts

Consumer stated that while driving at any speed and without warning the vehicle will shut off causing consumer to pull over. dealer notified. ts

While driving the check engine warning light came on, then the vehicle lost power. this almost caused an accident. the dealership indicated that one of the ignition coils had cracked and shorted out. the parts are on back order, cause this is a common problem. ts

Consumer stated that while driving at any speed and no warning the vehicle will heavily jerk and then the engine light will come on and stay on the remainder of the time vehicle is being operated on. dealer notified. ts

Engine coil failure in 2002 vw passat wagon

While driving, the engine stalled without warning. the dealer diagnosed the problem as defective ignition coils. the manufacturer has been notified, and suggested that they will only replace the coils when they fail. ph scc

I, too, have had two different ignition coils go bad on my 2002 passat. i, too, do not drive the car for long distances for fear of getting stranded hundreds of miles from home. i, too, have gotten no support from vw. i, too, only get the bad coils replaced by the dealer. they are unwilling to replace ones that haven't died yet. i, too, am embarrassed to say that i have a car that has 11,000 miles on it and can't be driven for fear of being stranded. to other fellow passat owners with this problem, please don't think that it only happens in cold weather. my first one died in august (the second one died in october). is nhtsa planning to intercede?

Ignition coil failed causing car to mis-fire, lose power, and become shaky until the coil is replaced. there is a known defect with the ignition coils in 2001 and 2002 audi's and vw with a 1.8 liter turbo engine. vw replaced the one failing coil but refuses to replace, under warranty, the remain 3 coils that could fail at any moment. my car has been serviced in the past for sporadic mis-fires which maybe due to the remaining defective coils. with half a million vehicles on the road this is an accident waiting to happen. the sudden loss of power can be extremely dangerous while driving (ie. when making a left turn). vw refuses to commit to replace the defective coils until they fail. please investigate and have vw perform a recall before someone is seriously injured.

Ignition coil failed on a freezing cold night. the card started, but shook and was unable to drive. had to wait 2 hours for a tow truck in single digit temps. my dealer was very good about it and replaced bad coil and other 3 as preventive measure. however, i understand that there have been many other 2002 passat's with multiple ignition coil failures-on different occasions, resulting in several trips to the dealer. this ignition coil failure can be very hazardous, especially during highway driving. all car owners should be informed about this problem, and have the opportunity to fix this before being injured or stranded. there should be a recall on these ignition coils.

I have had two ignition coils in my 2002 volkswagen passat fail, causing the car to shake violently and loose all power. my engine failure light went on again yesterday, but my dealership refuses to accept the car for service until it actually breaks down. i transport three school-age children in this car and often must be on the interstate. i feel i will be unable to control the car if the failure happens at high speed on the interstate or in heavy traffic. it seems inevitable that someone somewhere is going to be killed or injured because of this. so i wanted to bring it to your attention.

Defective ignition coils

Engine ignition--coil pack failure. cold start, coil pack failed within 20 seconds of commencement of driving, nearly onto a major arterial route with morning commuter traffic. instant loss of power, flashing mil ensued seconds later. returned to house and called for wrecker to tow to dealer. presently at dealer for repair. told part would take between 2-10 days to acquire.

2002 vw passat, 1.8t has been returned to dealer for defective coil. this is the second coil failure in as many months. there are a total of four coils which are in the words of vw service deaprtment to be of poor qualitity and should be replaced in total. vw corporate refuses to allow the dealers to replace all at once but only upon failure. so numerous trips, rental cars, and out of work time is expended getting these coils replaced and waiting parts which are backorder because vw has numerous cars awaiting new coils. read info obtained from your web site and others.

2002 volkswagen passat at dealer for 3rd time in the last 2 months. three ignition coil failures and one computer fix/update. still waiting for part to come in for the latest failure, 25 days and counting.

Faulty ignition coil. car started shaking and mil light came on. service dept at volkswagen said could take two to three weeks to fix. vw is only fixing when they are damaged. car is at 9000 miles and under a year old. please review this for a recall. ts

Having the same ignition coil pack issues as other vw 1.8t passat owners. dealer had 10+ cars in to be repaired. estimated 2 wks. to fix. dealer says vw is aware of issue, but they will only repair the coil that's broken.this is costing them more money in the long run as they have to provide rentals to users, and will be liable should a coil failure cause an accident or even death. have tried to address with vw but it's been dismissed (their case number 30003124). this is a huge safety issue that needs nhtsa support. another concern is that my windshield wipers are deffective and the local dealer has had them on backorder for over a month. apparently there is a nationwide shortage and there are no other replacements for the passat blades. the dealer asked that i come so they could replace it with those off a new car.

Both right and left headlight bulbs keeps burning out

Consumer is concerned the ignition system failure was higher than normal, causing the car to lose power. but the car would keep running. *ts

The coilpack on my 2002 vw passat gls 1.8t failed. it basically snapped into 2 pieces. this is a concern since i have heard of hundreds of cases of this happening in vw's, and vw will only replace the failed coilpack, not the other 3. in my opinion there should be a recall on this part, vw and it's dealors know that the likelihood of more failures in the same car a very high.

Ignition coil failures in 2002 vw passat

My 2002 volkswagen passat has an ignition coil problem that causes it to misfire and lose power. the car was in a vw service center for more than 2 weeks. after receiving the car back from the dealer the problem has exhibited itself again. vw can't guarantee the problem will be permanently fixed. ts

With less than 5,000 miles on my 2002 vw passat, an ignition coil blew rendering the car unable to be driven. the car was towed and the part replaced. there are 3 more coils on this car, but vw will not guarantee that they are not also defective, and, therefore, can blow at any time. vw admits to having a big problem with the coils on this vehicle, but will only replace as each one blows. if this happens on at high speed, the vehicle may very well cause serious damage to other drivers as well as myself.

While driving vehicle shakes, consumer states" took to dealer and they stated a coil had burned out. consumer states dealer is only changing the coils as they burn out, dealer is aware of the problem. ts

Consumer states the ignition coil is busted,the check engine light stays on and the vehicle makes a loud noise. ts

First my car floods from a rainstorm; the sunroof had a drain leak then the coils on my catalytic converter/engine broke, my car was not driveable, and had to be towed. today the other two coils went and my car had to be towed again. why couldn't the four coils be replaced at the same time? my car is a vw passat wagon 2002. ts

Ingnition coils failed on my passat with 5000 miles on it

While driving, ignition coil failed without warning which caused vehicle to stall. dealer advised that manfacturer was aware of problem, but would only replace remaining coils after they have failed.*jb

1 ignition coil failed while driving on the highway causing the vehicle to stall. manufacturer will not replace additional coils until they fail. consumer is fearful of driving unreliable vehicle. ts

I purchased my 2002 passat 1.8t in mid-may, 2002. since then 3 ignition coils have failed causing my car to suddenly decelerate and near "dying". my car been in the shop for close to a month because the parts are not available. i have found out that vw has been lying to customers (including me) when blaming the failures on defective coils manufacutred by a 3rd party. however, i have learned that it is a design defect in the new 2002 1.8t model that causes a moisture build up that the coils cannot withstand. vw asked the 3rd party manufacture a new coil that can withstand the moisture, which has been done. the shortage has been caused by the fact that the new coils need to go into the new 2003 models first, leaving those of us with cars that don't run to wait. vw is still refusing to replace any coil until it fails. so much for a reliable new car.

Igintion coil pack failed causing a sudden decease in power as one the cylinders was not firing. this problem is extremely common and requires all four coils to be replaced. vw is only replacing the failed coil because of a shortage of parts. there should be a recall where all four coils are replaced as the sudden loss of power may cause accidents and fatalities.

2002 vw passat - engine problems for a brand new car. engine light came on twice in less than 2 months. ignition coil problem that all passat owners seem to be experiencing. this problem is too dangerous for passat drivers. we should not have to be afraid of driving a brand new car. this is a recall situation for vw.

I have a new 2002 vw passat (1.8) in the last 18 months that i have had the car, i have had the coil sets fail on 3 occassions. the car would shake violently and the malfuntion indicator light would come on and continue blinking. i have then had to get the car towed to the dealer each time.

Warped igniotion coil causing the vehicle to run poorly. vehicle will shut down without prior warning. please provide additional information. dealer is aware of the problem. ts. *ak

Car is approx 8 months old. car was running rough and shaking and mil light came on. pulled over and had car towed to dealership. they said they had to replace a faulty ignition coil. a week later problem repeats late night. had to have the car towed again. dealer says it is the same problem and they will have to replace all coils. not sure i feel safe driving this car any more. ts

An ignition coil failed, disabling the vehicle and potentially damaging the catalytic converter (according to the manual's description of the warning light that was activated.) these failures appear to be widespread due to defective parts. the failed coil was replaced under warranty, but the dealer indicated the manufacturer would not authorize replacement of the other coils. i await further failure and fear that it will happen at an unsafe or inconvenient time.

Driving on expressway. auto lost power and started shaking. luckily i was able to get over to shoulder of road. dealer stated it was ignition coil failure. the car was in the shop for 26 days waitnig for parts because of the ignition coil problem with the passat.

1 year old vw passat, twice same problem with coil, broken turbo, it is on warranty but how many times can one go to dealer with a car which has 15000 miles ,

One ignition coil pack failed on my 2002 passat wagon (1.8t) causing the car to lose power while in traffic. i researched and learned that there are known defects with the factory installed coil packs leading to cracks and water penetration after 10k miles. i had 10300 miles on the vehicle. i asked vw of america to replace all 4 ignition coil packs with new, defect free parts and vw refused. meanwhile the vehicle is still at the dealer (1 week and counting) awaiting a replacement for the failed part. i am worried about driving the car with the defective coils and putting myself, my wife, and two young daughters at risk. if vw does not rectify the problem with 4 replacements i will have no choice but to engage the massachusetts lemon law.

Ignition coil failure after 7 months and 11000 miles.

Engine ran very rough and check engine light flashed in the middle of the road. also experienced significant lack of power. car deeded to be tow to the dealership. determined to be failed coil pack #3.

Two out of four ignition coils failed. engine check light came on.ride wa sconstantly jerky. *ak

While driving vehicle, consumer states the vehicle started to shake, and engine suddenly shut off. the vehicle was towed to volkswagen dealer whom stated the engine coils were defective. please provide any further information. ph

Consumer states while driving the vehicle the check engine light came on then without warning the vehicle cut off. ts

2002 volkswagen passat. ignition coil failure. returned from christmas to midway airport, chicago. car started but one of four ignition coils did not fire. if same problem occurred while driving, may have caused serious degradation of speed on the highway.

I have a 2002 volkswagen passet that had to be towed three times for failed ignition packs. the vehicle was in the shop a total of four times. volkswagen was aware of the problem and never contacted the consumers or the owners of this problem. they advised that they would only replace the coil that went bad and not all at once. if the company is aware of the problem then they should have taken some action by notifying the comsumers. volkswagen's are suposed to be reliable, but it seems they are not at least for the 2001/2002 passet. please take time to look into this matter. my incidents occurred last feb, may, dec, and jan 03. i also asked volkswagen who would be responsible for the repairs after the warranty runs out. i was told that i could always send in the repair amount to see if they would reimburse me. thank you

Sudden rough idling and loss of power. check engine light turns on. dealer guesses the problem without looking at the car. later confirms an ignition coil pack failure. common problem with vw passat, jetta, audis. will take over two weeks to replace since parts are on back order. dealer has approximately 15 cars waiting for the same part. they will not replace all of them, though all of them are likely to fail soon. potential danger of sudden loss of power on highway. please get vw to issue a recall on these *before* the part failure causes a crash.

I own a volkswagon passat 2002 1.8 turbo model.. the coils on the engine are defective. volkswagon know this and has improved the coil and replaces it with a new design. i have a 4 cylinder engine. that means i have one coil on each cylinder. i have 3 coils go bad. when they go bad when you are driving you lose power to the car and are unable to drive at your current speed. i had one coil go bad in november of 2002, december of 2002, and today my 3rd coil went bad. i have filed a compliant with volkswagon but they won't replace all the coils until they break. i have only one more to fix but they won't fix it. it is dangerous to drive the car or to take long trips with the car due to the fact you never know when the coil will break. i filed a compliant over the phone for the federal department of transportation in december. i was supposed to recieve information from you to fill out and return.. i called twice and have never recieved it. my car broke down today for the third time. the dealership is closed and i had to rent a car again. could someone investigate this. i can not be the only person in america with this problem.

My 2002 vw passat has had major problems with engine coils. on 12-1-02, with 7,504 miles on the vehicle, the #2 coil broke and i had to have it towed to gezon motors in grand rapids, mi. i was visiting mi, so i had to borrow a car to return home to ohio. then, on jan. 12, 2003, coils #3 and #4 broke so i had to have the car towed to midwestern auto group in dublin, ohio. there were approx. 8500 miles on my car at that time. because the coils are on backorder, it is possible that the car will not be repaired for two weeks. considering the number of vw drivers who are experiencing defective coils, there should be a recall on this part. in addition to this problem, my radio suddenly stopped working and had to be replaced in november 2002.

The ignition coil has failed twice on my 2002 passat the the past two months. the first time the car had 5500 miles on it. the second with 6800 miles on it. the dealer replaced them quickly. it is unnerving to know that this could happen again at any time.

Second failure of ignition coil pack within 2 weeks. currently vehicle is awaiting parts and has been at the dealership nearly 2 weeks (since 12/30/02)

Vehicle's ignition coil has been replaced four times and consumer still has a problem with vehicle. dealer notified. please provide additional information. ph

Two ignition coils failed causing vehicle to stall. dealer replaced and advised that remaining coils will likely fail, but will not replace until they do. ph *ts

The spark plugs/ignition coil has a manufactures defect. both components causes the vehicle to lose power with no warning. ph

While traveling on the highway without warning, the vehicle will shut down and will not restart. please provide additional information dealer is aware of the problem. ts

The ignition coils were defective and failed without warning causing vehicle to stall while driving. consumer had 3 coils fail. manufacturer is aware of the problem, but would not replace until component failed. *ts *nlm

Failure of 2 ignition coils. original coils all faulty, but vw won't replace coils until they fail, which they will do. this problem widely known by now, but vw has not communicated with owners in any way, and will wait for failure before fixing, leaving owners with crippled or inoperable cars in possibly adverse driving conditions.

Two ignition coils on vw 2002 passat failed in as many weeks. on both occassions i am told by vw representatives that the coils are defective, but that the company has ordered they be replaced case by case. first incident 1/14/03, second incident 1/25/03.

The ignition coils in 2001/2002 1.8l vw passat are defective. vw is well aware of the problem, but refuses to replace any unless they actually break. this is dangerous beyond belief, especially if they malfunction while on a highway, which has happened to many people (see carreview.com). my 2002 car has been towed twice in the last month and a half. i spent $24,500 for this car, it is brand new, and i cannot drive it for fear of causing an accident. vw must be forced to recall this car before someone is injured. they'll be no stopping the class-action law suits then!

Consumer called complaining about having problems with the ignition coil system. also while driving the vehicle the vehicle stall and died. dealer was contacted and stated that the coil package had a problem and they have knowledge of it but there is nothing they can do more then replace the one that is bad.ts

While driving 3 ignition coils failed causing the vehicle to make a backfire noise and the vehicle shakes violently. please provide any additional information. ts

2 ignition coil springs failed, causing vehicle to lose power/stall. ts....*ak

The ignition coil failed without warning, suddenly lost acceleration, and began to shake violently. vw wanted each coil to malfunction before they were replaced. ts scc

Ignition coil failed while traveling, causing engine to stall. consumer was stranded. manufacturer is aware of problem, but will not replace component until it fails. ph

My 2002 passat is less than 6 mths old (5,500 miles) and a coil malfunctioned. my car was towed to the vw dealer where i was told they will replace the failed coil, but none of the others, even though they admit that they will most likely fail. i will now be driving around waiting for my car to breakdown. as a single female, i don't find this to be a safe alternative.

Consumer stated while driving, the malfunction indicator light illuminated, consumer stated the ignition coil had failed. dealer notified.*jb

While attempting to merge into highway traffic which was going approximately 70 mph, my 2002 vw passat suddenly lost power and would not accelerate. we had to pull to the side of the road to avoid being crushed by oncoming traffic. the diagnosis from the dealer was a failed ignition coil pack on cylinder #3. this is a known issue with coil packs on audi/vw 1.8t engines and there needs to be a recall to prevent serious injuries. this failure nearly caused an accident and was only narrowly avoided.

While driving there is a noise coming from the ignition coil dealer notified. ts

Consumer is having problems with the ignition coil pack. also consumer stated the engine stopped running while driving. dealer was contacted and will only replace one at the time. ph

I had purchased 2002 vw passatt in june 2002 (4 cylinder). during the past 6 month i had to change all four coils which means my car was out for repairs every 6 weeks during the 6 month time span. appearantly volkswagen passatts are known for their bad coils. about 90% of cars have this type of problem! there should be a total recall!! the dealrships are sending customers back on to the road with a potentially serious and dangerous problems. i have a child and i'm afraid to drive in the car with my child in it. i'm afraid to leave town, to drive on a highway or at night. the car is mechanically unreliable. i have purchased a product that i can't use without risk. customers are not informed about the coil problem when they purchase these vehicles. people are being scammed! and vw manufacturers are not doing anything about the problem! a 6 mo old car should not be in a repair shop every 6 weeks for the same problem!i don't feel safe in this car! passatt is a time bomb!

2002 passat 1.8. started okay. as i drove, horrible sound & ran very rough-sputttered & rumbled. engine light blinking on & off. as i gave it gas, the worse it got. turned around, went home, called dealership. was told "not to drive it & to get it towed, as there has been a problem with the 1.8s and the coils that they are aware of." was there a month ago for another engine problem-not sure what they did because the service advisor could not explain it to me! have rental car-thankfully passat is still under warranty-11,416 miles, and was bought on january 5, 2002! the dealership called me today, car is ready, and they "replaced a bad ignition coil." not understanding how a car with 11,000 miles on it could have something bad on it, i did some research on the web. it appears that this is a common occurence, and it will happen again, as dealerships are only placing one coil at a time. another coil may go at any time! i should have stuck with toyota.......

While driving vehicle was jerking. a warning light illuminated for emission or catalytic converter. towed to dealer, and dealer replaced ignition coil. please replace all four coils.

Consumer states that while driving at any speed and without warning the vehicle will not accelerate causing a distraction to the consumer. dealer notified. ts

Multiple ignition coil pack failures in 2002 model year vehicle.

Ignition coils on 2002 vw passat failed on two separate occassions (one at 8,000 miles and now another at 10,000miles. vw knows there are defective coils and refuses to replace any but the one that blew, leaving drivers stranded without the use of their cars. i have not been able to rent a car through their rental service either, since in both cases, the coils blew after the rental agent desk was closed for the weekend. a search on http://www.carreview.com/prd_299_1531crx.aspx revealed the ignition coil failure is a common problem, that vw knows about and they refuse to recall to fix their defective merchanidise. both times, the dealer and manufacturer denied my request to replace all of the coils under warranty.

I own a 2002 vw passat with the v4 1.8l engine. it is just one year old and has 18,700 miles of mostly highway driving on it. it has individual ignition colis for each cylinder. they are failing at an alarming rate. so far in the last 3 months two have failed and i expect the remaining ones to fail at any time. this is not uncommon for this car. failure means a tow and possibly being being stranded in the middle of nowhere. vw is aware of the problem however refuses to replace any coil until failure. i believe this is an irresponsible policy. the cars should be subject to recall and replacement. the only reasons they are not doing this that i can imagine are that either the strain on their logistics is too great or they have not solved the root cause of the problem and are replacing the coils with components that will also fail in a short time.

While traveling, the vehicle began to ride rough. the engine indication light started to flash. the vehicle did not travel over 5 mph. the vehicle was serviced, and the technician noticed that the ignition coil pack(s) needed to be replaced. *ak four ignition coils were found faulty. *scc

The ignition coil continued to break which caused vehicle to lose power while driving. the dealer was notified. *jb the left front headlight had burned out, and the left speaker had gone out. the ignition coil was replaced and the mechanic reprogrammed the ecu in order to correct the misfires. *scc

Coil problem with my 2002 passat. the car has 10,000 miles and was in the shop for 3 weeks. vw replaced 1 coil, but there is a strong possiblility that the other 3 will go, too. vw needs to do a recall since the car loses acceleration when the coil goes.

Started car one morning (6-month-old car w/ 6,470 miles), and check engine (mil) light flashed, car sputtered and felt as if it would stall. called dealer who seemed quite sure it was a coil pack failure. volkswagen of america is aware of these defective parts, but due to lack of supply will only replace failed parts. car was at dealer's shop for two weeks before the part arrived and was installed. dealer/vw assumed all costs of rental car (est at $500 / 14 days @ $35/day!). turns out only one of the four coil packs failed and was replaced, but vw of america won't replace all four even though they're aware of the high number of failures. very likely that the remaining three will fail, and i will have to take the car back in for service/replacement. this failure also poses a safety hazard, as loss of power can occur on highways, etc.

There seems to be a long wait for coilpacks everywhere. i had that problem in my passat earlier this year, and got it fixed. but i know i have 3 faulty ones left in my car, and only time will make them malfunction again, leaving me stranded.

Consumer states while driving the vehicle the check engine light would come on then the car would shut off. ts

While starting vehicle, consumer states there's a burning smell and vehicle started to shake. next the engine light illuminated. vehicle was towed to dealer and dealer replaced the ignition coil. dealer states coils are on back order and will only be changed as they fail. please provide any other information. ts

Engine light blinking accompanied by odor in vehicle and minor shaking of vehicle; owner's manual instructed not to drive vehicle due to potential problem with catalytic converter; had to be towed to dealership; told that vw was having a widespread problem with bad ignition/engine coils in all vw models 2001-2002; coils going bad one at a time and vw has refused to replace all at once despite safety issues related to breakdown (potentially on highway, in frigid temperatures, etc.) and fact that some owners have had problem 3-4 times within several months; backorder on parts resulting in up to 4 week delays in repairs/without vehicle

Injection coil failure on 1.8t engine-vw passat 2002. we have had 3 failures spanning 16 months. car was purchased 8/01. injection coil at cylinder #2 occurred on 1/02, 7/02,1/03 every 7000 miles. we went back to the dealer and the manager has confirmed that this is a known problem with the 4 cylinder engines but won't take the car back. we are actually lucky because we only have problems with one coil. other drivers have had multiple coil failures. when i spoke to the tow truck driver on 1/03, he mentioned that he's had about 100 audi a4's ( same engine as the vw 1.8t) recently( we've had a cold spell in chicago for the last 2 weeks). they all have the same problem. the engine light goes on while driving. the car idles roughly and it dosen't go. the cars are in for repeated injection coil replacements but they still keep failing. this has been a frustrating experience. there should be a recall with this situation because it involves both the audi and vw cars with 1.8t engines. a4's, beetles,jettas, and passats!

You are sitting on more than 125 complaints from owners of certain 2002 volkswagen and audi models concerning failed ignition coils (also known as "coilpacks" or "coil packs"). this is a major safety issue as the failure occurs while driving and the car loses power. drivers and passengers are at risk for accidents and serious injuries as a result of this defect. the car must be towed after this failure has occurred. i have taken the liberty of compiling the complaints you currently have listed on your website which are scattered throughough various models of audi and vw and are classified under various headings. please note that the part in question is common to all three vehicles. (the code number for affected parts ends in "h') there are four of these parts per vehicle (one per cylinder) and they fail one at a time, two at a time or more. thus, owners will face this problem more than once. please take action on this dangerous defect immediately before someone gets killed or seriously injured. thank you. nhtsa coilpack complaints by 2002 model year vehicle make/model 2002 vw passat electrical system 22 electrical system: ignition 17 electrical system: ignition coil 5 engine 6 electrical: wiring harness (fire reported) 4 total passat 54 2002 vw jetta electrical system 9 electrical system: alternator/regulator 1 electrical system: ignition 7 engine 3 total jetta 20 2002 vw gti electrical: alternator/regulator 1 total gti 1 total volkswagen 75 2002 audi a4 electrical system 21 electrical system: ignition 20 electrical system: ignition coil 8 total a4 49 2002 audi a4 avant electrical: ignition 2 total a4 avant 2 total audi 51 total complaints 126

The engine light would contiue to flash every time the vehicle was started. dealer was not notified. please provied further information.*jb

While driving at any speed, without warning vehicle will die out. the dealership indicated that this is caused by the ignition coil going bad. this part is on back order, cause it is a common problem with this model/year vehicle. ts

While driving the engine light came on. heavy vibrations forced the consumer to pull off the road due to a faulty engine coil pack. dealer changed two of the faulty coil pack and refused to change the other two. please provide further information. ph *tr

For the second time in three weeks my 2002 vw passat wagon is at the dealer for an ignition coil failure. luckily both failures occured in town at low velocity as the car slows rapidly and is undrivable after the failure. had the failures occured in high speed highway trafic or in a remote area in cold weather the results could have been desasterous. vw refuses to replace the remaining coils unless they fail, and they readily admit that there is a good chance that they will fail. vw should be required to immediately recall and replace te defective coils as this is a serious safety problem it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured.

I started leasing a 2002 vw passat 1.8 in october of 2001, the engine malfunction light came on(flashing) in september of 2002, and the vehicle lost power. it was towed to the dealership. the car had approximately 11,000 miles on it. i was advised ignition coil #3 was bad. three months later, it happened again. at that time i was advised coil #2 & 3 had to be replaced. two weeks later, it happened a third time. i contacted vw directly who assigned me a care # & advised that all 4 coils would be replaced and that should solve the problem. the dealership had my car for 2 weeks and i was told all 4 coils were replaced. 3 weeks passed after all 4 coils were replaced and the malfunction light came on again. this is the 4th incident. the car is set to go back in the shop this week. i'm very displeased at the way vw has handled this situation. i have not received any type of reassurance from vw that this matter will be taken care of appropriately. i will not take my 2002 vehicle on long trips as i fear i will be stranded. i bought a new vehicle to avoid these types of situations.

Within the first 1000 miles car was shaking heavily on startup. had to have vehicle towed to dealership where it was not even looked at for 24hrs. diagnosised as coil issue and was without the car for almost 1 week. 8 months later wife and daughter were driving on freeway when car shows same symptoms. had to pull over and wait 90 min for tow truck. diagnosised as coil #3 issue. without the car for 10 days. less than a month later, leaving work and going over a bridge, vehicle acted the same way again. got the care home (barely) and then had tow truck come again. this time contacted vm customer care to try and get support for replacement of 4th coil to try and avoid a 4th bad experience. no luck, 3 representitives and 1 supervisor later, no progress. even though 3 of the 4 have gone bad, they insist on only replacing the parts that have shown the defect. the problem with this is that it cannot be predicted and the 4th coil is of the same lot that has already gone bad. on top of all this, the first time we had this trouble, they had the nerve to put me and my family in a geo metro as a loaner (no offense to geo owners). with this last time, i am finally in a nicer, comparable vehicle. vw has acknowledged the problem to me but refuses to step up and do the right thing. this a $70 part...$70. i would think that is worth the expense to ensure the satisfaction and safety of their customers.

Consumer stated that his vehicle is firing off the cylinder,causing the qual pack to leak. *nlm

This is a follow up message to an earlier complaint. my passat's ignition coils are going bad. one has been replaced due to failure, one is going (i had the same symptoms just 2 days after i got the vehicle back from the dealer), and the rest will probably go. the newly designed coils are on backorder from vw, causing quite a bit of inconvenience. although the dealer and vw know the old coils are bad, they won't replace them with the newly designed coils until they go bad. i smelled smoke the first time my car died, and i'm very nervous that it will catch on fire as has happened to other passat owners. please, please look into making vw recall the vehicles for this problem. the car can possibly stall while in motion. it's not safe.

Car started idling very hard with noticeable loss of power. engine light started to flash. dealership said to have it towed. determined that ignition coil #2 had failed. said vw was aware of the problem. replaced failed coil and had vw rep. reset the computer. they said a vw rep. was coming down at least 1-2 times per week because of all the cars that needed resets due to this problem. they said if they didn't reset the computer it would happen again almost immediately. car only had about 5,500 miles on it. waiting for other coils to fail so i don't feel safe taking it on long trips. i'm hoping with enough complaints and bad publicity, vw will be forced into a recall. does only one supplier manufacture these ignition coils?

Consumer's has become aware of defect with vehicle's ignition coils. contacted manufacturer who advised will only replace specific coils when they fail. consumer is very concerned about safety while driving vehicle should coil fail and stall. very upset that the volkswagen is not taking a "preemptive" stance with defect.*ak

Consumer state while traveling engine indication light would flash on soon after vehicle would lose power. dealer has been contacted technician notice ignition coils needed to be replace vehicle has been repair twice for repair. please provide further information. ts

This is the second time in two months my 2002 vw passat 1.8t has had ignition coil failures. the first occured nov. 11, 7875 miles. the second, jan 6, 9200 miles. the second time, two of the four ingition coils failed and waited 15 days for replacements. the dealer said the old coils in the car have a 90% failure rate, while the new coils they are replacing them with have a 20% expected failure rate. i do not feel safe driving a car that has those probabilities of failure. myself and other passat owners deman volkswagen find a solution for these cost-cutting related malfunctions that compromise the safety of our vehicles.

Coil pack failure - ignition coil failure. vehicle began running extremely rough (lost 1 of 4 cylinders) could be a significant safety concern.

I purchased my 2002 vw passat on august 21, 2002. after less than 3000 miles, i had to have one of the ignition coils replaced. today, at 5146 miles, i had to have another ignition coil replaced. that is two times in less than 2 months that i have had to take my car in for repairs. the repairperson informed me that vw has been having this problem on all of the 1.8 turbos and that it is not really a matter of if the next one goes out, but when.

There were problems with the ignition coil pack. the dealer was contacted and stated that there is a back order on the part. *nlm the engine malfunction light had come on and the vehicle began to shake. the vehicle had to go back to the dealer for a second time for the original problem. scc

Consumer notice while traveling vehicle jerking and bucking. vehicle was towed to dealer, technician notice ignition cole need to be replace. please provide further information. ph

Consumer complained about having problems with the coil packs. also stated that she was told that even the parts that have been replaced can still be defective. *ak

Consumer called complaining about having a problem with ignition coil. also stated that there is problems with the iginition coils and that one was replaced but she still thinks that the other ones can go bad. dealer was contacted and stated that they do know about the problem but they will not replaced then until they go bad. ts

Vehicle was purchased new approximately 2 months ago. while driving car began shaking and consumer smelled a burning odor emitting from the steering column. dealer diagnosed that ignition coil had cracked. ts

Coil pack on vw 1.8t engine defective so many bad ones dealer don't have replacement part. ts

While traveling on the highway without prior warning the vehicle will shut down will not restart. please provide additional information and the dealer is aware of the problem. ph

2002 volkswagon passat - ignition coil failed, causing the car to lose much power. we had the same problem less than two weeks ago (december 23, 2002). the vw dealer acknowledged that these have been failing often but refused to replace the other two coils even though they admitted they are more likely to fail than the newer replacement units (old units have part number h, new are j). we have repeatedly contacted the volkswagon national consumer care number and they have lied to us about contacting our dealer (our repair was delayed because they said they called but didn't). we are afraid to drive the vehicle because of the high risk of getting stranded or worse in an accident. (note: incident date is jan 2 2003 not 2002, but it's not an available option)

The coil controlling the spark plug of one of the cylinders failed when the vehicle was being driven. the failure resulted in the loss of spark causing the engine to operate on only three cylinders at reduced power.

Engine missed and accelerated poorly. dealer found codes p0300 and p0304 and replaced #4 ignition coil pack. since then the engine continues to accelerate erratically and dealer has been unable to find problem.

Volkswagen of america has a known component failure with the ignition coils on all vw and audi 1.8t engines in all 2002 models. these components fail without warning causing the car to stall and/or lose power dramatically and can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. vw has stated that they know the components are bad (4 per engine) but will only fix these items as they fail. i personally have had this failure twice and they will not correct all of the components. please investigate this and force vw to recall all of these vehicles and replace all of these know bad components.

Failed coil pack on vehicle after only 16000 miles. dealer service adviser stated that vw is aware of this problem in all 2001 thru 2003 vw passats with 1.8 liter turbo engines. service adviser stated that vw is having so many failures on this product that the part had to be ordered through vin direct from germany. they will not replace all four coils, only the failed items. vehicle failed on highway and became a safety hazard to other motorists until i could negotiate to safe area to investigate failure. ts

The ignition coil has has had to be replaced three times in my 2002 passat. vw knows about the problem but due a shortage of parts, they will only fix them on a needed basis. ts

Coil pack failure. dealer has replaced two broken coils on previous incidents - currently awaiting replacement for third incident. vehicle undriveable - must be towed. symptoms indicated by flashing engine light on dash and very rough idling. no indication of when replacements will be available - car is in dealer service lot two weeks. dealer has reported that 17 other passats are also awaiting replacement. vw must issue a recall or service advisory to replace all coils not just bad ones.

Consumer states that while driving and when wipers are in motion the wiper arm is causing a crack to appear on the front windshield. dealer will be notified. mr

The engine light flashed on and off and the car made a vibrating noise on 12-21-02. the vehicle is a 4 cyclinder 2002 vw passast with 5200 miles which i purchased in june of this year. i had it towed to fairfax vw in fairfax, va on 12-22-02. the tow truck driver advised me that he had towed a number of passats over the past few months that had burned out coil packs. the car was repaired on 12-23-02 and 2 of the 4 coil packs had burned out. i was told that vw was aware of this problem. i asked the dealer why the other 2 coil packs were not replaced and they advised me that vw will only approve the replacement of the burned out ones. i feel that if vw is aware of this problem that all of the coil packs should have been replaced since the other two may eventually burn out, too. this could cause severe mechanical damage if the vehicle is driven under these conditions.

One of four coil packs (a.k.a. ignition coils) failed in my 2002 volkswagen passat 1.8l turbo. upon phoning the dealership, i found that they currently have 20 other cars on their lot with the identical problem waiting for replacement parts that are on national backorder. in order to appease their customers, the dealer had been pulling the part out of 2003 models, but they ran out of cars to cannibalize. i have further learned that this is a widespread problem in late model vw's as well as audi's with the 1.8l engine, and although vw is aware of the defect, they have not authorized their dealers to replace the other three coil packs. also, while my car could potentially break down three more times because of this defective part, there is currently no recall scheduled by volkswagen.

Coil packs defective in 2002 volkswagen passat - dealer said this is a known problem by volkswagen. but vw refused to replace all coil packs except the one that failed, exposing drivers to further failures (quite possibly in a dangerous situation)

2002 vw passant. i am told that all late 2001 and all 2002 models with 4 cylinder engines where supplied with defective ingition coils. this has resulted in my car breaking down three times. it either spontanisly (sp) loses power or loses all power and the car shakes. this is potentially deadly in high traffic situations. vw north america is aware of the problem, but refuses to replace all 4 coils. they will only replace them as they fail. this means that for thousands of owners, they each have four chances to be involved in a wreck when the engine fails.

The engine started idling rough and the check engine light was flashing. happened in neighborhood, limped car home and had it towed to dealer. dealer replaced faulty coil pack. without car for eight days.

12/28/02 -- on start up, vehicle idled roughly and felt as though it were going to stall, so we took it to the local mechanic who said that 2 ignition coils are certainly bad. the vehicle had previously given off an electrical burning smell 2 times that went away after one minute or so, and at a different time it was difficult to start and idled roughly for about a minute or so. we are waiting to see if all the coils can be replaced at once instead of waiting until they go bad or catch fire. given the number of complaints for this problem, we certainly feel that this is a safety issue and should be addressed by volkswagen in a timely fashion and hope that they will do so in our case. ts

Consumer noticed problems with the electrical ignition switch system, causing stalling engine. dealer has been notified. please provide the odi# and further information. ts

My 2002 volkswagon passat 1.8t was towed to the dealer due to another ignition coil failure. this is the second occurrence of this problem. not the same ignition coil failed.

Car started up not running on all cylinders. refused to run on all cylinders. engine warning light (mil) came on. manual and dealer said to have vehicle towed to dealer in this situation. car went to dealer. bad ignition coil is diagnosis. dealer says none available in u.s. or canada. dealer doesn't know when it can fix. car is 4 months old with 3,800 miles and is undriveable. no date set for when it will be repaired. ts

One of the coli packs failed on my car at approximately 4500 miles. the car ran very rough and had a very noticable loss of power. a warning light appeared on the dash board and the manual said that the car should not be driven and should be towed to the dealership. i was afraid that if i was in a situation where the car needed to accelerate qucikly that an accident could have occured.

Consumer was unable to start their vehicle. consumer had vehicle towed to the dealership who indicated that two of four ignition coil had failed. please provide more details. ts

Ignition coil failure. the first time on 11/29/02; coils 1 & 3. was told "parts were on backorder" and "it could be weeks" and "many passat owners were experiencing this". dealer only repaired the coils that failed. the second incident occurred on 12/26/02--same thing; had to have car towed to dealer again. again, despite all the known occurrences with the coil packs and passats, only the coils that failed will be replaced (and who knows how long it will take). i am extremely worried that the next time this occurs i will suddenly lose power while driving on the highway and end up being in an accident as a result and/or will be stranded alone on the side of the road....i do a lot ( ~300 - 400 miles/week) of solo driving. ts

Coil pack failed five times. no answers from vw.

Coil defect on 2002 vw passat 1.8 t. this car has 27k miles on it and 3 coils have been replaced in the past 2 months (there is one for each cylinder). vw has made repairs as needed, but would not replace the 4th coil. each time one goes the car has to be towed. we are at the point where we don't want to drive the car for fear of being stranded.

The coil pack has failed on my vw 2002 passat 1.8t. i had it towed to the dealer who stated that it should not be driven in its condition. the dealer also stated that it was a part failure and he wasn't suprised. there have been a lot of them lately and the parts are on back order. later that night i did a little research and i find out that hundreds of other people with the 2002 1.8t engine are having the same issue. (vwvortex.com or google.com "vw coil packs") something with the cold weather affects the coil packs. vw should recall these parts and replace them with working coil packs. luckily when mine went i was two blocks from my apartment. it did happen however in the middle of an intersection. the light turned green and i accelerated. about 2 seconds later i experienced an extreme loss of power and a rumbling feeling. the car shuttered and i pulled over to stop. since the dealer stated it was not drivable i am lucky i was not stranded on the freeway as i generally commute 30 minutes to work every day. i worry that myself and other owners of the 1.8t engine will experience the same issue only further from a safe place causing accidents or being stranded on the side of the road. since it is a known failure among vw mechanics its clear that a recall is in order. vw has sold the 1.8t as a quality engine above others in its class and should stand behind it.

My cars check engine light came on, and the car lost power and ran very roughly. i managed to make it to an off ramp before stopping the car. i called the vw road side assistance and they sent a tow truck to take the car to the dealer. i had my wife, my son, my sister in law, and my dog, so finding a way home was not easy. i was lucky that when this happened i was still within my "home" area, and was able to find a friend with a large enough car. after the dealer opened the next day, they told me it was a coil pack that had gone bad and the part will take a week or two to get. i have a rental that is paid for by the dealer, but it is not the same type of car i bought, a station wagon. i did some research to see what a coil pack is, and found many owners with the same problem, and the problem happens more than once. i am verry concerned that this will happen again and i won't be near a friend who can rescue me and my family.

Consumer states that the vehicle would intermittently loses accelertion while driving in low gear. vehicle been to the dealer on two occasion and they are unable to locate the problem. feel free to provide any further information. *mr

While driving vehicle was jerking. a warning light illuminated for emission or catalytic converter. towed to dealer, and dealer replaced ignition coil. please provide any further information.*ak

Vehicle had been in for an oil change about 8 days ago. vehicle was sitting in garage, when it caught on fire. house could have burned down. please provide any further information.*ak

Engine check light comes on and stayes on or flickeres on and off, indicating an engine problem, the component was reset on 4 occasions but the problem reoccurs. *ak *nlm

Consumer states while driving all the warning lights on the dash board came on , vehicle will not accelerated over 40mph. had vehicle service 3 times for same problem, dealer cannot fix problem, cause unknow. nlm

E-plus, p195/65r15, dot unknown, original equipment on a 2002, volkswagen, passat with 10000 miles. rear passenger tire blewout at 70 mph.*ak while traveling, the right rear tire disentegrated resulting in damage to the under carriage of the vehicle. *jg

Windshield at an acute angle has a distortion or loss of clarity. blur starts in corners and edges of glass one end to the other. problem is very noiiceable. dealer was notified. please provide more information.*ak

Dt*: the contact stated while parked, the fuel tank filler neck was observed to be leaking under the back seat. also, a strong odor of gasoline was coming from the backseat. it was also observed that the vehicle consumed a great deal of gas. secondly, there was a slash in the rear tire on the passenger side due to debris and abrasion with the fuel tank. there were no warning signals prior to the incident. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, who determined that there was a fuel leak on the tank top nipple. the fuel tank was replaced and the tire was realigned. the manufacturer was notified and refused to acknowledge that the vin # was not part of the nhtsa recall #02v026000. reimbursement was also denied.

Driving north in the far right lane on gallatin pk in nashville, tn, another driver in the south bound turning lane turned into oncoming traffic with no warning. my view was obscured by the line of traffic in the left hand north lanes. the car i was driving (2002 vw passat) hit the car that turned in to my lane in a direct, classic t-bone hit. i never saw the car and hit the car at approx. 32 mph without braking. the driver's side airbag on my car failed to deploy although the passenger side airbag did deploy. i was wearing a seat belt, but the car seat also slid forward and i hit the steering wheel. the back seats came unlatched and everything flew forward through the car at impact. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. after adding fuel to the vehicle the contact smelled a strong odor of gasoline inside the vehicle. the contact was able to continue driving without incident; however, after the vehicle was parked the fuel tank was leaking. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 120,000.

The vehicle exhibits excessive vibration and noise primarily between 40-45 mph. the owners backround is an automotive engineer and has measured the problem and identified issue to be driveline inbalance. dealers first acknowledge issue while driving with owner then claim "non-verifiability" to a condition which occurs 100% of the time. owner has measured similar vehicles from dealer lot and has verified that the condition is not inherant to all like vehicles.

Consumer stated when defrosting front windshield, the defroster was blowing air from outside of the vehicle. *jb

Whenever you use the windshield washer, some of the fluid gets into the vent and you can smell it in the cabin and even sometimes taste it as you are driving. i believe windshield washer fluid is toxic. i have two late model volkswagens, they both do this everytime. i've never experienced this with any other car i've driven before.

While driving fire started in vehicle. cause unknown. please give any further details.*ak

The air dam that protects the transmission/engine bottom, only the front center bolt had been attached. the right and left bolts were not installed. dam broke while moving and could get wedged under vehicle causing a potential accident. *jg

The entire stereo and radio (monsoon systems) has failed, the consumer is currently awaiting the 5th system to come into the dealer and be installed in the vehicle. nlm

The replacement ignition coil is on back order. the car has been sitting idle for 1 week. it is unknown when the replacement part will arrive possibly a week or two. this is not an isolated incident as i was told by the technician at the vw service department (new motors, erie pa) that 5 other cars were sitting waiting for a new ignition coil. this is also evidenced by the fact that i have to wait 2 weeks or more for the part to arrive. dt

Dealer replaced remaining original coil only after 3 had failed. vehicle was towed for all 3 incidents. dt

No summary. dt

Volkswagen has knowingly installed defective coil packs on 2002 1.8l engines. all 4 of mine blew, and they replaced them with the same type and re-flashed the ecu to retard timing and dwell. this is a known and serious problem that should warrant a recall. dt

No summary. dt

Vw is refusing to replace remaining coils until they fail at risk for failure at any time. dt

Rough idle at start-up with no prior symptoms. dealer can not give accurate expected repair date due to part being on national back order. many, many other vw and audi owners with 1.8t engine having same experience. dt

Car will begin to vibrate and run poorly. cylinder misfires and burns coil out. this has happened three times. car is currently in shop to replace coil and control panel which is on back order. dt

There have been 5 separate ignition coil failures within a 1 month period (10/15/02-11/15/02). one of the failures (#3 coil on 11/4) was for the same coil that had just been replaced on 10/15. i beleive that this is a ridiculous number of occurrences, and yet the mfg does not acknowledge a problem. i have filed case # 20380656 with vw. dt

No summary. dt

I have had this vehicle for just over 12 months and i have replaced 3 out of 4 ignition coils. i was told by a service manager at the dealership that vw manufactured a bad batch and now they have to replace them. i have contacted vw customer service but they will not admit there is a problem. i am requesting that they replace the 4th coil before it goes bad. when the coils goes bad the car vibrate. i was told bu the dealer that you should not drive the car when this happens. dt

Three of four original ignition coils have failed. two of the replacements have failed. vw america has been contacted. they acknowledge that they are aware of the problem and that a new coil is available, but they refuse to replace the coils until they fail. when the coils fail, the car runs very "rough" does not engage into the turbo phase and the engine light comes on. dt

Car misfiring towed to dealer. diagnosed as ignition coil failure. car has been disabled 30+ days awaiting part. vw and dealer have no idea when replacement part will be available. dealer indicates a significant number of passat's have experienced this problem. dt

Coil pack failure on new car with only 11k miles. driving at 50 mph with 6month old child, left with little power has cylinders misfiring. requested that all 4 be replaced. vw denied request. got car back after 12 days at dealership (12/1/02). 2 days later, (70 miles later) same problem. car returned to on dec 3rd. vw has not issued recall. safety issue!! being on boston highways with other drivers bearing down on you at 70 mph and you lose this type of power. not to mention the other possible scenarios of being standed. go to vwvortex forum. many other owners having the same problem. dt

Only 1 month after fixing the same problem, the system shorted out again, leaving the climate control system, the cruise control, garage door opener, and other items inoperative.*ak

Too marked a difference between lit and unlit areas when lights are on on dark road with no other traffic or lighting. it is like there is a black curtain above the lit area. when i hit a bump or dip in the road or the car is at certain sharper angles to the road, the black curtain comes down to within 2 car lengths. it is impossible to see anything in the black area, even white road markings. of course, you can switch on your brights quickly, but that takes another second and by that time you could be off the road or hit something. traveling on dark uneven curving roads is unnerving. if i had it do over i would not buy any car with this type of headlights. i feel now that i have spent a lot of money and can't drive safely on dark roads at night.*ak

At approximately 9 pm on 8/31/02, a fire starting beneath the hood destroyed the vehicle as it sat in the driveway of our home. the car had been operating normally, with no sign of overheating, smoke, etc., and had been parked in driveway 5-10 minutes before flames were seen blazing from under hood. only prior service on car was oil change, by vw, 8 days earlier. in fact, we had not had any engine trouble of any kind since purchasing the car. we had been using the car virtually daily since the birth of our son in may. i doubt overheating was to blame, since in fact that day was the coolest in months, and we had been driving the car in temperatures in the 90s and even above 100, including a long-distance trip to/from vermont, without incident.*ak

No summary. dt

Ignition coil failure: the car began to run very rough as if affected by bad gas or faulty spark plugs. check engine light began to flash. ts

After starting car, the climate control system was inoperative. it was a hot summer day. no air conditioning or fan. also found the cruise control would not "set". drove immediately to dealer who would not even look at the 8 month old car for 2 weeks.*ak

Vehicle has had the check engine warning light on three times. the dealer states that volkswagen has a problem with 2002 computer in passats. dealer states volkswagen must write new computer code to remedy this problem. i have been told that this will take up to two weeks. i was not informed at the time of purchase that a problem existed in 2002 passat software. *ak

Purchased car in late dec, 2001. have taken car in for repair on 1/12/02 and 1/16/02 for it emitting excess, raw fuel through exhaust system. have been waiting 7.5 weeks for the repair to be made. was told by service manager that they're having same problem. *ak

Lack of information provided to customers on special nature of 4 motion passat driving during a skid in winter conditions. *ak

Dangerous situation. when accelerating from a complete stop vehicle does 1 of 3 things: 1)gasps for gas and goes nowhere (dangerous when making left hand turns) or 2) tries to move ahead like a carbureted care with vapor lock or 3) performs normally.

This was pretty straightforward. i heard a grinding noise whenever i turned right in my passat. with less than 800 miles on my car, i drove it back to the dealer. within an hour they determined that the cv joint was "bad". what surprised me was there nonchalance. no offer of a loaner car (they're paying for the rental of a much cheaper car), no attempt to rush delivery on the needed part (at the earliest, it will arrive 4 days after it was ordered), not even the simpliest apology.

Fire in engine compartment (approximately 2"-3" high 6"-12" inches wide) no action taken by factory after 10 days of having the car in the dealer. we bought the car with 14 miles on it and it was on fire within 59 miles on it and factory & dealer told me nothing is wrong with the car and told me to drive it home. after my persistance that fire does not just starts on it's own and problem needs to be identified, dealer now after 10 days is trying to identify the problem mean while i purchased the most expensive car volks wagen sells in u.s.a. and only had it for less than 20 hours. because of the instant problem and their less than interested to address the problem i asked for my trade in back and recind the deal, also i asked for new car and both the dealer & factory representative told me no! now after tech. finally taking car for a 15-20 min. test drive( i've been told) they realized smell and dripping of substance (what i was told by service manager) still no new car and no reselotion. please let me know what i can do.*ak

The consumer experienced on three separate occasions, three flat tires. the conumer feels that under these circumstances, he deserves some sort of compensation for these tires (michelin mxv4plus 205/55r16). *scc

The consumers right rear tire of the vehicle became flat so the consumer immediately pulled over to the side of the highway. there were flames shooting out from underneath the vehicle. (cause was unknown) but the fire report mentioned that there were fireworks in the trunk, but the consumers daughter says that there was kitty litter in the trunk. *scc

While driving, the rear passenger side tire failed and damaged the fuel filler neck causing a fuel leak. consumer believes this failure is very similar to the failures described in odi-influenced recall 02v026000 for 2000 model year vehicles. a fire could have resulted if an ignition source were present. *tt *cb

Notice this has happened on a number of passat's and they are listed under different categories, but the same problem. the engine coils are defective and they keep replacing anything related to it. dt