2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

I HAVE A '01 VW PASSAT. I HAD TO GO TO THE VW DEALER TODAY SINCE I WAS HEARING A PINGING NOISE WHEN I DRIVE. THEY CHECKED AND ADVISED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM AND TIE ENDS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED SINCE THEY WERE WORN OUT. THE CAR HAS 77K MILES AND ON RESEARCHING HAVE FOUND THAT OTHER VW PASSAT OWNERS FROM THE SAME TIME FRAME ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. IT HAS BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO DESIGN FLAWS. I AM WORRIED THAT THIS IS GOING TO DETERIORATE AND LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. ADDITIONALLY THEY IDENTIFIED A VALVE COVER CAMSHAFT SEAL LEAKAGE. THIS IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY OTHER OWNERS. *TR

THE FUEL SENSOR FAILS AFTER ABOUT ONE YEAR OF USE. IT HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE. THE FAILURE MODE IS THAT IT ALWAYS REPORTS TWICE THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF FUEL AVAILABLE. *TR

ABS CONTROL MODULE HAS FAILED, RESULTING IN WARNING BEEPS AND FLASHING LIGHTS. BRAKES WILL OPERATE (?) HOWEVER ABS IS NOW DISABLED RESULTING IN A DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION. THIS PROBLEM IS ABSOLUTELY VERY COMMON ACROSS ALL YEARS PASSATS AND IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. VW DOES NOTHING AND MAKES MONEY FOR THE REPAIRS. *TR

MY 2001.5 PASSAT HAS FLOODED THREE TIMES, TWICE THROUGH THE POLLEN FILTER AND ONCE THROUGH THE SUN ROOF. MY INSURANCE COMPANY PAID $6000 FOR THE LAST REPAIR. THE ELECTRICAL IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WAS DESTROYED TWICE. FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS THE SUN ROOF OPENS ON ITS OWN WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED, ENGINE OFF. RAIN WOULD AGAIN DESTROY THE ELECTRICAL WERE THIS TO HAPPEN DURING A STORM. I CHECK ON THE CAR EVERY NIGHT TO BE CERTAIN THAT THE ROOF IS CLOSED. VW WILL TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. THE VERY WORST HAPPENING WAS WHEN I HAD HAD THE CAR FOR ONE WEEK AND ATTENDED A VERY TRAGIC FUNERAL. THE HORN STARTED BEEPING AS IF AT A WEDDING. I DROVE OUT OF THE PROCESSION AND TO A SAFE PLACE WHERE I CALLED FOR TOWING. THIS CAR IS A LEMON AND I WANT VW TO HONOR THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TO THEIR CONSUMERS. THEY WANT ME TO PAY FOR A DIAGNOSIS WHICH COULD COST $1000, AND THEY WOULD THEN DECIDE WHAT TO DO. I HAD VW PICK UP THE CAR AND FIX THE SIDE AIR BAG STRIP THAT HAD FALLEN AND HUNG OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE'S WINDOW. THEY CLAIM THEY NEVER SERVICED THIS. THEY ARE NOT TRUTHFUL IN THEIR SERVICE TO ME. HOW FOOLISH IT WOULD BE TO HAVE THEM DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM THEY WOULD CHARGE ME TO FIX ...LIKE GIVING A THIEF KEYS TO THE HOUSE. *TR

THE HARD LINE MOUNTED ON THE FIRE WALL THAT GUIDES THE THREE FUEL LINES BROKE OR FAILED. PLASTIC FUEL LINE WHICH CRACKS OR IS DEFECTIVE LOCATED AT THE SITE WHERE THE LINES ARE CLAMPED BY A PLASTIC HOUSING. GASOLINE SPRAYS ONTO THE ENGINE BLOCK.

OWNER DRIVING THE CAR WHEN SMOKE BEGAN APPEARING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD. FIRE DENSITY INCREASED RAPIDLY AND OWNER DROVE INTO A SAFEWAY PARKING LOT WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN IT IMMEDIATELY FILLED WITH SMOKE. FIRE DEPT. WAS CALLED AND BROKE ALL WINDOWS CAUSING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SMOKE TO BE RELEASED. THE SMOKE WAS WHITE AND BLACK. *TR

1. FRONT AND REAR BRAKES INADEQUATE FOR VEHICLE--HAD TO HAVE BRAKE WORK AT ~20,000 MILES AND AGAIN AT JUST UNDER 42,000 MILES (THIS HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER CAR). BRAKES REPAIRED/PARTS REPLACED TWICE. CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED BY MANUFACTURER FOR BRAKES 2. SUNROOF +/- WINDSHIELD DRAIN(S) BECAME BLOCKED AND LEAKED AND FLOODED PASSENGER FOOTWELLS, WITH RISK OF DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL AND HAS BEEN WIDELY REPORTED ON THE WEB. VW NEEDS TO RECALL CARS FOR THE PROBLEM WITH BLOCKED DRAINS/LEAKAGE AND DAMAGE TO VEHICLES. COST TO VACUUM WATER OUT OF FOOTWELLS BELOW THE CARPET > $600 WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT PROBLEM WILL NOT RECUR 3. VW PASSAT HAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH SLUDGE BUILD UP IN ENGINE AND CONSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE--I HAVE NOT (?YET) HAD THE PROBLEM BUT FEEL THAT VW GUARANTEE TO REPAIR PROBLEM ONLY IF OWNER CAN PROVE OIL CHANGES EVERY 3000 MILES IN AN UNREASONABLE ABNEGATION OF DUTY. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE TO RECALL ALL CARS WITH THE PROBLEM AND REPAIR AT NO CHARGE WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SHIFT BLAME TO CONSUMER. NOW HAVING TO USE EXPENSIVE SYNTHETIC OIL FOR OIL CHANGES ON A VERY FREQUENT BASIS. *TR

FAILURE OF MULTIPLE FRONT CONTROL ARMS IN 2001 VW PASSAT. WAS GIVEN QUOTE OF NEARLY $2100 TO REPAIR CONTROL ARMS. WAS TOLD THIS IS A "WIDE SPREAD" PROBLEM WITH VW PASSATS AND NOTHING HAS BEEN RECALLED AS OF YET. *TR

I HAVE SUFFERED THE SAME ISSUES AS OTHERS CONCERNING THE HEADLIGHTS FOR MY 2001.5 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GLS. I HAVE REPLACED THE DRIVERS SIDE LIGHT ON 3 OCCASIONS. I HAVE REPLACED IT MYSELF ON ALL OCCASIONS. THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAS COMPLETELY MELTED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. WHEN THE BULB IS REPLACED, IT USUALLY LASTS A WEEK BEFORE GOING OUT AGAIN. MY PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT LAST NIGHT. WHEN I WENT TO REPLACE THE BULB, I AGAIN FOUND A MELTED HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THIS ONE IS NOT AS SEVERE AS THE DRIVER SIDE BUT ALSO POSES A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS WILL RESULT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $1,000 IN REPAIRS. VOLKSWAGEN NEEDS TO STEP UP AND CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE HAD MY 2001 VW PASSAT FOR 7 YEARS NOW AND HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP MULTIPLE ISSUES INCLUDING WARPED ROTORS (FRONT AND BACK), CRACKED CHASSE, ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND VARIOUS OTHER PROBLEMS. BEFORE HAVING THIS CAR, I HAD A TOYOTA FOR 8 YEARS AND IN THE 8 YEARS I HAD THE TOYOTA, I ONLY HAD IT IN THE SHOP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THIS CAR IS DISAPPOINTING AND EVERYONE I TALK TO WHO HAS A SIMILAR MODEL/YEAR SAYS THE SAME THING. I THINK THE 2001 VW PASSAT IS A LEMON. *TR