2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT STATION WAGON. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THERE IS A FIRE REPORT BUT THE CONTACT DOES NOT HAVE A COPY. THERE WERE NO DEATHS, INJURIES AND NO POLICE REPORT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES ARE 40000.

2005 VW PASSAT WITH RECALL FOR A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. CONSUMER TOOK THE CAR OVERSEAS. HE STATES THAT THEY WILL NOT HONOR THE INTERNATIONAL WARRANTY FOR THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. *KB THE DEALER STATED THEY WERE NOT HAVING THE PROBLEM IN EUROPE. *JB

WHEN MAKING A TURN FROM A STOP POSITION, THE CAR STALLS. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHEN GOING FORWARD INTO TRAFFIC. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I FEEL THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *JB THE MECHANIC WENT ON A TEST DRIVE WITH THE CONSUMER AND HE NOTICED THAT SHE DROVE WITH BOTH FEET, THE MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION COULD NOT DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE SHOULD SSTOP OR GO FORWARD WHEN TURNING, AND THEREFORE IT STALLED. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HAS MADE AN EFFORT TO USE ONLY ONE FOOT AND THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE RESOLVED. UPDATED 10/31/07. *JB

2005 PASSAT AIR CONDITIONER FAILURE, BLOWS COLD AIR INTERMITTENTLY. CUSTOMER STATES THAT IT BLOWS COLD AIR INTERMITTENTLY THEN WILL STOP FOR NO REASON AND BLOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AIR. **NAR**KB THE DEALER REPLACED VARIOUS PARTS WITHIN THE AC UNIT, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE AC FAILURE. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THERE WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OR THE WIRING HARNESS. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED HE REPLACED TWO TIRES DUE TO EXTREME CUPPING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE BRAKE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS UNRECOGNIZABLE. THE CONTACT ALSO CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE. THE REAR BUMPER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN AND DEALER INFORMATION WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 58,700 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 700.

OVER 2 YEARS SINCE NEW, CAR HESITATES WITH SOFT THROTTLE ACCELERATION LIKELY BETWEEN 1 AND 2 GEAR, NO THROTTLE RESPONSE FOR UP TO 5 SECONDS, VERY DANGEROUS WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS ACROSS TRAFFIC OR JOINING TRAFFIC FROM A STOP. 2005 VOLKSWAGON PASSAT TDI MOST RECENT DATE GIVEN, HUNDREDS OF INCIDENTS OF SAME. VW DEALER SAYS NORMAL, HE EXPERIENCES IN MOVING CARS AROUND HIS LOT. I SAY NEEDS FIXING AND VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH: MY BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON WHEN MY FOOT IS NOT ON THE BRAKE. THIS LEAVES THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT. I CALLED MY DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE CURRENT RECALL. I LOOKED AT THIS WEB SITE AND IT DESCRIBES THE VERY SAME SYMPTOMS THAT MY CAR IS EXHIBITING. *JB

FAILURE OF CAR TO SHUT ENGINE OFF WHEN KEY SWITCHED TO OFF. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE LEAD TO A FIRE IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. PROBLEM TRACED TO SHORT IN WIRING ASSOCIATED WITH DRIVER'S SUN VISOR AND 'VANITY' LIGHTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO SOLVE PROBLEM. TECHNICIAN FOUND SOLUTION BY CHANCE. *TR

THE FIRST PROBLEM I NOTICED WAS WHEN I EXITEDTHE VEHICLE WAS THAT THE REMOTE CONTROL WOULD NOT LOCK THE DOORS. I THOUGHT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD SO I MANUALLY LOCKED THEM. I WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOORS TO THE VEHICLE WITH THE REMOTE AS WELL, SO I MANUALLY UNLOCKED THEM, STARTED THE CAR AND PROCEEDED ON. I STOPPED FOR FUEL, TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, REMOVED THE KEY AND REALIZED THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. *AK I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF BUT IT WOULD NOT. I CONTINUED ON TO MY RESIDENCE WHERE AGAIN THE ENGINE FAILED TO STOP RUNNING WITH THE KEY OFF AND OUT OF THE IGNITION. I CALLED VW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHO PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH A DEALER WHO TALKED ME THROUGH STALLING THE ENGINE BY CUTTING OFF THE AIR SUPPLY. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DEALER THE NEXT DAY WHICH WAS A SATURDAY. THERE THE ENGINE WOULD AGAIN NOT STOP RUNNING, AND I SHOWED THE TECHNICIAN HOW I HAD CHOCKED IT PREVIOUSLY. FOLLOWING SEVERAL HOURS OF TROUBLESHOOTING, THE DEALER TRACED THE PROBLEM BACK TO THE SUN VISOR. THEY BELIEVED THAT THE HOME LINK SYSTEM BUILT INTO THE VISOR WAS CREATING A REVERSE CURRENT FLOW WHICH WAS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING EVEN WITH THE KEY OFF AND REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. WITH THE VISOR DISCONNECTED, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT REPEATED. I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ONE ADDITIONAL PERSON WITH THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR OF VEHICLE THAT HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.

PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR MOLDING HAS WARPED TWICE NOW AND FIRST REPLACEMENT DONE MONTHS AFTER LEASE INCEPTION, HAVING BEEN TOLD IT'S NOT UNDER WARRANTY BY POTAMKIN VW IN MANHATTAN, NY. CALLED VW AND POTAMKIN ABOUT SECOND WARPING ON REPLACED MOLDING, ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT I MUST HAVE HIT IT AND THAT I PULLED IT OFF (WHICH I DID TO KEEP IT FROM FURTHER SCRATCHING THE FRONT DOOR)...JUST READ ZILLIONS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE CAR, SOME CITING THAT IT COULD BE DOOR'S ALIGNMENT AND OTHERS THAT IT COULD BE MOLDING ALIGNMENT...DON'T KNOW, BUT NEITHER DEALER NOR VW CUSTOMER SERVICE COOPERATING. *JB