2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

HAVING AN OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM WITH A 2001 1/2 MODEL YEAR VW PASSAT WITH A 1.8T ENGINE. RECENTLY HAD A LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT COME ON, REQUIRING THE VEHICLE TO BE TOWED TO A LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED AS AN OIL PUMP PROBLEM, MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY AN OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. IF IT IS CAUSED BY OIL SLUDGE, THEN ENGINE DAMAGE IS LIKELY TO BE FOUND AS IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM BASED ON WEB FORUM POSTINGS BY OTHER PASSAT OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. VEHICLE IS UNOPERABLE AT THIS TIME. VW IS REFUSING TO COVER TO THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO INSUFFICIENT DOCUMENTATION OF OIL CHANGES. ALL VW SERVICE INTERVALS WERE COMPLETED FOR THE VEHICLE INCLUDING ALL OIL CHANGES AND ARE BACKED UP WITH DOCUMENTATION. I AM STILL TRYING TO GET CLARIFICATION FROM VW AS TO WHY THE DOCUMENTATION IS CONSIDERED INSUFFICIENT. VEHICLE HAS 99,004 MILES ON IT. OIL CHANGES PRIOR TO 30,000 SERVICE INTERVAL WERE COMPLETED AT VW DEALERSHIPS AND INCLUDED VW APPROVED NON-SYNTHETIC OIL. OIL CHANGES FROM 30,000 MILES/JANUARY 2002 FORWARD WERE COMPLETED USING SYNTHETIC OIL. VW RECOGNIZED THE SLUDGE PROBLEM AND ISSUED A WARRANTY EXTENSION IN AUGUST 2004 ALONG WITH REQUIREMENT TO USE SYNTHETIC OILS (NHTSA TSB #10009888 AND #10009873). A PREVIOUS PROBLEM OCCURED AT 78,400 WHERE A DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED. DURING THAT SERVICE THE HEAD GASKET, OIL COOLER, OIL PUMP, AND ASSOCIATED PARTS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. BASED ON WEB POSTINGS FROM OTHER OWNERS THIS MAY ALSO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. *NM

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2001 VW PASSAT WITH 65,000 MILES. I HAVE OWNED APPROX 6 - 7 CARS IN MY LIFETIME AND HAVE TAKEN CARE OF THEM THE SAME. NEVER HAVE I EXPERIENCED THIS WITH A DEALER WHO REQUIRES ALL RECEIPTS. I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE 2 RECEIPTS AND THEREFORE WAS GIVEN THE VERDICT OF A $9000 BILL TO REPLACE THE 1.8 TURBO ENGINE. I AM SERIOUSLY APPALLED. MY FEELING THAT THAT THE DEALERS ARE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM NEED TO TAKE SOME RESPONSIBLITY RATHER THAN POUR THIS IN THE LAP OF THE OWNER. I WOULD EVEN THINK THAT THEY WOULD CONSIDER 50 TO 70% OF THE BILL. I HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER CAR THEREBY HAVE TWO CAR PAYMENTS BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD $9000 AND NEEDED TO GET TO WORK AND CHILD TO SCHOOL, ETC. I WILL NEVER SUGGEST THIS CAR TO ANYONE!!

2001 VW PASSAT, 1.8L 4 CYLINDER. AT 89,000 MILES ON MY ODOMETER, I AM NOW RECEIVING A STOP, BRAKE FAULT, SEE SERVICE MANUAL WARNING, WITH THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ALSO. IN REVIEWING THE VW OWNERS FORUMS AND OTHER INFORMATION ONLINE, IT SEEMS THIS IS A LIKELY FAILURE OF THE ABS CONTROL MODULE -- WHICH IS SAID TO COST $1,500 FOR THE PART ALONE. THIS IS SAID TO BE A FAIRLY COMMON ISSUE....*NM

I HAD A SYNTHETIC OIL CHANGE ON MY 2001 VW PASSAT, NOVEMBER 7,2006 AT HERITAGE VW (DEALERSHIP) AND THEN ON NOVEMBER 22,2006 THE VEHICLE SLOWED AND THE DISPLAY SHOWED STOP WITH AN OIL ICON. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE CAR AND CHECKED THE OIL. THERE WAS OIL IN THE CAR BUT I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID DO NOT DRIVE THE CAR, THERE IS PROBABLY SLUDGE IN THE CAR. I TOWED IT IN THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT NEEDED A NEW OIL PUMP WITH A NEW OIL SCREEN AND IT DID HAVE SLUDGE. THIS REPAIR WAS $1267.00. I WAS NOT OFFERED ANY WARRANTY REIMBURSEMENT AT THAT TIME. LATER I FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH VW. WHY DID THEY NOT SEE THE SLUDGE WHEN THEY DID THE OIL CHANGE NOV 7,2006? *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG INFLATER MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 10/31/06. *JB

10/24/06 MY 2001 VOLKSWAGON PASSAT HAS A STOP WARNING LIGHT COME ON STATING LOW OIL PRESSURE. COME TO FIND OUT THE 1.8 LITRE TURBO ENGINE WHICH MY CAR HAS IS NON TO HAVE OIL SLUDGE PROBLEMS AND THAT VW IS AWARE OF THIS. I NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THEM STATING THIS OR THE FACT THAT I SHOULD USE SYNTHETIC OIL. CALLED THE HUNTSVILLE, AL VW DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT UNLESS I HAVE PRISTEEN SERVE RECORDS THEY WILL NOT PAY TO FIX IT AT A COST TO ME OF OVER $1800. MY HUSBAND CHANGES THE OIL IN MY CAR SO OF COURSE I DO NOT HAVE THE SERVICE RECORDS VW IS REQUIRING. I HEAR THE NO LONGER MAKE THE 1.8 LITER TURBO BUT ARE NOT WILLING TO HONOR FIXING A PROBLEM WE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT.

PURCHASED 2001 PASSAT IN MAY, 2005. HAD SAME 'NON-COVERED' OIL PUMP PROBLEM AS MANY ON THE LIST HAVE. LAST MONTH, NOTICED A POOL OF OIL ON THE GARAGE FLOOR AFTER BACKING IT OUT. LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD, NOTICED THAT THE ANTIFREEZE OVERFLOW LOOKED LIKE A CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE. OIL COOLER AND OIL COOLER SEALS HAD TO BE REPLACED. 76000 MILES. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE AIRBAG AND HARNESS WERE REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

2000 1.8L PASSAT, BRAKE FAULT ON SCREEN, STOP ON SCREEN WITH BRAKE LIGHT FLASHING AND ABS WARNING LIGHT ON. BRAKES SOMETIMES VERY DIFFICULT TO PRESS WITH NO STOPPING POWER. *NM

THE ABS MODULE HAS FAILED IN MY 2001 PASSAT, WHICH ONLY HAS 79000 MILES ON IT... THEY ARE CHARGING ALMOST $1000 TO GET THIS FIXED, IF THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, THE PART SHOULD BE RECALLED AND COVERED BY VOLKSWAGEN... I HAVE READ A LOT OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PART AND THE NEED TO REPLACE IT PREMATURELY. *NM