2009 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

PARKED CAR AND WENT INTO THE STORE TO SHOP AND APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES LATER SOMEONE SAID A CAR WAS ON FIRE AND THAT IT WAS A SILVER VW. MY HUSBAND WENT OUT AND FOUND THE WHOLE FRONT END ENGULFED IN FLAMES. *TR

THE VEHICLES MOTOR BEGAN MAKING AN IRREGULAR NOISE ( SOUNDED LIKE AN AIRPLANE ENGINE) BETWEEN 2-3RPMS AND THERE WAS SERIOUS VIBRATION THROUGH THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CHUGGED ALONG AT LOW SPEEDS AND THE STEERING WAS DIFFICULT AND NOT THAT RESPONSIVE. THERE WAS SERIOUS VIBRATION THROUGH THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT AT THE SERVICE CENTER ON FRIDAY AS IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY. UPON RETURNING ON MONDAY MORNING, THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME THAT THE MOTOR MOUNT BOLTS (TWO) WERE MISSING AND THE THREADS FOR EACH WAS COMPLETELY STRIPPED. THE MOTOR WAS ROCKING BACK AND FORTH CREATING THIS DREADFUL NOISE.THE THREADS WERE RESTORED USING TAP AND DYE SET AND NEW BOLTS WERE INSTALLED. I WAS INFORMED THAT SOMETIMES THE BOLTS SNAP AND THIS IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. I WAS TOLD THERE WERE OTHER SIGNS OF DAMAGE AND I KIND OF FEEL SOMETHING WILL BE FOUND ONCE MY WARRANTY IS UP AS A RESULT OF THIS MISHAPS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE PARKED FOR 30 MINUTES THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE STARTED IN THE FRONT UNDER THE ENGINE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT STATED IT COULD BE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE OR A LEAK IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS PERFORMING AN INVESTIGATION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

ENGINE COLD. TRANS. IN EITHER REVERSE OR DRIVE. UPON RELEASING BRAKE CAR MOVES TOO FAST. WHEN APPLYING BRAKE NOTHING HAPPENS. AFTER REPEATEDLY APPLYING BRAKE THEY FINALLY CATCH HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 5 TIMES. THIS TIME THEY DIDN'T CATCH AND I REARENDED A PICKUP WAITING AT A STOP SIGN. I DON'T THINK I FAILED TO APPLY THE BRAKES PROPERLY BECAUSE I RAISED MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND REAPPLIED THEM AT LEAST TWICE BEFORE IMPACT BUT THAT IS NEVER-THE-LESS STILL A POSSIBILITY. *TR

FAILURE OF KEY (FOB OR WHAT EVER VW CALLS IT) TO START VEHICLE WHEN INSERTED IN IGNITION SWITCH. THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED TWICE AND RESULTED IN IGNITION SWITCH NEEDING TO BE REPLACED BY DEALER. ON THE SECOND OCCURRENCE THE KEY ITSELF SHORTED OUT AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO OPEN POWER DOORS; HOWEVER, THE KEY WOULD ALLOW ME TO OPEN THE POWER REAR HATCH SO THAT I COULD CRAWL THROUGH CAR TO UNLOCK DOORS. TODAY THE OTHER KEY STARTED ACTING UP FOR MY WIFE AND WOULD NOT ALLOW HER TO UNLOCK DOORS AND SHE HAD TO CRAWL THROUGH CAR TO UNLOCK DOORS. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALER HAS THE FIRST FAULTY KEY FOR WHICH HE WAS TO GET US A REPLACEMENT AND WE ARE WAITING ON VW TO REPLACE FAULTY KEY. I DO NOT KNOW IF DEALERSHIP STILL HAS FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES BUT THE SERVICE MANAGER STILL HAS MY KEY. THE DATES OF THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACEMENTS ARE 01/20/2009 & 09/09/2009. THE CAR WAS IN SERVICE LESS THAN 15 DAYS BEFORE THE FIRST IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I LEFT MY KEY WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER WHEN WE PICKED UP THE CAR ON 09/13/2009. *TR

2009 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT OVERHEATED AND CAUGHT FIRE WHILE ON A CAR DOLLY BEING PULLED BY A 2006 NISSAN X-TERRA. *KB ACCORDING TO THE FIRE DEPT AND TOW TRUCK OPERATOR THE FIRE WAS DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING. THE CONSUMER STATED HE NOTICED LEAKING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE 3 HOURS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT #10-0747-91.

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A NEW 2009 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT CC SPORT VEHICLE THROUGH BOARDWALK VOLKSWAGEN OF RICHARDSON TEXAS, WHO HAD THE CAR SHIPPED TO THEIR LOCATION FROM TYNAN'S VW IN COLORADO. I PICKED UP MY BRAND NEW 2009 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT CC SPORT VEHICLE WITH 24 MILES ON THE AFTERNOON OF SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2009. ON SUNDAY, AS I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND FUMES STARTED COMING OUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED OUT AND SPRAYED ALL OVER THE ENGINE RENDERING THE CAR A SAFETY HAZARD AND FIRE HAZARD. THE CAR WAS TOWED BY VW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO BOARDWALK VW, WHICH UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, THEY FOUND THE TRANSMISSION LINES MISPOSITIONED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE COOLING FAN MOTOR CUT THE LINES OPEN CAUSING CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT HAS BEEN CONTAMINATED WITH POTENTIALLY FLAMMABLE TRANSMISSION FLUID, AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS RUN WITH EXTREMELY LOW LEVELS OF FLUID BY THE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SERVICE TO GET IT ON AND OFF THE TOW VEHICLE, SERIOUSLY REDUCING THE MARKET VALUE AND SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. I WENT TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE COMPROMISED VEHICLE WITH THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION LINE ROUTING AND ANOTHER PASSAT CC VEHICLE WITH THE CORRECT TRANSMISSION LINE ROUTING. TO SEE THE PROBLEM, THE CAR WAS RAISED, AND THE UNDERSIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COVER WAS TAKEN OFF. IN THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION, THE TRANSMISSION LINES WERE ROUTED IN FRONT OF A RADIATOR TUBE, LEAVING THEM IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE ROTATING RADIATOR FAN, WHICH EVENTUALLY CUT OPEN THE LINES CAUSING THE LEAK. THE FLUID LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND WAS BLOWN INTO THE ENTIRE ENGINE BY THE RADIATOR FAN. IN THE OTHER VEHICLE, THE TRANSMISSION LINES WERE ROUTED BEHIND THE RADIATOR TUBE, WHICH SHIELDS THEM FROM COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THE FAN. THIS CAN BE USED TO START A RECALL ON ALL PASSAT CC MODELS TO HAVE THEM CHECKED FOR INCORRECT ROUTING OF THE TRANSMISSION LINES, WHICH CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND CUSTOMER PROBLEMS. *TR