2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

MY '08 PASSAT WITH A 2.0 T ENGINE BURNS THROUGH A GREAT DEAL OF OIL. ABOUT 1/2 LITER PER 1,000 MILES. IT IS A NEW CAR (NOW 28,000 MILES) AND SHOULD NOT BURN OIL! VW STATES THIS OIL CONSUMPTION IS NORMAL, BUT I DISAGREE. I LEASE THE CAR AND HAVE HAD ALL MAINTENANCE DONE AT THE DEALER. I MUST FREQUENTLY ADD OIL TO THE ENGINE AND HAVE BROUGHT IT IN TO BE SERVICED FOR THIS OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE SEVERAL TIMES. FROM RESEARCH DONE ONLINE, THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM UNIQUE TO ME. PLEASE HELP! *TR

EXHAUST PIPE BROKE AT THE FLEX PIPE. HOT EXHAUST GAS BURNED THROUGH THE WIRING OF THE ELECTRONIC STEERING RACK. LOST STEERING AND THEN ENGINE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND NOT ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. EXHAUST PIPE, STEERING RACK & STEERING WIRING WAS REPLACED (WIRING NEEDS A HEAT-SHIELD TO PROTECT THE WIRING). *TR

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, MY 2008 PASSAT HAS SLID INTO NEUTRAL GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING. THE DISPLAY STILL INDICATES THE CAR IS IN 'DRIVE', BUT THE ENGINE RACES WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, AND THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE. AFTER MOVING THE GEAR SHIFT TO ANOTHER GEAR, AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE, THE CAR WILL AGAIN GO INTO DRIVE GEAR. *TR

2008 VW PASSAT. FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 29K MILES, AFTER FREQUENT STALLS WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED, DIFFICULTIES CRANKING AND FREQUENT DISPLAY OF FUEL CAP LIGHT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FRONT AXLE AT 2,200 MILES BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING SEVERELY. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW 50 DEGREES, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR AND HAS TO BE WARMED UP FOR AT LEAST TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL SHIFT. IN ADDITION, THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM HAS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY EMITTING HOT AIR. THE RADIO ALSO DOES NOT WORK ON OCCASION. THE CONTACT HAS ONLY OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR EIGHT MONTHS. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT WORK AND THE DEALER ADVISED THAT IT BE REPLACED. THERE WERE NO RECALLS AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000. UPDATED 5/27/09 *CN UPDATED 05/29/09. *JB

PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED AT HIGHWAY SPEED ( 1 2 ) CONSIDERED BUYING ONE OF THESE, BUT CONCERNED AFTER READING THIS FORUM POST FROM VW VORTEX. THE PASSAT HAS A ELECTRONIC/COMPUTER CONTROL PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM. IT ENGAGED AT 65MPH! *TR

1. SLOWING TO STOP AT RED LIGHT. 15 FEET BEHIND ANOTHER CAR THAT WAS STOPPED, AND WITH MY FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE REVVED TO TOP SPEED AND THE BRAKE DID NOT STOP THE CAR. I BUMPED THE STOPPED CAR, PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. 2. NO DAMAGE TO EITHER CAR. POLICE WERE CALLED AND CAME OUT UNTIL TOW TRUCK ARRIVED. CAR TOWED TO DEALER WHERE THE CAR (9 MONTHS OLD AND 11000 MILES) WAS PURCHASED. 3. ONE WEEK LATER, THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. THEY PAID FOR A RENTAL CAR FOR THE WEEK. I REFUSE TO DRIVE THE CAR SO THEY OFFERED TO TRADE IT IN ON A NEW ONE AND THAT IT HAD DEPRECIATED 50% IN 9 MONTHS. VW CORPORATE OFFERED A $1000 REBATE ON A NEW CAR. 4. I CALLED VW CORPORATE TO REGISTER A COMPLAINT, BUT THEY SAID THAT THE DEALER WAS "EMPOWERED" TO MADE DECISIONS. THEY WOULD DO NOTHING. *TR

SEVERE DISTORTION IN WINDSHIELD. VW REPLACED ORIGINAL WITH TWO MORE. THAN SAFELIGHT REPLACED TWO MORE WINDSHIELDS AND LAST WAS REPLACED BE BLUE RIDGE AUTO GLASS. DRIVING WITH THIS DISTORTION CAUSES HEADACHES AND NAUSEA. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE. IT TOOK GREAT EFFORT TO STOP THE VEHICLE. HE EXITED THE FREEWAY AND THE FAILURE RECURRED AT THE VERY NEXT STOP. THE CONTACT WENT TO THE DEALER AND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC ATTEMPTED TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, IT DID NOT RECUR ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL HE DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V235000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) ON JUNE 23, 2008. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED HIM THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, EVEN THOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

DRIVING HOME WITH IN FREEZING WEATHER AFTER A SNOW STORM, EVERY FEW MINUTES CLEANING THE WINDSHIELD WITH WASHER FLUID, WHERE AFTER STOPPING THE CAR FOR A FEW MINUTES, THE WIPERS REFUSED TO FUNCTION WHILE DRIVING (ATTEMPTING TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD FROM THE ROAD SALT). HAD TO CAREFULLY PULL OVER, CHECKED THE FUSES, AND CLEARED ALL ICE FROM THE WINDSHIELD COWL AND WIPER BLADE ARMS, THEN IT WORKED. NONE OF MY OLDER CARS HAD THIS ISSUE. *TR