2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

HEADLIGHTS BURN OUT AND CONSTANTLY NEED REPLACING, ONLY PROBLEM IS IT MUST BE COMPLETED AT THE DEALERSHIP. HAVE REPLACED AT LEAST 7 LIGHTS SINCE PURCHASE OF CAR. *JB

HI, I HAVE A VW PASSAT 2001.5 SEDAN. I RECENTLY HAVE NOTCIED THAT WATER ENTERS INTO THE REAR PASSENGER FLOOR WHEN IT RAINS. I HEAR THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOTICED BY A NUMBER OF FELLOW PASSAT OWNERS ON VARIOUS FORUMS. I HAVE LEARNT THAT WATER CAN DAMAGE PREVIOUS ELECTRONICS AND CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX. I FEEL THAT THERE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM HERE WITH THE VW PASSAT THAT ALLOWS WATER INTO THE CAR WHEN IT SHOULD BE KEPT OUT. I STRONGLY HOPE VW WOULD RECALL THE VEHICLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. -- ARAVIND. *NM

MY 2001 PASSAT------MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE STOP ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED IN BIG RED LETTERING AND PROCEEDED TO SAY THAT THE OIL PRESSURE WAS LOW. WE GOT TO A GAS STATION AND CHECKED THE OIL AND IT LOOKED FINE. GOT HOME AND LOOKED AGAIN WITH BETTER LIGHTING, STILL THE SAME. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THERE THE SERVICE CENTER HAD TOLD US THAT THIS WAS DUE TO "OIL SLUDGE" AND WILL BE COVERED UNDER OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY IF DOCUMENTATION WAS PROVIDED FOR ALL OIL CHANGE SERVICES. NOT TO MENTION THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASE IN 2001 WITH 6 MILES AND HAS ONLY GOT 53000 NOW IN 2006. I HAVE GOTTEN THE ROUTINE OIL CHANGES UP TO DATE AND THEY ARE REQUIRING ME TO SHOW PROOF OF ALL OIL CHANGES. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO KEEPS EVERY OIL CHANGE RECEIPT!!! THIS IS INSANE. I AM SO FED UP WITH THE WAY VW IS TAKING CARE OF THIS ISSUE, THEY ARE USING THIS AS AN EXCUSE SO THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE. I AM STILL IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIND ALL THE "DOCUMENTATION" THAT IS NEEDED. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT LESS THAN 3 WEEKS OF MY LAST OIL CHANGE VW STILL WILL NOT PROVIDE ME WITH MODERATE SERVICE. I WILL NEVER, REPEAT NEVER BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE OR RECOMMEND VW TO ANYONE!! I HAVE READ ALL OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND I CAN SEE THAT VW HAS NO REMORSE FOR THE FISHY SERVICE IT IS PROVIDING. I WILL TAKE THIS ACTION FURTHER. I JUST WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE GOT THERE VEHICLES WITH THE "SLUDGE" COVERED UNDER WARRANTY??? WHY EVEN PURCHASE THE WARRANTY IF IT IS NOT COVERING THE PROBLEM??? *JB

MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND I GOT A "STOP", "BRAKE FAILURE", "SERVICE MANUAL" SIGNS WITH SEVERAL BEEPS. I HAD TO STOP OVER THE SHOULDER, TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND IT WAS DETECTED THAT IT WAS A ABS COMPUTER MODULE MALFUNCTION (NOT REALLY AN ABS MECHANICAL ISSUE). THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL. I CALLED VW AMERICA AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO KNOWN RECALLS. THE DEALER QUOTED $700 FOR THIS PART. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AND I'M SURPRISED THAT VW HAS NOT RESPONDED SO FAR. THE EFFECTS OF THIS ARE THAT THE MAIN COMPUTER MODULE WOULD EVENTUALLY BECOME DEFECTIVE AND STRANGE SIGNS/WARNINGS/BEEPS WOULD COME OVER THE DASHBOARD. VW PASSAT GLX V6, 2001. (ITS ONLY 5 YRS OLD AND 60K MILES). PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY (ONCE PER DRIVING SESSION) WE WOULD NOT KNOW WHEN THERE IS A REAL ABS PROBLEM WHICH COULD CAUSE CATASTROPHIC INCIDENTS (PER SERVICE MANUAL). *NM

2001 VW PASSAT V6. A DEFECTIVE POLLEN FILTER SEAL ALLOWED WATER TO PULL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR. THIS OCCURRED AFTER 24 HOURS OF RAIN. THE WATER HAS DAMAGED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. THOSE REPAIRS AND THE REPAIR OF THE WATER DAMAGE TO THE CARPET AND RESULTING MOLD IS ESTIMATED AT OVER $2,000. THE DEALER REPORTS THAT THIS IS AN LONG-STANDING DEFECT. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH VW AND AUDI. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP IN THE RAIN, WATER IS LEAKING INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. HOWEVER, THE CONTACT SUSPECTED THE POLLEN FILTER IN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS THE CAUSE. *AK

CONSUMER HAS HAD THREE INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS REPLACED IN HIS 2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. *TS ACCORDING TO THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER THIS PROBLEM IS RARE AND IS LIKELY A WIRING PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HASN'T TAKEN ANY STEPS TO PERMANENTLY FIX THE PROBLEM, INSTEAD THEY JUST KEEP REPLACING THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. *NM

FOR THE 2ND TIME IN 14 MONTHS THE SYSTEM THAT DRAINS RAIN WATER OUT OF MY CAR HAS BECOME CLOGGED. THE RESULT IS THAT WATER COLLECTS UNDER THE FLOOR BOARD ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, WHERE COMPUTERS ARE LOCATED INSIDE AN UNSEALED PLASTIC BOX. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, IN DEC 2004, I WAS TOLD THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO AN UNUSUALLY STRONG RAIN STORM AND THE RESULTING WATER DAMAGE EFFECTED THE BREAK SYSTEM. AT THAT TIME THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THIS TIME IT'S HAPPENING OFF WARRANTY AND I'M BEING TOLD THAT ONE OF THE COMPUTERS HAS TO BE REPLACED AND THERE COULD BE FURTHER DAMAGE WHICH WILL ONLY BE DETECTED AFTER A NEW COMPUTER IS INSTALLED. IN BOTH INSTANCES, THE SEATS AND CARPETING HAD TO BE REMOVED AND THE CARPETING AND WIRING SYSTEM HAD TO BE FAN DRIED. THIS TIME AROUND I SPOKE WITH A VW MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE REPAIRS ARE BEING DONE AND HE SAID THIS IS NOT AN INFREQUENT OCCURRENCE AFTER A RAIN STORM. NOW, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT LOCATING A COMPUTER SYSTEM IN A FLAT, LOW LYING AREA OF THE CAR WHERE WATER CAN COLLECT IS A HUGE DESIGN FLAW, BUT THAT BEING THE CASE, HAD I BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT REGULAR FLUSHING OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM COULD HAVE PROBABLY PREVENTED A NOW COSTLY AND TIME CONSUMING REPAIR, I WOULD HAVE GLADLY TAKEN MY CAR IN FOR SUCH A SERVICE. RECORDS WILL SHOW THAT I FOLLOWED VWS SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, HAVING THE SERVICE DONE AT AN AUTHORIZED VW DEALERSHIP ON TIME. SURPRISINGLY, FLUSHING THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM IS NOT PART OF VWS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS PROBLEM EXISTS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT FLUSHING THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN, SAY, FILLING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID, BUT THEN I GUESS VW STANDS TO BENEFIT FAR MORE FROM REPAIRING A WATER DAMAGED COMPUTER SYSTEM AS OPPOSED TO REPLACING A WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE. *NM

FAILURE TO START WHEN IT DOES THE FUMES RESEMBLE PAINT THINNER VERY CONCERNED WITH POSSIBLE EXPLOSION. *NM

THE DASH MODULE BEGINS TO SMOKE AND BLOWS OUT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. ALTHOUGH THE FIRE IS INSIDE THE DASH, IT CAUSES A SERIOUS DRIVING DISABILITY. IT HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR, AND VOLKSWAGEN REFUSES TO ASSIST. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP ALSO REFUSES, THEY JUST KEEP REPLACING THE PART. *NM