2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

GOT INTO MY 2003 VW PASSAT AND SMELLED FUEL. GOT OUT CHECKED FOR LEAKS AND NONE WERE VISIBLE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP FOR FURTHER CHECKING. WHEN REPAIR SHOP STARTED VEHICLE, FUEL SPRAYED ON CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND SURROUNDING COMPONENTS. A LEAK IN THE FUEL LINE WAS DETERMINED. THE AREA OF THE FUEL LINE ADJACENT TO THE FIRE WALL HAD RUBBED A HOLE. FUEL LINE ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

THE HEATER CORE TUBING IN THE CAR DISINTEGRATED AT ABOUT 18,000 MILES. THIS RESULTED IN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARING, COOLANT LEAKING INTO OTHER PARTS OF THE ENGINE DEPARTMENT,AND THE FUMES FROM THE COOLANT IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY, SO I TOOK IT TO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED THE PURGE VALVE (ABOUT AN HOURS WORK) AND RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TWO MORE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BEFORE THE WARRANTY RAN OUT AND THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED THE SAME SERVICE. THE COOLANT LEAK BECAME SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE (I BEGAN ADDING COOLANT EVERY 3-4 DAYS) AT AROUND 82,000 MILES AND THE FUMES FROM THE COOLANT IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT BECAME VERY STRONG. I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE TUBING FROM THE HEATER CORE HAD COMPLETELY DISINTEGRATED AND THE HEATER CORE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALTOGETHER. I HAVE SEASONAL ASTHMA ASSOCIATED WITH ALLERGIES AND INHALING THE FUMES FROM THE COOLANT HAS MADE THE CONDITION WORSE. I AM CURRENTLY HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $1200. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, ONCE WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT MADE A SUDDEN STOP AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. ON THE SECOND OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WOULD HAVE TO REPEAT ITSELF IN ORDER FOR THEM TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. SHE WAS ADVISED NOT TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V017000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP); HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,980.

SUN ROOF DRAIN DISCONECTS AND WATER FILLS PASSENGER COMPARTMENT CAUSING COMPUTER MALFUNCTION , AIR BAGS TO MALFUNCTION AND FIRE HAZZARD. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME 1ST TIME IN 2006

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 55 ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY VENTS I STOP AND OPEN THE HOOD AND NOTICE MY CAR HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM THE LEFT BOTTOM SIDE. *TR

I HAVE HAD THE 2003 PASSAT GLX FOR LESS THAN 2 WEEKS, I HAVE ONLY PUT 307 MILES ON IT. TODAY WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE, THE CAR QUIT PULLING. IT WAS NOT GETTING ANY GAS. THEN IT DIED COMPLETELY AND WOULD NOT START. IT TURNS OVER BUT WON'T START. WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE FOR NEARLY AN HOUR WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK. WAS TOLD THAT IT IS THE FUEL PUMP. *TR

THE CAR SEAT HEATER (DRIVER'S SIDE) BURNED THROUGH THE FABRIC, LEAVING 1 INCH HOLE IN THE SEAT. THERE WAS NO INJURY. THIS HAPPENED WITH NORMAL USE OF THE HEATER. *TR

1. DRIVING CAR TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ERRATICALLY WHEN PULLING OUT OF HOUSE. ALSO HIT ANOTHER CAR AS TRANSMISSION SHIFTED WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING. 2. ALWAYS WHEN RAINS. 3. SUNROOF DRAIN/AIR PLENUM AREA DEALER SAID WAS BLOCKED AND WATER WENT DOWN B PILLAR. SHORTED OUT TRANSMISSION COMPUTER IN PASSENGER FOOT WELL. WATER PASSED OVER JUNCTION CONNECTIONS IN B PILLAR ALSO SHORTED OUT AIRBAG SENSOR AND OTHER ELECTRICAL. VW NOW ISSUES SERVICE ACTION 66C8/P9 TO COVER THIS WHICH WAS NOT LISTED AS MAINTENANCE. DEALER SAID HE WAS NOT DOING THIS. VERY POOR DESIGN. IF DRAINS FOR SUN ROOF AND PLENUM CLOG THEN WATER GOES INSIDE AND SHORTS CRITICAL ELECTRONICS. TRANSMISSION COMPUTER IN PASSENGER FOOTWHEEL WHICH FILLED WITH WATER COSTS $2000 AND COULD OF BEEN MY LIFE. IN GENERAL THIS CAR HAS HAD MANY RECALLS AND IS UNSAFE. I HAVE HAD IT FOR 5 YEARS AND ONLY 38K MILES AND EVERY RECALL HAS SURFACE AS PROBLEM IN THIS CAR FROM SEAT HEATERS STAYING ON, BRAKE LIGHTS SHORTING, HEAD LEAKING, FRONT SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY VIBRATING LOOSE ALMOST CAUSING ACCIDENT. *TR

2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WITH AN OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY DUE TO THIS OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. *KB THE VEHICLE HAD A SLIGHT ENGINE KNOCK, BEFORE THE OIL WAS CHANGED. THE DEALER STATED THE LOW OIL PRESSURE WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY THE PICK UP TUBE IN THE OIL PAN BLOCKED BY OIL SLUDGE. *JB