2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

I OWN A 2001 VW PASSAT AND HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH A GAS GAUGE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. THE GAUGE IS INNACCURATE AND NEVER REFLECTS THE CORRECT GAS LEVEL.*AK I'VE REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THE DEALER AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NO RECALL, YET A RECALL EXISTS FOR THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID # 01V157000).

BAD HEATER CORE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AFTER 48,000 MILES. DEALER SERVICE UNWILLING TO COVER REPAIRS.*AK

ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUALLY GOES ON AND OFF, WHEN BLINKING ON, THE CAR SHAKES, AS IF IT IS ABOUT TO STALL, AND A BAD ODOR EMITS. WHEN DRIVING , THE CAR WOULD NOT EXCEED 20-30 MPH, EVEN WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS TO THE FLOOR. BROUGHT THE CAR TO VW FIRST TIME, THEY SAID THE LIGHT CAME ON BECAUSE THE CAR WAS IDLE FOR A DAY OR SO. THE 2ND TIME, AFTER GOING TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND HAVING ALL THE PLUGS REPLACED AND A COMPLETE TUNE-UP, SAME THING HAPPENED THE NEXT DAY. INDEPENDENT SHOP SAID THE ONLY OTHER THING WAS THE IGNITION COILS AND THAT THEY WERE EXPENSIVE. CALLED VW DEALERSHIP(CAR IS ON EXTENDED WARRANTY-LESS THAN 30 THOUSAND MILES & A 2001), WAITED 9 DAYS BEFORE THEY COULD LOOK AT THE CAR, HOWEVER, THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS OUT AGAIN. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THE PROBLEM, AND ALL THEY SAID WAS THAT VW DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THE IGNITION COILS, THEY REPLACED THE NEWLY PURCHASED PLUGS AGAIN, AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE COILS??? COST ME $261.00 PLUS A RENTAL CAR, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG.*AK

VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GLX 2001, DEFECTIVE BRAKES. *BF ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE FRONT WHEEL OVERHEATED AND STARTED TO SMOKE. THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. *JB

'RECALL CAMPAIGN' ISSUED FOR VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2001, OIL SLUDGE WARRANTY EXTENSION. *BF THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT ANY PRIOR INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS, THE OIL AND ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A SCREECHING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DETERMINED THE ENGINE HAD LOCKED UP FROM LACK OF OIL. THE WARRANTY DEPARTMENT REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE THE WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE REPAIR, BECAUSE THE CONSUMER COULD NOT PROVIDED RECEIPTS FROM AN AUTOMOBILE SERVICE COMPANY DOCUMENTING THAT HE HAD THE OIL CHANGED REGULARLY. THE WARRANTY DEPT. STATED THE CONSUMER WAS NOT ENTITLED TO WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR THE ENGINE AND THE TURBO CHARGER REPAIRS. (LAWYER ON BEHALF OF CONSUMER) *JB

SINCE BUYING THE CAR, THERE HAS BEEN AN ODOR FROM THE HEATER VENTS. ON FEBRUARY 25, WHEN USING THE HEATER, MY SON REPORTED LARGE AMOUNTS OF MIST COMING FROM THE VENTS. THE DEALER CHECKED AND FOUDN THAT THERE IS A CRACK IN THE HEATER CORE, AND THE MIST WAS FROM POOLED ANTIFREEZE. THE MIST IS CLEARLY TOXIC, YET WE WERE BREATHING IT FOR WEEKS, ONLY NOTICING WHEN THE CRACK WORSENED. THE CAR HAS ONLY 17,500 MILES ON IT. WHY DID THE HEATER CORE CRACK? *AK

THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHTS. THE OWNER STATED THAT WHILE TRYING TO TAKE THE VEHICLE THROUGH STATE INSPECTION THE VEHICLE FAILED BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT ADJUST. THE ADJUSTMENTS WERE DONE FROM THE REFLECTOR. THE ADJUSTMENT SCREW VIBRATED, AND EVENTUALLY FELL OFF, MAKING THIS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE PLASTIC GEAR VIBRATED. THE LIGHT FELL OUT OF THE ADJUSTMENT. THE PLASTIC GEAR FELL OFF AND THE LIGHTS WENT OUT OF ALIGNMENT. ON FEB 4 THE VEHICLE FAILED A STATE INSPECTION BECAUSE THE LIGHTS WERE OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND COULD NOT BE CORRECTED. *TC BOTH HEAD LAMPS WERE DEFECTIVE DUE TO A SMALL ADJUSTMENT SCREW ON THE LAMP ASSEMBLY. *SC *JB

THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON, BUT THE CAR IS NOT DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT, I ALSO GET THE EPO LIGHT ON, TOOK IT TO VW SERVICE CTR THEY SAID IT WILL COST $1500 + 2.5 HRS LABOR. I CALLED UP VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE THEY SAID THEY CANNOT HELP, EVEN THOUGH 1000S OF OTHER VOLKSWAGENS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

FAILURE OCCURRED SPONTANEOUSLY. AFTER TURN SIGNAL (LEFT OR RIGHT) WAS DEACTIVATED (WHETHER MANUALLY OR AUTOMATICALLY AFTER COMPLETING TURN, PROMINENT SCRATCHING OR "SHORTING" NOISE COULD BE HEARD AND VIBRATION FELT UNDERNEATH THE FLASHER SWITCH FOR VARYING PERIODS OF TIME. DEALER REPLACED SWITCH, HOWEVER, A NOISE CONTINUED FROM BEHIND THE FLASHER SWITCH AT IRREGULAR INTERVALS. DEALER SAID THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY DEFECT IN TURN SIGNAL MECHANISM IN STEERING COLUMN. THAT REPAIR IS PENDING. CONCERN IS FOR FAILURE OF EITHER THE FLASHERS OR TURN SIGNALS AND/OR ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE SYSTEM WHICH COULD LEAD TO OTHER PROBLEMS. THE SITUATION BEARS SIMILARITY TO THE EXISTING NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V584000 INVOLVING SOME OF THE SAME COMPONENTS IN VW JETTAS OF THE SAME MANUFACTURING YEAR.*AK

THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOOSE. DEALER HAD TO TIGHTEN THE RACK AND PINION IN ORDER TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM.*AK...MECHANIC REPORTED THAT PART WAS ALMOST OUT ON ONE SIDE, AND HAD IT COME OUT ABILITY TO STEER WOULD HAVE BEEN LOST. *AK