2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

THE 2007 VW PASSAT WAGON 2.0T HAS BEEN RIDDLED WITH ELECTRONIC FAILURES WHICH CONTINUE TO ESCALATE. WE HAVE HONESTLY LOST COUNT OF THE AMOUNT OF DAYS THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE - AT LEAST 9 INCIDENTS, TWICE TOWED. INITIALLY THE PROBLEMS WERE BENIGN, SUCH AS THE HORN GOING OFF AT RANDOM INTERVALS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. THERE WERE TWO INCIDENTS OF THE CAR NOT BEING ABLE TO START AFTER SITTING FOR ONLY TWO OR THREE DAYS, WHICH WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY BATTERY. PROBLEM ESCALATED TO INOPERABLE WINDOW AND DOOR MECHANISMS, DELAYS UPON ACCELERATION, AIR CONDITIONER MALFUNCTION, AND MOST RECENTLY COMPLETE ENGINE SHUTDOWN WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. UPON HAVING VEHICLE TOWED IN TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT, WE WERE TOLD "THE CAR STARTED RIGHT UP AND TESTED FINE ON THE COMPUTER" AND THAT THERE REALLY ISN'T ANYTHING MORE THE MECHANIC COULD DO WITHOUT A BETTER COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS. ATTEMPTS TO SPEAK WITH MANAGERS HAVE GONE IGNORED AND UNANSWERED. I AM CURRENTLY WAITING TO HEAR FROM VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA IN RESPONSE TO AN EMAIL I SENT TO THEIR ONLINE CUSTOMER CARE. *TR

ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE WILL NOT SET OR WILL NOT RELEASE. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, BUT PROGRESSIVE, BEGINNING WITH FAILURE TO SET AND CULMINATING WITH FAILURE TO RELEASE, IN ONE INSTANCE TRIGGERING MASTER BRAKE FAILURE WARNING. FAILURE TO SET MAKES CAR ILLEGAL TO DRIVE AND DANGEROUS WHEN PARKED AS THERE IS NO BACK UP SYSTEM TO SET PARKING BRAKE. FAILURE TO RELEASE STRANDS DRIVER IN POSSIBLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. VW SAYS IN THIS INSTANCE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO CALL FOR TOW. FAILURES MAY AT TIMES BE CLEARED BY RESTARTING ENGINE, BUT PROGRESSIVELY LESS SUCCESSFUL. CAR HAS BEEN TO DEALER THREE TIMES SINCE PROBLEM AROSE. 3 DAYS IN JUNE, 2 DAYS IN EARLY JULY, AND MOST RECENTLY 35 DAYS AND COUNTING (SINCE JULY 22). DEALER HAS REPLACED MULTIPLE MODULES MULTIPLE TIMES, OVERLAID WIRING, ETC. WITHOUT SOLUTION. DESPITE A SENIOR MECHANIC BEING PLACED ON THE JOB, NO SOURCE OF FAULT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AND BY ALL APPEARANCE LOGICAL DIAGNOSTIC WORK HAS CEASED AND HAPHAZARD PARTS REPLACEMENT HAS BEGUN, I.E., "HOPE" IS THE ONLY REMAINING CORRECTIVE STRATEGY. DEALER IS SYMPATHETIC BUT OF NO BENEFIT. VW CUSTOMER CARE CONTACTED BUT PROMISED FOLLOW UP BY THEM HAS NOT BEEN MADE. AS CAR CAN STILL BE OPERATED WHEN ELECTRONIC BRAKE FAILS TO SET, THIS CREATES A POSSIBLY WIDESPREAD PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE SINCE CAR CANNOT BE PROPERLY PARKED AND MUST RELY SOLELY ON TRANSMISSION HOLDING CAR. *TR

VEHICLE LOW OIL PRESSURE ALARM CAME& STOP ENGINE ALARM, I STOPPED VEHICLE, NO OIL ON DIPSTICK, I PUT IN 4 QTS, OIL, STILL NOT FULL, TOOK TO DEALER, THEY SAID IT NEEDS PISTON RINGS, I ASKED ABOUT THE TURBO & INTERNAL PARTS POSSIBLY DAMAGED DUE TO OIL STARVATION, THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE RINGS, IF ANYTHING ELSE FAILS AFTER THE REPAIRS THEY WILL REPAIR IT AS LONG AS IT IS STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY, THE VEHICLE HAS APPROX 13000 MILES, I REQUESTED A NEW ENGINE SINCE THE VEHICLE IS NEW, NO HELP FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE OR DEALER, I AM AFRAID I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRES DUE TO SOME INTERNAL PARTS PREMATURE WEAR DUE TO THE OIL CONSUMPTION WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY VW DEALER, APPROX 1.9 QUARTS IN 662 MILES. *TR

2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING SO I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT ENDED UP NEEDING A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP PLUNGER FAILED AND SENT METAL INTO THE ENGINE DESTROYING IT. VW REFUSES TO PAY FOR IT. *TR

TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS. FIRST OCCURRENCE 7/12/08., MILEAGE 18,185. OIL PUMP SOCKET BROKE RESULTING IN COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. ENGINE WAS REPLACED. SECOND OCCURRENCE 1/27/09. COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. CURRENTLY BEING REPLACED. *TR

MY VEHICLE'S GAUGE CLUSTER HAS RANDOM LIGHTS THAT COME ON AND CAUSE THE DOORS TO LOCK AND NOT OPEN AND IT RESETS ITSELF AFTER 1-2 HOURS AND IT CONTINUES TO DO IT. *TR

WE HAD FEW FAILURES ON VW 2007 PASSAT WAGON; FIRST WAS A RECALL ON ONE OF THE SOFTWARE PARTS (APPROX 28 000 MILES); THEN AC PIPE SYSTEM RECALL; THEN WE HAD AN OIL LEAK (37 000 MILES-NO DAMAGE OR WARNINGS PRIOR TO THAT)-DEALERSHIP FIXED IT WITHOUT MUCH EXPLANATION; LAUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE- GASKET ON ONE OF THE VALES IN THE ENGINE FAILED (45 000 MILES)-NO PRIOR WARNINGS-FIXED WITHOUT MUCH EXPLANATION FROM THE DEALERSHIP EXCEPT THAT IF WE KEEP DRIVING? CAR WILL USE MORE GAS THEN USUAL... *TR

I STARTED MY VEHICLE, AND WITHIN 30 SECONDS I SMELLED BURNING. I SHUT DOWN ENGINE AND NOTICED SMOKE BELLOWING OUT FROM UNDER HOOD. I LIFTED HOOD AND FOUND AN ELECTRICAL HARNESS ON TOP OF ENGINE WAS ON FIRE AND MELTING. I WAS ABLE TO BORROW PLIERS FROM SOMEONE AND DISCONNECTED BATTERY CABLE. I HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, AND THEY CALLED ME THIS MORNING STATING THAT THE COIL HAD AN INTERNAL SHORT. I ASKED THEM HOW I CAN BE ASSURED THAT THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN WHEN PARTS ARE REPLACED AND THERE REPLY WAS " THIS IS VERY RARE". I HAVE A BABY LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD AND IT SCARES ME TO DEATH TO THINK WHAT MAY OF HAPPENED IF MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WITH MY CHILD. *TR

MY 2007 VW PASSAT HAS BROKEN DOWN 4 TIMES IN LESS THAN 3 YEARS WITH REAR BRAKE FAILURE. THE MFG. HAS NEVER FIXED THIS PROBLEM, AND IS UNRESPONSIVE TO MY NUMEROUS REQUESTS, TO REPURCHASE OR FIX MY VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A VERY SERIOUS DEFECT AS IT CAUSES MY REAR BRAKES TO BE INOPERABLE. THIS IS THE FIRST PRODUCTION YEAR FOR VW ELECTRIC REAR BRAKES, AND I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE AND EPC LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A THUMPING SOUND. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER, AND THE ENGINE IS BEING REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 21,670.