2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON WHEN CAR STARTED IN 2006 VW PASSAT. I CALLED THE DEALER SINCE THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE AIRBAG, THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY FIXED MY AIRBAG A FEW APPOINTMENTS BACK AND IT WOULDN'T BE A PART OF THIS RECALL. WHEN I ASKED IF IT WOULD HAVE A RECALL DUE TO IT BEING A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, VOLKSWAGEN ADVISED ME THAT I CAN PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED. MY CAR IS "TOO OLD FOR A WARRANTY EXTENSION". THIS BOTHERS ME SINCE I HAVE 9 AIRBAGS IN WHICH NONE WILL DEPLOY AND THEY REFUSE TO SERVICE THIS SAFETY ISSUE FOR FREE. UPON GOOGLING THE ISSUE, IT SEEMS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH NOT ONLY THE PASSAT BUT THE JETTA'S MADE THE SAME YEAR. *TR

WINDOWS CONTINUE TO COMPLETELY FOG UP CAUSING VERY LITTLE VISIBILITY. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I HAVE A YOUNG CHILD AND AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY. THERE IS ALSO A STRONG ODOR. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, WE TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND HAD REPAIRS DONE INCLUDING OIL CHANGE, AFTER A DAY OF DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, RETURNED TO DEALER, MORE REPAIRS WERE DONE, PAID AROUND $3,000 IN REPAIRS TO TIMING BELT, TENSIONER, GUIDE PULLEYS, AND WATER PUMP. AFTER THAT REPAIR, THE LIGHT AGAIN CAME ON AND RETURNED TO DEALER, WAS TOLD THAT METAL WAS FOUND IN OIL FILTER HOUSING AND ENGINE WILL NEED REPLACED TO ADDRESS THE CONCERN. COULD NOT AFFORD AT THAT TIME AND WAS NOT INFORMED IT COULD NOT BE DRIVEN, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS OFF AND WERE TOLD THAT UPON ACCELERATION FROM STOP THE METALS WOULD SCRAPE. CAR WAS STILL OPERABLE, C/E LIGHT WAS OFF AND NEEDED FOR TRANSPORTATION TO WORK AND AFTER 3 TRIPS TO AND FROM REPAIR SHOP (3 RIVERS VOLKSWAGEN) AND ALL OF THE MONEY ALREADY SPENT ON REPAIRS TO "FIX" THE SAME ISSUE LEADING UP TO THIS, I WAS NOT ABLE TO DO THAT AT THE TIME, AS WELL AS BEING SKEPTICAL OF PAYING $9K MORE! WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE OIL PUMP BOLT FAILED COMPLETELY AND CAUSED ENGINE TO CEASE. LATER LEARNED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE ON THE 2006 VW PASSAT 2.0T ENGINES AND THAT IT CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, THAT VW WAS AWARE OF THE DESIGN FLAW AND HAS MANUFACTURED A REPLACEMENT BOLT BUT HAS NEVER ISSUED A RECALL AND DOES NOT INFORM OWNERS OF THESE CARS THAT THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR THIS ENGINE FAILURE. HTTP://WWW.FAQS.ORG/CAR/VOLKSWAGEN-PASSAT-2006/ENGINE/#IXZZ2MCKGQSG2 I WAS LUCKY NOT TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT AS THE ENGINE FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AND HAD TO GET A TOW HOME. THIS IS A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN FOR MANY LIKE MYSELF WHO WERE NEVER TOLD THE ENGINE MAY CEASE AND COULD RESULT IN PEOPLE BEING INJURED OR KILLED. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS AS THERE ARE MANY OTHERS HAVING THIS EXACT ISSUE ON THIS CAR. *TR

I HAVE CODE STEERING LOCK COLUMN DEFECTIVE THIS IS MY SECOND VW PASSAT WITH SAME PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. NUMBER 05V540000 (STEERING) AND CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER OR MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

ELECTRONIC EMERGENCY BRAKE FAULT -- IT IS NOW THE 3RD TIME MY ELECTRONIC EMERGENCY BRAKE HAS FAILED (UNABLE TO DISENGAGE/RELEASE). THE SECOND TIME WAS LAST JUNE OF 2012 THE DEALER REPLACED THE MODULE, CALIPER, HOUSING, WIRING TO THE TUNE OF $1800. YESTERDAY IT HAPPENED AGAIN WHERE THE ELECTRONIC SWITCH WAS FLASHING AND WOULD NOT RELEASE AND ALSO THE RED BRAKE LIGHT INDICATOR IN DISPLAY WAS ALSO FLASHING HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER. I HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN POSTED AND WONDERING WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. IT APPEARS THERE IS A SAFETY CONCERN WITH THIS ELECTRONIC EMERGENCY BRAKE DESIGN. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THIS DESIGN. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS WITH THE MANUFACTURER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I CAN'T AFFORD TO PURCHASE A NEW CAR BUT AT THE SAME TIME HAVE A CONCERN FOR MY SAFETY. *TR

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS (ALMOST EVERY DAY) I WILL TRY TO START THE CAR AND IT WILL DIE THE SHOW A "STEERING WHEEL LOCK COLUMN" ON THE DASH BOARD, AFTER SEVERAL TRIES IT WILL EVENTUALLY START AND RUN. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS I HAVE BEEN TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT THE AVERAGE OF 60-75 MPH AND THE CAR WILL JUST SHUT COMPLETELY OFF. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE!!! I HAVE READ THIS IS A COMMON ERROR, THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL ON THIS ISSUE! *TR

MY CAR SEEMS LIKE ITS LOOSES POWER OR DON'T WANT TO GO AT ANY SPEED WHEN I NEED TO SPEEDUP AND WHEN I PUT IT IN PARK POSITION THE RPM NEEDLE KEEPS GOING UP OR DOWN I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC HE CHECK FOR ANY CODES AND CAME OUT THAT COIL #1 AND #3 WERE BAD. *TR

WENT TO START MY CAR AFTER WORK, IT TURNED OVER AND STALLED IMMEDIATELY. I GET THE ERROR MESSAGE 'STEERING COLUMN LOCK IS DEFECTIVE' FOLLOWED BY 3 LOUD BEEPS. THIS ISSUE HAD ME STRANDED FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR UNTIL MANY TIMES OF TRYING, IT FINALLY STARTED AND RAN. FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE AND VW DEALERS ARE WANTING ON AVERAGE $1800 TO REPAIR. *TR

IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND TRAVELING AT AN EXTREMELY SLOW SPEED, THE VEHICLE BUMPED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT IGNITED THE VW PASSAT INTO FLAMES DESTROYING THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. IMPORTANTLY, THE OTHER VEHICLE INVOLVED HAS ZERO DAMAGE AS THE BUMP WAS EXTREMELY LIGHT. WE ARE AWARE THE MODEL YEAR 2006 VW PASSAT HAS A HISTORY OF THIS OCCURRING IN FRONT END COLLISIONS. WE STRONGLY REQUEST AND RECOMMEND A RECALL BE DEMANDED OF VW. *TR