2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

CONTINUING OIL PRESSURE PROBLEMS ON THE 2001 VW PASSAT. WIDESPREAD PROBLEM THAT IS REPORTED ON THE INTERNET. CAUSES PREMATURE ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO PREMATURE BURNING OF OIL. IN MY CASE, VW IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT. *JB

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BURNED OIL TOO FAST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE GASKETS WERE LEAKING. *NM CONSUMER MADE TWO OIL REPAIRS AND HEADLIGHTS NEEDED REPLACEMENT ON VEHICLE. ALSO, VEHICLE'S REAR BRAKES NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *LA

2001.5 VW PASSAT GLX 2.8LV6. INTERMITTENT STARTING PROBLEM. WORSE WHEN COLD OUTSIDE. TURN KEY TO START, NO CRANKING, DRLS AND DASH LIGHTS DIM (RELAY CUTOUT DURING STARTER OPERATION), BUT WILL NOT TURN OVER. LEFT ME STRANDED AT HOME. HAS ALMOST LEFT ME STRANDED NUMEROUS TIMES, SOMETIMES IN TRAFFIC! I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR FAR FROM HOME (LONG TRIP). THIS IS NOT RIGHT ON A 2.5 YEAR OLD CAR THAT HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. IT IS UNSAFE. I AM SO CLOSE TO SWITCHING BACK TO JAPANESE BRAND CARS, THOUGH I LOVE THE INTERIOR AND DRIVING DYNAMICS OF MY PASSAT. $1200 IN REPAIRS IN TWO MONTHS FOR A STARTER AND IGNITION LOCK/SWITCH ASSEMBLY. WORKS FOR A FEW DAYS THEN THE PROBLEM COMES BACK! DEALER SAYS THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL PASSATS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE. TODAY I WAS IN LINE FOR MY STATE EMISSIONS TEST AND IT WOUDL NOT START, TOOK 5 MINUTES, BLOCKING THE TEST LANE! MY 1978 LINCOLN IS MORE DEPENDABLE (BUT COSTS A FORTUNE TO DRIVE WITH GAS PRICES!). *AK

FUEL GAUGE HAS STOPPED FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. FUEL GAUGE READS FULL AT ALL TIMES EVEN WHEN FUEL LEVEL IS LESS THAN FULL. *JB

THE ENGINE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY TURNS ON AND OFF IN MY 2001.5 PASSAT V6. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN JAN 2001 AND CURRENTLY HAS 32K MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN SERVICE FOR THIS PROBLEM A HALF DOZEN TIMES, IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS, WITHOUT RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME, A COMUPTER CHIP WAS REPLACED (OVER $100), BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. EACH ADDITIONAL TIME, THE SERVICE DEPT. STATED THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM AND RESET THE CAR'S COMPUTER. IT MAY BE A COINCIDENCE, TUT THE LIGHT SEEMS TO COME ON IN COLD WEATHER.*AK

THE CAR SHUT OFF TRAVELING ABOUT 45 MPH. I WAS TOLD BY A VOKSWAGEN WARRANTY SPOKESPERSON THAT IT DOES NOT FALL UNDER A SAFTEY ISSUE. I DIAGREE. I LOST ALL BRAKING AND TURNING POWER AND WAS GLAD THAT I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR. I AM CURRENTLY WAITING FOR IT TO BE FIXED. I HAVE BEEN FOUR DAYS NOW WITHOUT A VEHICLE. THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR A LOANER CAR.*AK

UPPER CONTROL ARMS ON BOTH SIDES ARE WORN OUT. TIE RODS ARE WORN OUT ON BOTH SIDES. CATALYTIC CONVERTERS NEEDED REPLACED. I PAID FOR THE TIE RODS, WARRANTY COVERED CONVERTERS, AND I HAVE NOT HAD THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS REPLACED. OIL LEAKS ON ENGINE. INTERIOR LIGHTS DO NOT ACTIVATE WHEN DRIVERS DOOR IS OPENED.

THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT SMELT LIKE IT WAS BURNING AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKEOR HAZE APPEARED IN THE CAR. TURNED SEAT OFF AND IT DISSIPATED. IS THIS A MAJOR PORBLEM? ALSO ON INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES A CHEAP REPAINT PEELS OFF AFTER LESS THAN TWO YEARS. I SEE THIS PROBLEM IN ALL VWS, SO I LOOK AT THIS AS A MAJOR PROBLEM . WHEN I APPROACHED VW AMERICA, THEY OFFERED TO PAY HALF THE COST AS THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, HMMM. THANK YOU. *AK

POLLEN FILTER SEAL FAILURE. THIS PROBLEM IS DOCUMENTED IN MANY INTERNATIONAL PASSAT OWNER GROUPS. THE SEAL AROUND THE POLLEN FILTER FAILS. THE CAR'S INTERIOR BECOMES FLOODED IN RAIN. ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS THAT GET WET FAIL OVER TIME AT ACCELERATED AND UNPREDICTABLE RATE. SAFETY CONCERN: IT IS DIFFICULT TO OPERATE AUXILLIARY COMPONENTS (DEFROSTER, RADIO, ETC WHEN INTERIOR LIGHTS FAIL) EMERGENCY FLASHER AND ASR BREAKERS ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO MOISTURE-RELATED ACCELERATED DECLINE AS A RESULT OF POLLEN FILTER LEAKAGE. OUR VW DEALER AND VWOA STATED THAT POLLEN FILTER SEAL FAILURE AND ASSOCIATED FLOODING DAMAGE AND ELECTRICAL FAILURE WERE PART OF "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR". VW SERVICE ADVISORS IN THE WASHINGTON DC AREA HAVE SAID THEY SEE "SEVERAL OF THESE EACH WEEK" IN RAINY SEASONS. THE FILTER DESIGNED TO REDUCE ALLERGENS IN THE AIR HAS THE PERVERSE CONSEQUENCE OF ACCELERATING THE GROWTH OF MOLD INSIDE THE CAR BECAUSE IT SEAL FAILS, CREATES (IN OUR CASE 2" OF STANDING WATER) MOISTURE IN THE CAR THAT PROMOTES UNPLEASANT, UNHEALTHY, EXPENSIVE-TO-REMIDIATE MOLD GROWTH IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.*AK

I HAVE A 2001 VW PASSAT. I TURNED THE SEAT HEATER O ONTHE DIRVERS SIDE AND IN ABOUT 5 MINUTES THEIR WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE SEAT AND THE HEATING COIL HAD BURNED A HOLE IN THE SEAT.