2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

THIS IS THE LETTER I SENT TO VW. THEY ARE MAINTAINING "THE VEHICLE NOW OPERATES ACCORIND TO MAUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS" AND ARE REFUSING TO DO ANYTHING. HELP!!WHAT DO I DO NOW???*AK VW CUSTOMER CARE 3499 W. HAMLIN ROAD ROCHESTER HILLS, MICHIGAN 48309 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I AM WRITING IN REGARDS TO OUR 2001 VW PASSAT, . IF YOU REVIEW THE FILE, YOU WILL FIND THAT THIS CAR HAS NOW FAILED THREE TIMES. THE FAILURES ARE SUCH THAT ALL POWER CUTS OUT AND CREATES A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DRIVING SITUATION. WE HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE IN THAT SO FAR IT HAS NOT HAPPENED WHEN TRAVELING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. WE FEEL THAT THERE IS AN INHERENT DEFECT WITH THE VEHICLE. IDEALLY, WE WOULD EXPECT REPLACEMENT OF THE VEHICLE OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM AND WIRE HARNESS. IF YOUR COMPANY IS UNWILLING TO COMPLY, WE WOULD LIKE A LETTER ACKNOWLEDGING THE PAST FAILURES AND OUR CONCERN THAT WE HAVE A VEHICLE WE FEEL IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. FURTHERMORE, WE WOULD LIKE WRITTEN CONFIRMATION OF OUR INFORMING YOU THAT WE HOLD YOUR CORPORATION LIABLE IF THE VEHICLE FAILS AND THE END RESULT IS AN ACCIDENT. FRANKLY, THIS IS A NIGHTMARE. WE ONLY WISH THAT WHEN WE HAD THE CHOICE OF TOYOTA, VOLVO OR VW, THAT WE HAD NOT CHOSEN VW. STEPHEN MCCHRYSTAL

2001.5 NEW PASSAT 1.8 TURBO I PURCHASED IN MAY OF 04 WITH 26 K MILES REPLACED THE OIL PUMP AT 35000 AND I PICKED THE CAR UP FROM THE DEALERSHIP YESTERDAY AND DROVE A BLOCK NOTICED A NEW NOISE WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAY IT NEEDS A NEW TURBO UNIT. *AK

I LEASED A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1.8T IN FEB. 2001, WHICH I AM CURRENTLY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH. THE VEHICLE JUMPS WHEN DRIVING AND/OR WHEN STOPPED. IT ALSO JUMPS FORWARD WHEN STOPPED. THIS IS A ACCIDENT HAZARD SINCE I HAVE HAD INSTANCES WHEN STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT/STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE JUMPS FORWARD THEREBY CAUSING IT TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AFTER THE STOP SIGN AND/OR TRAFFIC LIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE AIR FLOW SENSOR HAD TO BE REPLACED, BUT AT MY EXPENSE. UNFORUNATELY, MY CAR'S WARRANTY EXPIRED, BUT MY CAR ONLY HAS 30,000 MILES. I LATER FOUND OUT FROM THE DEALER THAT THERE WAS A BULLETIN OUT FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY ONLY ON THE 2002 PASSAT 1.8T, SINCE THESE TYPES OF VEHICLES ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS MY VEHICLE. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS THAT HOW COME THE 2001 AND 2002 PASSAT 1.8T VEHICLES ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR, BUT ONLY THE 2002 PASSAT HAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON IT. I FIND THIS VERY UPSETTING, SINCE I NOW HAVE TO PERSONALLY PAY FOR THE SERVICE, BUT YET OWNERS OF THE 2002 PASSATS DO NOT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME LEASING A VOLKSWAGEN VEHICLE, AND IT WILL BE MY LAST. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES FOR DIFFERENT REPAIRS AND ALSO HAD 3 RECALLS. I WILL BE TURNING IN MY VEHICLE IN 5 MONTHS AND AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO IT, SINCE I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH THE VEHICLE NOR VOLKSWAGEN SERVICE. *AK

THE GAS GAUGE IS FLUCTUATING THE READING. USUALLY IT STATES THERE IS MORE GAS IN THE TANK THEN THERE REALLY IS. I HAVE READ THAT SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE VW RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO AM NOT IN THE RECALL BECAUSE I HAVE THE 2 WHEEL DRIVE MODEL. I THINK VW NEEDS TO KNOW THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING IN MORE VEHICLES THEN JUST THE 4 MOTION MODEL. *LA

VEHICLE WAS PURCHUSED IN JULY 2001. SINCE THEN, A HEADLIGHT HAS BURNED OUT 4 TIMES ON THE VEHICLE, WITH THE LAST HEADLIGHT GOING DEC 2003, FOR AN AVERAGE HEADLIGHT LIFETIME OF 15 MONTHS. THE PROBLEM IS NOT ON ONE SIDE; THE HEADLIGHT ON EACH SIDE HAS BEEN LOST AT LEAST ONCE. THE PREVIOUS HEADLIGHT LOSS (THE 3RD), I WAS TOLD BY A MECHANIC AT THE DEALER (CASEY VW, IN NEWPORT NEWS, VA) THAT THEY KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM, BUT THEY WERE NOT AUTHORIZED TO FIX IT. THE ARGUMENT (WHICH I DID NOT UNDERSTAND AND CANNOT REPLICATE HERE) WAS SOMETHING LIKE BECAUSE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRENTY, THEY COULDN'T USE THEIR NON-STANDARD FIX. I WAS NOT CHARGED FOR THE FIRST THREE HEADLIGHT REPLACEMENTS, WHICH GOES AT LEAST PART OF THE WAY TO MAKING UP FOR THE FACT THAT NONE WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR. ON MY MOST RECENT TRIP TO THE DEALER TO HAVE MY HEADLIGHT REPAIRED, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE RATE OF HEADLIGHT FAILURE WAS "NORMAL". THERE WAS NO OFFER TO COVER THE COST OF REPLACEMENT. THE CAR IS NOW OFF THE COMPREHENSIVE STANDARD WARRENTY, BUT COVERED THROUGH THE VW OPTIONAL EXTENDED WARRENTY PROGRAM. THIS WARRENTY DOESN'T DO A LOT OF GOOD IF VW CLAIMS THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM FOR THEM TO FIX (BEYOND A BURNED-OUT BULB).*AK

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 PASSAT WHEN THE DRIVER'S SEAT STARTED MOVING AND MOVED TO THE BACKMOST POSITION. I WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE GAS OR BRAKE PEDAL WITH THE SEAT IN THAT POSITION. I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF OF AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I WAS ON A RESIDENTIAL ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I COULD NOT READJUST THE SEAT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE SEEN THE SEAT MOVE, BUT DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL IT IS REPAIRED AS THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SEAT MOVING IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *LA

VEHICLE'S DRAINAGE HOLE WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY, CAUSING A BLOCKAGE. ALSO, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

CONSUMER NOTICED ENGINE CONSUMED AND LEAKED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL. WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, DEALER HAD INSPECTED SEVERAL TIMES BUT COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. NOW IT'S OUT WARRANTY AND THEY HAVE A KIT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *PH

REAR LIGHTS SIMULTANEOUSLY GO OUT, THEY INCLUDE TAIL/BRAKE/ REVERSE, AND STOP LIGHTS. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE IS UNDETERMINED, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED 9 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 60MPH THE STOP ENGINE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, TECHNICIAN INSPECTED VEHICLE AND DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEN, CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE AND IT STALLED. DEALER INDICATED ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK