2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING THE BRAKES TO AUTOMATICALLY COME ON. LED TO RAPID DECELERATION WHILE DRIVING. ONGOING PROBLEM. *TR

LOST MOST OF POWER WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. DROVE VEHICLE (2006 PASSAT 3.6L) TO VW DEALER WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED A "TIMING CHAIN ISSUE". VW DEALER CLAIMED THEY WOULD FIX ENGINE FOR $5000, USED REPLACEMENT FOR $8000, OR NEW ENGINE FOR $10,500... AFTER HEARING THAT GOOD NEWS, TOWED VEHICLE TO LOCAL VW PRO WHO ALSO DIAGNOSED "TIMING CHAIN ISSUE", AND WAS GIVEN THE GO-AHEAD TO FIX. PROBLEM ISOLATED TO INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BOLT, WHICH HAD BACKED OUT, ALLOWING TIMING SPROCKETS TO WANDER. BOLT ITSELF IS NEARLY SHEARED IN HALF - GOOD THING WE STOPPED WHEN WE DID. BOLT WAS ALSO RUBBING ON TIMING CHAIN COVER, AND WOULD HAVE LIKELY BROKE OR GROUND THRU TIMING CHAIN COVER. THIS PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY MY LOCAL VW GUY FOR $3300, WHICH INCLUDED ALL OEM PARTS, NEW WATER PUMP, PLUS PLUGS. IMHO, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE FOR OWNERS WHICH MAY EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. MINIMAL RESEARCH ON THE WEB INDICATES I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE. THE LOSS OF POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WAS ALARMING ENOUGH WITHOUT THINKING OF WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE BOLT BROKE, OR WORN THRU THE TIMING COVER. FROM A MECHANICAL PERSPECTIVE, I'M EXTREMELY DISMAYED AT HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. I HAVE ABOUT 30 YEARS OF MECHANICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CAR ENGINES - MOSTLY WITH 60'S AND 70'S ERA VEHICLES. MY EXPERIENCE WOULD HOLD SUSPICION THAT A BOLT BACKING OUT OF THE TIMING SPROCKET WOULD BE THE FAULT OF THE MECHANIC WHO INSTALLED IT, EITHER BY APPLYING THE INCORRECT TORQUE, OIL UNDER THE BOLT, OR NOT APPLYING LOC-TITE TO THREADS. *TR

I HAVE A 3.6 ENGINE AND THE OIL PUMP BOLT THAT HOLDS TIMING CHAIN AND CRANK CHAIN CAME LOOSE AND CAUSE MAJOR ENGINE PROBLEMS. DEALER SAYS I NEED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AND IT'S GOING TO COST ME OVER $7000.00 DOLLARS FOR A USED ENGINE OR $16000.00 FOR A NEW ENGINE AND VW OF AMERICA WON'T TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *KB

CRV BOOT--I HAD MY LEFT FRONT CRV BOOT REPLACED 12/2010. DEALERSHIP SAYS I NEED FRONT RIGHT AND TWO REAR CRV BOOTS REPLACED 10/2011. I DRIVE 14 MILES RT TO WORK-NO ROUGH TERRAIN-WITH ONLY 42000-48000 I NEED ALL REPLACED-DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT AND $200.00 PER BOOT. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW. *KB

VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING/RATTLING NOISE THAT MADE THE ENGINE SOUND LIKE IT WAS A DIESEL. THE ENGINE IN THIS CAR IS A 3.6 V6 GASOLINE ENGINE. I BROUGHT IT INTO MY MECHANIC AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND HE ADVISED AGAINST DRIVING IT ANY MORE AS IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TIMING CHAIN WAS LOOSE. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO GET AT THE NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD HE FOUND OUT HE HAD TO GET UNDER THE COVER ON THE BACK OF THE ENGINE TO GET TO THE LOWER CHAIN. THIS WOULD REQUIRE REMOVAL OF THE TRANSMISSION IN THE FRONT SINCE THE CAR IS A 4MOTION AWD. AT THAT POINT I HAD TO PUT $2000 DOWN BECAUSE OF THE LABOR TO TAKE EVERYTHING APART. I'VE SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE, DUE TO AN OIL PUMP BOLT THAT FAILS. THERE ARE LINKS TO THESE FAILURES HERE: HTTP://WWW.PASSATWORLD.COM/FORUMS/74-CLUB-B6/327507-3-6-OIL-BOLT-FAILURE-REFERENCE-MATERIAL.HTML I CALLED VW CUSTOMER CARE AND THE PERSON ON THE PHONE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT SAID THEY RECOMMENDED THE TIMING CHAIN BE REPLACED AT 100,000 MILES. WITH MY SERVICE BILL CURRENTLY UPWARDS OF $2,000 WITH JUST THE LABOR TO GET TO THAT CHAIN, I DON'T THINK ITS RIGHT THAT IT SHOULD COST THAT MUCH FOR A 100,000 MILE MAINTENANCE ITEM. *TR

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM 2006 VW PASSAT 3.6L VR6 MODEL. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED IN LATE 2010 AT FIRST A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS AT A SET OF LIGHTS, THE RPM ARE NORMALLY AROUND 650-700 RPM, WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS THE RPM GO TO 1250-1300 WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, THIS MAKES SO THE DRIVER HAS TO APPLY MUCH MORE FOOT STRENGTH TO HOLD THE CAR. RAISING THE RISKS OF A CAR CRASH. THIS HAPPENS RANDOMLY, IF I DRIVE A DAY IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN, THEN I DRIVE THE NEXT DAY AT THE SECOND SET OF LIGHTS IT HAPPENS. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THIS AT VW IN NH BUT THEY DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND CLAIMED THE CAR "IS NOT REALLY AN AUTOMATIC, BUT A MANUAL" AND CHANGED GEAR BOOT CONNECTORS OR SOME SOMETHING, AND THE SAME WEEK THE PROBLEM RESUMED. I FEEL I CANNOT GO TO VW TO REPAIR THIS AS THIS WILL GIVE ME EXCUSES, PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS, I FEEL THIS IS DETRIMENTAL TO MY AND MY FAMILY'S SAFETY. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE COLUMN STEERING LOCK WARNING LIGHT. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

CHECK ENGINE (MIL) LIGHT TURNED ON, CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN IDLES AT A HIGHER RPM WHILE WE WERE DRIVING!!! VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP. CAR IS ONLY UNDER WARRANTY FOR 36,000 MILES OR 3 YEARS! DEALERSHIP RAN DIAGNOSTIC, CAME UP WITH: CODE P0123 (THROTTLE HIGH INPUT), P0299 (TURBO UNDER BOOST), P0456 (EVAP LEAK), P1098 (INTAKE TURNING VALVE SHORT TO B+), CODE P2004 (INTAKE RUNNER STUCK), CODE P3237 (INTAKE RUNNER BASIC SETTINGS). DEALER RECOMMENDED INTAKE RUNNER MOTOR REPLACEMENT & REPLACEMENT OF TURBO & N80 VALVE, ALSO CV BOOT NEEDS REPLACEMENT. TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS OVER $1200!!! WE ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF OUR VEHICLES AND HAVE THEM SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP. VEHICLE HAS ALSO HAD DEFECTIVE INTERIOR PARTS. INTERIOR TRIM (ALL SWITCHES - LOCK, WINDOW & RADIO ARE BUBBLING AND CHIPPING). DOOR PANEL TRIM (RUBBER IS PEELING). SHIFT KNOB - METALLIC PIECE ON SHIFT KNOB, PEELED AND DUG INTO SKIN AND CAUSED INJURY. CARBON FIBER DASH IS PEELING APART. CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA, PER THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REP, THEY ARE UNABLE TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE. CAR IS A 2006 - 67,000 MILES. LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD. I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED A VOLKSWAGEN HAD I KNOWN THEY WERE NOT RELIABLE VEHICLES. UNKNOWLEDGABLE SALES REPS, OR JUST AFTER CUSTOMERS TO MAKE A BUCK. SELLING PEOPLE UNRELIABLE VEHICLES AND VOLKSWAGEN CLEARLY DOES NOT TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS NOR DO THEY CARE ABOUT CUSTOMER LOYALTY OR SAFETY. *TR

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING (2006 PASSAT 3.6 4MOTION) FOLLOWED BY EPC LIGHT (INDICATING E-GAS "LIMP MODE"). VEHICLE WOULDN'T DRIVE ANY FASTER THAN ~40 MPH. CAR REQUIRED OVER $3300 IN REPAIRS (EXCLUDING RENTAL), COVERED BY A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED WARRANTY. DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME THAT THE CAUSE WAS THE OIL PUMP BOLT BACKING OUT. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE WIDESPREAD AND HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED WITH DOZENS OF REPORTED INCIDENTS ON VWVORTEX.COM AS WELL AS PASSATWORLD.COM. *TR

BEWARE OF THE 2006 VW PASSAT. I HAVE HAD ONGOING ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. MAJOR ISSUE: STALLING OUT WITHOUT WARNING. MY CAR WAS WORKED ON 6 MONTHS AGO APPROX DATE OF 1/11 FOR STALLING. CAR RAN GREAT, JULY 7TH,11 TRAVELING HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON INTERSTATE, CAR STALLS, ALMOST GOT HIT! TAKEN TO (2) TWO DIFF DEALERSHIPS AND (2) DIFF OPINIONS. DROPPED OFF AT DEALERSHIP ON JULY 14TH,11 PART NEEDED IS ON BACK ORDER UNTIL JULY 25,11) THEY SAY THE STALLING IS CAUSED FROM CAM SHAFT HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP! AND APPARENTLY THEY (VW) HAS DECIDED TO COVER THIS UNDER AND EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY UP TO 120,000 MILES! NO RECALL. HMMMM WONDER WHY? THEY WOULD BE OUT ALOT OF MONEY! THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM ON THIS CAR. THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED IS A JOKE! SIX MONTHS AGO MY FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED AND NOW ANOTHER PROBLEM EXISTS. MY POINT IS THIS: MY CAR HAS STALLED OUT ON THE INTERSTATE AND VARIOUS OTHER PLACES. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED. I HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE! THIS CAR IS UNSAFE. I MADE A COMPLAINT TO VW AND THEY BASICALLY STATED IT WAS MY PROBLEM! I HAVE HAD MY CAR ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE 2 TIMES AND ALL HAVE COME BACK WITH DIFF ISSUES! WHEN SPEAKING TO THE REP FROM VW, I ADVISED THEY ALL GAVE ME DIFF OPINIONS DUE TO DIAGNOSTIC READINGS AND SHE STATED "MAYBE YOUR CAR HAS ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS" MAYBE? SO I PAY FOR ALL OF THESE "MAYBE'S" TO GET MY CAR FIXED AND "MAYBE" IT WILL RUN THE WAY ITS SUPPOSED TO, OR "MAYBE" IT WONT! I'M NOT THE ONLY CONSUMER THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM, IT STILL EXISTS FOR MANY OTHERS. *KB