2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

THE RIGHT REAR DOOR HAS BECOME MISALIGNED. IT DOES NOT SHUT SOLID AND IT STICKS OUT ABOUT AN 1/8 OF AN INCH WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED. *NLM

AT ABOUT 61000 MILES MY 2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT DISPLAYED A "CHECK ENGINE" SYMBOL AND A DASHBOARD MESSAGE INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE EMISSIONS CONTROL SYSTEM. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL DEALER. I WAS TOLD THAT THE LIGHT AND MESSAGE WERE RELATED TO A SERVICE CAMPAIGN RELATING TO A VACUUM LINE AND THAT THE ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED. AT ABOUT 74K MILES, THE SAME LIGHT AND EMISSIONS CONTROL MESSAGE REAPPEARED. I RETURNED TO THE SAME DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, THAT IT WAS TESTED AND EVERYTHING WORKED FINE. THE CODES WERE RESET AND THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HOWEVER, THE LIGHT AND EMISSIONS CONTROL MESSAGE REAPPEARED. THIS TIME, THE SHOP FOREMAN AT THE DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED THAT I ARRANGE TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE FOR EXTENDED TESTING. I AGREED TO DO SO. AFTER A DAY OR TWO OF TESTS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ON THE VEHICLE WERE MALFUNCTIONING. I WAS TOLD, HOWEVER, THAT DESPITE THE 7 YEAR/70,000 MILE FEDERALLY MANDATED EMISSIONS SYSTEM WARRANTY, VOLKSWAGEN WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIR, BECAUSE THE VEHICLE NOW HAD ABOUT 79K MILES ON IT. FROM SPEAKING WITH SEVERAL SOURCES, INCLUDING THE DEALERSHIP'S FOREMAN AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF VOLKSWAGEN, I LEARNED THAT THE VACUUM LINE REPAIR PERFORMED AT 61K MILES WAS NOT RELATED TO THE EMISSIONS MESSAGE THAT FIRST APPEARED AT THAT TIME. IT APPEARS THAT, ALTHOUGH THE VECHILE HAS CLEARLY INDICATED A PROBLEM WITH THE EMISSIONS CONTROL SYSTEM SINCE THE INCIDENT AT 61K MILES, NO ONE TOOK THE TIME TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM UNTIL, UNFORTUNATELY, AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD HAD RUN.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ONE NIGHT BOTH FRONT HEADLIGHTS BURNED OUT WITHOUT WARNING. *NLM BOTH OF THE HEAD LIGHT WIRING HARNESS' FAILED AND CAUSED MULTIPLE HEAD LIGHT FAILURES. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR 3 OF THE 4 FAILURES OUT OF POCKET. *SCC *NLM

LTR RE HIS DISSATISFACTION WITH THE WAY NHTSA HANDLED SITUATION RE OPENING AN INVESTIGATION ON DEFECTIVE IGNITION,...*MR FAILURE OF THE IGNITION COILS IN CERTAIN 2001, 2002, AND EARLY 2003 AUDI AND VW OF AMERICA VEHICLES. REFER TO 10011100 AND 10022428. *SCC ALL OF THE IGNITION COILS WERE REPLACED PRIOR. *PH *JB

TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 3000 MILES. CAR WAS STUCK IN FIRST GEAR. NOW THERE IS AN EXTREME TURBO LAG HESITATION ON ACCELERATION. THERE IS A GOOD 1-2 SECOND HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. *NLM

OWNER OF A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE AND PARKING CAR WILL NOT RESTART. HAS BEEN TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES; REPLACED ELECTRICAL RELAY AND PROBLEM STILL CONTINUES.*AK

FAILURE OF THE FUEL GAS SENDER RESULTED IN A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHEN THERE WAS REMAINING GASOLINE IN THE FUEL TANK. AUTOMOBILE WAS ASENDING A STEEP GRADE ON US 580 WEST BOUND TOWARD LIVERMORE CA, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 106 DEGREES F, FUEL GAUGE REGISTERED 1/8 TO 1/4 TANK OF FUEL REMAINING. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART BY THE DEALER TECHNICIAN ON LEVEL GROUND. THE 1 3B0-919-673-S SENDER WAS REPLACED. DUBLIN VW REPAIR IVOICE NUMBER 268745. DEALER REPORTED TWO OTHER CARS WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM DURING THE PRIOR WEEK.*AK

THE DOOR LOCK IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OPENS UP WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING. ALSO IT POPS UP WHEN YOU SHUT THE CAR AND TRY TO LOCK THE DOORS USING YOUR REMOTE KEY OR WITH THE BUTTONS INSIDE THE CAR. SO POTENTIALLY ANYONE CAN OPEN THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. TO AVOID THIS, YOU HAVE TO PRESS IT DOWN MANUALLY BEFORE LEAVING THE CAR.*AK

AIG IS ATTEMPTED TO COLLECT ON A POLICY I DISPUTE, NOT A CLAIM DISPUTE AND I DON'T KNOW WHO TO CONTACT FOR ASSISTANCE AND MEDIATION. BASICALLY, I FEEL THEY CHANGED MY POLICY AND RATE WITHOUT GIVING ME A QUOTATION. I WOULD LIKE TO SEND YOU THE ENTIRE HISTORY AND LETTER I HAVE DRAFTED FOR THE COLLECTION AGENCY. I HAVE CONTACTED AIG AND THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH ME. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR GLASS EXPLODED INTO THE VEHICLE. THE SOUND WAS LIKE A GUN SHOT. THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF GLASS PIECES. THE WINDOW WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. MUCH OF THE GLASS FELL IN, CAUSING MINOR CUTS TO THE PASSENGER. SOME OF THE GLASS FELL DOWN INSIDE THE DOOR. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE DEFECTS IN THE WINDOW (CRACKS, STARS, ETC.) AND NOTHING IMPACTED THE WINDOW TO CAUSE IT TO BREAK.*AK