2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE LIGHTS FAILED TO DIM. THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL # 07V063000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 35,000.

I HAVE A 2003 VW PASSAT AND AM ORIGINAL OWNER. I'VE HAD THREE LEAKS INTO THE FRONT RIGHT FLOORBOARD IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS FROM EITHER A SUNROOF DRAIN LINE OR A AIR CONDITIONER, DEPENDING ON THE REPAIR PERSON YOU TALK TO. THE LEAKS HAVE OCCASIONALLY PRODUCED SO MUCH WATER THAT IT HAS GONE TO RIGHT BACK FLOORBOARD. MY TRUNK HINGES ARE BROKEN. MY HOOD LIDS ARE BROKEN. THE PLASTIC ON THE INTERIOR IS WORN OFF. THE ASHTRAY IN BACK FELL APART. THEY CAN'T SEEM TO GET THE ALIGNMENT RIGHT SO I KEEP GOING THROUGH TIRES AND THE TIRES I DO HAVE SOUND UNEVEN WHEN I ROTATE THEM, MAKING ME THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM. NOW MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT. IT'S NOT A FUSE BUT APPARENTLY A SWITCH. BUT MY CAR ISN'T COVERED BY A RECALL THAT VW HAS ON A BUNCH OF OTHER MODELS. THERE'S A DEFECT INVESTIGATION INTO FIRES IN THE ENGINE AND A RECALL ON SLUDGE. THIS CAR IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AND IT'S VERY POORLY ENGINEERED. ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER AND VW NATIONAL IS NO HELP. I'M ABANDONING THE CAR TODAY, TRADING IT IN FOR SOMETHING ELSE. WILL NEVER BUY A VW AGAIN. NO CAR SHOULD HAVE THIS MANY ISSUES AT 4 YEARS OLD. AND THE ISSUES STARTED AT 3 YEARS OLD. *TR

WHILE PULLING THE DIPSTICK OUT OF THE ENGINE IN ORDER TO CHECK THE OIL, THE PULL RING/HANDLE BROKE OFF. I CONTACTED MY DEALER FOR A REPLACEMENT AS THE CAR IS STILL UNDER A BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT BECAUSE I PULLED THE DIPSTICK OUT OF THE ENGINE RATHER THAN A DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THE WARRANT IS NOT APPLICABLE. IN EFFECT, THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY MUST DO ALL OF THE OIL LEVEL CHECKS, OTHERWISE I DO NOT HAVE A WARRANTY ON THE COMPONENTS AFFECTED. I APPEALED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY CONFIRMED THE DEALER'S DECISION. THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE FAILURE IS THAT THE OIL LEVEL, NECESSARY TO ENSURE SAFE OPERATION OF THE CAR, CAN NOT BE CHECKED.

REGARDING RECALL 07V063000. I OWN A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT THAT HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON AND STAYED ON ALL DAY. I HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I PARKED THE CAR, AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYED ON ALL NIGHT AND DRAINED THE BATTERY. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL, STAYING VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. I HAD TO PAY THE REPAIR COSTS OUT OF POCKET AND VOLKSWAGEN CORPORATE REFUSED TO REIMBURSE ME. *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT HAS HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED, HOWEVER, SEVERAL FAILURES CONTINUE TO RECUR. THE FAILURES INCLUDE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS, CRUISE CONTROL, HEATED SEATS, THE REGULATOR PIN IN THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WINDOW, THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT, AND THE HEAD LIGHTS. THE FAILURES WERE NOTICED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 109,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED A GASEOUS ODOR. THE WINDOWS WERE ROLLED UP AND THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE FUEL LINE UNDER THE HOOD. THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A CRACKED FUEL LINE HOSE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 67,000.

THE BRAKE LIGHT STAYS ON EVEN AFTER I SHUT OFF THE CAR, GET OUT, AND LOCK THE DOOR. THERE HAS BEEN A JETTA RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT WHEN I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO ASK ABOUT THE ISSUE IN REGARD TO PASSATS, I WAS ASKED FOR MY VIN, THEN TOLD THAT THERE WAS "NO CAMPAIGN" (I.E. NO RECALL) FOR MY CAR AT THIS TIME. FURTHER, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW OF THIS BEING AN ISSUE FOR PASSATS. YET I JUST RAN A GOOGLE SEARCH ON THE PROBLEM AND SAW BULLETIN BOARD POSTINGS FROM OTHER PASSAT OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. IF IT'S DANGEROUS FOR JETTAS, IT'S ALSO DANGEROUS FOR PASSATS. VW DID THIS BEFORE WITH ANOTHER SAFETY RECALL--SAME KIND OF CORPORATE IRRESPONSIBILITY, WAITING UNTIL THE NHTSA GOT INVOLVED. THIS IS UNCONSCIONABLE! AGAIN, IF THE SITUATION IS DANGEROUS FOR JETTA OWNERS, THEN IT'S DANGEROUS FOR PASSAT OWNERS WHO ARE CLEARLY HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM!!

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS BRAKE LIGHTS REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING AND FAIL TO DIM. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 66,346 FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,500.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS THE FUEL PUMP. THE CONTACT CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON HIS VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THERE WERE RECALLS ON THE FUEL PUMP FOR THE 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. HE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE RECALLS APPLIED TO VEHICLE'S MADE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2002 THROUGH MARCH 2003. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS MADE IN APRIL, THEREFORE EXCLUDING IT FROM THE RECALL. HE BELIEVES THAT HIS VEHICLE IS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 52,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,00 UPDATED 02-01-08. *KB

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON HIGHWAY, CAR STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART. DEALERSHIP REPLACED FUEL PUMP TO REMEDY FAILURE. OLD PART IS AVAILABLE. *TR