2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD A RECALL (06V017000) FOR THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE WAITING LIST TO GET THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED WITH THE DEALER FOR FIVE MONTHS. THE SERVICE DEALER EXPRESSED THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER EXPRESSED THE FUEL WAS UNABLE TO BE OBTAINED.

CONSUMER COMPLAINT AGAINST DEALER AND MANUFACTURER REFUSE TO REPAIR THE 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT UNDER RECALL. *KB THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THEY COULDN'T PERFORM THE RECALL BECAUSE THERE WERE NO MORE FUEL PUMPS AVAILABLE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A RECALL NOTICE RECEIVED IN MARCH 2006. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE RECALL NOTICES WAS RECEIVED; HOWEVER THE CONTACT INQUIRED SIX TIMES AS TO WHEN THE PART WOULD BE IN AND THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT OFFER AN ESTIMATE. THE NHTSA RECALL WAS # 06V017000 REGARDING THE FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY: FUEL PUMP. THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WERE NOT AVAILABLE AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD, RESTARTED, AND WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE IGNITION COIL WAS REPLACED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THEN THE ENGINE POWER FAILED, REQUIRING THE VEHICLE TO COAST TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE MALFUNCTION WAS IDENTIFIED AS 2 FAULTY IGNITION COILS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. UPDATED 11/21/2006 - THE IGNITION COILS HAVE FAILED THREE TIMES IN FOUR YEARS. *NM

I BOUGHT MY 2003 VW PASSAT WAGON BRAND NEW. IN A SPAN OF 3 YEARS I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE MY REAR ROTORS AND BRAKES 4 TIMES AND HAVE YET TO REPLACE THE FRONT ROTORS AND BRAKES AND THE CAR IS AT 77,510. I HAD THE LEFT REAR ROTOR REPLACED JAN. 21, 2004, THE RIGHT ROTOR APRIL 1, 2004, BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT ROTOR NOV. 23, 2004, AND THEN BOTH AGAIN JULY 11, 2005. I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS FROM THE BEGINNING AND STRESSED THE RECURRING ISSUE WITH VW CORPORATE SINCE MY WARRANTY WAS RUNNING OUT AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL PERSISTING. WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN AT MY REGULAR CHECK UP IN JUNE OF 2005, AFTER ONLY 7 MONTHS AND 11,427 MILES FROM THE LAST TIME I CHANGED THE BRAKES AND ROTORS, I RAISED SOME RED FLAGS AND SUGGESTED THAT I LEMON LAW THE CAR, VW RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT "THERE WAS EXCESSIVE HEAT ON MY REAR BRAKES AND THAT MY BOOSTER ROD WAS BENT AND NOT RELEASING REAR BRAKE PRESSURE COMPLETELY". ON JULY 11, 2005 VW REPLACED THE BRAKE BOOSTER, MASTER CYLINDER, ROTORS, AND BRAKES. WHICH BRINGS US TO THE PRESENT, I TOOK MY CAR TO GET MY REGULAR SERVICE AND FIND OUT THAT I HAVE TO CHANGE MY FRONT AND REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS. THE FRONT I CAN UNDERSTAND GIVEN THAT IT IS NOW AT 77,510, BUT THE REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS AGAIN AFTER 18,500 MILES? I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THIS CAR AND AFTER RESEARCH ON THE WEB AND FINDING OTHERS ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS, I KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH THIS CAR AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM THERE IS DEFINITELY CAUSE FOR CONCERN. THOUGH IT HAS ONLY BEEN AT INCONVENIENCE AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE IT RESOLVED ASAP. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BRAKE PADS, VW HAVE NOT CHARGED ME FOR THE ROTORS AND THOUGH THEY HAVE SAID THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR ROTORS AND BRAKES AND THEY HAVE BEEN PAYING FOR THE CHANGES EVEN THOUGH IT IS AFTER MY WARRANTY SO THAT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS LIKE MINE AND THERE HAS TO BE A PROBLEM. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEN TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 06V017000, REGARDING THE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. 08/29/06 VEHICLE WAS IN LEFT LANE OF 4 LANE INTERSTATE WHEN FAILURE OCCURRED. DRIVER HAD TO MOVE ACROSS ALL THE LANES TO SAFETY. *TT

AT 44,400 MILES AND JUST 4,000 MILES AFTER FUEL PUMP REPLACED THE NEW FUEL PUMP FAILED ON MY 2003 PASSAT WAGON. BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON HIGH TRAFFIC SUBURBAN WASHINGTON DC STREETS. THERE WAS NO WARNING AND CAR CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP WITHOUT TIME FOR ME TO SIGNAL THE CARS BEHIND ME. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO HAVING TO REPLACE BOTH FRONT AND REAR ROTORS AT ABOUT 20,00 MILES AS WELL AS CONTROL ARMS. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF SERVICE IN ONLY 3 YEARS AND 44,000 MILES! *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START DUE TO A DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FUEL PUMP WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED DUE TO RECALL # M7 (NHTSA # 06V017000). THE PUMP WAS REPLACED THREE TIMES BY THE SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FIRST TWO TO BE DEFECTIVE AND THE THIRD PUMP FAILURE DUE TO ETHANOL MIXTURE IN THE FUEL. THE MANUFACTURER SUGGESTED SEVERAL GAS STATIONS TO BE USED THAT HAD BEEN TESTED FOR ETHANOL CONTENT.

ABS CONTROL MODULE ON MY 2003 VW PASSAT FAILED. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON FAILURE THAT DISABLES THE ABS. *JB