2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

TDI ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON, HAD THE DEALERSHIP CHECK IT OUT, IT INDICATED A SENSOR FAILURE. THE COST TO REPAIR WAS $1,100.00 DEALERSHIP REDUCED IT TO $430, SAID VW PITCHED IT BECAUSE IT MAY END UP AS A RECALL AND WE WOULD RECEIVE OUR MONEY BACK IF THAT HAPPENS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, ALL OF THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE HORN BECAME INOPERABLE. THE PROBLEM RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN...UPDATED 03-11-15 *BF UPDATED 6/18/2015*JS

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND HEARD A LOUD POP LIKE A TIRE BLEW OR BELT BROKE OR SOMETHING, THEN I SAW A LOT OF SMOKE, SO I PULLED IN A PARTY STORE PARKING LOT AND IT WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES BURNT THE ENTIRE ENGINE UP TO A CRISP. I HAVE VIDEO AND PICTURES OF THIS TRAUMATIC EVENT. SO PLEASE INVESTIGATE TO SEE IF THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. I NEED ANOTHER CAR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANKS. THE CAR HAS BEEN TOWED TO VYLETEL VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP IN STERLING HEIGHTS, MICHIGAN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, MULTIPLE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT WORKING. I PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY, CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE CAR WOULD NOT START FOR THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER. *TR

ON JULY 16, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:00 PM, MY 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TDI SEL PREMIUM LOST POWER ON THE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE FAILED AND SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 95 NORTH AND LEFT ME STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY SURROUNDED BY CARS TRAVELING AT SPEEDS GREATER THAN 65 MPH. THE ENGINE FAILURE PUT MY LIFE, MY COLLEAGUE'S LIFE AND MY FETUS'' LIFE IN DANGER AND COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS FOR OTHER MOTOR VEHICLES AS WELL. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A VOLKSWAGEN SERVICE CENTER, WHERE THEY INSPECTED THE FUEL SYSTEM AND FOUND A BROKEN BOLT. THIS BOLT HELD THE FUEL RAIL AND FUEL INJECTORS IN PLACE AND WHEN IT BROKE, CAUSED THE INJECTORS TO POP OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD AND THE SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE. THE INSTALLED BOLT WAS PART OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT REPAIR THAT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER, CLOSER TO MY HOME, PERFORMED BACK IN APRIL 2014. I''VE HAD THREE MAJOR INCIDENTS WITH MY VW NOW, ALL WITHIN THE LAST 3 MONTHS AND IT SEEMS TO BE STEMMING FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. WHEN THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS REPLACED, THE SERVICE CENTER BLAMED IT ON A "BAD BATCH OF DIESEL FUEL" FROM A LOCAL GAS STATION. THEY SAID THAT WITHIN 3 WEEKS, THEY'VE HAD AROUND 25 CARS COME IN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. MY CAR IS NOT EVEN 3 YEARS OLD AND HAS ONLY 44,000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. BECAUSE OF THESE INCIDENTS, THE LAST ONE OF WHICH PUT MY LIFE AS WELL AS 2 OTHER LIVES IN GRAVE DANGER, I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT THIS COMPLAINT, IN CASE IT IS A MORE WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. *JS

WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF A 2012 VW PASSAT WITH HANKOOK OPTIMO H426 TIRES. THE OPTIMO H426 TIRES THAT CAME INSTALLED WHEN WE PURCHASED THE CAR. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURERS WEBSITE THE TIRES HAVE A MANUFACTURER WARRANTY OF 60,000 MILES. SEE LINK BELOW. HTTP://WWW.HANKOOKTIREUSA.COM/SERV/WARRANTY.ASPX?PAGENUM=3&SUBNUM=1&CHILDNUM=1 HANKOOK WARRANTY DEPARTMENT IS REFUSING TO HONOR THE MILEAGE WARRANTY ON THE TIRES BECAUSE THE TIRES CAME WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY STATE THAT THE PRODUCT ONLY HAS WARRANTY WHEN PURCHASED THROUGH A TIRE SHOP. MY LIMITED WARRANTY PAMPHLET THAT CAME WITH MY CAR DOES NOT STATE THAT THE MILEAGE WARRANTY ON THE PRODUCT DOES NOT APPLY. A COPY OF THE WARRANTY CAN BE FOUND AT THE LINK BELOW. HTTP://HANKOOKTIREUSA.COM/SERV/ORIGINALEQUIP.ASPX?PAGENUM=3&SUBNUM=1&CHILDNUM=2 I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE IN ASSISTING TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE AS MY TIRES ARE WORN BELOW THE 2/32NDS INCH AND THIS POSES A SAFETY ISSUE FOR MY FAMILY AND I. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE CAR HESITATES TO THE POINT THAT IT COMES CLOSE TO CAUSING AN ACCIDENT WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN PULLING OUT AFTER BEING STOPPED. IT HESITATES AND THEN SURGES FORWARD. THE CAR WILL ROLL FORWARDS AND/OR BACKWARDS DEPENDING WHETHER YOU ARE FACING DOWNHILL OR UPHILL WHEN SITTING ON A HILL AND YOU TAKE IT OUT OF PARK. TO PUT IN GEAR--VERY SCARY. I JUST HAD THE CAR SERVICED AT THE DEALER AND THE DEALER SAYS THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH THESE CARS--IT IS A DIESEL NOT GASOLINE. I LOOKED ON SOME COMPLAINT WEB SITES AND THERE ARE COMPLAINTS ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2006 ABOUT THESE VERY SAME ISSUES--WHEN IS SOMETHING GOING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS--DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO GET KILLED BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN ISSUE AND HAS BEEN ONE FOR A LONG TIME. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS AS I DO NOT WANT MY KIDS OR FAMILY TO DRIVE THIS CAR DUE TO THESE PROBLEMS--I COULD NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ONE OF THEM AND I KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM-- THE DEALERS ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THE ISSUE--READ THE COMPLAINTS FOR YOURSELF AND WHAT CONSUMERS HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALERS WHEN THEY REPORT THE ISSUES--YOU ARE OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HELP IN THIS SITUATION-PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS VERY POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS--THANK YOU--[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *JS

ON TUESDAY, 24 JUNE, I DROPPED OFF OUR 2012 VW PASSAT AT A VW DEALER FOR ITS 2 YEAR / 20K MILE SERVICE WITH 15,100 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. AN ELECTRICAL WIRING RECALL REGARDING HEADLIGHTS AND THE HOOD WAS PERFORMED ON THE PASSAT. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WITHIN AN HOUR OF LEAVING THE DEALER AND AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 40 MILES FROM THE DEALER. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND HER SISTER WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. IT WAS RAINING HARD ENOUGH THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE THE HIGHWAY LANE MARKINGS AND MY WIFE WAS CONCENTRATING ON FOLLOWING THE CAR LIGHTS IN FRONT OF HER. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE SECOND LANE FROM THE RIGHT OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. THEN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING FROM DASHBOARD LIGHTS OR SOUNDS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WENT DARK, AND THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. MY WIFE'S SISTER SAW THE CAR CLOCK DIALS SPIN AROUND SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN STOP AT 9:00. ALL POWER WAS OUT IN THE PASSAT. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING DOWN FOUR LANES OF HIGHWAY WITHOUT POWER. AS THE PASSAT SLOWED DOWN, MY WIFE KEPT THE CAR POINTED STRAIGHT AHEAD. IT IS HARD TO DETERMINE IF THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED BECAUSE MY WIFE WASN'T TRYING TO MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL VERY MUCH. AS THE VEHICLE APPROACHED A HIGHWAY EXIT, THE HIGHWAY LANES BEGAN TO DIVERGE AS THE RIGHT LANE EXITED THE HIGHWAY, THE SECOND LANE FROM THE RIGHT SLIT WITH AN OPTION TO EXIT TO THE RIGHT OR REMAIN ON THE HIGHWAY, AND THE TWO LEFT LANES REMAINED ON THE HIGHWAY. BY MAINTAINING A STRAIGHT TRAJECTORY, MY WIFE MANEUVERED THE PASSAT INTO THE MEDIAN SEPARATING THE HIGHWAY FROM THE OFF-RAMP. THE PASSAT ROLLED TO A STOP, DEAD IN THE MEDIAN. WHILE NO OTHER POWER WAS AVAILABLE IN THE PASSAT, THE HAZARD FLASHING LIGHTS WERE FUNCTIONAL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT STALLED AND NEVER TURNED BACK ON AND THEN BEGAN TO LEAK FUEL. THIS SAME SCENARIO OCCURRED TWICE. ONCE AT 60,000 MILES AND THEN AGAIN SIX MONTHS LATER AT 77,910. THE SECOND NEARLY RESULTED IN A REAR END COLLISION. THE FIRST ISSUE WAS A FAULTY FUEL PUMP AND THE SECOND SUPPOSEDLY WAS A FAULTY FUEL LINE. BOTH WERE COVERED IN FULL BY VW AFTER INVESTIGATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER MORE THAN FIVE TIMES FOR AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED THE VEHICLE WITH A REPAIR KIT, CONNECTOR, BUMPER, WASHER CAP, FILTER ELEMENT, REFILLED THE OIL AND REPLACED A SCREW HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CHECK OIL, CHECK ENGINE, NAVIGATION SYSTEM AND THE CHECK COOLANT SENSOR WARNING LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MADE MULTIPLE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS WITH A MECHANIC TO OBTAIN A DIAGNOSIS TO DETERMINE IF THE FAILURE WAS ELECTRICAL. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINE IF THE FAILURE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A FUSE OR THE BATTERY. THE POLICE ATTEMPTED TO ASSIST THE CONTACT WITH STARTING THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, IT WOULD NOT RESTART. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE STALLED ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING FURTHER INSPECTION AND DIAGNOSIS BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500.