2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

BOUGHT A 2003 VW PASSAT 1.8T IN MAY 2005. SINCE THEN, I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR 4 TIMES NOW. THE CAR WILL ALL OF THE SUDDEN START RUNNING VERY ROUGH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE FIRST TIME, THEY REPLACED A "DEFECTIVE" SPARK PLUG. WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF GETTING IT BACK, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THEY DECIDED TO REPLACE ALL THE SPARK PLUGS THAT TIME. IT HAPPENED A THIRD TIME AND THEY DID NOT TELL ME WHAT THEY HAD DONE TO THE CAR, BUT KEPT THE CAR FOR A WEEK. IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AGAIN (NOW FOR A WEEK AGAIN) BECAUSE IT BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, DEVELOPED A SLOW OIL LEAK, AND DOES NOT ALWAYS START ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. I HAVE NOT YET HEARD FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEMS. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK EVERYTHING ON THE CAR. I HAVE ALSO LODGED A COMPLAINT WITH VW OF AMERICA. *JB

ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING WHILE DRIVING. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS. AFTER COASTING DOWN A HILL APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION, I EASED INTO THE ACCELERATOR TO CROSS INTERSECTION, ONLY TO EXPERIENCE A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. VW DEALER DIAGNOSED ENGINE LOSS DUE TO FAILURE OF FUEL PUMP. DEALER REPLACED FUEL PUMP AND SAVED OLD PUMP AT MY REQUEST. OLD PUMP IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. I CONSIDER ENGINE LOSS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE MOST CARS THESE DAYS HAVE STEERING AND BRAKES THAT ARE POWERED BY THE ENGINE. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE CAR AND BRING IT TO A SAFE STOP. *NM

LEAK INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WITH HEAVY RAIN RESOLUTION PENDING PASSENGER AIR BAG CAN BE AFFECTED. *JB

MY VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT STOPPED DEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND HAD TO BE PUSHED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I ALMOST GOT HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC TRYING TO GET THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY. THREE RIVERS VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP IS SAYING THE TIMING BELT WENT WELL BEFORE THE SCHEDULED REPLACEMENT,THUS DESTROYING THE ENGINE+.THE CAR HAS 83K MILES AND NOT RECOMMEND TO BE CHANGED UNTIL 105K. THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES REPORTED ON THE WEB OF THE HAPPENING. MY CAR WAS IN FOR A SERVICE CHECK AT 78K AND OTHER PROBLEM ITEMS WERE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION; HOWEVER, A TIMING BELT PROBLEM WAS NOT. VOLKSWAGEN IS BLAMING THE DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THE SERVICE DEPARMENT IS BLAMING VOLKSWAGEN. SO FAR NO RESOLUTION. THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES OF VW AND AUDI HAVING TIMING BELT ISSUES ON THE INTERENET. *JB

2003 VW PASSAT SUDDENLY BEGAN MAKING ENGINE NOISE AND OIL PRESSURE WARNING CAME ON. VW DETERMINED PROBLEM WAS SLUDGE, AND THEY CLEANED THE ENGINE LEAVING A BILL OF $1900 PLUS THAT THEY ARE REFUSING TO COVER WITH MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY UNLESS I CAN PRODUCE OIL CHG RECEIPTS. I HAVE DONE 2 OF THEM MYSELF AND ONLY HAVE BANK STATEMENTS WITH CREDIT CARD CHARGES. THE OTHERS, I HAVE RECEIPTS FOR. THEY ARE STILL REFUSING TO COVER. THIS IS A MAJOR WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AND THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO CHANGE FROM REGULAR OIL TO SYNTHETIC OIL CAME IN 2004, A YEAR AFTER I WAS FOLLOWING THEIR PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS, ETC. FOR A KNOWN ISSUE, THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO HOLD CONSUMERS HOSTAGE ON A SITUATION LIKE THIS. I DO MY OWN OIL CHGS TO SAVE MONEY. MY 10K OIL CHG AT VW WAS $110. I CAN DO IT FOR LESS THEN HALF OF THAT AMOUNT. *NM

THE HEATED SEATS IN MY 2003 VW PASSAT HAD A MALFUNCTION AND BURNED THROUGH THE CUSHIONING AND PANTS THAT I WAS WEARING. LOOKS LIKE A LARGE CIGARETTE HOLE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY FRONT DRIVER SEAT. *NM

ENGINE STOPPED WHILE IN MOTION WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING POWER STEERING TO FAIL. DIAGNOSED AS FUEL PUMP FAILURE. ALSO, IN 2004 OIL PUMP FAILED DUE TO SLUDGE. REPAIR NOT COVERED DUE TO INABILITY TO PRODUCE SERVICE RECORDS. *NM

DRIVING A 2003 VW PASSAT GLX WAGON ON A ROAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND THE PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. LUCKILY, THIS SHOCKING INCIDENT DIDN'T CAUSE US TO GET IN AN ACCIDENT, BUT IT DID FILL THE CAR WITH SMOKE AND WE HAD TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY AND GET OUR 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER OUT OF HER CAR SEAT. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A VW DEALERSHIP (KING VOLKSWAGEN, GAITHERSBURG, MD) AND THEY CHARGED ME $100 TO LOOK AT IT AND THEN TOLD ME THAT THE CAR SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CAR PROBABLY HIT A CURB AT 35 MPH AND CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP. I WAS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR AT THE TIME AND I KNOW THAT THE CAR WAS NOT SLOWED DOWN AT ALL, AND WE DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE HITTING ANYTHING. BECAUSE THIS ROAD WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION WE MAY HAVE BRUSHED A MAN HOLE COVER THAT WAS STICKING UP INTO THE ROAD, BUT NOT HARD ENOUGH TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN OR TO CAUSE ANY SERIOUS DAMAGE. I LOOKED AT THE IMPACT POINT IN THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND IT IS JUST A SMALL DENT TO A METAL CUP. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND HE WAS SHOCKED THAT THIS SMALL DENT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIRBAGS TO BLOW. THE CAR DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY REPAIRS EXCEPT FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AIRBAGS. I COMPLAINED TO VW CORPORATE AND THEY HAD ME BRING THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER TO TAKE PICTURES AND READINGS FROM THE AIRBAG SENSOR. THEY SENT THAT INFORMATION TO VW CORPORATE AND CORPORATE CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THAT THIS WAS CONSIDERED TO BE AN ACCIDENT THAT WAS MY FAULT. *NM

2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. SUNROOF IMPLODED WHILE DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. NO FOREIGN OBJECT WAS FOUND IN CABIN OF VEHICLE. SUSPECT DEFECT. *NM

INSTANT FUEL PUMP FAILURE. LATE SATURDAY NIGHT WITH 9 WEEK OLD CHILD IN THE CAR. CAR SIMPLY STOPS RUNNING ON THE HIGHWAY. DOES NOT RESTART. DID MANAGE TO GET BABY INTO WARM VEHICLE AND HOME. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. *JB