2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE STOP ENGINE NOW- LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SHE PULLED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD FOR INSPECTION. SHE CHECKED THE DIP STICK FOR AN OIL READING. THE READING INDICATED THE VEHICLE CONTAINED NO OIL IN THE ENGINE. SHE ADDED OIL TO THE ENGINE BEFORE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AS HAVING SLUDGE BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO FIX THE PROBLEM. NO HOWEVER, REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE . *AK

WITHOUT WARNING, MY 2003 PASSAT STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. THANKFULLY THE POLICE WERE QUICK TO ARRIVE AND HELPED DIRECT TRAFFIC SO THAT I COULD BE PUSHED OFF THE ROAD. THE CAR WAS TOWED AND THE VW DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A PREMATURELY FAILED FUEL PUMP. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP FREE OF CHARGE, BUT THEY ARE DENYING THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM OR DEFECT ACROSS THE BOARD. I HAVE READ MANY REPORTS OF OTHER VW PASSAT OWNERS HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS FAILURE DEPENDING ON WHEN THE PUMP STOPS WORKING (THERE ARE NO WARNING SIGNS), AND I THINK VW SHOULD ADDRESS THIS. *JB

EARLY FUEL PUMP FAILURE. 22,000 MILES (VOLKSWAGEN). THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED BLOCKING THE ROADWAY. THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE RESTARTED DUE TO FAILURE OF THE FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL TANK WAS FULL. THE DEALER COMMENTED THAT IT HAS BEEN COMMON FOR 2003 PASSAT TO HAVE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. *AK UPDATED 12/01/05. *JB

WHILE DRIVING WITH HEATED SEATS ON, NOTICED BURNING IN MY LEFT THIGH. SMELLED SMOKE, BURNED MY INDEX FINGER IN SMOLDERING HOLE IN SEAT. TURNED OFF HEATER AND NOTED JUST LIGHT SMOKE. VW SAYS IT WAS A RECALL ITEM, BUT I NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE (ORIGINAL OWNER). THEY WILL REPLACE IT. *JB

ON THE MORNING OF NOV. 18, 2005, I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT THOUGH MY NEIGHBORHOOD. IT WAS A COLD MORNING, SO I HAD THE DRIVER-SIDE SEAT WARMER ACTIVATED AT LEVEL 4 (HIGHEST SETTING IS 5). AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, I NOTICED THE SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. AT FIRST I DISCOUNTED IT AS MERELY THE SMELL OF THE CAR'S HEATER OR SOMETHING EXTERNAL. BUT I SOON FELT EXCESSIVE HEAT ON MY BUTTOCKS AND STOPPED THE CAR, LEAVING IT RUNNING. WHEN I GOT OUT AND LOOKED AT THE SEAT, THERE WAS A SMOLDERING HOLE ABOUT ONE-QUARTER OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER ON THE BACK-LEFT SURFACE OF THE LEATHER SEAT. THE SEAT WARMER UNIT HAD BURNED A HOLE THOUGH THE SEAT SURFACE AND, WERE IT NOT FOR MY WOOL PANTS, COULD HAVE BURNED MY SKIN. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF MY LOCAL DEALER, GOSSETT VOLKSWAGEN. THE SERVICE ASSISTANT TOLD ME THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT UNCOMMON AND THAT IT THE HEATING ELEMENT AND SEAT WOULD BE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE. HOWEVER, BECAUSE SOME OF THE NECESSARY PARTS HAD TO BE ORDERED, I WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AT A LATER DATE. THE SERVICE ASSISTANT INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO USE THE SEAT WARMER FEATURE IN THE INTERIM. WHILE I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE OBVIOUS EQUIPMENT FAILURE, I AM MORE CONCERNED THAT SUCH AN EVENT COULD IGNITE THE SEAT COVER, THE DRIVER'S CLOTHING OR OTHER COMBUSTIBLE ITEMS, POSSIBLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND/OR BODILY HARM. *NM

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER 2003 PASSAT BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE DIED. *TS THE DEALER DID A PRESSURE TEST AND DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. *NM

FUEL PUMP FAILED WHILE TRAVELING ON MERRITT PARKWAY IN WILTON, CT. THE PUMP FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. WHILE TRAVELING ON THE PARKWAY, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND DIED, AND I MANAGED TO HAVE ENOUGH FORWARD MOMENTUM TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE. NO WARNINGS AT ALL. THE FUEL TANK WAS ABOUT 1/4 FULL. THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. I DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED THE PART BY THE NEXT DAY. I DISASSEMBLED THE OLD PUMP AND DISCOVERED THAT THE BRUSHES IN THE MOTOR HAD WORN EXCESSIVELY- THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 58200 MILES. I AN KEEPING THE OLD PART IN MY CUSTODY. THE NEW FUEL PUMP PART NO. IS 8E0906087D. RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ON INTERNET DISCUSSION FORUMS ON VW ENTHUSIAST WEB SITES REVEALS THAT THE FAILURES APPEAR ON A HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL RATE ON '03 MODEL YEAR VW PASSATS. DISCUSSIONS HERE: HTTP://WWW.PASSATWORLD.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=188629 HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=1982739&POSTID=22264430#22264430 AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, HAVING THE FUEL PUMP FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAN HAVE CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. *JB

I RECENTLY WAS NOTIFIED OF VOLKSWAGEN'S CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN M2 CONCERNING SEAT HEATERS FOR 2002-2003 VW PASSATS. I HAVE HAD LESS THAN AN ADEQUATE RESPONSE FROM BOTH THE DEALER AND THE VW CUSTOMER CARE CENTER. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL LETTER FROM VW FROM MY FTP SERVER USING THE FOLLOWING LINK: <FTP://PUBLIC:[email protected]/VW%20M2/VW%20M2%20LETTER.PDF> YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A COPY OF MY RESPONSE TO VW USING THE FOLLOWING LINK: <FTP://PUBLIC:[email protected]/VW%20M2/CAMPAIGN%20M2%20RESPONSE%20--%2020051110.PDF> IF YOU CANNOT ACCESS EITHER FILE, PLEASE CONTACT ME SO THAT I CAN DETERMINE AN ALTERNATE METHOD TO SEND THE INFORMATION TO NHTSA -- THIS FORM LIMITED SIZE TO 2,000 CHARACTERS. *JB

CAR STOPPED RUNNING WHILE TRAVELING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY DOING 65 MPH. CAR JUST STARTED SLOWING DOWN, LUCKILY I WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND ABLE TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER. DANGEROUS PROBLEM. TOWED TO VW DEALERSHIP AND FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. CAR HAD 53000 MILES ON IT. *JB

I DRIVE A 2003 VW PASSAT AND WHILE DRIVING A TWO LANE ROAD THE SEAT HEATER INSIDE THE LEATHER SEATS IGNITED BURNING THROUGH THE SEAT, BURNING A HOLE IN MY PANTS AND BURNING MY BEHIND CAUSING ME TO SWERVE OFF THE ROAD AND EXIT THE VEHICLE TO AVOID OTHER INJURY AS THE SEAT BURNED. THIS HAS BEEN APPARENTLY REPORTED HUNDREDS OF TIMES YET VW REFUSES A RECALL. VW AGREED TO REPLACE THE SEAT AND PANTS BUT REFUSED ANY OTHER COMPENSATION FOR INJURIES SUSTAINED. *JB