2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE "IMPORTANT STEERING COLUMN DEFECTIVE" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY STARTING THE ENGINE ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ALSO, THE IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT DISENGAGE WITHOUT MAKING SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT IS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 66,700.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAS HAD HIS AIR BAGS REPAIRED AT LEAST SEVEN TIMES WITHIN TWO YEARS. AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATES APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER. THE CONTACT HAS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER EVERY TIME THE ILLUMINATION OCCURS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 48,000.

MY VEHICLE HAD 19K ON IT AND FROM A COLD START SOUNDED LIKE A DIESEL. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE DAY OF THAT APPOINTMENT MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOW HAD MY CAR FOR 9 DAYS AND HAVE STILL NOT DIAGNOSED IT. APPARENTLY THERE IS A MAJOR DEFECT WITH CERTAIN YEAR PASSAT ENGINES. THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE OIL PUMP IN PLACE BACKS OUT AND SHEARS OFF, THUS REQUIRING AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. I AM VERY DISSATISFIED WITH VW SERVICE AND UNHAPPY THAT MY VEHICLE HAD SUCH A FATAL PROBLEM SO EARLY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR BEGAN HESITATING AND THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. UPON PULLING OVER AND OPENING THE HOOD, THE TOP-REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE WAS GLOWING RED AND WITHIN 30 SECONDS OR SO BURST INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY AN OFF-DUTY VOLUNTEER FIREMAN WHO ARRIVED PRIOR TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SUBSEQUENT REVIEW BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOUND THE IGNITION COIL WAS THE ORIGIN AND CAUSE OF THE FIRE. PERHAPS THIS IS SIMILAR TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : EA07014, HOWEVER THAT ACTION ONLY COVERED 1999-2005 PASSATS; THIS IS A 2006 PASSAT. *TR

STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAILURE, 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.0T AT 61,000 MILES, VEHICLE STARTED SHUTTING ITSELF OFF ONE SECOND AFTER STARTING WITH NO MESSAGE. WITHIN 500 MILES, DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGE REPORTED STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAILURE. VEHICLE IS 2,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY (LESS THEN 1 YEAR OLD), DEALER INSIST ON REPLACING STEERING COLUMN, STEERING COLUMN LOCK, STEERING COLUMN LOCK CONTROL MODULE AND THE CONVENIENCE CONTROL MODULE FOR A TOTAL OF $2400. I HAVE FOUND ON VARIOUS INTERNET FORUMS MULTIPLE IDENTICAL INCIDENTS. THIS STEERING WHEEL LOCK IS AND WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE START AND VW HAS AN OBLIGATION TO MAKE IT RIGHT. *TR

WHEN TRYING TO START OUR 2006 PASSAT THE INFO PANEL SHOWS "STEERING WHEEL DEFECTIVE". A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH CAME UP WITH 4 OF THE SAME SITUATIONS IN 2006 PASSATS ON ONE SITE. SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN AT $1700. THIS OBVIOUSLY IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE. IT'S ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE. VW TOLD THE DEALER THEY WOULD PAY FOR THE PART ONLY FOR "GOOD FAITH". NO, IT'S A FACTORY DEFECT FROM THE START WHICH IS ALSO A HUGE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THEY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMPLETE COST IN ADDITION TO A RECALL. *TR

I LEASED A NEW VW PASSAT IN 2006. THE TIRES WORE OUT IN 21,000 EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE PROPERLY INFLATED AND BASICALLY DRIVEN ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS. I HAVE NEVER HAD TIRES THAT LASTED LESS THAN 35K. *TR

THERE WERE NO EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THE FAILURE. BASICALLY THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BUSTED AT A FLANGE SEAM WHERE IT BOLTS TO THE MOTOR. THIS FURTHER CAUSED MY BRAKES TO FAIL AFTER HOT EXHAUST BLEW ON THE BRAKE VACUUM TUBE FOR THE BRAKES. UNFORTUNATELY, NEITHER VOLKSWAGEN OR THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ARE WILLING TO BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE, SINCE IT IS 8,000 MILES OVER THE WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD. SUPPOSEDLY THE DEALERSHIP ORDERED THE PART 10 DAYS AGO, AND IT STILL HAS NOT ARRIVED. THE IRONY OF THIS IS THAT WHEN I ASKED THE DEALERSHIP IF THEY WOULD RETURN THE DEFECTIVE PART TO ME, THEY SAID NO BECAUSE THEY WANT TO RETURN IT TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR A WARRANTY EXCHANGE! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. WHEN IDLING ON AN INCLINE, THE VEHICLE LUNGES BACKWARDS SEVERAL FEET. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING BACKWARDS IS TO APPLY EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO OFFSET THE STEADY DECLINE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON FAILURE DUE TO A POTENTIAL DESIGN FLAW WITH THE COMBINATION MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. A PERMANENT REMEDY HAS NOT YET BEEN DISCOVERED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

AIR BAG FAULT LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME IT HAS COME ON. FIRST CAME ON 10/2006 DEALER REPLACED MALFUNCTIONING R/FRONT SIDE AIRBAG, CONNECTERS TO HARNESS WERE FAULTY AS WELL. 1/2008 CAME ON AGAIN, DEALER REPAIRED FAULTY WIRING FOR PASSENGER SIDE. 5/2008 CAME ON AGAIN, DEALER DIO FOUND UPPER LIMIT EXCEEDED DRIVERS SIDE UNIT, FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING AGAIN. 6/2008 AIR BAG LIGHT ON AGAIN, DEALER INSPECTION FOUND WIRES FOR DRIVERS SIDE FRONT CRASH SENSOR FAULTY/POOR CONTACT. 6/2008 TO PRESENT MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AGAIN, HAVE NOT TAKEN IT IN YET CAUSE I'M QUITE ANNOYED. SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE WHOLE AIRBAG SYSTEM AND I PRAY TO GOD THAT IF I DO HAVE AN ACCIDENT ALL OF MY AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY BUT WITH ALL THE REPAIRS DONE I DON'T THINK THEY WILL. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HELP *TR