2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

MY VEHICLE WENT INTO THE SHOP (STAR MOTOR) APRIL 1, 2008 FOR AN ENGINE LIGHT INDICATOR. I WAS TOLD THE FUEL PUMP AND CAM SHAFT WERE BAD. THEY WERE REPLACED AND I GOT MY CAR BACK ON APRIL 16, 2008. ON MAY 17, THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE SHOP. THEY REPLACED THE COILS (NOT SURE WHAT THESE ARE). ON MAY 18, 2008, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE SHOP. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE COMPRESSION WAS NOT GOOD IN CYLINDER #'S 1 AND 3. THEY DECIDED TO FLUSH THE TURBO/INJECTOR SYSTEM AND TIME THE VEHICLE. I GOT THE CAR BACK (NOT SURE OF THE DATE). ON MAY 5, 2008, THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AND I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK IN. WHEN PUT ON THE COMPUTER, I WAS TOLD THAT THE LIGHT INDICATED AND READ A CAM SHAFT/MISFIRE 3. MONTHS EARLIER, WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT FIRST CAME ON, WE CALLED IN TO STAR MOTOR AND MY HUSBAND WAS TOLD THAT "AS LONG AS THE LIGHT WASN'T FLASHING, IT WAS OKAY." I TOLD THIS TO STAR MOTOR ON MAY 18, 2008, AND GAIL TOLD ME THAT IS CORRECT. THAT IS WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD AT THE HOME OFFICE. OBVIOUSLY, THAT IS NOT THE CASE. AS SOON AS THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, WE CALLED AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT WITHIN 3 WEEKS. THE FLASHING WAS VERY INTERMITTENT (FLASHED MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE A DAY). MY CAR IS STILL NOT FIXED AND STAR MOTOR DOES NOT APPEAR TO KNOW WHAT THE TRUE PROBLEM IS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE VOLKSWAGEN HOME OFFICE DISCUSSED MY CAR IN A CLASSROOM SETTING AND THEY ARE MERELY ABLE TO GUESS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. THIS IS A HIGH END CAR; 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT, AND THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS SHOULD NOT BE OCCURRING; FUEL PUMP, CAM SHAFT (TWICE), ETC. STAR IS TRYING TO WORK WITH US. THEY HAVE EVEN GIVEN US LOANERS TO DRIVE, BUT VOLKSWAGEN IS NOT WILLING TO HELP AT ALL. I HAVE BEEN DOING RESEARCH ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND THAT THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS ARE FAR REACHING AND NOT SIMPLY OURS. *TR

LEASED 2006 VW PASSAT IN NOV 05. IT'S BEEN TO THE SHOP 12 TIMES ALTHOUGH THE LOCAL VW REP ADMITS ONLY 4 OR 5. IT'S BEEN TOWED IN 3 TIMES AND WOULD HAVE BEEN 4 IF WE HAD NOT FINALLY GOTTEN IT JUMPED OFF AS OF YESTERDAY. THE KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WOULD NOT RELEASE OR CRANK VEHICLE ONCE. INTERNAL PROBLEM WITH A SENSOR ON ANOTHER OCCASION AND HAD TO BE IN SHOP OVER 1 WEEK. EXPERIENCED WHAT SEEMED TO BE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND HAD TO BE TOWED ON ANOTHER. DEALERSHIP CLAIMED IT WAS A GAS FILTER OR SENSOR AND TOOK OVER A WEEK TO REPAIR. HOSE PROBLEM ON ANOTHER OCCASION; GAS SENSOR ON ANOTHER (WRONG SENSOR ACTUALLY INSTALLED). INTERNAL PROBLEM ON ANOTHER OCCASION AND PART HAD TO BE ORDERED. IT ARRIVED TIMELY BUT TOOL TO COMPLETE REPAIR HAD TO BE ORDERED FROM GERMANY. TWO WEEKS IN SHOP ON THAT OCCASION. THE BRAKES ALSO RUST OVER AND SCREECH IF YOU DON'T DRIVE IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND IT RAINS. UNK IF IT CAUSES ANY DANGER IN STOPPING. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND SERVICE NOW INDICATORS COME ON AT RANDOM AND ON A REGULAR BASIS BUT WE'VE BEEN TOLD ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION THERE ARE NO "CODES" TO EXPLAIN. *TR

2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.0T SHORTLY AFTER ACQUIRING THE VEHICLE I EXPERIENCED THAT AT TIMES THE VEHICLE WOULD SEVERELY DECELERATE SHORTLY AFTER PROCEEDING FROM A STOP, FOLLOWED BY A RAPID ACCELERATION. THANKFULLY DRIVERS BEHIND ME AVOIDED REAR END COLLISIONS. ON ONE OCCASION A BROAD SIDE COLLISION WAS NARROWLY AVERTED. SUBSEQUENT TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE CONDITION . NO DIAGNOSTIC FAULT CODES WERE REGISTERED AND SERVICE PERSONNEL MENTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF "TURBO LAG". AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW MONTHS I INADVERTENTLY DUPLICATED THE CONDITION WHILE CREEPING THROUGH A CAR WASH WITH MY LEFT FOOT LIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE WHILE I ACCELERATED WITH THE RIGHT FOOT. I FOUND THAT I COULD EASILY REPLICATE THE CONDITION IF I TOUCHED THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MY LEFT FOOT AS I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE WITH MY RIGHT FOOT. I DEMONSTRATED THIS TO A DEALERSHIP TECH AS HE ACCOMPANIED ME WITH AN ANALYZER CONNECTED . NO FAULT CODES REGISTERED WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD "DIE AND THEN ACCELERATE". THE TECH HAD SUBSEQUENT DIALOG WITH A REGIONAL VW REP WITH THE END RESULT BEING ----- "DON'T LEFT FOOT BRAKE" APPARENTLY THIS IS A VW COMPUTER CONTROL MODULE ISSUE INHERENT TO THIS MODEL VW. I BELIEVE IT TO BE A SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITION. *TR

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ACCELERATION PEDAL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMS MUCH SHORTER THAN IN OTHER CARS (IE, MY TOYOTA CAMRY)...I WILL NOT DRIVE OUR PASSAT 2006 2.0T BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES WHEN MY TENNIS SHOE HAS HIT BOTH PEDALS IN THE ATTEMPT TO APPLY THE BRAKES. THIS MUST BE A CONTINUATION OF THE AUDI5000 "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" PROBLEMS OF THE EARLY 1980'S?,,,,,, *TR

WHEN THE CAR IS TRAVELING APPROXIMATED 2-10 MPH, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ACCELERATES AND BRAKES AS THE AUTOMOBILE BUCKS A FEW TIMES. THEIR IS A LOUD THUNKING NOISE AND THEN GOES BACK TO NORMAL. FROM TIME TO TIME THE CAR GETS STUCK IN 2ND GEAR, WHICH FORCES ME TO PULL OVER AND RESTART THE ENGINE. WINDOWS ARE SUPPOSEDLY AUTOMATIC UP AND DOWN, BUT DON'T WORK PROPERLY 50% OF THE TIME. REAR BACK SPEAKER PLAYS INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN PARKING AND SHUTTING DOWN ENGINE, THE EMERGENCY BRAKES TURN ON AND OFF. THE ENGINE KEY IS GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION. OVERALL ISSUES SEEM TO BE ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER RELATED. I HAVE TAKEN BACK TO DEALER TWICE IN THE LAST 6 MOTHS AND THE PROBLEMS KEEP BUILDING. *TR

I LEASED A 2006 VW 2.0 ON JAN 4, 2006, AND IT HAS BEEN A CHOIR. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AFTER 3 MONTHS, THE CAR BUCKS AS IF I AM RIDING A DONKEY, LUNGING VERY UNSAFE TO THE POINT OF ALMOST CAUSING WHIPLASH - WITH NO RHYME OR REASON. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER IN BRAINTREE, MA SEVERAL TIMES - UNABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. ON JAN 4 , 2007 A YEAR LATER I TOOK THE CAR IN TO BE SERVICE - I WAS TOLD THAT IT WENT OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE - AGAIN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM - AS SOON AS I HIT THE HIGHWAY THE CAR STARTED JERKING (SO MUCH FOR THE TEST DRIVE) 2ND VW WITH THROTTLE PROBLEMS I WILL NEVER PURCHASE OR RECOMMEND VW TO ANYONE. *TR

ABS BRAKES HAVE BEEN PUMPING WITHOUT INCLEMENT WEATHER. IT PUMPS RANDOMLY AT ANY SPEED AND ANY WEATHER. NOTHING HAS BEEN RESOLVED FROM THE DEALER. THE BRAKES ALSO MAKE EXCESSIVE NOISE, GRINDING OR METAL TO METAL TYPE OF SOUNDS OR CONTACT. IN ADDITION, MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL OR MALFUNCTIONS WITHIN THE YEAR I HAVE OWNED THE CAR- ONLY 9491 MILES. A. AIR BAG LIGHT WENT ON AND STAYED ON UNTIL I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER. B. THE DRIVER SUN VISOR SHORTED AND WAS INOPERATIVE. C. IGNITION WAS WEAK AND WOULD NOT START AFTER SEVERAL TIMES. CAR WOULD DIE. BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER, NO RESOLVE. THE COMPUTER COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. FINALLY AS I AM DRIVING THE OTHER DAY, A MALFUNCITON LIGHT APPEARS AND THE CAR DIES. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. D. AFTER 5,000 MILES CHECK UP, THE SERVICE LIGHT APPEARED AND STAYED ON UNTIL I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER TO TURN OFF. E. AT THIS TIME, THE CAR IS IN THE DEALER. THEY FOUND THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH FAULTY AND WILL BE REPLACING IT. *TR

THERE IS AN UNSAFE THROTTLE LAG ON THE 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 3.6 LITER. APPROX 4 SEC DELAY WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AFTER THE CAR COMES TO A STAND STILL OR IN THE EVENT OF AN EVASIVE MANEUVER, MERGING, PASSING AND STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL YOU'VE DEPRESSED THE PEDAL APPROX. 3/4 TO AN INCH OF PEDAL TRAVEL, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE CAR LURCHES AND ACCELERATES AT WHAT FEELS LIKE HALF TO FULL THROTTLE. *TR

THE VEHICLE HAS A HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED FROM A STOP. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR THE DRIVER AND TO OTHERS WHEN DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND OTHERWISE. THE DELAY IN THE VEHICLE MOVING FORWARD WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED IS TROUBLING ON NEW VEHICLES IN PROPER OPERATING CONDITION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE IDLING, THE ENGINE INCREASED TO 900 RPMS OR MORE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED TO 20 MPH AND WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE THE RPM'S WERE NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,000.M UPDATED 01/09/08. *LJ UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR