2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

CONSUMER SMELLED AN ODOR IN THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER ASKED HER SPOUSE TO CHECK IT OUT. CONSUMER TURNED SEAT HEATER ON AND THE SEAT STARTED TO BURN. THE SEAT SLIGHTLY SCORCHED THE CONSUMER.*AK THE PASSENGERS COAT WAS BURNED BY THE SEAT. *TC

DRIVING WITH MY DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER ON - SMELL A BURNING - FEEL THE SEAT - QUICK BURN TO MY HAND - SEAT HEATER BURNT HOLE THROUGH LEATHER SEAT - IMMEDIATELY SHUT-DOWN HEATER. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WE NOTICED A FAINT BURNING SMELL AFTER A SHORT RIDE. THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO CLEAN SNOW OFF OF THE CAR AND NOTICED A BURN HOLE ABOUT 1/2" IN DIAMETER IN THE SEAT. I TURNED THE CAR ON AND BEGAN CLEANING THE SNOW OFF THE CAR AND CALLED MY FIANC TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. WITH IN 2 MINUTES THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE CAR, SPARKS AND SMALL FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE HOLE IN THE SEAT. WHEN TURNING OFF THE HEATED SEATS THE MELTING AND SMOKING SUBSIDED LEAVING A HOLE (ABOUT 1" DIAMETER) THROUGH THE DRIVER'S SEAT. (LATER FOUND A HOLE HOLE IN THE CLOTHING THAT WAS WORN THE NIGHT BEFORE) VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 20K MILES, SO THE MALFUNCTION IS COVERED IN FULL BY THE WARRANTEE. AFTER CALLING THE DEALERSHIP THE MENTIONED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE HAD A LOT OF CALLS REGARDING THE SAME THING. THEY TOLD US WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT APROX 1 MONTH BEFORE THEY WOULD TAKE THE CAR. AS A REMEDY THE MENTIONED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE SEAT COVER.*AK

I OWN A 2003 PASSAT GLS WITH ABOUT 40,000 MILES ON IT. A FEW DAYS AGO, THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON ADVISING THAT I STOP DRIVING THE CAR. AS I WAS JUST PULLING INTO PARKING LOT OF MY WORK, I PARKED THE CAR AND HAD IT TOWED. THE FIRST THING THE MECHANIC FROM VW TOLD ME WAS MY WARRANTY WOULD NOT BE HONORED WITHOUT PROOF OF ALL MY SERVICE RECORDS FROM VW. I DO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED REGULARLY BUT NOT ALWAYS AT 4,999 MILES. I HAVE MOVED AND HAVE HAD THE OIL CHANGED AT DIFFERENT PLACES AND HAVE HAD TROUBLE GETTING ALL MY RECORDS. AFTER SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS IN WHICH I WAS T OLD MULITPLE THINGS ABOUT WHAT CAUSED THE LIGHT TO COME ON, I RECEIVED A CALL SAYING THAT MY ENGINE WAS SCORCHED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $11,000. I COULD NOT PRODUCE ALL OIL CHANGES DONE TO THE CAR IN THE ALMOST TWO YEARS I WONED IT AND VW WOULD NOT HONOR MY WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH I PAID FOR EXTENDED COVERAGE. THE MECHANIC AT VW SAID IT IS RARE THAT ANYONE CAN PRODUCE ALL RECORDS AND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM DUE TO LACK OF PRECISE MAINTENANCE. I HAVE NOT HAD AN NEW ENGINE PUT IN THE CAR AS THE CAR ISN'T EVEN WORTH THE COST OF THE ENGINE. I AM LOOKING INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF REBULIT ENGINE. *AK

VW PASSAT - BRAKE ROTORS WARP, CAUSING DANGEROUS BRAKING SITUATION. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM KNOWN BY VW, AND COMPLAINED OF BY THOUSANDS OF PASSAT OWNERS (MANY, MANY SITES AND COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET, AND MECHANICS). VW REFUSES TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *JB

I AM CURRENTLY HAVING AN ISSUE WITH A 2003 VW PASSAT. AFTER 27,000 MILES, THE ENGINE AND POSSIBLE THE TURBO HAS GONE, AND THE DEALER IS SAYING THAT THE REPAIRS WILL COST 9,000 DOLLARS. VOLKS WAGEN HAS HAD AN OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR OF PASSATS THAT TYPICALLY RESULTS IN THIS PROBLEM, EVEN AFTER SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE. VOLKSWAGEN ISSUED A NOTICE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS OF THIS PROBLEM ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO, AND ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT THEIR DRIVERS CHANGE THE OIL TO A SYNTHETIC OIL. I HAVE BEEN CHANGING MY OIL AT THE RECOMMENDED 5,000 MILE INCREMENTS, ALTHOUGH USING A NON-SYNTHETIC BRAND OF OIL. I AM NOW HAVING A VERY HARD TIME COMING UP WITH MY OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS. I CAN PROVE THAT I CHANGED THE OIL 3 TIMES ALTHOUGH I NEED TO PROVE I CHANGED IT 5 TIMES FOR THE WARRANTY TO KICK IN. EVEN AFTER CHANGING THE OIL AT THE REQUIRED INCREMENTS MY ENGINE IS GONE DUE TO A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT VW IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR. I AM EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY AT THE SERVICE THAT I AM CURRENTLY RECEIVING AND WOULD LIKE TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS MATTER ? AS I AM CURRENTLY SITTING WITH A 9,000 BILL FOR A PROBLEM THAT VW HAS ADMITTED TO, ALTHOUGH WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR.*AK

SEAT WARMER ON MY 2003 VW PASSAT BURNED THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT (DRIVERS SIDE), BURNED THROUGH MY PANTS AND LEFT A MARK ON MY SKIN. *JB

ENGINE SLUDGE IN 2003 VW PASSAT. ENGINE IS SHOT. VW CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT TOLD ME HE PERSONALLY GETS 3 TO 5 CALLS A DAY ON THIS ISSUE. VW WON'T PAY UNLESS YOU PRODUCE EVERY SERVICE RECEIPT. VW DEALERS VIA VW DIRECTIVE NOW ONLY USE SYNTHETIC OIL FOR OIL CHANGES ON THE 1.8 LITER PASSAT ENGINE. ITS A PASSAT NOT A FERRARI. THIS IS CLEARLY AN INDICATION OF A DESIGN FLAW. *NM

DRIVER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT BURNED THROUGH SEAT CUSHIONING, THROUGH LEATHER COVERING, THROUGH PANTS POCKET, AND THROUGH WALLET CONTAINED IN THE POCKET. HOLE IN THE SEAT 2-3 INCHES DEEP AND 1 1/2 - 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER. HOLE IN PANTS WAS 1/2 INCH IN DIAMETER, LEAVING BURN MARK. THE SEAT HEATING MECHANISM HAD BEEN TURNED ON HIGH. SMOLDERED, BUT NO OPEN FIRE. *JB

NEW '03 PASSAT PURCHASED IN DEC. '02. FEB. '03 I NOTICED DIFFICULTY WITH STEERING WHEN THE WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE EXTREME LEFT OR RIGHT. AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP IN WHICH POWER STEERING FLUID WAS FOUND TO BE LOW AND REFILLED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN MAR '03, THE POWER STEERING RACK WAS REPLACED BY VOLKSWAGEN UNDER WARRANTY. NOV. '04, I AGAIN NOTICED DIFFICULTY WITH THE STEERING IN EXTREME LEFT OR RIGHT WHEEL POSITIONS. DEC. '04, VW DETERMINES THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK AGAIN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY CLAIM THAT THERE IS NO LARGER PROBLEM WITH THE CAR LEADING TO REPEATED FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING RACK. LIKEWISE, THEY INSIST THAT THERE IS NO INTRINSIC PROBLEM WITH VW POWER STEERING RACKS. HOWEVER, I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT TWO POWER STEERING RACKS FROM VW PLACED IN THE SAME CAR IN A TWO YEAR PERIOD JUST HAPPENED TO BE FAULTY. *JB