2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

WHEN DRIVING MY NEW 06 PASSAT 2.0T AT 35 MPH+, W/ PASSENGERS (AVG. WEIGHTS - APPROX 140 EA.) THE CAR BOTTOMS OUT, RUBBING THE ROAD SURFACE, OVER EVEN MODERATE BUMPS & 'SWOOPING' HUMPS IN THE ROAD. IT OCCURS W/ MORE SEVERITY WHEN ENCOUNTERING BUMPS DURING CORNERING. IT STARTED WITHOUT WARNING, AND WAS 'MODERATE' AT FIRST, THEN BEGAN TO GET WORSE AS TIME WENT ON. I CAN ALSO HEAR A 'CLICKING' SOUND WHEN THE DRIVER WINDOW IS DOWN, & GOING OVER EVEN SMALL, SLOW SPEED BUMPS (<5MPH) AFTER SEVERAL OF INCIDENCES I TOOK IT THE LOCAL VW DEALER IN VANCOUVER, WA,. AFTER 3+ VISITS, NO SOLUTION. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS FINE, THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE EITHER THE CLICKING OR BOTTOMING OUT. I CONTACTED VW USA & FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THAT DICK HANNAH DEALERSHIP. I WAS QUICKLY CONTACTED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO OFFERED TO TAKE A RIDE W/ ME, DURING WHICH WE EASILY REPRODUCED BOTH CONCERNS, AT SLOW SPEEDS, WITHIN MINUTES OF LEAVING THERE LOT - SHE WAS SHOCKED, & SAID SHE'D LOOK INTO IT - WHICH SHE DID. THE SOLUTION? "THE FACTORY INSTALLED FRONT MUD FLAPS WERE 'TOO LONG' & DRAGGIED WHEN ENCOUNTERING BUMPS" ! NEEDLESS TO SAY, & EVEN W/O BEING A 'MECHANIC', THIS ANSWER WAS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE REASON FOR A SUSPENSION THAT 'CLICKS' LOUDLY OVER BUMPS & BOTTOMS OUT DURING NORMAL DRIVING. I ACCEPTED THIS ANSWER W/ THE IDEA I'D DO SOME ADDITIONAL RESEARCH. THE CAR CONTINUES TO BOTTOM OUT, IS GETTING WORSE & IRONICALLY ONLY HAPPENS ON THE DRIVERS SIDE - REGARDLESS OF WHETHER I AM DRIVING (AT 180LBS) OR MY FIANCE' IS DRIVING (AT 115LBS) NOW EVEN W/O PASSENGERS! THERE'S DEFINITELY AN ISSUE W/ AT LEAST THE FRONT STRUT UNIT - WHICH WOULD ALSO EXPLAIN THE CLICKING COMING FROM THAT UNIT. ALTHOUGH I HAVE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, THEY STAND BY THERE DIAGNOSIS - THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN BOTH THERE SERVICE AND LEVEL OF EXPERTISE/KNOWLEDGE - EVERY SUSPENSION MECHANIC I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SAYS THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE A FAULTY OR LEAKING STRUT UNIT - AN EASY FIX. *JB

ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE WOULD NOT RELEASE. I HAD TO CALL ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO WALK ME THROUGH HOW TO "DEACTIVATE" THE PARKING BRAKE. *JB

I HAVE HAD RECURRENT ISSUES WITH MY 2006 PASSAT. I JUST GOT THE CAR BACK FROM THE DEALER AFTER BEING AT THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS FOR 25 DAYS, AND I WAS TRYING TO BRAKE AT THE END OF MY STREET AND THE CAR DID NOT BRAKE. THE PEDAL WAS VERY HARD -- I COULD BARELY PUSH IT IN WITH TWO FEET. I ACTIVATED THE PARKING BRAKE, AND THE CAR STOPPED -- THANK GOD, I WAS ONLY GOING 10 MPH, BUT IF I ROLLED INTO THE INTERSECTION I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. WHEN THE CAR STOPPED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THE ENGINE BEGAN REVVING UP AND DOWN AND THE HEADLIGHTS WERE FLICKERING OR SURGING AND GETTING BRIGHTER AND DIMMER AND BRIGHTER VERY RAPIDLY. I TURNED ON THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TO BETTER VIEW MY DASH, AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE SURGING/FLICKERING AS WELL. IN ONE OF MY PREVIOUS VISITS FOR DEALER REPAIRS, THEY TOLD ME THEY PUT IN A BRAND NEW ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. HOW CAN THIS BE HAPPENING AGAIN? THIS CAR IS BEYOND REPAIR. I BELIEVE I HAVE A LEMON AND IT IS DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE DRIVING THIS CAR. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT AFTER A 25-DAY STINT IN THE DEALER REPAIR CENTER IT'S STILL NOT WORKING. THIS IS THE LAST OF MANY TRIPS TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. INCIDENTALLY, WHILE I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW, I BOUGHT IT AFTER USING IT AS A LOANER WHEN MY 2006 JETTA TDI WAS IN THE SHOP MORE THAN I DROVE IT DURING MY PERIOD OF OWNERSHIP. THAT CAR HAD SOME ISSUES AS WELL, SO WHEN I LIKED THE PASSAT I DECIDED TO TRADE IT IN. I'VE ONLY DRIVEN THIS PASSAT FOR LESS THAN 5,000 MILES AND IT IS TERRIBLE. MY WIFE DRIVES A 2006 JETTA TDI (A DIFFERENT ONE) WHICH RUNS GREAT. HOW CAN ONLY ONE OF THREE CARS PURCHASED IN LESS THAN A SIX MONTH PERIOD FUNCTION PROPERLY. THIS IS SERIOUSLY IMPACTING MY VIEWS OF VW QUALITY. I HAVE TROUBLE WRITING VW AND THE WORD QUALITY IN THE SAME SENTENCE. THANK GOD I DIDN'T DIE TONIGHT. *NM

AT THE RED LIGHT, ENGINE STARTED TO VIBRATE. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED TO GREEN, MY WIFE DECIDED TO PULL OVER TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. SHE REALIZED THAT THE BRAKES STOPPED WORKING. FROM 20 MPH IT TOOK A WHOLE BLOCK TO STOP. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF HER. CAR WAS TOWED AWAY TO THE DEALER. AS PER SERVICE: VACUUM HOSE BROKE OFF FROM THE ENGINE AND WE LOST POWER BRAKING. ENGINE VIBRATION IS THE SYMPTOM. ONLY 9500 MILES ON THE CAR. DEALER TOLD ME ITS A COMMON PROBLEM ON NEW PASSATS. *JB

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. IT TOOK THE DEALER 4 ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. FIRST THEY RESET THE COMPUTER TWO TIMES. THE THIRD TIME THEY REPLACED A PART. THE FOURTH TIME THEY REPLACE THE TURBOCHARGER. SINCE THIS LAST FIX THE LIGHT HAS COME ON ONCE THEN WENT OFF. IT NOW IS OFF WHILE DRIVING. *JB

THROTTLE LAG. WHEN TURNING INTO TRAFFIC, SOMETIMES THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD INSTEAD OF EASING FORWARD. THE THROTTLE SHOULD BE ADJUSTED SO THAT SOFTLY PRESSING THE PEDAL MOVES THE CAR INSTEAD OF HAVING TO PRESS THE PEDAL HARD (WHICH LEADS TO THE DANGEROUS LURCHING). *JB

SHAKING ISSUE WHILE BRAKING AND AFTER RELEASING BRAKE. THE ENTIRE CAR VIBRATES. DEALER CONTACTED AND SAID THERE WAS NO WAY TO REPAIR AT THE CURRENT TIME. *JB

VEHICLES THROTTLE- BY- WIRE SYSTEM CREATES UNSAFE DELAY IN ACCELERATION AND AN EXAGGERATED LUNGING EFFECT WHEN UNEXPECTED. UNSAFE IN THE EVENT OF AN EVASIVE MANEUVER, MERGING, PASSING AND STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. *JB

EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE ;THE PROBLEM THAT I AM ABOUT TO DESCRIBE HAS ON A CONSISTENT BASIS OCCURRED SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ; THERE ARE THREE PROBLEMS. THE 1ST PROBLEM BEING THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING/ON AND I AM EITHER IN PARK, AT A STOP LIGHT OR SIMILAR, THE ENGINE "SPUTTERS" AS IF IT HAS LOWER GRADE/BAD GAS OR IS MISFIRING OR HAS AN AIR LEAK OF SOME SORT. PROBLEM 2, WHEN I AM AT A COMPLETE STOP/PARKED AND THE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE, WHEN I LET OFF THE BRAKE TO "CREEP" FORWARD (LIKE IN TRAFFIC) THE CAR SHAKES/THROBS/INCHES FORWARD AS IF THE BRAKES ARE CLAMPING DOWN ON THE DISCS AND LETTING GO REALLY QUICK. IT IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES BECAUSE IF I LET THE CAR "CREEP" IN IDLE UP A HILL WITHOUT USING THE BRAKES THE CAR STILL SHAKES/THROBS. THE 3RD PROBLEM IS THAT THE THROTTLE RESPONSE IS DELAYED ANYWHERE FROM 1 FULL SECOND TO 3 FULL SECONDS. IT'S SIMPLE, WHEN I PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR DOES NOT MOVE/THE ENGINE DOES NOT REV ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 3 FULL SECONDS. AT HIGHWAY CRUISING SPEEDS, IT DOES THE SAME THING. IN BOTH INSTANCES WHETHER IT BE AT A STOP LIGHT OF CRUISING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THIS PROBLEM HAS NEARLY GOTTEN ME KILLED OR SERIOUSLY HURT. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE = I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT SEE WHAT WAS CAUSING THESE PROBLEMS SO THEY COULD FIX IT AND THEY DIDN'T COME UP WITH ANYTHING. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS OF 0-5MPH THE ENGINE JUMPS TO RPM'S OF 900 TO 1000 RPM'S CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LUNGE FORWARD. THIS OCCURS MORE OFTEN WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR A WHILE AND THE ENGINE IS HOT. THE RPM'S GO DOWN ONLY WHEN THE ENGINE IS PLACED IN NEUTRAL AND THE MOTOR IS REVVED UP, OR WHEN THE VEHICLE SHIFTS INTO SECOND GEAR. THE VEHICLE IDLES ROUGHLY AND HESITATES. WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, THERE IS LAG BETWEEN WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED AND THE WHEN THE ENGINE KICKS INTO GEAR. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WHILE PARKED, AT LOW SPEEDS, OR TURNING THE VEHICLE RIGHT OR LEFT, THERE IS A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM THE RIGHT SUSPENSION AREA. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER STRUT BEARING WHICH SEEMED TO HELP FOR A WHILE, BUT NOW THE GRINDING SOUND IS BACK. THE GRINDING SOUND IS NOW COMING FROM THE LEFT SUSPENSION AREA. *AK