2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

8/01/03 - CAR INSPECTED AND TOLD HAD PROPER J IGNITION COILS INSTALLED 8/18/03 - CAR AGAIN INSPECTED AND TOLD HAD PROPER J IGNITION COILS INSTALLED 11/18/03 - COIL IGNITION RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON THE CAR FOR A 3RD TIME. AFTER ALL THREE ATTEMPTS OF CHECKING THE IGNITION COILS THEY YET FAILED AGAIN. THIS IS THE 12 COIL I HAVE HAD REPLACED ON A VOLKSWAGEN IN 2 YEARS. *JB

2003 VW PASSAT; HEATED SEAT BURNED THROUGH CUSHION AND STARTED SMOLDERING. DEALER REPLACED SEAT. SAID THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE HEATING ELEMENT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SEAT WARMER BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT AND STARTED TO BURN THE CONSUMER'S CLOTHING.*AK

1.) DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER WAS ACTIVIATED. 2.) DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER BURNED THROUGH SEAT LEATHER AND SCORCHED DRIVER'S PANTS 3.) DEALER CONTACTED, APPOINTMENT SET FOR WARRANTY EVALUATION. DEALER STATED "WE'VE HAD A FEW OF THESE OCCUR.*AK

I AM A SCHOOL TEACHER AND WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2004 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30 A.M. I WAS SMELLING A STRONG SMOKE ODOR AS I STARTED DRIVING AND AS I CONTINUED TO DRIVE I LOOKED OVER TO MY PASSENGER SEAT AND THERE WAS SMOKE SMOLDERING THROUGH THE SEAT. AS I NOTICED THIS HAPPENING TO THE CAR, I TURNED OFF THE PASSENGER HEATED SEAT (AND THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS IN IT). NO ONE WAS INJURED! WITHIN MINUTES MY CAR STALLED ON A MAJOR EXPRESSWAY AND I WAS STRANDED. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE YET WITH MY VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR ALMOST TWO ENTIRE WEEKS. IT'S VERY UNFAIR THAT A VEHICLE UNDER TWO YEARS HAS FAILED IN THIS WAY. THIS SITUATION WAS VERY UNSAFE. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO PROVIDE COMPLETE COVERAGE OF MY CAR. I'M WAITING TO HEAR FROM VOLKSWAGEN. *AK

REAR BRAKE PADS AND DISKS WORN OUT AFTER 19000 MILES. THE FRONT BRAKES ARE WITHIN SPEC. DEALER STATES IT'S NORMAL FOR PASSAT, I DON'T THINK IT'S TRUE. THE FRONT BRAKES ARE USUALLY THE FIRST TO ENGAGE, IF NEEDS A HARDER BRAKING - THEN THE REAR BRAKES BECOME ACTIVE! DID THE VW RE-INVENT THE WHEEL??? OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I'VE HAD JAPANESE AND AMERICAN CARS BEFORE - USUALLY YOU HAVE TO SERVICE THE REAR BRAKES AROUND 50K MILES! AS FOR THE DEALER - THE SERVICE MANAGER IN THIS CASE - HE CONVEYED SOME KIND OF NONSENSE JUST TO GET RID OF ME. *NM

I WANTED TO NOTE THAT ON OCTOBER 1ST, MY HEATED SEAT ON MY 2003 VOLKSWAGENW PASSAT MALFUNCTIONED. IT ACTUALLY BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT, FILLED MY CAR WITH SMOKE, AND LEFT ME WITH A SMALL BURN ON MY THIGH. LUCKILY, I AM FINE. BUT, THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED, AND I WAS LUCKY I WASN'T DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT STATION WAGON, VIN NO. [XXX]; HILE DRIVING IN GREENSBORO NC NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF ELM, MCGEE AND GORRELL STREETS I MISJUDGED A CURVE AND SCRAPED THE RIGHT SIDE WHEELS AGAINST A CURB. BOTH TIRES SUSTAINED SIDEWALL DAMAGE. THERE WAS NO CONTACT WITH THE BODY OR UNDERCARRAIGE OF THE CAR. THE TWO RIGHT SIDE WHEELS SUSTAINED MINOR COSMETIC DAMAGE ONLY AND THE IMPACT WAS INSUFFICIENT TO AFFECT THE ALIGNMENT OF THE AUTOMOBILE. THE AUTOMOBILE CONTINUED FORWARD THROUGH THE CURVE AND THERE WAS NO LOSS OF CONTROL FROM THE IMPACT. HOWEVER, UPON CONTACT WITH THE CURB THE RIGHT SIDE CURTAIN AND SIDE IMPACT AIRBAGS FIRED UNNECESSARILY. BUT FOR THE FIRING OF THE AIRBAGS THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A MINOR EVENT WITH ONLY TIRE DAMAGE TO BE REPAIRED. FORTUNATELY, THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS UNOCCUPIED OR THE OCCUPANT COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED. I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE TIRES AND WHEELS. I BELIEVE THE AUTMOBILE CONTAINS A SIGNIFICANT DEFECT CAUSING THE SIDE AIRBAG SYSTEM TO DEPLOY WHEN NOT NEEDED FOR OCCUPANT PROTECTION (IE - IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY CONTACT WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THE CAR), AND IN CIRCUMSTANCES PART OF ORDINARY DRIVING - THE IMPACT WITH THE CURB WAS LESS THAN THAT EXPERIENCED WITH SOME POTHOLES. THUS FAR, VW HAS REFUSED TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR CORRECTION OF THIS DEFECT.*AK THE AUTOMOBILE HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIED, AND PRESUMABLY, EVENT DATA IS STILL STORED IN THE CONTROL MODULE. UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I HAVE A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WITH HEATED LEATHER SEATS. I TURNED THE SEAT HEATERS ON THIS MORNING WHEN I WAS GOING TO WORK AND THEY STARTED TO BURN MY BACK SIDE. THEY BURNT THROUIGH THE LEATHER. THEY DID TURN OFF BUT IF THEY DIDN'T I WOULD HAVE HAD A CAR FIRE. I CALLED HOBART'S VOLKSWAGEN IN WARRINGTON, PA AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THESE SEATS. THEY ARE TAKING THE CAR IN THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL REPAIR IT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM IF IT IS WIDESPREAD! SINCERELY, MIKE AND MARTA GROTHMAN NEWTOWN, PA. *AK

PROBLEMS WITH ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. *MR THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ODOMETER READING. THE ECP LIGHT WOULD CONSTANTLY COME ON, THE ENGINE WOULD GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY, AND THERE WAS ROUGH IDLING. *SC *JB