2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

THE CAR RAN OUT OF GAS SO I WENT TO THE GAS STATION TO PURCHASE GAS TO PUT INTO THE CAR. I PUT THE GAS INTO THE CAR. TRIED TO START THE CAR BUT WOULD NOT START. I LET IT SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES THEN I TRIED TO START THE CAR AGAIN. THIS TIME THE CAR STARTED BUT I HEARD A LOUD BANG. FLAMES STARTED SHOOTING OUT OF THE HOOD. BEFORE I KNEW IT THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE CAR. *TR

VEHICLE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ALERTED DRIVER OF LOW OIL PRESSURE. DRIVER BROUGHT VEHICLE TO R&J AUTO ON 1309-1365 BARNUM AVENUE IN BRIDGEPORT, CT; DRIVER PURCHASED CAR FROM THIS BUSINESS LESS THAN A YEAR AGO; DRIVER WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. A WEEK LATER THE SAME ISSUE AROSE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. DRIVER WAS NOT SPEEDING DUE TO GETTING OFF OF THE RAMP. CAR BEGAN MAKING A TICKING NOISE. DRIVER BROUGHT CAR BACK TO R&J A WEEK LATER THE CAR WAS DEEMED UNFIT TO DRIVE DUE TO SLUDGE, THE OIL PUMP BEING DAMAGED AND THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONING. DEALER/MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND WOULD NOT BE WORTH FIXING. I WAS FORCED TO JUNK THE CAR AND LEAVE THE CAR WITH THE BUSINESS. I AM AFRAID THEY WILL RESELL THE CAR WITHOUT COMPLETING THE PROPER MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR TO ANOTHER INNOCENT CUSTOMER. THIS CAR IS NOT FIT TO DRIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE HEATED SEAT WAS ACTIVATED AND WITHIN TWO MINUTES, THE SEAT WAS UNBEARABLY HOT AND BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE CONTACT'S PANTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

TWO IGNITION COILS FAILED WHICH CAUSED LACK OF SPARK TO THE PLUGS IN THE ENGINE. SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND UNBURNED FUEL ENTERED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. A HEAT-RELATED FIRE NEARLY ENSUED. HAD TO REPAIR COILS AND PLUGS. NEARLY CAUSED FAILURE OF CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND OXYGEN SENSORS. *TR

AS I WAS PARKING MY CAR IN THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT, A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE STARTED TO COME THROUGH THE VENTS. I OPEN THE HOOD AN A LINE BEHIND THE ENGINE BAY WAS SQUIRTING OUT GASOLINE DIRECTLY ONTO THE HOT SURFACE OF THE ENGINE. I CHECK ONLINE AND I SEE THAT THERE WAS APREVIOUS RECALL THE R5 RECALL BUT MANY OWNERS WERE BEING TOLD BY VOLKSWAGEN THAT IT'S NO LONGER COVERED OR THAT THERE VIN WASN'T COVERED EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS THE SAME YEAR ON THE RECALL. I CALLED VOLKSWAGEN ASWELL AND THEY MENTIONED TO ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL BUT NO LONGER ACTIVE OR HAD BEEN SERVICED ALREADY. IT LEAKS WHEN IT'S ON OR NOT. *TR

RECENTLY HAD THE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE DONE, BROUGHT THE CAR HOME AND FOUND THAT WHEN IT COOLED AND ALL FLUIDS SETTLED OVERNIGHT, THE FUEL PUMP WAS HAVING TROUBLE- RESULTING IN CAR NOT STARTING. AFTER ONE HOUR OF TURNING THE KEY OVER-AND-OVER, THEN GIVING IT GAS, IT EVENTUALLY STARTED. EXCITED, I TOOK THE CAR OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE, IT STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOR WAY INTERSECTION. THANKFULLY I LIVE IN A VERY SMALL TOWN, IF THAT HAD HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY THERE WOULD BE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT. CONSIDERING I BOUGHT THIS CAR A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I DON'T FEEL I'M AT FAULT FOR NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE DEALERSHIPS RECALL AND IT'S IN MY BEST INTEREST TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER TO SEE IF I'M ELIGIBLE FOR THE FREE REPLACEMENT BY THE DEALER. I WOULD APPRECIATE SOMEONE GETTING BACK TO ME VIA E-MAIL OR TEXT MESSAGE(CANNOT MAKE OR RECEIVE PHONE CALLS) TOP LET ME KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU, VERY MUCH [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

CAR WAS CONSTANTLY GETTING THE PASSENGER SIDE (FRONT AND BACK) FLOODED W WATER DURING A RAIN STORM. HAD TO GET NEW BATTERY CLEANED OUT SUNROOF DRAINAGE. IT DIDN'T MATTER. WHENEVER IT RAINED THE BATTERY WOULD BE DEAD BECAUSE THE CONTROL MODULE WHICH IS THERE IS ALL MESSED UP SENDING MIXED MESSAGES. FINELY JUST DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. NOT WORTH PUTTING MONEY INTO THE CAR. I PURCHASED THIS CAR LESS THEN A YEAR AGO AND HAD THIS PROBLEM AFTER THE FIRST RAIN AND WENT DOWN FROM THEIR. IM SO DISAPPOINTED HOPING BUYING A USED VW I WAS GOING TO BE SATISFIED BUT HAD NOTHING TROUBLE FROM DAY ONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT WOULD STALL. THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V017000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE GASOLINE FUMES EMITTING FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR OVER A PERIOD OF ONE WEEK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 08V156000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR REPORTED 1/4 TANK THAN ABRUPTLY SPURTING AND REPORTED AN EMPTY TANK, CAUSING ME TO PULL OVER ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO NO FUEL IN TANK. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. *JS