2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE CAR STARTED CHUGGING AND DIED. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND A NEW PUMP AND FILTER WERE REPLACED. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE FUEL PUMP FOR THE 2003 VW PASSAT BUT THE DEALERSHIP WON'T RECOGNIZE IT FOR THE 2005. *TR

BALANCE SHAFT MODULE, WHICH DRIVES THE OIL PUMP, HAS A CHAIN DRIVE. THIS DRIVE WAS GETTING VERY NOISY. IF THE CHAIN WERE TO FAIL THE ENGINE WOULD LOOSE ALL OIL PRESSURE. I HAD A SHOP REPLACE THE BALANCE SHAFT ASSEMBLY, WHICH INCLUDES THE OIL PUMP, WITH THE NEW AND IMPROVED GEARED BALANCE SHAFT MODULE. (OLD PART IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE). *TR

MY 2005 PASSAT TDI WAS LEAKING A HUGE AMOUNT OF OIL SO I TOPPED OFF THE OIL AND TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC. HE SHOWED ME A HUGE GASH IN THE OIL PAN, RESULTING IN THE LEAK. WHEN WE TOOK THE PAN OFF THE OIL PUMP CHAIN TENSIONER AND CHAIN CAME OUT IN PIECES. THE TENSIONER BROKE AND SLAMMED THE CHAIN INTO THE OIL PAN, MAKING THE GOUGE. WE REPLACED THE OIL PAN, CHAIN, TENSIONER, AND COMPLETED AN EARLY TIMING BELT CHANGE INCLUDING A WATER PUMP. THIS WAS AROUND $2000 TOTAL. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH THE BALANCE SHAFT MODULE / CHAIN DRIVEN OIL PUMP SETUP ON THESE CARS. I FOUND OUT THAT EVEN THOUGH I SPENT $2000 FIXING THIS I MAY NEED TO COMPLETE THE SAME REPAIRS AGAIN OR REPLACE THE BALANCE SHAFT MODULE WHICH WOULD BE SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT VW HAS UPGRADED THE DESIGN OF THE BALANCE SHAFT/OIL PUMP DRIVE SO OBVIOUSLY THEY KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM. I'VE READ THAT I WAS RATHER LUCKY, IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT I COULD HAVE SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AND HAD THE ENGINE SEIZE UP, WHICH COULD BE DEADLY. I'M BASICALLY JUST AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR NOW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FUEL INDICATOR WENT FROM HALF FULL TO EMPTY. HE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SMELLED GASOLINE. WITHIN SECONDS, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO SAFELY EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED HIM A SETTLEMENT OF $2,700 BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ADEQUATELY REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V156000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY). THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. FIRE REPORT NUMBER E58424 WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 102,000.

I HAVE A 2005 PASSAT TDI THAT HAD ITS BALANCE SHAFT MODULE AND CHAIN THAT DRIVE THE OIL PUMP FAIL AT 92,000 MILES. IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON A TWO LANE ROAD AND I HAD TO STOP THE CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE MECHANIC THAT IS DOING THE JOB IS CHARGING ME $1500 FOR THE REPAIR AND THE PARTS ARE ABOUT $1300. I HAVE STARTED TO RESEARCH THIS FAILURE AND HAVE FOUND OUT THAT IT IS QUITE COMMON AND VW HAS NOT DONE A RECALL TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM THE NHTSA SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS AND FORCE VW TO RECALL THESE CARS FOR THEY ARE A SAFETY HAZARD ON THE ROAD. *TR

THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BHW ENGINE IN MY 2005 PASSAT TDI THE BALANCE SHAFTS IN THIS ENGINE ARE DRIVEN BY A CHAIN OFF THE MOTOR, WHICH ALSO DRIVES THE OIL PUMP. THIS UNFORTUNATE DESIGN SUBJECTS THE CHAIN TO STRESSES IT CANNOT WITHSTAND. ON VARIOUS TDI FORUMS, ESPECIALLY TDICLUB.COM, THERE ARE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CHAIN FAILURES BEING REPORTED. OF COURSE, WHEN THE CHAIN DRIVING THE OIL PUMP FAILS, THE ENGINE IS STARVED OF ESSENTIAL LUBRICATION. IF THE FAILURE OF THE CHAIN CAUSES ENGINE TO STOP RUNNING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY, OR PASSING ON THE HIGHWAY, THIS CONDITION COULD EASILY CAUSE DANGER TO ALL CITIZENS NEARBY, POSSIBLY LEADING TO DEATH. RECENTLY, VOLKSWAGEN IN EUROPE RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND DESIGNED A REPAIR, WHICH CHANGES THE CHAIN DRIVEN OIL PUMP TO A GEAR DRIVEN OIL PUMP. THIS APPEARS TO BE A PERMANENT FIX TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGN DEFECT. THE REPAIR IS QUITE EXPENSIVE. WHEN THE CHAIN FAILS, THE PARTS TO REPAIR COST APPROXIMATELY $1800 PLUS APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER $1500 IN LABOR BILLS TO HAVE THE PARTS INSTALLED. IF THE ENGINE IS DESTROYED, IT WILL COST THE OWNER APPROXIMATELY $8000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. I BELIEVE IT IS NOW OBVIOUS THAT ALL THE BHW ENGINES WILL FAIL UNLESS THE GEAR DRIVEN OIL PUMP MODIFICATION IS UNDERTAKEN. IT IS UNFAIR TO EXPECT OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. THE PROBLEM ORIGINATED WITH A FLAWED DESIGN. THIS IS NOT A SMALL PROBLEM, AS THIS DESIGN FLAW WILL LEAD TO TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING SEVERE NOISE OSCILLATIONS THAT IS ATTRIBUTED TO IMMINENT FAILURE OF THE AFOREMENTIONED CHAIN ASSEMBLY. THUS, I MUST PAY TO REPAIR THIS DESIGN FLAW BEFORE IT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. SO FAR, VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA HAS NOT PROVIDED ADEQUATE SUPPORT FOR RESOLVING THIS DESIGN PROBLEM. *TR

VEHICLE AFFECTED IS A 2004-2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TDI EQUIPPED WITH A 2.0L DIESEL ENGINE. CODEDBHW. THE OIL PUMP BALANCE SHAFT MODULE AND CHAIN ARE WEEK IN DESIGN AND ARE FAILING WITHOUT ANY WARNING TO THE DRIVER. WHEN THIS FAILURE OCCUR THE ENGINE IS STARVED OF OIL AND INTERNAL FAILURE IS IMMINENT. SAFETY OF OPERATION BECOMES COMPROMISED AT THIS POINT SINCE AN ENGINE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS REMOVES ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKING FEATURES AND THE DRIVER IS ALONG FOR THE RIDE UNTIL GETTING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP BY USE OF E-BRAKE OR OTHER SPEED REDUCING MANEUVERS AND HOPEFULLY AVOIDING A COLLISION. THIS FAILURE IS BEING REPORTED AT A BROAD RANGE OF MILEAGE STARTING WITH 45,000 AND UP. ITS MAIN SIGN IS A LOUD CHAIN RATTLE OR ABNORMAL VIBRATION WHILE AT IDLE. VOLKSWAGEN HAS ISSUED AN UPGRADED PART BUT NO FURTHER GUIDANCE WAS ISSUED. THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTY REPAIRS AS OF RIGHT NOW. ALL OWNERS ARE UPGRADING THERE VEHICLES WITH A GEAR DRIVEN ASSEMBLY AT A PRICE TAG FOR THE REPAIR OF $3000. *TR

MY VW PASSAT WAGON GLS TDI (DIESEL) ENGINE HAS BEEN MAKING A LOUD NOISE AND VIBRATION AT STOP OVER THE LAST YEAR AND WORSENED UNTIL I HAD IT REPAIRED. I TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP AND WAS TOLD THE CHAIN DRIVEN OIL PUMP AND TENSIONERS WERE MAKING THE NOISE. THE BRILLIANT MECHANIC REPLACED THE PARTS WITH A GEAR DRIVEN OIL PUMP AND THE VIBRATIONS AND NOISE STOPPED. I THINK THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BY VW. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE OIL PUMP CHAIN TENSIONERS WERE CLOSE TO BREAKING. *TR

NVS-216 MEC AND REF. # IS 10257848 VW 2005 PASSAT TDI BALANCE SHAFT REPLACEMENT THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR($3200)OT AVOID A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE ENGINE AT ANY SPEED THAT COULD RESULT IN TOTAL LOSE OF CONTROL. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW BY VW AND SHOULD BE REPLACE AT THEIR COST! *TR

EXCESSIVE NOISE FROM OIL PUMP, CHAIN UNIT, AND CHAIN (AND POSSIBLY BALANCE SHAFT) DUE TO ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT DESIGN. I BELIEVE A FAILURE IS IMMINENT AND WITHIN 100 MILES. FAILURE OF THE BALANCE SHAFT ASSEMBLY AND THE ENGINE OIL PUMP SYSTEM DRIVE CAN LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WITH LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, BROKEN OIL PAN, BROKEN FRONT ENGINE SEAL FLANGE, AND DAMAGED CRANKSHAFT. THIS CAN RESULT IN DAMAGE TO THE EXTENT THAT THE ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED. IF THIS OCCURS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN TRAFFIC, IT CAN LEAD TO A COLLISION WITH INJURIES OR DEATHS. MY VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, HOWEVER, IT IS UNCLEAR THAT THE EXTENSIVE PARTS AND LABOR TO REPAIR WILL BE CORRECTED BY VW DEALER DUE TO THE LIMITED NUMBER OF VEHICLES SUCH AS THIS IN NORTH AMERICA. *TR