2008 VOLKSWAGEN R32 Complaints

MY 2008 VOLKSWAGEN R32 EXHIBITS INTERMITTENT FUEL DELIVERY ISSUES. AT TIMES, USUALLY FOLLOWING A REFUELING, THE CAR SEEMS TO "HICCUP" AND BRIEFLY LOSE POWER, AS IF THE FUEL SUPPLY WAS CUT OFF MOMENTARILY. THIS CAUSES A SEVERE JERKING IN THE CAR, AND CAN HAPPEN AT LOW SPEEDS AFTER ROUNDING A CORNER OR AT CONSTANT FREEWAY SPEEDS. OTHER SYMPTOMS INCLUDE STUMBLING AND STALLING WHILE AT IDLE IN TRAFFIC; WITH DIFFICULTY IN RESTARTING AS IF THE VEHICLE IS STARVED FOR FUEL. THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO FAILED TO START UPON FIRST USE OF THE DAY, CRANKING OVER BUT NOT SEEMING TO RECEIVE FUEL, EVEN THOUGH THE TANK MAY BE FULL. OTHER ISSUES INCLUDE DIFFICULTY WITH REFUELING WHEN TANK IS NEAR EMPTY. OFTEN, THE GAS STATION FUEL DISPENSERS WILL SHUT OFF 10 OR MORE TIMES WHEN BEGINNING TO FILL UP THE TANK, AS IF AIR WERE BLOCKING THE FILLER NECK AND CAUSING THE AUTOMATIC PUMP SHUTOFF TO KICK IN. IT CAN TAKE MANY TRIES BEFORE ONE IS FINALLY ABLE TO COMPLETELY FUEL THE VEHICLE, WHICH ONLY HOLDS 14.5 GALLONS. ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE AUTOMATIC FUEL CUTOFF IN THE GAS STATION DISPENSER DID NOT DETECT A FULL TANK AND THE FUEL ACTUALLY OVERFLOWED OUT OF FILLER NECK AND ONTO THE GROUND UNTIL I MANUALLY SHUT OF THE FUEL DISPENSERS. IT SEEMS THE EVAPORATIVE PURGE CANISTER OR LINES ARE EASILY BLOCKED IN THIS DESIGN, AND I QUESTION WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER VAPOR LOCK OR VACUUM ISSUES WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM DESIGN THAT ARE INVOLVED. I AM TAKING MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE ON 11/26 FOR AN ATTEMPT AT DIAGNOSIS. MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE IN THE ONLINE FORUM "VWVORTEX.COM" HAVE ALSO REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, AND ARE HAVING LITTLE SUCCESS IN REPAIR THROUGH VWOA. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

THE CAR WAS EXPERIENCING "HICCUPS" WHILE ACCELERATING AND WOULD EVENTUALLY SMELL AND SEE GAS ESCAPING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE. WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SHIP 3 TIMES BEFORE FOR THIS AND NOW I AM TOLD IT IS A FAULTY GAS TANK THAT WAS PRODUCED. I HAVE BEEN CURRENTLY WAITING ABOUT A MONTH TO HAVE THE TANK REPAIRED. ALL I HAVE BEEN TOLD ON THIS SUBJECT IS "WE WILL CONTACT YOU AT THE END OF THE BUSINESS DAY TOMORROW". ITS ALWAYS TOMORROW. THE DEALER HAS OFFERED ME A COUPLE OF THINGS TO KEEP MY MINE AS EASY WHILE I WAIT BUT I HONESTLY THINK THAT WAITING A MONTH FOR A BRAND NEW CAR TO GET FIXED IS RIDICULOUS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING CROSS COUNTRY, AT APPROX 75 MPH CAR BEGAN TO SPUTTER, HESITATE FELT LIKE SOMEONE TURNED THE THING OFF, BRIEFLY LOST POWER, CAR REGAINED POWER, EVENT OCCURRED THREE OR FOUR MORE TIMES DURING MY TRIP. DURING ONE OF THESE SPUTTERING SEQUENCES, I ATTEMPTED TO FILL UP, THINKING I MAY HAVE PICKED UP SOME BAD GASOLINE, CAR WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY FUEL, EVEN THOUGH GAUGE READ JUST UNDER 3/4 OF A TANK. CONTINUED DRIVING UNTIL VEH WAS UNDER 1/4 TANK, PULLED OFF, AND FILLED UP WITH NO PROBLEMS FUELING. *TR

FUEL LEAK CAUSES THE CAR TO LOSE FUEL. THE FUEL LEAKS OUT EXTERNALLY. THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES JERK AND STALL OR LOSE POWER. *TR

THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT OF MY 2008 VOLKSWAGEN R32 HAS A CONDENSATION BUILDUP. BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE LIGHT IS CONSTRUCTED INTO THE BODY OF THE CAR, OTHER'S HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A MAJOR JOB TO FIX (INCLUDING HOURS OF LABOR AND EXTENSIVE BODY WORK). I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS ALSO IN VIOLATION OF REGULATION FMVSS 108, AND THUS SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT. THE DEALER THAT I TOOK IT TO SAID THIS WAS A "NORMAL" CONDITION AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO (WHICH CONFLICTS WHAT OTHER'S HAVE SAID). *TR

THE CENTER HIGH MOUNTED STOPLIGHT (3RD BRAKE LIGHT) HAS CONDENSATION AND AT TIMES APPEARS TO FLICKER. THE FACTORY RESOLUTION IS TO SEND THE CAR TO A BODY SHOP TO REMOVE THE FACTORY SPOILER AND REPLACE THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE FACTORY MANUAL WARNS THAT THIS IS A MULTI-DAY JOB AND MAY RESULT IN A BROKEN SPOILER AND POSSIBLE BODY DAMAGE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A CLEAR VIOLATION OF FMVSS 108 WHICH REQUIRES THAT REPLACING THE BULBS BE SIMPLE AND REQUIRE ONLY COMMON TOOLS. THIS IS ON A 2008 VW R32, BUT THE ISSUE IS ON ALL 2006 - 2009 VW GTI AND R32 CARS. THE RABBIT HAS A DIFFERENT SPOILER DESIGN AND IS NOT AS SEVERELY AFFECTED - ALTHOUGH AN UNCOMMON TOOL IS STILL REQUIRED FOR REPLACEMENT. *TR

CAR STARTED TO BOG-OUT OF POWER ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 7TH IN THE AFTERNOON. FUEL STARTED TO LEAK FROM THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL AREA ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8TH IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS HAPPENS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL/TRIM OF THE PRODCUCT LINE. A PROMINENT AUTOMOBILE FORUM WEBSITE (VWVORTEX.COM) HAS ALLOCATED A ROOM FOR THIS SPECIFIC MODEL/TRIM. THE FOLLOWING IS A LINK TO THE TOPIC DEDICATED TO THIS COMMON ISSUE: HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=3759501&PAGE=15 I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN. *TR

FUEL SYSTEM ON CAR BROKE WHILE DRIVING 75MPH ON THE FREEWAY CAUSING THE CAR TO JERK AND DROP IN SPEED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. FUEL SMELL OUT OF A/C VENTS. VW HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND HAS SAID THEY'VE HAD THIS ON MANY CARS OF THE SAME MODEL. VW IS REPLACING THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM RESULTING THE CAR TO BE IN THE SERVICE SHOP FOR 30 PLUS DAYS. *TR

THE CAR HICCUPPED AND BEGAN TO RUN VERY RUFF NO POWER AND I WAS ON FREEWAY IN THE VALLEY AREA (HOT OVER 100 F) CAR SEEMED TO CORRECT ITSELF AFTER REACHING COOLER AREA. VISITED THE DEALER THEY FOUND NO FAULTS WITH CAR. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO NUMEROUS 2008 VW R32 CARS. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I AM BRINGING THIS TO THE DEALER. WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE DIES AND CANT START IT AGAIN. HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO DEALER IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. DEALER ASKED WHAT WAS WRONG I SAID IT FELT AS IF THE BATTERY DIED AND THE ENGINE JUST DIED. THEY TRIED FIXING IT AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME HOWEVER I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER BEFORE IT DIED AGAIN. SAME PROBLEM. VOLKSWAGEN DEALER HAS IT AND HAD IT OVER A WEEK. MY SERVICE ADVISOR DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND CANT PROMISE ME A DATE WHEN THEY WILL HAVE IT READY. I FEEL UNSAFE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THE CAR JUST DIES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. *TR