2004 Volkswagen Golf

TURBO FAILED ON MY 2004 GOLF TDI (100HP) TWO MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. THE DEALER TOLD ME THIS WAS UNUSUAL, BUT HAD TO SEND TO GERMANY FOR A REPLACEMENT TURBO UNIT. THE CAR DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PEP SINCE THE NEW TURBO UNIT WAS INSTALLED. I HAVE HEARD OF ONE OTHER CASE WHERE THE TURBO FAILED AS WELL. I SUSPECT MY TURBO UNIT HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE DEALER WITH THE ONE FOR THE 90HP GOLF TDI. HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF I HAVE THE CORRECT PART INSTALLED? *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATES THAT ON JUNE 30, 2005, HIS VEHICLE BURNED TO THE GROUND, VW 2004 TURBO DIESEL GOLF. THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE CONSUMER STARTED SMELLING SMOKE. A FEW MINUTES LATER THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE CONSUMER COULD NOT SEE. THE CONSUMER STOPPED THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR. AFTER THE CONSUMER RAN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE, HE TURNED AROUND TO SEE THE VEHICLE ENGULFED IN FLAMES FROM THE BACK SEATS. THERE WAS ALSO A CASE OF OIL BEHIND THE BACK SEAT, WHICH THE CONSUMER STATES THAT MAY HAVE SPREAD THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE CONSUMER HAD ONLY OWED THE VEHICLE A FEW MONTHS. ALL OF THE OWNERS PAPERWORK FROM THE CAR WAS IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT BURNED. THE CONSUMER HAS SPOKEN TO THE DEALER BRIEFLY, BUT THEY DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM, OR HAD NOT HEARD OF THAT HAPPENING BEFORE. THE CAR IS A COMPLETE AND TOTAL LOSS NOW. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED WITHIN A MINUTE OR TWO AFTER THE OWNER ESCAPED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SWERVED TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE TREAD WAS SEPARATING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB THE CONSUMER REPLACED BOTH FRONT TIRES AND HAD THE REPAIRS MADE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE REAR TIRES (BOTH ORIGNAL TIRES) WERE LOW ON AIR. *TC

FAILURE TO WARN.FOR SAFETY REASONS, 2004 VOLKSWAGEN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 100-HP TDI DIESEL ENGINE OPTION REQUIRE USE OF A SPECIAL ENGINE OIL FOR ALL OIL CHANGES AND TOPPING OFF OF THE OIL LEVEL.*AK VOLKSWAGEN HAS STATED THAT FOR THESE ENGINES, "FAILURE TO USE ENGINE OIL FOR YOUR ENGINE THAT EXPRESSLY CONFORMS TO VOLKSWAGEN OIL STANDARD 505.01 CAN CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE ON THE HIGHWAY THAT CAN CAUSE A CRASH AND SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY" HOWEVER, THIS INFORMATION WAS NOT CONVEYED TO ME BY VOLKSWAGEN. THE OWNER'S MANUAL SUPPLIED WITH THE CAR ACUTALLY REQUIRES USE OF A NON-CONFORMING OIL SPECIFICATION, AND CONTAINS NO SAFETY WARNING. OTHER OWNERS HAVE RECEIVED THE CORRECT INFORMATION EITHER IN THEIR OWNER'S MANUALS, OR BY MEANS OF AN ADHESIVE YELLOW AND RED WARNING LABEL AFFIXED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MY VEHICLE ALSO LACKS THE WARNING LABEL. VOLKSWAGEN HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN 17-03-01 DATED SEPT 17, 2003 WHICH DISCUSSES THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE SPECIAL OIL, BUT ONLY IN THE CONTEXT OF WARRANTY COVERAGE AND NOT SAFETY. TO ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN SAFETY WARNING LABELS FOR MY VEHICLE, I HAVE MADE SEVERAL CONTACTS WITH BOTH THE DEALER AND VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER CARE. AT THIS TIME THE DEALER IS ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THE STICKERS FOR ME. THE LABEL IS IDENTIFIED BY VOLKSWAGEN AS: 241.OILSTICKER.DIESEL.PDENGINE.21 (COPYRIGHT) 2003 VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC HOWEVER, WHILE RESEARCHING THE OIL INFORMATION IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT THERE ARE OTHER VOLKSWAGEN OWNERS WITH THE SAME ENGINE SERIES WHO ARE ALSO UNAWARE OF THE SAFETY WARNING, AND WILL BE UNTIL VOLKSWAGEN TAKES THE INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION.

THE EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED THEN THE ENGINE CUT COMPLETELY OFF. *PH VEHICLE'S EPC LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS AT 798, 1,029 AND 1,110 MILES RESPECTIVELY. ON THE FIRST TWO REPAIRS, THEY FOUND PROBLEMS WITH THE THROTTLE. *LA (THROTTLE VALVE CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, IDLE AIR CONTROL SYSTEM RPM WAS HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, AND THE THROTTLE VALVE DRIVE-G186 EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAULT IN THE CIRCUIT-PER SELF DIAGNOSIS LOG) THE ENGINE WOULD SUDDENLY DIE OUT, IDLED ROUGHLY, WHISTLING SOUNDS WERE HEARD, THE EPC LIGHT WOULD COME AT INTERMITTENT TIMES, THE VEHICLE WOULD BECOME UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN OVER 15MPH, AND AT TIMES, WHEN THE EPC LIGHT WOULD COME ON THE ENGINE WOULD DIE SIMULTANEOUSLY. *SC

I BOUGHT A NEW VW GOLF IN FEBRUARY 2004. AT ABOUT 6:30 P.M. ON 4/1, I DROVE OVER A POTHOLE (OR SOME BUMP IN THE ROAD) WHILE DRIVING ON STORROW DRIVE IN BOSTON AND SUDDENLY TWO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF MY CAR AND MY SEAT BELT APPEARED TO RECOIL. THE TWO AIRBAGS THAT DEPLOYED WERE THE SIDE AIRBAG AND THE CURTAIN AIRBAG. I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO A BOSTON DEALER/SERVICE DEPARTMENT THE FOLLOWING MORNING. AFTER INSPECTING THE CAR, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THERE WAS NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THE CAR (EXCEPT OF COURSE THE DEPLOYED AIRBAGS AND BROKEN SEAT BELT), BUT THAT THERE WAS "CRASH DATA" ON THE CAR'S COMPUTER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WENT ON TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT A WARRANTY SITUATION BECAUSE THE CAR DETECTED A CRASH (DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE WAS ADMITTEDLY NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR), CAUSING THE AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. *NM