2006 Volkswagen Passat

LOST MOST OF POWER WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY. DROVE VEHICLE (2006 PASSAT 3.6L) TO VW DEALER WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED A "TIMING CHAIN ISSUE". VW DEALER CLAIMED THEY WOULD FIX ENGINE FOR $5000, USED REPLACEMENT FOR $8000, OR NEW ENGINE FOR $10,500... AFTER HEARING THAT GOOD NEWS, TOWED VEHICLE TO LOCAL VW PRO WHO ALSO DIAGNOSED "TIMING CHAIN ISSUE", AND WAS GIVEN THE GO-AHEAD TO FIX. PROBLEM ISOLATED TO INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BOLT, WHICH HAD BACKED OUT, ALLOWING TIMING SPROCKETS TO WANDER. BOLT ITSELF IS NEARLY SHEARED IN HALF - GOOD THING WE STOPPED WHEN WE DID. BOLT WAS ALSO RUBBING ON TIMING CHAIN COVER, AND WOULD HAVE LIKELY BROKE OR GROUND THRU TIMING CHAIN COVER. THIS PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY MY LOCAL VW GUY FOR $3300, WHICH INCLUDED ALL OEM PARTS, NEW WATER PUMP, PLUS PLUGS. IMHO, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE FOR OWNERS WHICH MAY EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. MINIMAL RESEARCH ON THE WEB INDICATES I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE. THE LOSS OF POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WAS ALARMING ENOUGH WITHOUT THINKING OF WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED HAD THE BOLT BROKE, OR WORN THRU THE TIMING COVER. FROM A MECHANICAL PERSPECTIVE, I'M EXTREMELY DISMAYED AT HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. I HAVE ABOUT 30 YEARS OF MECHANICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CAR ENGINES - MOSTLY WITH 60'S AND 70'S ERA VEHICLES. MY EXPERIENCE WOULD HOLD SUSPICION THAT A BOLT BACKING OUT OF THE TIMING SPROCKET WOULD BE THE FAULT OF THE MECHANIC WHO INSTALLED IT, EITHER BY APPLYING THE INCORRECT TORQUE, OIL UNDER THE BOLT, OR NOT APPLYING LOC-TITE TO THREADS. *TR

VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A KNOCKING/RATTLING NOISE THAT MADE THE ENGINE SOUND LIKE IT WAS A DIESEL. THE ENGINE IN THIS CAR IS A 3.6 V6 GASOLINE ENGINE. I BROUGHT IT INTO MY MECHANIC AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND HE ADVISED AGAINST DRIVING IT ANY MORE AS IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TIMING CHAIN WAS LOOSE. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO GET AT THE NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD HE FOUND OUT HE HAD TO GET UNDER THE COVER ON THE BACK OF THE ENGINE TO GET TO THE LOWER CHAIN. THIS WOULD REQUIRE REMOVAL OF THE TRANSMISSION IN THE FRONT SINCE THE CAR IS A 4MOTION AWD. AT THAT POINT I HAD TO PUT $2000 DOWN BECAUSE OF THE LABOR TO TAKE EVERYTHING APART. I'VE SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE, DUE TO AN OIL PUMP BOLT THAT FAILS. THERE ARE LINKS TO THESE FAILURES HERE: HTTP://WWW.PASSATWORLD.COM/FORUMS/74-CLUB-B6/327507-3-6-OIL-BOLT-FAILURE-REFERENCE-MATERIAL.HTML I CALLED VW CUSTOMER CARE AND THE PERSON ON THE PHONE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT SAID THEY RECOMMENDED THE TIMING CHAIN BE REPLACED AT 100,000 MILES. WITH MY SERVICE BILL CURRENTLY UPWARDS OF $2,000 WITH JUST THE LABOR TO GET TO THAT CHAIN, I DON'T THINK ITS RIGHT THAT IT SHOULD COST THAT MUCH FOR A 100,000 MILE MAINTENANCE ITEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE COLUMN STEERING LOCK WARNING LIGHT. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING (2006 PASSAT 3.6 4MOTION) FOLLOWED BY EPC LIGHT (INDICATING E-GAS "LIMP MODE"). VEHICLE WOULDN'T DRIVE ANY FASTER THAN ~40 MPH. CAR REQUIRED OVER $3300 IN REPAIRS (EXCLUDING RENTAL), COVERED BY A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED WARRANTY. DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME THAT THE CAUSE WAS THE OIL PUMP BOLT BACKING OUT. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE WIDESPREAD AND HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED WITH DOZENS OF REPORTED INCIDENTS ON VWVORTEX.COM AS WELL AS PASSATWORLD.COM. *TR

BEWARE OF THE 2006 VW PASSAT. I HAVE HAD ONGOING ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. MAJOR ISSUE: STALLING OUT WITHOUT WARNING. MY CAR WAS WORKED ON 6 MONTHS AGO APPROX DATE OF 1/11 FOR STALLING. CAR RAN GREAT, JULY 7TH,11 TRAVELING HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON INTERSTATE, CAR STALLS, ALMOST GOT HIT! TAKEN TO (2) TWO DIFF DEALERSHIPS AND (2) DIFF OPINIONS. DROPPED OFF AT DEALERSHIP ON JULY 14TH,11 PART NEEDED IS ON BACK ORDER UNTIL JULY 25,11) THEY SAY THE STALLING IS CAUSED FROM CAM SHAFT HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP! AND APPARENTLY THEY (VW) HAS DECIDED TO COVER THIS UNDER AND EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY UP TO 120,000 MILES! NO RECALL. HMMMM WONDER WHY? THEY WOULD BE OUT ALOT OF MONEY! THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM ON THIS CAR. THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED IS A JOKE! SIX MONTHS AGO MY FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED AND NOW ANOTHER PROBLEM EXISTS. MY POINT IS THIS: MY CAR HAS STALLED OUT ON THE INTERSTATE AND VARIOUS OTHER PLACES. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED. I HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE! THIS CAR IS UNSAFE. I MADE A COMPLAINT TO VW AND THEY BASICALLY STATED IT WAS MY PROBLEM! I HAVE HAD MY CAR ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE 2 TIMES AND ALL HAVE COME BACK WITH DIFF ISSUES! WHEN SPEAKING TO THE REP FROM VW, I ADVISED THEY ALL GAVE ME DIFF OPINIONS DUE TO DIAGNOSTIC READINGS AND SHE STATED "MAYBE YOUR CAR HAS ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS" MAYBE? SO I PAY FOR ALL OF THESE "MAYBE'S" TO GET MY CAR FIXED AND "MAYBE" IT WILL RUN THE WAY ITS SUPPOSED TO, OR "MAYBE" IT WONT! I'M NOT THE ONLY CONSUMER THAT HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM, IT STILL EXISTS FOR MANY OTHERS. *KB

20 AFTER I PURCHASED MY CAR AT CARMAX IN LAUREL, MD IN JUNE 2009 I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK BECAUSE MY AC WAS BLOWING HOT AIR, AFTER A DIAGNOSIS CARMAX SENT MY CAR TO A FITZGERALD VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP IN ANNAPOLIS, MD WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED IT FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND IN TURN HAD TO REPLACE MY AC COMPRESSOR, CONDENSOR AND CLUTCH. I RAN THE AC FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS (JULY & AUG 2009) THAT YEAR, SINCE WE WERE ALREADY HALF WAY THROUGH THE SUMMER. IN MAY 2010 WHEN I TURNED MY AC ON AGAIN IT BLEW HOT AIR, I SENT IT BACK TO CARMAX WHO DIAGNOSED IT AGAIN AND SAID THE AC COMPRESSOR AND PRESSURE SWITCH SHOULD BE REPLACE, LESS THAN A YEAR SINCE THE INITIAL AC WAS REPLACED THE FIRST TIME. AT THIS POINT, I CALLED FITZGERALD AND WAS TOLD I WAS PAST MY 12,000 MILES PER THE REPLACEMENT WARRANTY AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE WORK WHICH WAS QUOTED AT $2300 AND $1700. AFTER I COMPLAINED TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE, THE DEALER OFFERED A GOOD WILL ONE TIME OFFER DECREASING THE ESTIMATED COST TO $900. I DECLINED THE OFFER SINCE I DON'T BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT CLEARLY WAS NOT DONE CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME. AFTER PURCHASING AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR ANOTHER ISSUE, I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER, THEY DIAGNOSED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM I AGREED TO HAVE THEM FIX IT BASED ON MY WARRANTY COVERAGE HOWEVER, I WAS DENIED COVERAGE BY THE WARRANTY COMPANY BECAUSE VOLKSWAGEN PREVIOUSLY ISSUED A TSB REGARDING AC ISSUES IN 2006 VW PASSAT. THIS TSB WAS ISSUED IN 2007, MY CAR WAS PURCHASED IN 2009. SO AS OF TODAY 7/20/2011 I AM STILL WITHOUT A WORKING AC SYSTEM AND I AM CURRENTLY DRIVING AROUND IN HEAT ADVISORY WEATHER WITH NO AC. I AM FORCED TO MAKE ALTERNATE ARRANGEMENTS FOR TRANSPORTATION AS A RESULT, SINCE THE EXCESSIVE HEAT EXPOSURE CAUSES ME HEADACHES & DIZZINESS. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING 80 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOOSE POWER AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. A MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP AND HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT THE HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE SENSORS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHEN HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENTIRE INTAKE AND MANIFOLD SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE AS QUICKLY AS IT DID PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 94,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I'VE HAD MY 06 PASSAT FOR LITTLE UNDER 2 YEARS NOW, IT WAS BOUGHT USED FROM CARMAX AND IT HAS BEEN HORRIBLE FROM THE START. AS OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE NOTICED I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE KEY GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION TO THE POINT THAT I HAVE TO START AND STOP THE CAR AT LEAST FIVE OR MORE TIMES BEFORE IT WILL DISLODGE. ALSO, IF THE KEY ISN'T STUCK THE ENGINE ITSELF WON'T CRANK, ALSO TAKING AT LEAST FIVE TRIES BEFORE THE ENGINE WILL START. I HAVE TO TAKE THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP REGULARLY, ABOUT ONCE EVERY TWO TO THREE MONTHS, FIXING THE SAME PROBLEMS REPEATEDLY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON AND NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I CHANGE THE HEADLIGHTS THEY NEVER LAST. MY MOST RECENT PROBLEM HAS BEEN THE NOISES MY CAR IS MAKING. IT'S LIKE A RATTLING, KNOCKING NOISE THAT HAS ONLY GOTTEN LOUDER SINCE TAKING IT TO THE SHOP. THE MECHANIC HAS SAID IT WOULD TAKE AROUND 3 TO 4 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FIX, WHICH IS ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT LESS THAN I'VE PUT INTO BUYING THE CAR, NOT INCLUDING THE MONEY I'VE BEEN POURING INTO CONSTANT REPAIRS. THIS IS A HORRIBLE CAR AND NOW THAT I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND SEEN JUST HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS I HAVE (AND MORE SEVERE, POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEMS IN SOME CASES) I MAKE IT MY BUSINESS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT A DUD THIS CAR IS AND HOW VW DOES NOT CARE ABOUT ITS CONSUMERS BY NOT DOING ANYTHING TO FIX THESE EVER PREVALENT PROBLEMS. *TR