2006 Volkswagen Passat

LIKE MANY OTHERS, THE OIL BOLT IN MY TRANSMISSION SHEARED-OFF. APPARENTLY VW IS AWARE OF THE DESIGN FLAW AND HAS MANUFACTURED A REPLACEMENT BOLT, BUT VW STILL EXPECTS UNSUSPECTING OWNERS TO PAY $1,000'S TO REPLACE IT. I BOUGHT THE CAR AS A CERTIFIED USED CAR FROM VW ON 9/11/10 AND WAS NOT TOLD OF THIS ISSUE. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IN A RECALL IF VW WILL NOT WARN CUSTOMERS OR FIX THE ISSUE ON THEIR OWN. HTTP://WWW.PASSATWORLD.COM/FORUMS/74-VOLKSWAGEN-PASSAT-B6-DISCUSSION/327507-3-6-OIL-BOLT-FAILURE-REFERENCE-MATERIAL.HTML. *TR

2006 VW PASSAT 3.6L 4MOTION, 81K MILES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (CEL) AND ELECTRONIC POWER CONTROL (EPC) LIGHTS CAME ON AT CRUISING SPEED. CODES POINTED TO A CAM/CRANK TIMING ISSUE. ACCESS TO TIMING CHAIN ON THIS MODEL/TRIM REQUIRES REMOVAL OF TRANSMISSION. UPON REMOVAL, TECHNICIAN DISCOVERED THAT THE OIL PUMP BOLT HAD COMPLETELY SHEARED OFF WHICH COULD HAVE LED TO COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE; THE ONLY THING KEEPING THE OIL PUMP ASSEMBLY IN PLACE WAS THE COVER. THE OIL PUMP BOLT FOR THIS MODEL/TRIM APPEARS TO BE DEFECTIVE. *TR

CHECK ENGINE (MIL) LIGHT TURNED ON, CAR ALL OF A SUDDEN IDLES AT A HIGHER RPM WHILE WE WERE DRIVING!!! VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP. CAR IS ONLY UNDER WARRANTY FOR 36,000 MILES OR 3 YEARS! DEALERSHIP RAN DIAGNOSTIC, CAME UP WITH: CODE P0123 (THROTTLE HIGH INPUT), P0299 (TURBO UNDER BOOST), P0456 (EVAP LEAK), P1098 (INTAKE TURNING VALVE SHORT TO B+), CODE P2004 (INTAKE RUNNER STUCK), CODE P3237 (INTAKE RUNNER BASIC SETTINGS). DEALER RECOMMENDED INTAKE RUNNER MOTOR REPLACEMENT & REPLACEMENT OF TURBO & N80 VALVE, ALSO CV BOOT NEEDS REPLACEMENT. TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS OVER $1200!!! WE ALWAYS TAKE CARE OF OUR VEHICLES AND HAVE THEM SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP. VEHICLE HAS ALSO HAD DEFECTIVE INTERIOR PARTS. INTERIOR TRIM (ALL SWITCHES - LOCK, WINDOW & RADIO ARE BUBBLING AND CHIPPING). DOOR PANEL TRIM (RUBBER IS PEELING). SHIFT KNOB - METALLIC PIECE ON SHIFT KNOB, PEELED AND DUG INTO SKIN AND CAUSED INJURY. CARBON FIBER DASH IS PEELING APART. CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA, PER THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE REP, THEY ARE UNABLE TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS DUE TO THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE. CAR IS A 2006 - 67,000 MILES. LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD. I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED A VOLKSWAGEN HAD I KNOWN THEY WERE NOT RELIABLE VEHICLES. UNKNOWLEDGABLE SALES REPS, OR JUST AFTER CUSTOMERS TO MAKE A BUCK. SELLING PEOPLE UNRELIABLE VEHICLES AND VOLKSWAGEN CLEARLY DOES NOT TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS NOR DO THEY CARE ABOUT CUSTOMER LOYALTY OR SAFETY. *TR

VW, 2006 PASSAT, NOW HAS A "STEERING COLUMN DEFECT" WARNING, AND THE CAR DOESN'T START. THE CAR HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT, AND THIS STARTED JUST AFTER THE 50,000 MILE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE CAR ALSO STALLS AT HIGH SPEED WHEN THIS LIGHT COMES ON WITHOUT WARNING, AND CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE CAR ALSO HAS A PROBLEM WITH DOWNSHIFTING WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY, AND SLAMS INTO LOW GEAR AS THOUGH THE CAR HIT SOMETHING. THE DEALER CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM WHEN THE CAR IS PUT ON THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER. I HAVE READ MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THESE SAME ISSUES WITH THE 2006 PASSAT, AND FOUND THAT THE FIX FOR THE STEERING COLUMN ALONE COSTS BETWEEN $1400 AND $2000. BECAUSE THIS APPEARS TO BE A FACTORY DEFECT, AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, I WANTED TO REPORT IT AS SUCH. ALTHOUGH THERE HASN'T BEEN AN ACCIDENT CAUSED IN MY CASE, THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER IS HUGE. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR, BECAUSE THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM, AND CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. *TR

2006 VW PASSAT. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN MAKING RATTLING AND LOUD POPPING NOISE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE LEAVING WORK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY CAME TO A HALT. EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS ON, THE WHEELS WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE RIGHT AXLE HAD BROKEN. PRIOR TO THE AXLE FAILING, THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED WHICH WAS THE CAUSE OF A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND IT ALSO CAUSED THE BRAKE BOOSTER PIPE TO MELT, WHICH LEFT THE CONSUMER WITH NO BRAKES. *JB

WHEN BRAKING OR IDLE, MY 2006 VW PASSAT (3.6L) WILL IDLE AT AN INCREASED RPM (JUST LESS THAN 1000, TYPICALLY IT IS AT 600-700 WHEN RUNNING CORRECTLY). THIS WILL MAKE THE CAR DIFFICULT TO BRAKE AND HOLD STOPPED AND HAS ALMOST RESULTED IN A ACCIDENT NUMEROUS TIMES. THE CAR WILL CONTINUE TO IDLE AT THIS HIGHER RPM UNTIL YOU BEGIN DRIVING AGAIN AND THE PROBLEM WILL LIKELY OCCUR AT THE NEXT TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE ONLY SOLUTION FOR WHEN THIS HAPPENS IS TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO HOLD DOWN THE BRAKE PEDAL UNDER THIS INCREASED ENGINE IDLE AND MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE EXTREMELY FREQUENT WHEN UNDER HOT TEMPERATURES OR WHEN THE AC IS BEING RUN. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR YEARS BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX IT. THERE ARE OTHER REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING FROM OTHER DRIVERS. *TR

ON HOT DAY (90 DEGREE +/-) THE 3.6 ENGINE WILL SUDDENLY BEGIN TO IDLE AT 1000 RPM AFTER BEING DRIVEN FOR A WHILE. IN MY LATEST EPISODE, I HAD BEEN DRIVING IN STOP AND GO CITY TRAFFIC FOR 30-45 MINUTES WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO RACE. THE FIRST NOTICE IS WHEN YOU ARE STOPPING OR STOPPED. WHEN STOPPED IT TAKES EXTRA BRAKE. PRESSURE AND CONCENTRATION TO KEEP THE CAR BRAKED. THIS HAS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES BUT, I ONLY RECENTLY LINKED THE CAR'S BEHAVIOR WITH THE HIGH AIR TEMPS. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE AND DID NOT DETECT ANY ERROR CODES WHEN THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE. *TR

2006 VW PASSAT 2.0T. 53,000 MILES. TRANSMISSION MAKES HARD KNOCK WHEN DOWNSHIFTING ON COMING TO A STOP AFTER FREEWAY TYPE TRAVEL. THIS IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. IF THIS CONTINUES, I AM EXPECTING THE CV JOINTS OR TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. HAVE REPORTED THIS TO DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS, AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR FIX IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 TO 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; PROCEEDING FROM A TRAFFIC SIGNAL WITH PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THERE WAS NO POWER. THERE WERE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,742. UPDATED 3/8/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE AND THEN STALL. THE IGNITION WAS REPLACED AS WELL.