2006 Volkswagen Passat

2/5 NOON: AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY APARTMENT COMPLEX ON TO A MAIN ROAD, MY BRAKES WENT OUT. FORTUNATELY, I WAS GOING 10 MPH SO WAS ABLE TO COME TO A STOP SIMPLY BY LETTING OFF THE GAS AND PUSHING THE WHEEL AGAINST A CURB. ENGINE BEGAN TO MISFIRE AND EMI CAME ON. 12:07: IN MY ATTEMPT TO REACH VW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, I WAS PUT ON AUTOMATED HOLD FOR OVER 25 MINUTES. 12:35: I CALLED THE GENERAL CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE AND AT THAT POINT WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE REGARDING VACUUM HOSE TO THE BRAKE LINES BUT THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE RESULTED IN TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. RE-DIRECTED ME TO ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AGAIN. 12:40: PLACED ON AUTOMATED HOLD WITH ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR 15+ MINUTES AGAIN AND AT THAT POINT BEGAN LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS. 1:15: RECEIVED A CALL FROM THIRD PARTY MOC ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CONFIRMING SOMEBODY WAS ON THEIR WAY TO PICK ME UP AND SHOULD BE THERE WITHIN THE HOUR. 2:25: CAR WAS DROPPED OFF AT TOM WOOD VOLKSWAGON OF INDIANAPOLIS, IN. I WAS GIVEN A RENTAL CAR FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. 2/9 WENT TO GET MY CAR. THEY HAD FIXED THE PROBLEM AND HAD NO EXPLANATION WHY I DIDN'T RECEIVE A RECALL LETTER. THEY SAID THE RECALL HAD BEEN MADE PUBLIC 26 DECEMBER 2005 AND THAT I SHOULD CHECK MY MAILING ADDRESS WITH VAG (IRONIC HOW ALL MY FINANCING STATEMENTS COME ON TIME THOUGH!). THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE WIPER SYSTEM ISSUED AT THE SAME TIME (ALSO OF WHICH I WAS NOT NOTIFIED). WHEN THEY PERFORMED THIS RECALL AT THIS TIME ALSO, THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO ME W/O THE WIPERS FUNCTIONING! I WAS OUTRAGED THAT THEY DIDN'T CHECK THE WIPER SYSTEM BEFORE TELLING ME IT WAS O.K. IT TOOK THEM A FEW MINUTES TO GET THE WIPERS GOING AND I WAS ON MY WAY. IT WASN'TT DOING ANY GOOD TO SPEAK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE BEGUN TO CONSULT LAWYERS REGARDING ACTIONS AGAINST VAG DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THIS SAFETY RECALL. SUFFERING: MENTAL ANGUISH, FEAR OF UNSAFE CAR, LOST PRODUCTIVITY AT WORK. *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT IT STALLED IN A TURN. HE HAD BEEN DRIVING ALONG STEADILY FOR 2 HOURS WITH OUT INCIDENT PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE LOSING POWER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED, AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS INOPERABLE, THE WORK WAS COMPLETED, HOWEVER 2 HOURS LATER THE HEADLIGHT FAILED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE EXHIBITS A ONE TO THREE SECOND LAG IN THE ACCELERATOR, MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN THE CONSUMER IS TRUING TO ACCELERATOR. THERE WAS A RATTLE COMING FROM THE HEADLINER/SUNROOF ASSEMBLY. THERE WAS A RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM THE BRAKES. THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR VIEW MIRROR TRIM PIECES. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE INOPERATIVE. THE FOG LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE. UPDATED 01/31/07. *JB

WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM WORKS ONLY INTERMITTENTLY ON LOW, HIGH SETTINGS NO MATTER WHAT SPEED I'M DRIVING. CAR DOES NOT HAVE A RAIN SENSOR SYSTEM. DEALER DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER CALLED VW TECH CENTER AND WAS TOLD THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER SAID " WE DID A WATER TEST ON YOUR WINDSHIELD WITH A GARDEN HOSE AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE WIPERS PICKUP SPEED , EVERYTHING IS FIND." I DROVE THE CAR HOME IMMEDIATELY AND DID MY OWN GARDEN HOSE TEST, STILL INTERMITTENT OPERATION. DROVE BACK TO DEALER HAD THEM WRITE UP ANOTHER SERVICE ORDER AND HAD SERVICE WRITER AND TECH PERFORM THE WATER TEST IN FRONT OF ME. THE WIPER SYSTEM FAILED THE TEST AND WORKED ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER CALLED VW TECH CENTER AND THEY WERE STILL CLUELESS AND TOLD THE TECH TO CHANGE OUT THE WIPER SYSTEM CONTROL MODULE FOR LACK OF KNOWING ANYTHING ELSE TO DO. JUST READING YOUR FIRST COMPLAINT ON THIS VEHICLE I'M IN THE SAME MANUFACTURING RUN. THE DEALER IS GIVING OUT A LOT OF BAD INFORMATION DUE TO THE LACK OF FACTORY TECH. SUPPORT. ONE WEEK OUT AND CAR AND STILL AWAITING MODULE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

DECEMBER 23 - LEASED A BRAND NEW 2006 PASSAT. DROVE OFF THE LOT AND ON TO THE HIGHWAY. TRIED TO WASH WINDOWS, WINDOW SPRAY WORKED, WIPERS DID NOT. STOPPED TO CHECK OWNERS MANUAL, I WAS USING THE EQUIPMENT PROPERLY. THE WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL, ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY CAME ON AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF, BASICALLY WORKING AT WILL. DECEMBER 24 - DEALERSHIP CLOSED, DECEMBER 25 DEALERSHIP CLOSED AND I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE CAR, FEARING FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY WITH REGARD TO THE WIPERS. DECEMBER 26 - TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY PUT THE CAR ON THE "MONITOR", SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT, THEY WERE UNABLE TO EXPLAIN WHY THE WIPERS. MECHANIC WHO LOOKED AT THE CAR TOLD US TO GET ANOTHER CAR, DON'T KEEP THAT ONE. DECEMBER 26- LEFT RELATIVES HOUSE, WIPERS TURNED ON AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF UNTIL AFTER THE CAR WARMED UP. DECEMBER 27 - NO ISSUES. DECEMBER 28 - LEFT HOME FOR WORK, WIPERS TURNED ON AND DID NOT SHUT OFF, AGAIN ONLY ONCE THE CAR WARMED UP AND I REACHED THE DEALERSHIP. KEPT THE CAR FOR TWO DAYS, CALLED TO SAY THEY WERE REPLACING THE MOTOR AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, EVEN THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. CRAZY EXCUSES. LUCKILY SINCE THEY REPLACED THE PART THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE WIPERS ARE WORKING. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT A WINDSHIELD WIPER PROBLEM. AFTER ENGAGING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTO THE ON POSITION THEY B WORKED INTERMEDIATELY BASED ON SPEED AT WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING. THIS ONLY OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT LESS THAN 5 MPH. ONCE THE VEHICLE REACHED A SPEED OF MORE THAN 5 MPH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED PROPERLY. THE CONTACT FELT THERE MAY BE A COMPUTER PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE DESIGNED TO WORK IN THIS MANOR. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE.*AK