2006 Volkswagen Passat

I BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT. EVERY TIME I HAD IT CHECKED, IT CODED SOMETHING DIFFERENT (PO455, PO171, PO441) WITH THESE RESULTS: FUEL CAP LIGHT CAME ON, HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM , AND LEAN BANK 02 CENSOR BEFORE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. IT BECAME HARD TO CRANK, AND ONCE SHOOK WHEN IT DID CRANK. THE STEERING WHEEL MODULE AND COMFORT CONTROL MODULE WERE REPLACED IN 2008 UNDER WARRANTY AFTER I TOOK VOLKSWAGEN TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP IN ATLANTA (THERE ISN'T ONE CLOSE TO WHERE I LIVE) AND THEY COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING REPAIRS: CODE PO444, THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION SYSTEM PURGE CONTROL VALVE CIRCUIT; CODE PO193, FUEL MEASURING SYSTEM 2 ABNK 1; AND P2187 SYSTEM TOO LEAN AT IDLE. TOTAL= $884.84 ($619.95 LABOR; $204.31 PARTS; $43.25 WASTE DISPOSAL CHARGE; AND $17.33 TAX). AT NO CHARGE, THEY CHECKED THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WHICH I HAD TO REPLACE @ TWICE A YEAR AND INSPECTED HIGH PRESSURE PUMP, GFF GUIDED FUNCTIONS AND A COURTESY VISUAL SERVICE INSPECTION. *TR

THE OIL PUMP BROKE AND DESTROYED THE MOTOR. I HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP; THEY TOOK A MONTH TO REPLACE PARTS AND REPAIR THE MOTOR. THERE HAVE BEEN A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SUCH INCIDENTS; THIS HAS BEEN ADMITTED BY VW TO BE A MANUFACTURER PART FAULT, BUT THEY FAIL TO RECALL '06-'07 PASSATS AND COVER THE COSTS. I JUST SAW THIS SITE OR I WOULD HAVE REPORTED IT SOONER. I DID NOT OTHERWISE FIND ANY OTHER SUPPORT. *TT

BOLT FAILURE IN CAM SYSTEM, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE "OIL PUMP BOLT FAILURE". THE "CHECK ENGINE" & "EPC" LIGHTS CAME ON. THE ENGINE WENT INTO IT'S "SAFE" MODE, LIMITING ACCELERATION AND POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY & TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE BOLT FAILURE AND REPAIRS WERE MADE AND COVERED BY WARRANTY. THE REPAIRS TOOK APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH TO MAKE. MAJOR COMPONENTS REPLACED WERE AS FOLLOWS: 2 - TIMING CHAINS OIL PUMP GEARS OIL PUMP BOLT TIMING CHAIN COVER TENSIONERS SOFTWARE UPDATE THE REPAIRS REQUIRED THE REMOVAL OF SOME MAJOR COMPONENTS, INCLUDING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, VALVE COVER, TRANSMISSION AND SIDE COVERS. IN MY CASE, THE TIMING CHAIN COVER PREVENTED THE TIMING CHAIN SYSTEM FROM COMPLETELY FALLING APART. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF THE INTERNAL COMPONENTS OF THE ENGINE REQUIRING COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE. MY VEHICLE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS AND 2000 MILES INSIDE THE WARRANTY PERIOD. IN FACT, MY WARRANTY RAN OUT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIRS.

I NOTICED THAT I WAS RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS TO CHANGE THE OIL MORE OFTEN PRIOR TO 3000 MILES. WHEN I WENT TO DEALERSHIP TO DETERMINE WHY I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR SHOULD NOT REQUIRE AN OIL CHANGE USUALLY UNTIL 6000 MILES. I WAS TOTALLY BAFFLED BECAUSE I AM BARELY MAKING THE 3K MARK. SO, AFTER ANOTHER OIL CHANGE SHORTLY 3000 MILES...I GOT THE NOTIFICATION TO SHUT OFF ENGINE, OIL LEVEL TOO LOW. I PANICKED AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID IT WAS ALRIGHT AND SOME CAR ASORB MORE THAN OTHERS. A FEW WEEKS LATER, I RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THIS WAS SUPPOSEDLY THE CAM SHAFT. THIS WAS REPLACED IN FEB 2011. CONTINOUSLY I EXPERIENCED THE LOW OIL LEVEL AND HAVE HAD IT MONITORED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE NEXT DAY AFTER IT WAS MONITORED. THE DEALERSHIP IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY I AM EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE. I WENT TO A LOCAL AUTO STORE WHO STATED IT WAS THE CAM SHAFT. AT HALLS VOLKWAGEN, A VOLSKWAGEN SPECIALIST WAS THERE AT THE TIME AND SUGGESTED THAT THEY CLEAN MY ENGINE COMPLETELY. THIS WAS ONE WEEK AGO AND GUESS WHAT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS BACK. I WENT BACK TO ANOTHER AUTO STORE WHO CONFIRMED AGAIN IT WAS THE CAM SHAFT. YES, THERE IS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE CAM SHAFT. THIS IS TWICE IN A YEAR IT WILL REQUIRE REPLACING? MY WARRANTY IS ABOUT TO END. IM NOT COMING OUT OF POCKET TO GET A CAM SHAFT EVERY YEAR. SOMETHING ELSE HAS TO BE WRONG. ALSO, I WOULD LIKE IT NOTED THAT I PURCHASED THIS CAR AT CAR MAX. THE CAR FAX STATED THAT THE CAR WAS NOT IN ANY ACCIDENTS. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HAS BEEN REPLACED AND HAS THE STICKER INFORMATION FROM WHEN IT WAS REPLACED. I THINK THAT I WAS MISLEAD ABOUT THE STATE OF THIS VEHICLE. TOTAL CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS SINCE PURCHASE - 9 TOTAL NOTIFICATIONS TO SHUT OFF ENGINE DUE TO LOW OIL LEVEL 9. *TR

IN AUGUST, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD BEEN COMING ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP. THEY FOUND SEVERAL FAULTS AND RECALLS (MY CAR ONLY HAD 39,000 MILES) AND TOLD ME THAT THE REPAIRS WOULD BE AROUND $800. I PAID THIS AMOUNT ONLY FOR THE LIGHT TO COME ON ABOUT A WEEK LATER. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO MAKE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT BUT THE LIGHT WENT OFF AND STAYED OFF ABOUT A MONTH AND WAS TOLD TO TRY CHANGING OR TIGHTENING THE GAS CAP. I DID BOTH, HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND STAYED ON AND IN NOVEMBER, I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAM SHAFT AND THAT THE CAR WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE THE CAM SHAFT ATTACHED TO THE HIGH PERFORMANCE FUEL SHAFT WAS COMPLETELY WORN THROUGH. ADDITIONALLY, THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER FOR A FEW WEEKS!!! OBVIOUSLY VW IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO NOTIFY OWNERS. I HAVE BEEN TO THE SAME DEALER THREE TIMES AND WAS ONLY TOLD RECENTLY AFTER COMPLAINING ABOUT SEVERAL STRANGE NOISES AND ENGINE LIGHT ISSUES. 1) HOW DID YOU NOT SEE THIS BEFORE? 2) IF THIS WAS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY, THEN WHY DIDN'T IT GET FIXED THE FIRST TIME? I BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THIS "CAMSHAFT" ISSUE AND I WAS RIPPED OFF. *TR

I'VE ENCOUNTERED LOTS OF ISSUES WITH MY VEHICLE AND AM VERY TIRED OF TAKING IT TO THE SHOP LIKE IT IS AN OLD PIECE OF JUNK. THIS TIME I HAVE A NOISE WHICH IS COMING FROM THE UNDERHOOD. IT'S A CLICKING NOISE THAT IS VERY UNUSUAL. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP BUT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. AND I ALSO FOUND THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THAT NOISE, THERE ARE TONS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM THAT POSTED THEIR SAME PROBLEM ONLINE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS. *TR

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