2006 Volkswagen Passat

EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: NONE - SUDDEN FAILURE. WAS ON INTERSTATE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. POWER SUDDENLY DROPPED AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS LIT UP. SPEED DROPPED VERY QUICKLY BUT WAS ABLE TO AVOID INCIDENT AND GO THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FAILURE: OIL PUMP DRIVE GEAR BOLT BROKEN. CAR WAS AT DEALER FOR 15 DAYS TO REPLACE OIL PUMP, TIMING CHAIN, SPROCKETS, ADJUSTER TENSIONERS. PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. CAR WAS AT SECOND DEALER FOR ADDITIONAL 19 DAYS TO CORRECT PROBLEMS CREATED BY FIRST DEALER WHILE FIXING THE ENGINE. (RECEIVED APOLOGY BY PHONE FROM SERVICE MANAGER OF FIRST DEALER.) ISSUES: 1.SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. 2.FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS IN MANUAL, I DROVE CAR TO NEAREST DEALER ? A DISTANCE OF 10 MILES ? WITH REDUCED OR ZERO OIL CIRCULATION. LONGEVITY OF THE ENGINE MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED. 3.VW OF AMERICA DECLINED TO INSPECT THE ENGINE IN MORE DETAIL OR TO REPLACE ENGINE. 4.THIS IS A MODERATELY COMMON FAILURE OF THIS ENGINE. I FOUND 38 ALMOST IDENTICAL FAILURES AT: A.HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=3462993 B.HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=3193697 SUMMARY & REQUESTED ACTIONS: 1.RECALL ISSUED FOR AFFECTED ENGINES. 2.MY ENGINE REPLACED / VEHICLE REPLACED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE "IMPORTANT STEERING COLUMN DEFECTIVE" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY STARTING THE ENGINE ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS. ALSO, THE IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT DISENGAGE WITHOUT MAKING SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE CONTACT IS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 66,700.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE HAS HAD HIS AIR BAGS REPAIRED AT LEAST SEVEN TIMES WITHIN TWO YEARS. AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATES APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER. THE CONTACT HAS TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER EVERY TIME THE ILLUMINATION OCCURS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 48,000.

MY VEHICLE HAD 19K ON IT AND FROM A COLD START SOUNDED LIKE A DIESEL. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE DAY OF THAT APPOINTMENT MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOW HAD MY CAR FOR 9 DAYS AND HAVE STILL NOT DIAGNOSED IT. APPARENTLY THERE IS A MAJOR DEFECT WITH CERTAIN YEAR PASSAT ENGINES. THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE OIL PUMP IN PLACE BACKS OUT AND SHEARS OFF, THUS REQUIRING AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. I AM VERY DISSATISFIED WITH VW SERVICE AND UNHAPPY THAT MY VEHICLE HAD SUCH A FATAL PROBLEM SO EARLY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR BEGAN HESITATING AND THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. UPON PULLING OVER AND OPENING THE HOOD, THE TOP-REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE WAS GLOWING RED AND WITHIN 30 SECONDS OR SO BURST INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY AN OFF-DUTY VOLUNTEER FIREMAN WHO ARRIVED PRIOR TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SUBSEQUENT REVIEW BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOUND THE IGNITION COIL WAS THE ORIGIN AND CAUSE OF THE FIRE. PERHAPS THIS IS SIMILAR TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : EA07014, HOWEVER THAT ACTION ONLY COVERED 1999-2005 PASSATS; THIS IS A 2006 PASSAT. *TR

STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAILURE, 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.0T AT 61,000 MILES, VEHICLE STARTED SHUTTING ITSELF OFF ONE SECOND AFTER STARTING WITH NO MESSAGE. WITHIN 500 MILES, DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGE REPORTED STEERING COLUMN LOCK FAILURE. VEHICLE IS 2,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY (LESS THEN 1 YEAR OLD), DEALER INSIST ON REPLACING STEERING COLUMN, STEERING COLUMN LOCK, STEERING COLUMN LOCK CONTROL MODULE AND THE CONVENIENCE CONTROL MODULE FOR A TOTAL OF $2400. I HAVE FOUND ON VARIOUS INTERNET FORUMS MULTIPLE IDENTICAL INCIDENTS. THIS STEERING WHEEL LOCK IS AND WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE START AND VW HAS AN OBLIGATION TO MAKE IT RIGHT. *TR

WHEN TRYING TO START OUR 2006 PASSAT THE INFO PANEL SHOWS "STEERING WHEEL DEFECTIVE". A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH CAME UP WITH 4 OF THE SAME SITUATIONS IN 2006 PASSATS ON ONE SITE. SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN AT $1700. THIS OBVIOUSLY IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE. IT'S ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE. VW TOLD THE DEALER THEY WOULD PAY FOR THE PART ONLY FOR "GOOD FAITH". NO, IT'S A FACTORY DEFECT FROM THE START WHICH IS ALSO A HUGE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THEY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMPLETE COST IN ADDITION TO A RECALL. *TR