2007 Volkswagen Passat

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE KEY WAS UNABLE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT FROM PARK TO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

DRIVING HOME WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT MY CAR FELT LIKE IT JERKED FORWARD THOUGH MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. I STOPPED MY CAR BRIEFLY TO GET DINNER, TOOK A PHONE CALL AND DECIDED TO LEAVE. I PUT MY CAR IN DRIVE AND IT WOULD NOT TRAVEL FORWARD. I PUT IT IN REVERSE AND IT WOULD NOT RESPOND. I LOOKED AT THE DISPLAY WHICH INDICATED I SHOULD DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL, I DID. THE MESSAGE DISAPPEARED BUT THE CAR WOULD STILL NOT TRAVEL. I CHECKED THE PARKING BRAKE BUTTON, IT WAS ON. I DEPRESSED THAT BUT IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. EVERYTIME I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE THE SAME DEPRESS THE BRAKE MESSAGE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. IT WAS SUGGESTED I KEEP TRYING TO DISENGAGE THE PARKING BRAKE. "THE CAR THINKS THE PARKING BRAKE IS ON" I HAVE NEVER USED THE PARKING BRAKE ON THIS CAR. IT CAME OUT OF THE SHOWROOM. FINALLY THE BRAKE DISENGAGED. MY SECOND STOP RESULTED INTO THE SAME SCENARIO. MY FEAR IS THAT THIS HAPPEN WHILE I AM DRIVING. I AM TAKING MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP IN A FEW HOURS IF IT WILL MOVE IN. THIS CAR HAS BEEN IDEAL UP TO THIS EVENT. *TR

HERE IS PROBLEM THAT I AM HAVING WITH MY 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE I AM DRIVING THE CAR SHUTS DOWN COMPLETELY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME ABOUT THREE TIMES THIS YEAR . IT HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO BE IN 3 ACCIDENTS AND TO HAVE TO QUICKLY PULL OFF THE ROAD. I HAD THE CAR TOWED 3 TIMES TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE CAR LOCKS DOWN AND I CANT PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO TOW IT. IT TAKES AN EXPERIENCE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TO GET IN ON A FLAT BED WITH THE WHEELS LOCKED. THE DEALER IS TELLING ME THEY CANT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT AND THEY CAN NOT GET THE CAR TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE, FROM THE FORUMS I HAVE BEEN READING VW TELLS EVERYONE THE SAME THING. I HAVE ALREADY PAID 2000 TO GET THIS CAR FIX AND VW STILL HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM, BUT FROM WHAT I AM READING IT SOUNDS LIKE IT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK ISSUE. VW NEEDS TO RECALL THIS, IT NOT MY FAULT THAT THIS CAR HAS THIS ISSUE. THERE NEEDS TO BE A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT. EVERYONE DRIVING THIS CAR LIFE COULD BE AT RISK, THIS CAR SHOULD NOT SHUT OFF AT 70 MILES HOUR WITH TRAFFIC BEHIND YOU... THIS COULD CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT AND IT WOULD BE VW FAULT! *TR

ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS FROM DAY ONE - CONSTANTLY A NEW LIGHT ON THAT NEVER STAYED ON. DRIVER'S AIRBAG ISSUE THAT VW SAYS IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT - A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS TO FIX A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VW CHARGED US TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT CAME BACK WITH 12 FAILURE CODES, THE TWO MOST SEVERE BEING INTAKE RUNNER MOTOR AND HIGH PRESSURE PUMP. THEN, NOT LONG AFTER, THE CAR LITERALLY SHUT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY AND WE COULD HARDLY GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (MIND YOU NO PRIOR WARNING LIGHTS WERE PRESENT). THE ONLY ONE THAT CAME ON FOR A SPLIT SECOND WAS THE EPC (ELECTRONIC POWER CONTROL) LIGHT BEFORE THE CAR SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO VW DEALER WHO AFTER INVESTIGATING THE PROBLEM, SAID THAT THE ENGINE WAS SHOT. AND, I ALMOST FORGOT TO MENTION THAT THE AIR HASN'T WORKED FOR 2 SUMMERS. VW CLAIMS THAT THIS IS BECAUSE A BAD COMPRESSOR WAS PUT IN THE PASSATS. $1800 TO FIX. THESE ISSUES ARE COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND WE DON'T THINK ANY OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS SHOULD BE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY. VW NEEDS TO STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR FAULTY ENGINEERING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY FOB FAILED AND BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE STEERING COLUMN DEFECTIVE LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL AFTER TRYING TO INSERT THE KEY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER NOR WAS IT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT PROVIDED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 56,000.

IN BELOW FREEZING WEATHER, I WAS TRYING TO LEAVE MY CHILD'S DAYCARE. WHEN THE KEY IS INSERTED PROPERLY INTO THE IGNITION, THE CAR BEEPS AND PRESENTS A WARNING "STEERING COLUMN LOCK DEFECTIVE!" IT WOULD NOT START FOR 45 MINUTES - JUST KEPT TURNING OVER AND IMMEDIATELY DIEING (LOST SPARK, PRESUMABLY, AS PART OF THE IMMOBILIZATION SYSTEM). TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND JOKING SARCASTICALLY IMPLYING THAT THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME - THE STALLING AT STARTUP IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK PROBLEM. THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN HAS TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH A NEW CONTROL MODULE (AROUND $200 IN PARTS) ALONG WITH 4 HOURS OF LABOR (QUOTED AROUND $375 FOR ME). THIS PROBLEM IS WIDELY REPORTED ON PASSAT MESSAGE BOARDS WITH INITIAL COSTS BEING AS HIGH AS $1,900 UNTIL VW OF AMERICA RECENTLY DISCOVERED A MORE COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO FIX THE ISSUE. ALSO, VW OF IRELAND HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AS A SOFTWARE DEFECT (SEE IRISH TIMES ARTICLE FROM 11/4/2009 ENTITLED "STARING PROBLEMS WITH A VW PASSAT"). THERE ARE REPORTS THAT VW OF CANADA ARE REPAIRING THIS FOR FREE ON OUT OF WARRANTIED VEHICLES AS WELL. HOW MANY HAVE TO FAIL IN AMERICA BEFORE IT'S A RECALL? WOULDN'T A COMPUTER FAULT KEEPING A CAR FROM STARTING BE A SAFETY ISSUE? WHAT HAPPENS IF THE MODULE FAILS WHILE DRIVING - EITHER THE CAR DETERMINING THE KEY ISN'T CORRECT WOULD STOP THE ENGINE, OR IF THE STEERING COLUMN DOES LOCK WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS? *TR

2007 VW PASSAT "STEERING COLUMN DEFECTED". MY KEY "FOB" TO THE IGNITION GETS STUCK INSIDE THE IGNITION SLOT. CAR WILL NOT START. SOMETIMES IT WILL START BUT THEN IMMEDIATELY DIE. I HAVE TO VERY SLOWLY PUSH THE FOB BACK AND FORTH TO FINALLY GET THE CAR TO START EVENTUALLY. PROBLEM IS, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OTHER 2006-2007 VW PASSATS AND JETTAS THAT HAVE THIS ISSUE. IT IS UNSAFE. THE VW DEALER IS CHARGING ON AVERAGE $1,400 TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUOUSLY STALL SPORADICALLY WITHOUT WARNING .THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS A FAULTY ALTERNATOR, BATTERY OR BOTH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE BOTH THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 20,000.

A NICE SUMMER DAY TRANSPORTING MY FAMILY, INCLUDING TWO SMALL CHILDREN TO A BASEBALL GAME. TEMP WAS 80 F, NO WIND, MOSTLY SUNNY. CAME TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED TO GREEN, PUSHED ON ACCELERATOR. VEHICLE HESITATED, THAN ACCELERATED SLOWER THAN EXPECTED IN A HALTING, HERKY-JERKY WAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW. I WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHERE I CONTACT ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER REPORTED REPLACING THE COIL ON PLUG IGNITION. *TR