2007 Volkswagen Passat

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER MALFUNCTION INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. ALSO, A SPEED WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HANLEES HILLTOP VOLKSWAGEN (LOCATED AT 3255 AUTO PLAZA, RICHMOND, CA 94806, (510) 283-6300), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 171,700. *BF CONSUMER STATED AIR BAG SIGN IS ON WAS TOLD NEEDS $2,000 REPAIRS CATALYTIC CONVERTER NOT ABLE RE PAIR $2500 REPAIRS THE BRAKE SYSTEM ALWAYS ON. NOT ABLE TO SUSTAIN REPAIRS ON THE CAR AND FEEL MY SAFETY IS IN DANGER.*JB

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND WITHOUT ANY DASHBOARD INSTRUMENTS INDICATING IMPENDING FAILURE. ME AND MY CO-PASSENGER ARE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE TODAY. FURTHER WE ARE LUCKY WE DIDN'T CRASH INTO A PUBLIC BUS PULLING IN AT THE BUS STOP AS WE VEERED TO THE RIGHT TO BRAKE AND PARK THE VEHICLE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE ITS ACQUISITION AND AT THE 65,000 SERVICE IT WAS GIVEN AN EXCELLENT BILL OF HEALTH. WHEN THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS UNUSUAL ENGINE FAILURE.

VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT AIR CONDITIONER QUIT WORKING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, WHERE ALL THE SERVICE HAS BEEN PERFORMED SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. THEY CALL AND TELL ME THAT THE COMPRESSOR HAS GONE BAD, AND WHEN IT FAILED IT CONTAMINATED THE WHOLE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM, WHICH INCLUDE THE EVAPORATOR, COMPRESSOR AND FLUID AND THAT THEY ALL NEED TO BE REPLACED AND SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE FLUSHED. OUR CAR HAS ABOUT 43000 MILES AND HAS BEEN "IN SERVICE" FOR 4 YEARS AND 3 MONTHS, WHICH IS THREE MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE DEALER SAID THEY HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF THESE REPAIRS. I THINK IT IS WAY TO EARLY FOR THESE COMPONENTS TO FAIL. MY TRUCK IS 10 YEARS OLDER AND STILL HAS ALL THE ORIGINAL AIR CONDITIONING PARTS AND WORK PERFECTLY. I THINK THEY NEED TO RECALL THESE COMPRESSORS AND TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. *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

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ALONE IN OUR 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WITH THE 3.6 LITER ENGINE ON A REMOTE, LONELY RURAL ROAD WHEN THE "CHECK ENGINE AND OIL" LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. SHE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BUT WAS FRIGHTENED AT BEING ALONE AND STRANDED ON A REMOTE ROAD. FORTUNATELY A TEXAS STATE TROOPER DROVE BY, STOPPED AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK FROM THE NEAREST TOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A VW DEALERSHIP. THE ENGINE WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS, APPARENTLY DUE TO LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. AN ESTIMATE OF $12,000 WAS QUOTED TO ME FOR REPLACING THE ENGINE. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE REPAIRS UNDER THE 60,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY IN SPITE OF THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGISTERED ON LINE FOR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS EXACT SAME YEAR, MAKE, MODEL AND ENGINE INCLUDING NHTSA ODI NUMBERS 10229007, 10203527, 10203183 AND 10193036 AND ADDITIONAL NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE VW VORTEX WEBSITE. I HAVE THE ORIGINAL ODOMETER DISCLOSURE STATEMENT SHOWING THAT VW HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE 195 MILES BEFORE I PURCHASED IT. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL DANGER OF PERSONAL INJURY TO OCCUPANTS DUE TO FIRE OR HARM FROM PASSING MOTORISTS DUE TO BEING STRANDED IN A REMOTE LOCATION. VW HAS KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME BUT HAS REFUSED TO TAKE ACTION TO REMEDY THE ISSUE PRIOR TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. *TR

WAS DRIVING 50 MPH ON HIGHWAY WHEN ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING ALL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. SHIFTED CAR TO NEUTRAL UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE WHILE COASTING INTO A PARKING LOT. I WAS FIRST TOLD IT WAS A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. THEN ON FURTHER INSPECTION I WAS NOTIFIED IT WAS A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO THE OIL PUMP ASSEMBLY COMING UNBOLTED. CAR IS IN THE SHOP & VW HAS OFFERED TO REPLACE ENGINE WITH A REBUILT ENGINE. STILL BEING RESOLVED AT THIS TIME. *TR

A/C WAS NOT COOLING AS NORMAL THEN THE A/C WAS NOT COOLING AT ALL. THE DAY THE A/C SYSTEM FAILED I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE SPEED OF 70 MILES PER HOUR AND IT WAS RAINING HEAVILY. ALL WINDOWS TO THE VEHICLE FOGGED TO THE POINT WHERE I HAD NO VISIBILITY. I PULLED OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. I HAD TO WAIT FOR THE STORM TO PASS TO OPEN MY WINDOWS AND BE ABLE TO SEE THROUGH ALL WINDOWS. I DROVE THE CAR HOME AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A VW SERVICE SHOP THE NEXT DAY. THE SHOP CHECKED THE A/C SYSTEM FOR REFRIGERANT AND FOUND THAT IT WAS CONTAMINATED. THEY VACUUM/DRAINED THE SYSTEM, REFILLED IT WITH NEW REFRIGERANT, AND REPLACED THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR FOR THE A/C SYSTEM. THE A/C WAS WORKING AS NORMAL FOR TWO MONTHS THEN WITHOUT WARNING MY A/C SYSTEM WAS NOT COOLING AT ALL. I TOOK IT BACK THE NEXT DAY TO VW SERVICE. THEY FOUND THAT THE A/C COMPRESSOR SHAFT WAS SEIZED TO THE COMPRESSOR HOUSING. TO REPAIR IT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPRESSOR, EXPANSION VALVE, AND CONDENSER. THEY ALSO CLEANED TO A/C LINES, VACUUMED THE SYSTEM AND REFILLED IT WITH REFRIGERANT AFTER PUTTING ALL THE PARTS TOGETHER.I WAS WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR A WEEK. TILL THIS DAY MY A/C SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. FOR EXAMPLE, I DRIVE THE CAR ONE DAY, THE A/C WORKS AND NORMAL, AND THE NEXT DAY IT DOES NOT COOL AT ALL. IT WORKS AT RANDOM TIMES. TO ADD, THE SAME TIME MY A/C WAS BROKEN MY AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. VW CHECKED IT AND FOUND THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE IGNITER HAD TOO MUCH RESISTANCE. TO FIX IT THEY REMOVED THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND BYPASSED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG PLUG. THEN THEY CHECKED THE SEAT HARNESS AND REINSTALLED THE SEAT. MY AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT IS ON AGAIN. MOREOVER, THE SUNVISORS LIGHTS DIDN'T WORK, SHIFT KNOB WAS CORRODED, THE RUBBER SEAL TO THE SATELLITE ANTENNA ROTTED AWAY, AND BOTH TAIL LIGHTS ON THE INTERIOR STARTED TO BURN AND LOOK MELTED. ALL WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. GOOD FOR THAT BECAUSE I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PAY FOR ALL THE REPAIR COSTS. *TR