2007 Volkswagen Passat

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

2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 4MOTION. LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING. THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN TWO DEALERS SERVICE CENTERS TO HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. A MONTH AGO IT WAS REPAIRED AND LASTED ONE BLOCK. I HAVE ASKED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER TO CONTACT ME TO GET THIS RESOLVED. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY CONTACT FROM EITHER. I FEEL THAT SINCE THIS IS A FEDERAL MANDATE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED UNDER THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY. IT WAS NOT. *LN

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.

PROBLEM: HEADS UP DISPLAY IN CAR SAYS "STEERING COLUMN LOCK DEFECTIVE." CAR STARTS UP, THEN STALLS AND THE ENGINE CUTS OFF. THIS WARNING IS DISPLAYED, ALONG WITH THREE LOUD BEEPS. AFTER THIS MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED, THE CAR WILL NOT START UP WITH REPEATED ATTEMPTS AT INSERTING THE KEY. TRIES TO START, STALLS, TRIES TO START, STALLS, ETC. SOMETIMES IT WILL START ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT, SOMETIMES I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE 30TH+ ATTEMPT. MAKE THE CAR VERY SPORADIC IN ITS DRIVING USE WITH WHETHER IT WILL EVEN TURN ON OR NOT! NOTHING SEEMS TO HELP THIS PROBLEM. TURNING THE STEER WHEEL DURING START, DEPRESSING THE BRAKE, HAVING THE PARKING BRAKE ON, ETC. IT SHOULD BE NOTED HOWEVER THAT SOMETIMES THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR AT ALL. I WILL INSERT THE KEY AND IT WILL START LIKE NORMAL. BUT THEN SOMETIMES I WILL GET THE ERROR ALONG WITH MULTIPLE FAILED ATTEMPTS AT STARTING THE ENGINE. PLANNING ON TAKING THIS CAR TO DEALER SOON AND HOPE THAT WARRANTY WILL COVER IT. *TR

MY 2007 PASSAT 2.0T WAGON CAR HAS DEVELOPED A SYMPTOM WHEN THE RPM GOES OVER 3000 SPECIALLY WHEN I NEED ACCELERATION AND IT CUTS OF THE POWER (FUEL OR SOMETHING ELSE I DON'T KNOW, THERE IS A TSB REGARDING TO CAM SHAFT LOBE WEAR THIS IS THE EXACT SYMPTOM I HAVE) THE MIL COMES ON WITH A CODE 2293. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAY Y VEHICLE IS OVER WARRANTY MILEAGE AND THEY WILL NOT COVER IT. I NOTICED MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE ON THE INTERNET AND WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE ENGINE POWER CUTS OFF. BY THE DEFINITION OF THE TSB THIS IS APPARENTLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THEY EVEN RELEASE AN UPDATED PART AND ADVISE THE DEALERS TO USE THE UPDATED PART. I LIKE MANY OTHERS ARE FORCED TO PAY A HEFTY REPAIR SUM JUST AFTER COUPLE THOUSAND MILES OVER WARRANTY PERIOD. IN MY OPINION VW NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. *LN

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

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

THE CAR WILL IDLE AT 900-1000 RPM WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. BRAKE MUST BE HELD HEAVILY AND IF RELEASED, CAR WILL LUNGE FORWARD WITHOUT DRIVER ENGAGING ACCELERATOR. THIS OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY AFTER CAR HAS SAT IN THE HOT SUN. TEMPERATURES ARE NOT ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE AREA THIS SUMMER. TOOK CAR TO DEALER (MILEAGE 38,000). PROBLEM REPLICATED FOR DEALER AND SERVICE DEPT CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA (VWA) FOR ASSISTANCE. VWA CONTENDS THAT OPERATION IS WITHIN NORMAL SPECS AND THAT CAR IS COMMANDING THE HIGHER IDLE SPEED TO BUMP UP ALTERNATOR OUTPUT. VWA STATES THIS IS DUE TO HIGH SUMMER TEMPS ALTHOUGH SUMMER TEMPS FOR THE AREA ARE AVERAGE THIS YEAR. WE AND DEALER ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH ANSWER BUT VWA REFUSES TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER AND CLOSED THE ISSUE. DEALER REPORTS ANOTHER CAR OF SAME MAKE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. *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