2008 Volkswagen Passat

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED THREE TIMES PRIOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE CONTACT APPROACHED A TRAFFIC STOP AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS BEFORE THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED WITH EXTREME FORCE. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE MALFUNCTION AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INTERMITTENT PROBLEM BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 30 MPH AND HEARD A SCRAPING SOUND WHENEVER HE SHIFTED GEARS. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS MANUAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERNS OVER A POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN THE FUTURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. SHE WAS ABLE TO MANUALLY SHIFT THE GEAR IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE MAIN ROADWAY. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH A FAULTY HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND ADVISED HAVING IT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE DEALER HAD BEEN WAITING FOR THE PART NEEDED FOR REPAIRS FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 62,000.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY STARTING IN MARCH 2010 WITH A LOW FUEL PRESSURE FAULT. CAR RUNS FINE MOST OF THE TIME, BUT SPUTTERS WHEN THE FAULT OCCURS AND FUEL ECONOMY SUFFERS. AFTER RECEIVING THIS FAULT MULTIPLE TIMES, REPAIR SHOP SUGGESTS WE TRY A NEW FUEL FILTER TO SEE IF THAT CLEARS IT, BUT IT WILL LIKELY NEED A NEW FUEL PUMP. NEW FUEL FILTER HELPS FOR 3 WEEKS, BUT FAULT STARTS OCCURRING AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER SHOP FOR A SECOND OPINION AND THEY AGREED THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL PUMP SENSOR, WHICH I HAD DONE IN NOV 2010 AFTER THE FUEL GAUGE STOPS REPORTING ACCURATE FUEL LEVELS. THIS CLEARS BOTH ISSUES UNTIL FEBRUARY 2011, WHEN LOW FUEL PRESSURE FAULT STARTS FIRING AGAIN INTERMITTENTLY EVERY 2-3 WEEKS AS IT HAD BEFORE AND FUEL GAUGE IS NOT REPORTING ACCURATE FUEL LEVELS AGAIN. NOW VW STATES THE FUEL PUMP IS NOT THE PROBLEM (A $1K REPAIR!) AND IS RECOMMENDING A NEW HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND CAM SHAFT - A $2,300 REPAIR! TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY MY CAR NOW SMELLS LIKE FUEL AFTER DRIVING IT. VW REFUSES TO PROVIDE ANY SORT OF WARRANTY FOR ANY OF THIS WORK, INCLUDING THE FIRST TWO REPAIRS THAT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. I CANNOT AFFORD TO MAKE THESE REPAIRS AT THIS TIME AND I AM CONSIDERING ASKING VW CREDIT TO TAKE BACK THE CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PSSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH REAR DOORS HOUSED PIVOTING TABS FOR A SHADE TO KEEP THE SUN OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DESIGN WAS POORLY MANUFACTURED BECAUSE THE CHILD OCCUPANT IN THE BACK SEAT COULD PULL THE TABS UP AND DOWN AND COULD POTENTIALLY CATCH HIS FINGERS IN THE TAB. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

AFTER GOING GROCERY SHOPPING, AFTER LEAVING THE PARKING LOT, I ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 2500 RPMS AND THEN ENGINE CUT OUT AND STALLED. I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AND EVERY TIME I TRY TO PUT IT INTO GEAR, THE ENGINE CUT OUT AND STALLED. I MANAGED TO GET IT INTO A BANK PARKING LOT NEXT DOOR. FORTUNATELY, ALL THIS HAPPENED SUNDAY NIGHT, WHICH VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD. THERE WAS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WITH THE FOLLOWING CODES: 001056 - CATALYST SYSTEM; BANK 1: EFFICIENCY BELOW THRESHOLD P0420 - 002 - LOWER LIMIT EXCEEDED - INTERMITTENT 012555 - LOW PRESSURE FUEL REGULATION: FUEL PRESSURE OUTSIDE SPECIFICATION P310B - 008 - IMPLAUSIBLE SIGNAL - MIL ON 004767 - LOW-PRESSURE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATION: PRESSURE TOO HIGH P129F - 001 - UPPER LIMIT EXCEEDED - MIL ON 000135 - FUEL RAIL/SYSTEM PRESSURE: TOO LOW P0087 - 002 - LOWER LIMIT EXCEEDED - INTERMITTENT 000135 - FUEL RAIL/SYSTEM PRESSURE: TOO LOW P0087 - 008 - IMPLAUSIBLE SIGNAL THIS IS ON A 2008 VW PASSAT 2.0T (WITH THE BPY ENGINE). THE DEALERSHIP TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP (HPFP) SENSOR. APPARENTLY, THERE HAS BEEN AN UPDATE TO THE SENSOR, WHICH MY CAR LACKED. *TR

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON THE 2008 VW PASSAT SELF-ADJUST THEIR SPEED ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT THE DRIVER TOUCHING THEM. ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2010, I WAS DRIVING ON I-95 AND DROVE INTO AN AREA UNDER A TORNADO WARNING. IT WAS RAINING IN TORRENTS AND TRAFFIC CAME TO A STOP. MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE ON REGULAR SPEED, AND WHILE STOPPED THEY SUDDENLY CHANGED TO INTERMITTENT WITHOUT ME TOUCHING THE CONTROLS. THIS HAPPENED FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES! I WAS TRYING TO WATCH THE SKY FOR SWIRLING CLOUDS AND WATCH THE ROAD FOR FLASH FLOODING AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS KEPT SLOWING TO INTERMITTENT! I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AT 7:30 A.M. MONDAY MORNING AND LEARNED THAT THE WIPERS ARE OPERATING AS DESIGNED. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE ENGINEERS AND LEADERS AT VW COULD POSSIBLY THINK THAT THE CAR HAS A BETTER SENSE OF THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY NEEDS THAN THE DRIVER! THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE AND OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD! THE DRIVER KNOWS THE CONDITIONS THEY ARE IN! HOW COULD THE CAR SELF-ADJUST SOMETHING AS CRITICAL AS THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY? PLEASE FORCE VW TO CHANGE THIS "FEATURE" IN THE PASSAT AND ANY OTHER MODELS WHERE IT IS PRESENT. *TR