2008 Volkswagen Passat

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE BEING DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. ALSO, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V509000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT WAS GUARANTEED COMPENSATION, BUT ONLY IF THE MECHANIC USED VOLKSWAGEN MANUFACTURED PARTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE ELECTRICAL POWER CONSUMPTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V509000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE CHANGING THE PASSENGER-SIDE LOW-BEAM BULB, I FOUND WIRING TO ALL THREE BULB HOLDERS MISSING INSULATION, HAVING EXPOSED WIRES. EVEN THE INTACT INSULATION IS VERY BRITTLE WHERE THE MINIMAL MOVEMENT OF THE WIRES, NECESSARY TO REPLACE ANY OF THE BULBS, CAUSES MORE INSULATION TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE BULB WIRING. THERE IS NO WIRE WRAP, ELECTRICAL TAPE, NOR HEAT SHIELDING ON ANY OF THE WIRES WITHIN THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY, LIKE WHAT I SEE ELSEWHERE WITHIN THE WIRING LOOM UNDER THE HOOD. WHETHER THE DAMAGE TO THE WIRES IS INITIALLY FROM HEAT BUILD-UP WITHIN THE HOUSING OR ABRASION AGAINST ANY OF SEVERAL STAMPED METAL PIECES INTERNAL TO THE HOUSING, THE RESULT IS UNSAFE. IF EACH LIGHT WERE INDIVIDUALLY FUSED, THEN THE WIRE GAUGE USED WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR A 55-WATT (HALOGEN) BULB. HOWEVER, THE WIRE GAUGE IS NOT ENOUGH TO SURVIVE ANY SHORTING OF THESE WIRES, EITHER DIRECTLY AGAINST EACH OTHER OR THROUGH ANY METAL WITHIN THE HOUSING, BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE TO PASS ENOUGH CURRENT TO BLOW THE COMMON FUSE. LOSING A LIGHT SEEMS PALE IN COMPARISON TO THE RISK OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. A QUICK GOOGLE OR YOUTUBE SEARCH REVEALS THIS PERSISTENT ISSUE OVER MANY MODELS AND YEARS OF VW, AUDI, AND OTHER MANUFACTURERS USING SIMILAR HELLA OR VALEO LIGHTING COMPONENTS. I HAVE NOW EXPERIENCED THIS ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS ON MY 08 TOUAREG, WHICH I COMPLETELY REWIRED, AND NOW ON BOTH SIDES OF MY 08 PASSAT. VOLKSWAGEN DOES NOT HAVE ANY SUPERCEDED PART FOR THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE NOT FIXED IT. AS OPPOSED TO BUYING A REPLACEMENT HOUSING (~$340 EACH) WITH THE EXACT SAME SPECIFICATIONS, I WILL REWIRE THESE HOUSINGS WITH LARGER WIRE, HEAT-RESISTANT SHIELDING AND LOOM WRAP TAPE, JUST AS I HAD TO DO ON MY TOUAREG. ANY OTHERS NOT SO MECHANICALLY INCLINED ARE TRAPPED WITH A POOR DESIGN THAT HELLA, VALEO, AND VW HAVE NOT RESOLVED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATION AND A LACK OF ENGINE POWER WHILE BEING OPERATED AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V509000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. VOLKSWAGEN JACKSON (5320 INTERSTATE 55 NORTH FRONTAGE RD, JACKSON, MS) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHEN THE PARTS WERE TO BECOME AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,871. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE AND CHECK ENGINE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FINDLAY NORTH VOLKSWAGEN (7500 W AZURE DR, LAS VEGAS, NV 89130, (702) 982-4800) WHERE THE OIL WAS CHANGED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CHECK ENGINE AND OIL PRESSURE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO FINDLAY NORTH VOLKSWAGEN WHERE NO DIAGNOSTIC FAILURE CODES WERE FOUND AND THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V509000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE VW PASSAT IS UNDER RECALL FOR THE FUEL PUMP MODULE. THEY DO NOT HAVE A FIX YET AND THIS HAS BEEN SINCE AUGUST. I HAVE BEEN WITH A CAR THAT DOES NOT RUN. WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED THE DEALERSHIP KEPT SENDING ME AWAY NOT KNOWING WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, THEN WE LEARNED ABOUT THIS RECALL AND IT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR CAR. THE CAR WILL NOT RUN FOR MORE THAN 5 MIN. IT STALLS OUT. THE CAR WILL START OKAY AND AS SOON AS YOU BEGIN TO DRIVE YOU CANNOT PUMP THE GAS THE ENTIRE CAR TURNS OFF, THIS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET TRYING TO GET TO A MECHANIC. THIS PART (FULE PUMP MODULE) CAUSES OUR BATTERY TO DRAIN WHICH HAS ALSO CAUSED OUR ALTERNATOR TO GO OUT. WE HAVE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR BUT WE PUT IN A NEW BATTERY AND AS SOON AS WE DID THIS THE FUEL PUMP MODULE DRAINED IT AGAIN AND IT CONTINUES TO STALL EVERY 5 MIN, AT A POINT IT WILL NOT EVEN START. THIS HAS BEEN SINCE AUGUST AND VW HAS TOLD US THEY STILL DO NOT HAVE A REPAIR AND NOT ETA (LADY SAID IT COULD BE MONTHS TO YEARS!)