2009 Volkswagen Passat

THIS VEHICLE HAD CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A FAULTY CAM CHAIN TENSIONER. THIS IS BEEN KNOWN BY VOLKSWAGEN AS A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED IN 2011. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY ST. AND HAD TO PUSH THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE. THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNITS HAVE ALSO FAILED IN THIS VEHICLE ALONG WITH THE TURBOCHARGER DIVERTER VALVE WHICH WAS A DEFECTIVE ITEM. ALL THESE ITEMS HAVE BEEN KNOWN BY VOLKSWAGEN FOR SOME TIME. THE COST OF REPAIR ON THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN OVER $5,000. I BELIEVE ALL THESE ISSUES SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ITEM. FAILURES ON SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN HAPPENING AT 20,000 MILES. THEY COULD POSE A SAFETY HAZARD DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU WERE DRIVING. VOLKSWAGEN HAS DENIED ANY REIMBURSEMENT ON MOST OF THESE ITEMS. HAD CONSUMERS KNOWN OF THESE ISSUES THE COST WOULD HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IF THE DEFECTIVE PARTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. I AM CURRENTLY JOINING AN ACTIVE CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST VOLKSWAGEN FOR THE TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER.

MY 2009 VOLKSWAGEN STOPED STARTING, SO I HAD IT TOWED INTO A DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY RAN A FEW TESTS AND DETERMINED THAT MY TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER FAILED WHICH RESULTED IN THE FAILURE OF MY ENGINE. AS A RESULT, I NEEDED TO PAY AROUND $7000-$8000 IN ORDER TO REPLACE. GIVEN I COULD NOT AFFORD, IVE BEEN MAKING MY MONTHLY PAYMENT AS I AM FINANCIALLY OBLIGATED TO DO SO. THE CAR ONLY HAD 70,000 MILES, THEREFORE I AM SURPRISED THAT THE ENGINE ALREADY WENT AND FEEL THIS IS SOMETHING VW SHOULD REPLACE.

MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET AND SUDDENLY IT STARTED SHAKING WHILE DRIVING AND WHEN I BRAKED, IT SHAKED EVEN MORE VIGOROUSLY. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO SAID THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE AND THE DEALERSHIP WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT IT. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I TOW THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ADVISED AGAINST DRIVING IT. I TOWED THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER TWO DAYS THE DEALERSHIP CALLS ME STATING THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAS JUMPED AND THERE IS NO COMPRESSION. THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE DEARLSHIP TECHNICIAN SAID THAT THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL VW VEHICLES BROUGHT IN WITH SIMILAR ISSUES BUT VW HAS REFUSED TO ISSUE A RECALL OR TAKE ANY ACTION TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SAFETLY HAZARD. IF I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND THIS HAPPENED, I COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A BIG ACCIDENT BECAUSE I LITERALLY HAD VERY LITTLE CONTROL OVER THE CAR AND WHAT IT WAS DOING. THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE CAR'S MANUFACTURING AND VW NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING URGENTLY TO FIX THE ISSUE. THERE ARE OTHER CARS AND OWNERS OUT THERE UNAWARE OF THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ISSUE AND NHTSA NEEDS TO BRING THIS TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION. THANK YOU.

FOUND OUT THERE WAS A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE WHERE IT JUMPED 22 DEGREES. AFTER RESEARCH HAVE FOUND ON A NUMBER OF FORUMS THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH THIS ENGINE IN BOTH VW AND AUDI VEHICLES. VW WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL, THE CLAIM IS, DUE TO IT BEING TOO WIDESPREAD AND EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. UNDER MOST CIRCUMSTANCES FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, IT CAUSES CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. LUCKILY, MINE DID NOT JUMP THAT FAR, BUT IT STILL WAS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO HAPPEN. WELL NOW I HAVE HAD $4200 IN REPAIRS MADE TO MY ENGINE DUE TO THIS ISSUE AND I THINK VW SHOULD HAVE PAID FOR IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL. MOMENTS LATER, THE VEHICLE COULD BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (SUNTRUP VOLKSWAGEN IN ST. LOUIS, MO), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

CAR WAS PARKED AND WOULD NOT START. HAD TOWED TO MECHANIC--CASTASTROPIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO BROKEN TIMING BELT TENSIONER. 105K MILES--MAINTENANCE UPKEPT. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A LATENT DEFECT IN THE TENSIONER SYSTEM OF THE TIMING CHAIN THAT CAN CAUSE THE CHAIN TO “JUMP A TOOTH” IN THE VEHICLE’S CAMSHAFT, WHICH CAUSES SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. UNFORTUNATELY THE DEFECT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR CAR OWNERS TO DISCOVER, BUT AUDI AND VOLKSWAGEN KNEW OF THE TENSIONER SYSTEM PROBLEM SINCE AT LEAST JUNE 2010. NORMALLY, THE TIMING CHAIN IS MEANT TO FUNCTION PERFECTLY FOR AT LEAST 120,000 MILES. BECAUSE THE SYSTEM IS NOT ON THE SCHEDULE FOR RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE FROM THE MANUFACTURERS. HOWEVER, WITH THE DEFECTIVE TENSIONER, THE TIMING CHAIN FREQUENTLY FAILS WELL BEFORE THAT MARK, BUT OFTEN AFTER THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THIS ISSUE CAUSED MY ENGINE TO HAVE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. WHY HAS THE VW OWNERS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AND WHY HASN'T THE NTSB DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. 7K+ TO GET A NEW ENGINE. THIS IS AN INTERNAL PART AND NOT A SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ISSUE.VW SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. PEOPLE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO PURCHASE A CAR AND HAVE THE ENGINE FAIL BEFORE CAR IS PAID FOR.

CAM CHAIN TENSIONER FAILURE. DRIVING DOWN ROAD ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH THEN STOPPED GOT CAR BACK TO HOUSE (75 YARDS) HAD CAR TOWED TO VW DEALER PAID $140.00 FOR DIAG.L MAJOR ENGINE DAMAGE FROM CAM CHAIN TENSIONER FAILURE VALVES AND PISTON DAMAGED COULD HAVE BEEN MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM IF ON MAJOR ROAD ( DANGEROUS UNSAFE )