2009 Volkswagen Passat

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I WANTED TO FOLLOW-UP AND DISCUSS A RECENT INCIDENT. ON APRIL 19TH 2019 OUR 2009 VW PASSAT WAS IN OUR GARAGE AS THIS IS THE USUAL LOCATION WE PARK OUR CARS. ON THE 18TH WE COMPLETED YARD WORK AND NOTHING OUT OF THE NORM WAS NOTED AS WE COMPLETED THE YARD WORK AT AROUND 8PM AND NOTHING WAS NOTED TO BE ABNORMAL. AROUND 4 AM ON THE 19TH MY SPOUSE AND I WERE AWOKEN TO A LOUD POP SOUND. THIS SOUND WAS UNUSUAL TO US. SHORTLY AFTER THE POP SOUND THERE PANIC ALARM COULD BE HEARD THAT WANED OUT IN ABOUT 30 SECONDS. MY HUSBAND WENT TO THE GARAGE AND WAS MET WITH BLACK AND PRESSURE LIKE FORCE AGAINST THE GARAGE DOOR. WE IMMEDIATELY EVACUATED THE HOME AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. AT THE TIME WERE NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THE SMOKE BUT ONCE THE FIRE FIGHTERS ARRIVED WERE TOLD THE VW PASSAT WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE MARSHALL REPORTED TO US THAT IT WAS POSSIBLY ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. I WANTED TO TOUCH BASED WITH VW PERTAINING THIS MATTER IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE OTHERS LIVES. OUR GARAGE HAS BEEN DAMAGED AS WELL AS THE VW ATLAS WAS DAMAGE FROM THE FIRE. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN FAR WORSE. MY VW PASSAT HAD WAS DRIVEN THE DAY OF THE 18TH WITH NO CONCERNS. I AM CONCERNED THAT ANOTHER PERSON COULD BE GRAVELY HARMED IF THIS ISSUE IS NOT ADDRESSED. I AM A VW CUSTOMER THAT ENJOYS THE OVERALL PRODUCT AND WISH EXCELLENCE AND QUALITY FOR THE PRODUCT. IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT ME FOR FURTHER INQUIRY PLEASE CALL (XXXXXX) PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

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.

TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED YET; HOWEVER, WHEN THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF, SOMETHING KEEPS SPINNING. ERIE IT OCCURS SPORADICALLY. RIGHT NOW THE CAR IS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND HAS BEEN THERE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REPAIRING THE MAIN ENGINE SEAL LEAK. TO DO THIS, THEY HAVE TO REMOVE THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS THE SECOND ENGINE FOR THIS CAR IN APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS. THEY FIRST ENGINE WENT OUT AT 52000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THE WARRANTY COMPANY PICKED A USED ENGINE TO REPLACE IT. THE ENGINE HAD ABOUT 56000 MILES ON IT. I FILED A COMPLAINT ON ALL OF THIS IN NHTSA WEBSITE DURING THE TIME THIS WAS GOING ON. I ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT WITH CONSUMER AFFAIRS--TO NO AVAIL.

TAKATA RECALL NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 17V509 SUMMARY ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THERE COULD BE AN INTERRUPTION IN ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE FUEL PUMP RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY, RESULTING IN A DRAINED BATTERY AND/OR A NO START CONDITION, OR CAUSE A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH CAUSING INJURY AND/OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. RECALL STATUS RECALL INCOMPLETE. REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE REMEDY REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE AND RELOCATE IT WITHIN THE VEHICLE. SAFETY RISK DESCRPITION A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH CAUSING INJURY AND/OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER 20AE

ON 1 SEPTEMBER 2017, I PARKED MY VW IN MY GARAGE. THERE WERE NO ENGINE LIGHTS ON OR ANYTHING, BUT THE CAR HAD BEEN MAKING A LOUD FAN LIKE NOISE AFTER I REMOVED THE KEY FOB FROM THE IGNITION. ITS BEEN DOING THAT SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I DIDN'T START THE CAR BACK UP UNTIL 5 SEPTEMBER 2017 AFTER RETURNING FROM A WEEKEND WITH FAMILY. WHEN I STARTED MY VW UP I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOW ILLUMINATED. I WAITED ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE I TOOK ANY ACTION HOPING THAT THE LIGHT WOULD JUST GO AWAY ON ITS OWN, BUT IT DIDN'T. ON 12 SEPTEMBER I TOOK THE CAR TO THE NEAREST AUTOZONE AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THEIR FREE ENGINE LIGHT DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. THE ERROR CODES READ "P0171 SYSTEM TOO LEAN (BANK 1)" AND "P12A2 FUEL RAIL PRESSURE SENSOR INAPPROPRIATELY HIGH." AT THE TOP OF THE PAPER IT STATED THAT THE MOST LIKELY SOLUTION FOR THESE ERROR CODES WAS TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP. ONCE I RETURNED HOME I CALLED THE LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A RECALL OUT FOR MY MODEL VEHICLE, BUT THERE IS NO FIX AT THE MOMENT. I THEN WENT ONLINE TO SEE FOR MYSELF, THE MANUFACTURER RECALL NUMBER IS: 20AE AND THE NHTSA MANUFACTURER NUMBER IS: 17V509. I AM NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO RANDOMLY START HAVING THESE ISSUES. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR OUT OF TOWN ANYMORE, I ONLY DRIVE IT TO AND FROM WORK.

FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS, I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH MAJOR MECHANICAL AND NON-MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH MY VOLKSWAGEN (VW) PASSAT 2009, WHICH I BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN 2008. VW'S MECHANICS FOUND THAT MY CAR HAD DEFECTIVE PARTS IN IT, WHICH WERE THERE FROM THE TIME I BOUGHT IT. I HAVE HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR THAT I DON'T TRUST IT, EVEN THOUGH VW'S MECHANICS SAID THEY'VE EITHER FIXED OR REPLACED THE BAD PARTS, BUT EACH TIME I'VE TAKEN IT IN FOR REPAIRS IN THE PAST, I'VE HAD THE SAME PARTS REPAIRED OR REPLACED OVER AND OVER. A SUMMARY OF THESE ISSUES: - REAR SIDE WINDOW SUNSCREEN HOOK - REPLACED DUE TO FALLING OUT ? YEAR 2009 - REAR WINDSHIELD SUNSCREEN - REPLACED BECAUSE IT HAD BROKEN ? YEAR 2011 - ENGINE FAULT - CAR DIED AND RUNNING ROUGHLY EVER SINCE ? YEAR 2011 - ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON 4 TIMES ? YEARS 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014 - DRIVER?S DOOR LOCK - HAD STOPPED LOCKING ? YEAR 2012 - ENGINE COVER - SCREWS FELL OUT OF THE REAR OF ENGINE COVER ? YEAR 2012 - 2 WATER PUMPS - REPLACED DUE TO COOLANT DRAINING COMPLETELY OUT OF THE RESERVOIR ? YEARS 2012 & 2013 - KNOB TO ADJUST SIDE MIRRORS CAME OFF AND NOW UNABLE TO ADJUST SIDE MIRRORS ? YEAR 2013 I HAVE PAID NEARLY $40,000 TO DATE ON THIS DEFECTIVE VEHICLE AND VW DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE HOW MANY TIMES I'VE BEEN PUT IN HARMS WAY AND INCONVENIENCED. I ALSO HAVE RELATIVES AND ASSOCIATES WHO'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR SIMILAR MODEL VWS TOO, SO I KNOW I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS HAD THESE MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH A VW IN THE US. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE AN INVESTIGATION INTO VW CORP. OF SOME SORT BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO UNCOVER THE DEFECTIVE CONSTRUCTION OF MY CAR AND OTHERS, SO ALL OF US WHO'VE SUFFERED THROUGH THIS WILL BE REDEEMED IN SOME WAY AND FUTURE CONSUMERS WILL BE SAFER BY VW IMPROVING THEIR VEHICLES' CONSTRUCTION. *TR