2009 Volkswagen Passat

MY STEERING WILL LOCK UP AND FAIL, BUT THEN AFTER I RESTART THE CAR A COUPLE TIMES IT WORKS AGAIN. THEN IT FAILS WITHOUT WARNING. I GET THE AUDITORY ALERT AS WELL AS A SOLID RED STEERING WHEEL ON THE DASH. THERE IS A RECALL ON 130 OF THIS EXACT CAR, BUT WHEN I DO A VIN SEARCH IT IS NOT INCLUDED. THE CURRENT RECALL NUMBER IS 08V577000, AND I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING MY VIN INCLUDED SINCE ITS THE SAME FAILURE. IT HAS ALREADY BEEN TO THE SHOP 3 TIMES TO BE CORRECTED, BUT ONLY IN THE STEERING WHEEL, NOT IN THE STEERING BOX AS INDICATED ON THE RECALL. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IT WHEN IT FAILED, BUT WAS IN HER PATIENTS NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN IT LOST POWER STEERING (LIKELY WITHIN THE 5 MPH SPEED FOR IT TO FAIL).

WHEN PARKED OR WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKS UP CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE THE ABILITY TO STEER OR WILL AUTOMATICALLY SHUT THE CAR OFF WHILE IN TRAFFIC!! THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ON LINE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE AND VOLKSWAGEN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS FAULTY PART WHICH NOT ONLY ENDANGERS THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS BUT EVERYONE OUT ON THE ROAD IN THE CAR'S PATH. I HAVE UPLOADED THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE.

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).

SINCE I BOUGHT MY CAR WITH 75000 MI ON IT 3 YEARS AGO, WHEN I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND START IT THE CAR SHUTS DOWN AND TELLS ME STEERING CONTROL LOCK MALFUNCTION. SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME TO CHANGE THE BATTERY, I DID SO AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. IT IS DUE TO A FAULTY IMMOBILIZER KEY. SOMETIMES THE CAR WON'T EVEN START, AND SOMETIMES IT DIRECTS ME TO TAKE IT TO THE WORKSHOP. I HAVE SPOKEN TO VOLKSWAGEN A NUMBER OF TIMES ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BECAUSE IT WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2008 MODEL OF MY CAR, BUT THEY INSIST THAT 2009 DIDN'T HAVE THE PROBLEM. I KNOW FROM SPEAKING WITH OTHERS THAT HAVE THE SAME YEAR MAKE AND MODEL THAT I AM NOT EXPERIENCING AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. JUST AS A NUMBER OF OTHER PROBLEMS VW NEEDS TO OWN UP TO IT'S MISTAKES AND OFFER A RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. EVEN IF IT IS CHANGING THE IGNITION SYSTEM TO A REGULAR TURN STYLE KEY.

THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK WAS DEFECTIVE ON MY 2009 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 35000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHILE I WAS TRYING TO TAKE THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE GARAGE. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK ALSO CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. IN ADDITION, IT COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHAKE WHILE IT IS BEING DRIVEN. VOLKSWAGEN USA ADMITTED THAT THIS PART IS AN ISSUE. THEY ISSUED SEVERAL TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ABOUT THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN LOCK. SEVERAL OTHER MAKES AND MODELS OF VOLKSWAGENS WERE RECALLED AS A RESULT OF THIS ISSUE. I AM SEEKING JUDGEMENT FROM VOLKSWAGEN IN THE AMOUNT OF $588.91, WHICH IS THE COST OF REPAIR. VOLKSWAGEN REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE CAR ONLY HAD A 3 YR WARRANTY. I WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER VOLKSWAGEN EVER. THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH THE CONSUMER. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED BY A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER ON 12/28/2018.

MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 35000 MILES. THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN LOCK IS DEFECTIVE HAS BEEN APPEARING ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL. THIS DEFECTIVE PART WILL NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO START AT TIME. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT IT COULD CAUSE THE CAR TO STALL WHILE IT IS BEING DRIVEN. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET REVEALED THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF THE CAR. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH IS NOT CAUSED BY NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. VOLKSWAGEN REFUSES TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT NO CHARGE FOR A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE. I WANT VOLKSWAGEN HELD RESPONSIBLE. IF THE VEHICLE STALLS WHILE IN MOTION, I WILL FILE A LAWSUIT. I WANT TO GIVE YOUR COMPANY THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESOLVE IT FIRST.

I AM WRITING TO YOUR ORGANIZATION BECAUSE OF THE INJUSTICE I EXPERIENCED WITH A RECALL AT VOLKSWAGEN. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO I HAD SOME ISSUES WITH MY PASSAT AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. DEALERS DOING WHAT DEALER'S GAUGED ME FOR WHATEVER THEY COULD. THIS YEAR, HOWEVER, VOLKSWAGEN CAME OUT WITH RECALL FOR THE PART WHICH I REPLACED TWO YEARS AGO. THEY PAID ME PARTIALLY FOR MY OUR OF POCKET EXPENSES BUT MY ARGUMENT TO THEM WAS THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AT THE DEALER TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IF NOT FOR THE RECALL. I INITIALLY REQUESTED THAT THEY REFUND FULL LABOR AND ONE OF THE PARTS. BUT COME TO THINK OF IT BOTH PARTS ARE RELATED TO THE FUEL SYSTEM AND NOW I WOULD LIKE A COMPLETE REFUND.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT NOTICED A STRONG FUEL ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND A FUEL LEAK UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER (SOUTHERN VOLKSWAGEN GREENBRIER, 1248 S MILITARY HWY, CHESAPEAKE, VA 23320, (757) 424-4689) INDICATED THAT THEY PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V509000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) WHEN THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,272.