The contact owns a 2000 Volkswagen Passat. While driving 60 mph the vehicle hesitated and there was a loss of power. He noticed smoke coming from the hood. Approximately five minutes later he noticed fire in the engine compartment. The dealer has not been inspected the vehicle to determine the cause of the fire. There is a defect investigation open for the ignition switch (NHTSA action # PE07024). The fire destroyed the vehicle. There is a police report available. The failure and current mileages were 80,000.

- Carmel, NY, USA

I've had my 2000 Passat now for 3 years, my husband and myself see to it that our cars have annual tune-ups and regular oil changes. For the past month the ABS and brake light has been flashing non-stop. During my most recent tune up, I was informed that the catalytic converters have to be replaced. My mechanic was convinced that a recall had to be in place because he was seeing this problem occurring frequently. I called the VW dealership where I purchased the vehicle and was informed that $100 was needed to even look at the car. All of this has me furious. A recall is needed--right a way!!!!!

- Ferguson, MO, USA

9/2003: Headlights aimed incorrectly; road wasn't illuminated. Within 2 wks, 1 of the bulbs burned out. Within a week of the 1st, the 2nd bulb burned out. Cost to have headlights repositioned & bulbs replaced: $267. 9/2003: Rear tail light out. Cost to have bulb replaced by mechanic: $32.50. 11/2003: Both rear windows off track. Cost to tear doors apart & fix: $159.75. 12/2003: Electrical problems with front power windows. Never know if window will go up or down. 2004: Had car in for (at least) 3 different dashboard warning codes. One had something to do with fuel, or the fuel tank or something. After some trial and error on my mechanic's part, discovered that unscrewing and tightly rescrewing gas cap fixed the problem. Cost to diagnose and "fix": $165. Had (at least) two other warning codes in 2004 that required me to take the car in. 6/24/2005: Had been hearing crunching sound from front right portion of car that was particularly apparent when hitting a pothole, a dip in the road or attempting a tight 360 turn. Mechanic (specializing in european cars) identified a bad control arm. Cost of repair & alignment: $713.70. Cost of rental car: $100.88. Total: $814.58. Note: The left side has been making the same sound since 12/2005. Have not yet repaired it. 10/24/05: Car started going dead intermittently. The car had less than 60000 miles on it. Replaced battery for $106.50. 1/2006: Temp gauge maxed out, coolant boiled over, smoke & steam issued from hood in less than 8 minutes at idle. Cooled car for 2L hours, replaced coolant and drove to mechanic, who replaced thermostat, water pump & timing belt. Cost: $725. 2/2006: Brakes are spongy and provide no resistance until nearing the floor. Mechanic says rotors and brake pads are fine. 6/2006: Transmission gets stuck in 1st gear. Must stop the car, turn it off and then restart. This is an electrical problem and is governed by the computer. Cost to fix: Unknown. 6/2006: Front window now off track. Have not yet fixed it.

- Bountiful, UT, USA

For no apparent reason the car caught fire on the right (passenger) side of the engine compartment. The garage where the car is serviced investigated and said that they cannot seem to find a cause other than it may have been electrical. The car is a complete loss.

- Reisterstown, MD, USA

Nar 1/15/2003. The instrument cluster failed at a low mileage. The first sign of a problem was the air bag light which had come on and did so sporadically. The problem progressed to the tachometer and speedometer which began moving erratically, to the point the vehicle began stall. The instrument cluster failed again and the mechanic thought the problem was with the ignition. The problem continued and after performing a diagnostic there was a reading that there was a problem with the starter. As of now the problem has not been resolved.

- Cambria, CA, USA

2000 VW Passat- when you try to lock the drivers side door it will not lock with the door control unless you open all the doors and then push the lock button. This does not concern me as much as when you push the unlock button and open the drivers door and close it beind you. The door will lock you in and the panic alarm starts going off. If you only have one key it will lock you or your children in the car and will set the panic alarm off.

- Englewood, CO, USA

My husband and I purchased a 2000 Passat with 927 miles on the odometer on July 21, 2000 (ancira, san antonio, tx). Three visits to the dealer three for a fluid leak (3/29/01, 2/13/02, 1/17/03). Each time, we were told that nothing was wrong. Four months ago- "emission control, " "check engine" light came on. Also the following quit working: Power mirrors, the travel computer, temperature sensor was erratic, fuel door quit and the fuel mileage gauge malfunctioned. Most recently, the car started running rough and a clear, viscous fluid appeared on my garage floor. The car has 25,000 miles. We change the oil regularly. It had a 15,000-mile check-up. We took the car to a reputable mechanic (mander automotive in helotes, Texas). The owner of mander (bob mander) was very concerned that this car had so many electrical and computer problems. Ancira informed (mander) that the car's warranty had expired by 900 miles (24,990) that visit (11/6/03). Computer scan and analysis showed several codes related to misfires and running lean. Also: Transaxle seal leak and battery failed the load test-would not hold acharge. Mander fixed: Seal leak, replaced the battery, changed the oil, replaced the actuator (fuel door), repaired vacuum leaks, reset the T.E.H. computer and corrected the faulty wiring to the mirrors. We spent $649. 24 hours later-"check engine" light re-appeared. The car began to vibrate hard. We took the car back to Mr. Mander (11/14/03). He found a defective oxygen sensor and problem with the coolant sensor- both replaced. That time we spent $358. My husband and I have an established relationship with mander automotive and trust their work and analysis. The "check engine" light and "emissions control" light is back on. The car is running hard, again. I have contacted VW (reference #30522917) and my husband was advised to take the car to a different dealer here in san antonio (rod East).

- San Antonio, TX, USA

Fire: 2000 VW Passat gl - sedan/V6. Spontaneously combusted. Car had not been driven for 3 hours. Fire started in engine compartment on right side and destroyed major components. Fire was not discovered until fuel line breached at which time fire consumed vehicle. Subsequent investigation by insurance company indicated failure of an electrical component, however exact cause remains undetermined.

- Mountain View , CA, USA

This is regarding a 2000 volkwagen Passat. I have read that there is an "action plan" by Volkswagen for 2001 and newer Passats for coil wires. I feel that Volkswagen should include the 2000 as well. Although my car is not included I have already had two coil failures. Unlike cars which are covered by the recall I have to get them replaced as they fail. I believe VW is just trying to save money by not including the 2000 cars.

- Wadsworth , OH, USA

Only the drivers door and trunk lid have a dash light and chime indicator to let the consumer know that these doors are open, on one occasion the consumer was driving with three small children when he noticed that the interior light was on, only then did the driver realized that a rear door was ajar, the consumer feels this is a safety hazard. Nlm

- Denver, CO, USA