This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Ignition coils. The ignition coils on my 2002 Passat wagon 1.8T have failed 3 times in the last month. They have failed twice in the past week. Thus, while driving to work today, after having two of the coils replaced yesterday, another coil failed. Now I have 3 of the 4 coils which are allegedly non-defective. I asked the dealer to replace the 4th coil and he refused. I called VW of America and they said that they will not authorize the repair of the 4th coil. I informed them of the danger posed by this condition, namely the car losing power on the highway and/or stranding people in bad situations. He stated that they were aware of the problem and the dangers posed, but would not replace any part that had not failed.
The ignition coil failed without warning, suddenly lost acceleration, and began to shake violently. VW wanted each coil to malfunction before they were replaced. Ts scc
Ignition coil failed causing car to mis-fire, lose power, and become shaky until the coil is replaced. There is a known defect with the ignition coils in 2001 and 2002 Audi's and VW with a 1.8 liter turbo engine. VW replaced the one failing coil but refuses to replace, under warranty, the remain 3 coils that could fail at any moment. My car has been serviced in the past for sporadic mis-fires which maybe due to the remaining defective coils. With half a million vehicles on the road this is an accident waiting to happen. The sudden loss of power can be extremely dangerous while driving (ie. When making a left turn). VW refuses to commit to replace the defective coils until they fail. Please investigate and have VW perform a recall before someone is seriously injured.
The coilpack on my 2002 VW Passat gls 1.8T failed. It basically snapped into 2 pieces. This is a concern since I have heard of hundreds of cases of this happening in VW's, and VW will only replace the failed coilpack, not the other 3. in my opinion there should be a recall on this part, VW and it's dealors know that the likelihood of more failures in the same car a very high.
- Thornton, CO, USA
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An ignition coil failed, disabling the vehicle and potentially damaging the catalytic converter (according to the manual's description of the warning light that was activated.) these failures appear to be widespread due to defective parts. The failed coil was replaced under warranty, but the dealer indicated the manufacturer would not authorize replacement of the other coils. I await further failure and fear that it will happen at an unsafe or inconvenient time.
Failure of 2 ignition coils. Original coils all faulty, but VW won't replace coils until they fail, which they will do. This problem widely known by now, but VW has not communicated with owners in any way, and will wait for failure before fixing, leaving owners with crippled or inoperable cars in possibly adverse driving conditions.
Two ignition coils on VW 2002 Passat failed in as many weeks. On both occassions I am told by VW representatives that the coils are defective, but that the company has ordered they be replaced case by case. First incident 1/14/03, second incident 1/25/03.
While traveling, the vehicle began to ride rough. The engine indication light started to flash. The vehicle did not travel over 5 mph. The vehicle was serviced, and the technician noticed that the ignition coil pack(s) needed to be replaced. Four ignition coils were found faulty.
Consumer's has become aware of defect with vehicle's ignition coils. Contacted manufacturer who advised will only replace specific coils when they fail. Consumer is very concerned about safety while driving vehicle should coil fail and stall. Very upset that the Volkswagen is not taking a "preemptive" stance with defect.
Consumer complained about having problems with the coil packs. Also stated that she was told that even the parts that have been replaced can still be defective.
Engine light blinking accompanied by odor in vehicle and minor shaking of vehicle; owner's manual instructed not to drive vehicle due to potential problem with catalytic converter; had to be towed to dealership; told that VW was having a widespread problem with bad ignition/engine coils in all VW models 2001-2002; coils going bad one at a time and VW has refused to replace all at once despite safety issues related to breakdown (potentially on highway, in frigid temperatures, etc.) and fact that some owners have had problem 3-4 times within several months; backorder on parts resulting in up to 4 week delays in repairs/without vehicle
For the second time in three weeks my 2002 VW Passat wagon is at the dealer for an ignition coil failure. Luckily both failures occured in town at low velocity as the car slows rapidly and is undrivable after the failure. Had the failures occured in high speed highway trafic or in a remote area in cold weather the results could have been desasterous. VW refuses to replace the remaining coils unless they fail, and they readily admit that there is a good chance that they will fail. VW should be required to immediately recall and replace te defective coils as this is a serious safety problem it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured.
Ignition coil failed on a freezing cold night. The card started, but shook and was unable to drive. Had to wait 2 hours for a tow truck in single digit temps. My dealer was very good about it and replaced bad coil and other 3 as preventive measure. However, I understand that there have been many other 2002 Passat's with multiple ignition coil failures-on different occasions, resulting in several trips to the dealer. This ignition coil failure can be very hazardous, especially during highway driving. All car owners should be informed about this problem, and have the opportunity to fix this before being injured or stranded. There should be a recall on these ignition coils.
I purchased my 2002 Passat 1.8T in mid-may, 2002. Since then 3 ignition coils have failed causing my car to suddenly decelerate and near "dying". my car been in the shop for close to a month because the parts are not available. I have found out that VW has been lying to customers (including me) when blaming the failures on defective coils manufacutred by a 3rd party. However, I have learned that it is a design defect in the new 2002 1.8T model that causes a moisture build up that the coils cannot withstand. VW asked the 3rd party manufacture a new coil that can withstand the moisture, which has been done. The shortage has been caused by the fact that the new coils need to go into the new 2003 models first, leaving those of us with cars that don't run to wait. VW is still refusing to replace any coil until it fails. So much for a reliable new car.
This is the second time in two months my 2002 VW Passat 1.8T has had ignition coil failures. The first occured Nov. 11, 7875 miles. The second, Jan 6, 9200 miles. The second time, two of the four ingition coils failed and waited 15 days for replacements. The dealer said the old coils in the car have a 90% failure rate, while the new coils they are replacing them with have a 20% expected failure rate. I do not feel safe driving a car that has those probabilities of failure. Myself and other Passat owners deman Volkswagen find a solution for these cost-cutting related malfunctions that compromise the safety of our vehicles.
I have had two ignition coils in my 2002 Volkswagen Passat fail, causing the car to shake violently and loose all power. My engine failure light went on again yesterday, but my dealership refuses to accept the car for service until it actually breaks down. I Transport three school-age children in this car and often must be on the interstate. I feel I will be unable to control the car if the failure happens at high speed on the interstate or in heavy traffic. It seems inevitable that someone somewhere is going to be killed or injured because of this. So I wanted to bring it to your attention.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Marblehead, MA, USA