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.
Driving 65 on the freeway in heavy rain, car made horrible sound and lost acceleration power. Almost involved in accident, however managed to pull to shoulder when the car then filled with a gas smell. Called for assistance and was towed 100 miles back to my mechanic. Upon inspection, mechanic discovered that the catalytic converter disconnected at the turbo flange. He also stated that he had fixed the exact same problem in my exact vehicle make/model the week prior. Contacted VW to see if this was covered under the 80K miles emissions warranty, only to discover that in California the warranty only goes to 70K miles. The entire catalytic converter was replaced to the tune of $1,150. The mechanic stated that the replacement catalytic converter from VW was much more sturdy than the original installed, indicating that VW is aware of the issue. Additionally, he stated it was odd that a car dealership stocks that part as it is not too common to replace the catalytic converter under 100K miles.
The catalytic converter separated from the flange connecting it to the turbocharger. Seems common from what is see on the internet, but no recall has been done.
Oil pump bolt backed out/broke causing engine damage. Car loss oil pressure fortunately was near an exit to avoid the engine completely stopping in the middle of the highway getting involved in a potential dangerous wreck. Dealer says it will cost $11,000 to replace engine. VW knows this is an issue but will not take any responsibility. They would not do anything seeing I am outside the warranty and stated would not do a thing because I am the second owner. Only had this car for two years and bought it as a pre-certified owned used vehicle from the VW dealership. I have searched on line and many other owners have had this issue. Link to view numerous issue forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4321376-**official-24V-3.6L-engine-(oil-pump-bolt)-failure-thread**. also another link: www.passatworld.com/forums/74-Volkswagen-Passat-B6-discussion/331097-oil-pump-bolt-failure-74K-miles.html this is a serious issue and we the consumers a re paying for it.
I began to have problems with the engine light. Every time I had it checked, it coded something different (PO455, PO171, PO441) with these results: Fuel cap light came on, high pressure fuel pump, evaporative emission control system, and lean bank 02 censor before the catalytic converter. It became hard to crank, and once shook when it did crank. The steering wheel module and comfort control module were replaced in 2008 under warranty after I took Volkswagen to small claims court. I took the car to a dealership in atlanta (there isn't one close to where I live) and they completed the following repairs: Code PO444, the evaporative emission system purge control valve circuit; code PO193, fuel measuring system 2 abnk 1; and P2187 system too lean at idle. Total= $884.84 ($619.95 labor; $204.31 parts; $43.25 waste disposal charge; and $17.33 tax). At no charge, they checked the passenger headlight which I had to replace @ twice a year and inspected high pressure pump, gff guided functions and a courtesy visual service inspection.
The oil pump broke and destroyed the motor. I had to be towed to the dealership; they took a month to replace parts and repair the motor. There have been a significant number of such incidents; this has been admitted by VW to be a manufacturer part fault, but they fail to recall '06-'07 Passats and cover the costs. I just saw this site or I would have reported it sooner. I did not otherwise find any other support.
- Penn Valley, CA, USA
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Driving in the S city 45 miles/P/H giving a way to ambulance I accelerate the car pulling right lane, car fell on his face no power ambulance almost was going to hit me same time epc light came on. Volkswagen of America should be responsible for this kind life threatening situation.
Bolt failure in cam system, commonly known as the "oil pump bolt failure". the "check engine" & "epc" lights came on. The engine went into it's "safe" mode, limiting acceleration and power. The vehicle was under warranty & taken to the dealer. The dealer confirmed the bolt failure and repairs were made and covered by warranty. The repairs took approximately 1 month to make. Major components replaced were as follows: 2 - timing chains oil pump gears oil pump bolt timing chain cover tensioners software update the repairs required the removal of some major components, including the intake manifold, valve cover, transmission and side covers. In my case, the timing chain cover prevented the timing chain system from completely falling apart. If this had happened, it would have been complete destruction of the internal components of the engine requiring complete replacement of the engine. My vehicle was approximately 3 weeks and 2000 miles inside the warranty period. In fact, my warranty ran out while the vehicle was at the dealer for the repairs.
I noticed that I was receiving notifications to change the oil more often prior to 3000 miles. When I went to dealership to determine why I was told that the car should not require an oil change usually until 6000 miles. I was totally baffled because I am barely making the 3K mark. So, after another oil change shortly 3000 miles...I got the notification to shut off engine, oil level too low. I panicked and had the car towed to the dealership. They said it was alright and some car asorb more than others. A few weeks later, I received notification of a check engine light. This was supposedly the cam shaft. This was replaced in Feb 2011. Continously I experienced the low oil level and have had it monitored. The check engine light came on the next day after it was monitored. The dealership is unable to determine why I am experiencing this issue. I went to a local auto store who stated it was the cam shaft. At halls volkwagen, a volskwagen specialist was there at the time and suggested that they clean my engine completely. This was one week ago and guess what, the check engine light is back. I went back to another auto store who confirmed again it was the cam shaft. Yes, there is an extended warranty on the cam shaft. This is twice in a year it will require replacing? my warranty is about to end. Im not coming out of pocket to get a cam shaft every year. Something else has to be wrong. Also, I would like it noted that I purchased this car at car max. The car fax stated that the car was not in any accidents. The driver side door has been replaced and has the sticker information from when it was replaced. I think that I was mislead about the state of this vehicle. Total check engine lights since purchase - 9 total notifications to shut off engine due to low oil level 9.
In August, my check engine light had been coming on and off for about two weeks. I made an appointment at the dealership. They found several faults and recalls (my car only had 39,000 miles) and told me that the repairs would be around $800. I paid this amount only for the light to come on about a week later. I called the dealership to make another appointment but the light went off and stayed off about a month and was told to try changing or tightening the gas cap. I did both, however, the problem persisted. The light came on again and stayed on and in November, I brought the car back. I was told there was a problem with the cam shaft and that the car was no longer safe to drive because the cam shaft attached to the high performance fuel shaft was completely worn through. Additionally, the part is on back order for a few weeks!!! obviously VW is aware of this issue and has done nothing to notify owners. I have been to the same dealer three times and was only told recently after complaining about several strange noises and engine light issues. 1) how did you not see this before? 2) if this was covered by the warranty, then why didn't it get fixed the first time? I believe that the original problem was caused by this "camshaft" issue and I was ripped off.
I've encountered lots of issues with my vehicle and am very tired of taking it to the shop like it is an old piece of junk. This time I have a noise which is coming from the underhood. It's a clicking noise that is very unusual. I took it to the shop but they weren't able to identify the problem. And I also found that I am not the only one having that noise, there are tons of people with the same exact problem that posted their same problem online. There should be a recall on this.
Lost most of power while driving on highway. Drove vehicle (2006 Passat 3.6L) to VW dealer where they diagnosed a "timing chain issue". VW dealer claimed they would fix engine for $5000, used replacement for $8000, or new engine for $10,500... after hearing that good news, towed vehicle to local VW pro who also diagnosed "timing chain issue", and was given the go-ahead to fix. Problem isolated to intermediate shaft bolt, which had backed out, allowing timing sprockets to wander. Bolt itself is nearly sheared in half - good thing we stopped when we did. Bolt was also rubbing on timing chain cover, and would have likely broke or ground thru timing chain cover. This problem was corrected by my local VW guy for $3300, which included all oem parts, new water pump, plus plugs. Imho, this is a serious safety issue for owners which may experience this problem. Minimal research on the web indicates I'm not the only one with this issue. The loss of power at highway speeds was alarming enough without thinking of what may have happened had the bolt broke, or worn thru the timing cover. From a mechanical perspective, I'm extremely dismayed at how this could happen in the first place. I have about 30 years of mechanical experience with car engines - mostly with 60's and 70's era vehicles. My experience would hold suspicion that a bolt backing out of the timing sprocket would be the fault of the mechanic who installed it, either by applying the incorrect torque, oil under the bolt, or not applying loc-tite to threads.
I have a 3.6 engine and the oil pump bolt that holds timing chain and crank chain came loose and cause major engine problems. Dealer says I need to replace the engine and it's going to cost me over $7000 dollars for a used engine or $16000 for a new engine and VW of America won't take any responsibility.
Vehicle started making a knocking/rattling noise that made the engine sound like it was a diesel. The engine in this car is a 3.6 V6 gasoline engine. I brought it into my mechanic as soon as possible and he advised against driving it any more as it sounded like the timing chain was loose. After attempting to get at the noise from under the hood he found out he had to get under the cover on the back of the engine to get to the lower chain. This would require removal of the transmission in the front since the car is a 4motion AWD. At that point I had to put $2000 down because of the labor to take everything apart. I've searched online and found many other people have had this same issue, due to an oil pump bolt that fails. There are links to these failures here: www.passatworld.com/forums/74-club-B6/327507-3-6-oil-bolt-failure-reference-material.html I called VW customer care and the person on the phone knew nothing about the problem, but said they recommended the timing chain be replaced at 100,000 miles. With my service bill currently upwards of $2,000 with just the labor to get to that chain, I don't think its right that it should cost that much for a 100,000 mile maintenance item.
The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall with the illumination of the column steering lock warning light. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 83,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Engine light came on while driving (2006 Passat 3.6 4motion) followed by epc light (indicating E-gas "limp mode"). vehicle wouldn't drive any faster than ~40 mph. Car required over $3300 in repairs (excluding rental), covered by a certified pre-owned warranty. Dealership technician informed me that the cause was the oil pump bolt backing out. This issue seems to be widespread and has been well documented with dozens of reported incidents on vwvortex.com as well as passatworld.com.
The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated the vehicle was being inspected by an independent repair shop when he was informed that the entire intake and manifold system needed to be replaced. The contact also stated that the vehicle would no longer accelerate as quickly as it did prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 94,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at approximate speeds of 63-65 mph, the vehicle stalled. All the gauges went to zero yet the radio and the radio display remained on. The contact moved the vehicle off the roadway where she attempted to remove the key from the ignition. This took several attempts before the key dislodged. After several attempts, the vehicle restarted. She stated this was the second occurrence of the failure. Both the dealer and the manufacturer were contacted and she was awaiting a return call. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 73,300 and current mileage was 73,320.
The check engine light came on after starting the vehicle. No abnormal behavior was observed before the light came on. On subsequent starts the engine sputtered then drove normally (but the light stayed on). The dealership diagnosed the problem as a "faulty intake flap motor" with a quoted cost of $475 to replace. Problem related to service bulletin num : tsb-01-08-12, NHTSA item number : 10028104. This should be a recall as it is a pollution problem (car cannot pass emissions inspection).
I bought my car with 65000 miles on it. Owned it for month and a half, then the piece connected to the catalytic converter, clamp and gasket broke. I had to have my car towed and they repaired this because of the federal law stating it was covered up to 80,000 miles or 8 years. While it was at VW being repaired they checked for any other problems and informed me that my high pressure fuel pump lobe and follower were also in need of repair soon. And began telling me VW of America has admitted that the camshaft lobe (and high pressure fuel pump lobe) was a manufacturer defect, but the bulletin was only issued to the dealership (not the public). This also affects the evap system. I do not understand how a company can know of a manufacturer defect and not have a recall on a car? the warranty specialist suggested that I call VW customer care, but they did not show any concern... what has to be done to get a recall on this specific issue because I am not the only one who has this issue.
I am the second owner of a 2006 VW Passat, who has had multiple issues with this vehicle. The latest being of most concern. When I attempt to start the car, it will either not turn over at all, or the engine turn over, then die. This happens nearly everytime I am in the car. My vehicle is 4,000 miles outside of the warranty, so neithervolkswagon, nor my local VW dealer will assist me with the cost (being an '!@#$% amount of $1643 out of pocket), nor has a recall been issued. I have called and emailed numerous individuals at VW corporate level, with no results. In doing research, I have found many forums, with multiple posts of customers having this same issue with this car, specifically the 2006 model. I have also went through the better business bureau to attempt to get answers on why VW is not doing more for their customers with a part that is obviously defective. Below is the reply email I got from them, instructing me to contact your company. Thank you for your attention and time on this matter. Copy of email from BBB-- {I am in receipt of your email sent to the better business bureau, Inc. Upon review of your email, it doesn't appear as though you have filed a claim with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. I suggest you begin there. The Office Of Defects Investigation (ODI) is an office within the NHTSA. ODI conducts defect investigations and administers safety recalls to support the NHTSA's mission to improve safety on our nation's highways. NHTSA is authorized to order manufacturers to recall and repair vehicles or items of motor vehicle equipment when ODI investigations indicate that they contain serious safety defects in their design, construction, or performance. ODI also monitors the adequacy of manufacturers' recall campaigns. Before initiating an investigation, ODI carefully reviews the body of consumer complaints and other available data to determine whether a defect trend may exist. www.safercar.gov}.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Santa Rosa, CA, USA