2006 Volkswagen Passat

1ST OCCURRENCE, STEERING COLUMN LOCK WARNING CAME ON UPON IGNITION, IMMEDIATELY DISABLED THE CAR. TRIED AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT EVENTUALLY STARTED. SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY UNTIL IT EVENTUALLY HAPPENED IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, WHILE THE CAR WAS RUNNING AND IN MOTION. THE PROBLEM CURRENTLY HAPPENS EVERY TIME THE CAR IS STARTED. WE FIRST REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO DEALER "A" IN OCTOBER OF 2007, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE OUR COMPLAINT, THEY TREATED IT AS AN ISOLATED EVENT. WE CONTINUED TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AT EVERY SERVICE VISIT TO DEALER "A", WITHOUT RESOLUTION. UPON TAKING THE CAR TO DEALER "B", THEY REPORTED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN MODULE AND COMFORT MODULE ARE BOTH DEFECTIVE, CAUSING THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK. DEALER "B" ALSO STATED THAT THEY SEE 2-3 CARS A WEEK FOR THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK DEFECT AND THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $1500, DESPITE THAT WE FIRST REPORTED THE PROBLEM WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, A TEMPORARY METHOD TO CIRCUMVENT THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE CAR IS STARTED WAS DISCOVERED ON A FORUM FULL OF HUNDREDS OF REPORTS FROM OTHER PASSAT OWNERS WITH THE SAME DEFECT. (HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=3656214&PAGE=1) ADDITIONALLY, VW IRELAND HAS DEVELOPED A SIMPLE SOFTWARE FIX FOR THE PROBLEM THAT WAS COVERED IN A MAJOR IRISH NATIONAL NEWS PUBLICATION, HOWEVER VW AMERICA DENIES SUCH A FIX EXISTS AND REFUSES TO COOPERATE WITH VW IRELAND OR LOCAL DEALERS OR ISSUE A RECALL. THIS IS CLEARLY AN ISSUE WHEREIN AN INEXPENSIVE SOFTWARE FIX WOULD CAUSE VW TO EITHER LOSE OUT ON A $1500 MECHANICAL REPAIR AND HAVE TO REIMBURSE THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THE FIX. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PREVALENCE OF THE DEFECT WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A RECALL. *TR

VW 2006 PASSAT 2.0 T STEERING COLUMN DEFECTIVE SIGNAL AND THE CAR DOESN'T START. AFTER DOING INTERNET SEARCH, IT SEEMS MANY OTHER CUSTOMERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH PASSATS AND JETTAS. IT SEEMS THE VW COMPANY SHOULD HAVE A RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM THIS SEEMS TO BE GENERALIZED. MANY OF US ARE BEING TOLD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE UNIT TO HAVE SOLUTION. *TR

'07/19/2006: PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT '04/13/2007: RADIO WILL NOT EJECT CD- THE STEREO SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO FAULTY RADIO '12/06/2007: CAR WILL NOT START ' CALLED TOW COMPANY, UPON ARRIVAL CHECKED BATTERY AND IT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM; TOW COMPANY COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO START; CAR WAS TOWED TO LASHER VOLKSWAGEN '12/14/2007: CAR WILL NOT START AGAIN, SAME ISSUE AS BEFORE ON 12/06/2007; CALLED THE TOW COMPANY AND HAD IT TOWED TO LASHER DEALERSHIP; AFTER NUMEROUS CALLS BACK AND FORTH, VW DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER CANNOT FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM NOR HAVE THEY FIXED THE VEHICLE YET '01/12/08: PICKED UP THE VEHICLE FROM LASHER VW ' SEEMED TO WORK OKAY '01/14/08: WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, DOOR LOCKS BEGAN TO UNLOCK AND LOCK BY THEMSELVES AND WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY; ALSO, SUDDENLY LIGHT INDICATORS (BLINKERS) DID NOT WORK, HIGH BEAMS DID NOT WORK, WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK, STEERING WHEEL INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON, TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON, CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON; THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION '01/17/08: WHILE DRIVING TO BERKELEY, ON THE FREEWAY, THE BLINKERS STOPPED WORKING, AND COULD NOT GET THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO WORK; LOCKS BEGAN TO LOCK AND UNLOCK WHILE DRIVING; TELEPHONE CALL AGAIN, TO LASHER VW TO EXPRESS GREAT CONCERN AND WORRIED ABOUT BEING STRANDED; WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN ON FRIDAY 01/1/08 AT 7:30 AM; ONCE WE ARRIVED IN BERKELEY, WE PARKED THE CAR AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION ' THE RADIO WAS STILL ON AND THE HEADLIGHTS DID NOT SHUT OFF; WE STARTED UP THE CAR AGAIN AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED; WHEN LOCKING THE CAR WITH THE ALARM, THE DOORS LOCKED BUT THE ALARM DID NOT TURN ON; LIGHTS REMAINED ON FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, FEARING THAT THE BATTERY WOULD RUN LOW AND WE WOULD BE STRANDED '08/05/09: TOOK THE CAR TO ELK GROVE VW AND TOLD THAT WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER ANY OF THE REPAIRS '10/24/09-12/14/09: THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO START SINCE 10/23/09 AND SITTING IN OUR GARAGE & NOW AT NEILLO VW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING ON A BRIDGE AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL, AND THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. AFTER A FEW MINUTES HE WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. HE WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER, BUT HE WAS NOT PROVIDED WITH ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 72,000.

2006 PASSAT THAT WON'T START AND HAS STEERING COLUMN DEFECTIVE LIGHT COME ON. TOLD I NEED NEW COLUMN AND COMFORT CONTROL MODULE ALSO FOR $1500.00 THAT I DON'T HAVE. I AM SO SICK OF THIS CAR. LOTS OF BIG PROBLEMS BUT THEY WERE UNDER WARRANTY, NOW I AM OUT OF WARRANTY BY 5000 MILES. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL WITH SO MANY CUSTOMERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

I OWN A VW PASSAT 2006 AND KEEP GETTING A STEERING WHEEL COLUMN LOCK DEFECTIVE MESSAGE IN MY HUD. THIS STALLS OUT THE CAR AND TAKES RESTARTS OF IGNITION JUST TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE. I HAVE READ THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND COSTS AROUND1500 DOLLARS TO FIX. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND UNNECESSARY EXPENSE ON THE CONSUMER END WHEN VW SHOULD REALLY BACK THERE PRODUCT BETTER. *TR