2006 Volkswagen Passat

THERE IS AN UNSAFE PROLONGED HESITATION WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ON THE 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 3.6 LITER 4 MOTION. WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL YOU'VE DEPRESSED THE PEDAL APPROX. 3/4 TO AN INCH OF PEDAL TRAVEL, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE CAR LURCHES AND ACCELERATES AT WHAT FEELS LIKE HALF TO FULL THROTTLE. IT IS A RANDOM HESITATION, YET OCCURS AT PROBABLY 30% OF THE TIME. IT IS MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP, YET WILL HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY, IF ACCELERATING TO PASS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION. IF THIS ABRUPT ACCELERATION OCCURS IN SNOWY OR ICY CONDITIONS, IT COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES, WHEN I EXPECTED MY CAR TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN I DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL, ONLY TO HAVE IT HESITATE AND NEARLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS CAR HAS A DRIVE BY WIRE ACCELERATOR, WHICH I BELIEVE IS A FAIRLY RECENT DESIGN CHANGE. WE HAVE ANOTHER CAR WITH THE SAME TYPE OF SYSTEM WHICH DOES NOT DO THIS. I HAVE READ 2 NEW CAR REVIEWS THAT HAVE MENTIONED THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. AFTER TAKING DELIVERY, I CALLED TO TELL THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THIS PROBLEM. AFTER TRYING TO CONVINCE ME THAT THIS WAS "NORMAL", THEY TOOK MY CAR IN TO TRY TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. IT WAS THERE FOR 10 DAYS, DURING WHICH TIME 2 ENGINEERS CAME OUT FROM VOLKSWAGEN TO LOOK AT THE CAR. THEY AGREED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING AMISS, AND FELT THAT THEY NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE INSTALLED. THERE WAS NOT ONE AVAILABLE, AND I WAS TOLD ON MARCH 30TH THAT IT WOULD BE READY WITHIN 30 DAYS. IT HAS NOW BEEN 3 MONTHS SINCE THEN, AND MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS LATER, A FIX IS STILL NOT READY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS READY, BUT WAITING GOVERNMENT APPROVAL, AND THEN TOLD THAT NOTHING IS READY. NO ONE AT VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GIVE ME AN ESTIMATED TIME WHEN MY CAR CAN BE REPAIRED. THERE IS REALLY NO "INCIDENT" TO REPORT, OTHER THAN AN UNSAFE MALFUNCTION WHICH NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. *NM

2006 VW PASSAT 3.6 TWO WEEKS AGO A NOISE APPEARED QUITE SUDDENLY. ORIGINALLY THOUGHT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HAD A BAD MUFFLER. NOISE COMING FROM FRONT, RIGHT OF CAR. ALMOST SOUNDED LIKE A BASEBALL CARD IN YOUR BIKE SPOKES BUT LOUDER AND DEEPER. STARTS AT AROUND 50 MPH. TONE AND SPEED OF SOUND DECREASES AS SPEED OF CAR DECREASES BUT OTHERWISE STAYS CONSTANT. DISAPPEARS WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF GAS. TOOK IT TO CARTER VW. THEY HEARD SOUND. TOLD ME THAT AIR PRESSURE IN FRONT, RIGHT TIRE WAS AT MAX AND SO THEY LET SOME AIR OUT AND THAT "FIXED" THE PROBLEM. IT DID NOT. SINCE I HAD NOT HAD THE TIRE PRESSURE CHANGED SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN NOV - I FOUND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WOULD FIX THAT PROBLEM AND TOLD THEM THAT. WILL TAKE IT TO CHAPLINS VW, WHICH IS MUCH CLOSER TO HOME. *JB

PURCHASE 2006 PASSAT WITH 4 WHEEL MOTION IN FEB 2006. APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS LATER ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY TOOK OUT THE GAS TANK TO REPAIR VACUUM PROBLEM. THEN THERE WAS GROANING WHEN I TURN THE WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT. TOOK TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED BRAKE PARTS. IT IS NOW THREE WEEKS LATER AND I STILL HAVE BRAKE PROBLEM. THE CAR NOW GROANS WHEN EVER I TURN RIGHT, LEFT OR STRAIGHT. ESPECIALLY LOUD IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. I FEAR THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM IS UNSAFE. DEALERSHIP SHOWING NO CONCERN. I AM ON MY SECOND ATTEMPT TO FIX THE BRAKE. I WILL CONTACT A LEMON LAW LAWYER IF THIS FAILS. *JB

WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM WORKS ONLY INTERMITTENTLY ON LOW, HIGH SETTINGS NO MATTER WHAT SPEED I'M DRIVING. CAR DOES NOT HAVE A RAIN SENSOR SYSTEM. DEALER DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER CALLED VW TECH CENTER AND WAS TOLD THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER SAID " WE DID A WATER TEST ON YOUR WINDSHIELD WITH A GARDEN HOSE AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE WIPERS PICKUP SPEED , EVERYTHING IS FIND." I DROVE THE CAR HOME IMMEDIATELY AND DID MY OWN GARDEN HOSE TEST, STILL INTERMITTENT OPERATION. DROVE BACK TO DEALER HAD THEM WRITE UP ANOTHER SERVICE ORDER AND HAD SERVICE WRITER AND TECH PERFORM THE WATER TEST IN FRONT OF ME. THE WIPER SYSTEM FAILED THE TEST AND WORKED ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER CALLED VW TECH CENTER AND THEY WERE STILL CLUELESS AND TOLD THE TECH TO CHANGE OUT THE WIPER SYSTEM CONTROL MODULE FOR LACK OF KNOWING ANYTHING ELSE TO DO. JUST READING YOUR FIRST COMPLAINT ON THIS VEHICLE I'M IN THE SAME MANUFACTURING RUN. THE DEALER IS GIVING OUT A LOT OF BAD INFORMATION DUE TO THE LACK OF FACTORY TECH. SUPPORT. ONE WEEK OUT AND CAR AND STILL AWAITING MODULE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. UPON DROP OFF TO DEALER IT STAYED FOR 5 BUSINESS DAYS(AS OF 3/30 IT IS STILL THERE). MULTIPLE FAULT CODES FOR MISFIRING IN ONE OF THE CYLINDERS. PLUGS, 6 COILS, FUEL PUMP RELAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED. INJECTOR CLEANSING BEING PERFORMED. CAR IS 5 WEEKS OLD WITH 1300 MILES. ALL THESE FIXES HAVE AMOUNTED TO NOTHING AS THE CAR STILL HAS THE MISFIRING PROBLEM. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA IS FOLLOWING THEIR GUIDELINES TRYING TO FIX AN UNSAFE CAR.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 10MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO COME TO A STOP, THE RPM GAUGE NEEDLE GAVE SPORADIC READINGS. WHILE THE RPM READINGS WERE INACCURATE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED; HOWEVER, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO DOWN SHIFT AND USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, THE ENGINE REVVED. THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO GEAR AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE ENGINE WAS QUICKLY SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND CURRENTLY IS UNDER GOING ADDITIONAL TESTING.

I PURCHASED A 2006 PASSAT FROM GRAHAM AUTOMOTIVE IN SIOUX FALLS, SD ON DECEMBER 20, 2005. ON FRIDAY, FEB 24TH WHEN DRIVING ON I-229 IN TOWN I THOUGHT I HEARD SOME SORT OF NOISE IN THE TRUNK. UPON GETTING TO MY DESTINATION, I NOTICED A SMELL LIKE GASOLINE, I LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE TO NOTICE THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE RIGHT FRONT SECTION OF THE GAS TANK. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP WHICH WAS 2 MILES AWAY. THEY PUT IT UP ON THE RACK AND HAD ALREADY DETERMINED IT WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. I LOOKED AT THE GAS TANK AND NOTICED THAT THE PART OF THE GAS TANK THAT WAS RUPTURED WAS EXPOSED AND HAD TO HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY SOME KIND OF DEBRIS. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I NEVER SAW ANYTHING IN THE ROAD OR ANYTHING FLY FROM BEHIND THE VEHICLE, IT WAS A SUNNY DAY SO VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER AND THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THIS DEALERSHIP AND THEY BOTH CLAIM THIS IS NOT THE FAULT OF DESIGN AND ARE NOT HONORING THE WARRANTY ON THIS ISSUE. THEY SAID I COULD SPEAK WITH THE REGIONAL VW REP, JOHN FARBER ON MARCH 1ST WHEN HE'S IN TOWN. THEY QUOTED ME A PRICE OF $900 TO REPLACE THE GAS TANK. ON MARCH 1ST, I MET WITH MR FARBER AND DOUG THE SERVICE MANAGER, THEY HAD ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS AS MR FARBER HAD A COPY OF THE WARRANTY INFO PREPARED WITH HIGHLIGHTED TEXT SAYING THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED AND HE WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME. I THEN SHOWED HIM A NEWS STORY I SAW ONLINE ABOUT GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS INTO RUPTURED GAS TANKS ON NISSAN MURANOS AND CHRYSLER PACIFICAS. HE SEEM UNINTERESTED IN THIS AND STOOD HIS GROUND. THE DEALERSHIP ONLY OFFERED A 10 PERCENT DISCOUNT ON THE $900 ESTIMATE. I HAVE INFORMED THEM OF MY INTENTIONS TO CONTACT YOUR OFFICE ON THIS MATTER. *NM