2007 Volkswagen Passat

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ACTIVATED, THE LIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WHICH IMPAIRED THE VISION OF THE DRIVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO INDICATED THAT THE POSITION OF THE LIGHTS WERE TOO LOW, BUT NO ADJUSTMENTS TO CORRECT THE FAILURE COULD BE MADE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 285,000.

AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON FOR NO REASON. THERE MIGHT BE A RESISTANCE ON THE AIRBAG SYSTEM CAUSING IT TO TURN ON. I READ THAT THE RESISTANCE VARIANCE WITHIN A FRONT SEAT SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG CONNECTOR CAN CAUSE THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO COME ON AND STAY ON, EVEN THOUGH THE SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. *TR

HTTP://WWW.PASSATWORLD.COM/FORUMS/VOLKSWAGEN-PASSAT-B6-DISCUSSION/327507-3-6-OIL-BOLT-FAILURE-REFERENCE-MATERIAL.HTML THE OIL BOLT HAS BACKED OUT OF ITS POSITION AND AFFECTED MY TIMING CHAIN. DUE TO THIS, MY CAR WAS UNABLE TO START. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FROM THE 06-07 PASSAT, YET VW HAS DONE NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE EPC WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CHECK OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE MADE TERRIBLE SOUNDS. THE CAR WAS PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. HAD TO BE TOWED 60 MILES TO THE NEAREST TOWN (MISSOULA MT). THE ENGINE WAS SEIZED UP DUE TO A FAILED OIL PUMP. THE DEALERSHIP AND A LOCAL SHOP BOTH WERE FAMILIAR WITH THIS FAILURE MODE. A DEFECTIVE OIL PUMP BOLT CAME LOOSE, CASING THE PUMP TO FAIL AND DESTROYING THE ENGINE. THE CAR ONLY HAS 68,000 MILES ON IT. AS A KNOWN MANUFACTURING DEFECT, IT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING THAT VW DOES NOT RECALL THIS AND FIX THE PROBLEM. IT IS FORTUNATE THAT NO INJURIES WERE INCURRED, BUT AN ELDERLY WOMAN WAS STRANDED ALONG THE HIGHWAY IN A REMOTE AREA. THE ENGINE IS A VR6 CODE BLV, A 6-CYLINDER 24 VALVE ENGINE. THIS NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. *TR

ON SATURDAY JAN 10, 2014, WHILE CRUISING AT APPROX 45 MPH DRIVING STRAIGHT, ON A DRY AND CLEAR DAY, THE ECP DASH LIGHT CAME ON WITH NO WARNING AND THE POWER OF THE CAR DIMINISHED SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWING DOWN IMMEDIATELY AND ACCELERATION WAS EXTREMELY SLOW MAKING IT UNABLE TO MAINTAIN TRAFFIC-FLOW SPEED AND DRIVING UPHILLS WAS EVEN WORSE, SLOWING DOWN AND NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN SPEED UNTIL OVER THE HILL.(VIRGINIA HILLY ROADS). I TOOK CAR TO THE LOCAL VW DEALER, TERRY VW LYNCHBURG,VA WHO TOLD ME THAT THE 2 TIMING CHAINS AND ALL ASSOCIATED PARTS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH AN ESTIMATE OF $3536.00. I MENTIONED TO THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE RELATING TO THE 3.6 ENGINE IN THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR HAVING A REPEATED PROBLEM WITH THE OIL PUMP BOLT THAT HOLDS THESE TOGETHER WORKING LOOSE AND THAT VW HAD RECOGNIZED THIS ISSUE AND REPLACED THE "OIL PUMP BOLT" WITH A NEW MODEL BOLT ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE AFTER THIS SAME ISSUE HAD OCCURRED REPEATEDLY WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS SAME 3.6 ENGINE. SAME ISSUE RECORDED MULTIPLE TIMES IN VWVORTEX.COM, PASSATWORLD.COM, CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, VOLKSWAGENDEFECT.COM, ARFC.ORG, AND OTHERS. I CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA WHO DENIED THIS PROBLEM EXISTED AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST IN THE REPAIR WHATSOEVER. SINCE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE AND VW IS NOT IGNORANT OF IT, AND IT CAUSES THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT NOTICE, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ISSUE HAD I BEEN ON A HI-SPEED HIGHWAY AND/OR IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC, VW NEEDS TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES WITH THIS ENGINE AND REPLACE THESE ITEMS AS THIS IS NOT A NORMAL FAILURE ITEM ON MOST VEHICLES WITH IS LOW OF MILEAGE. *TR

FAULTY DOOR HANDLES ARE PREVENTING ACCESS TO THE INSIDE OF THE CAR POTENTIALLY CAUSING THE DRIVER BEING LOCKED IN THE CAR AFTER AN ACCIDENT. FOR MORE THAN ONE YEAR NOW, THE DOOR HANDLES ARE ONLY ENGAGING WITH THE INNER DOOR LOCK SYSTEM OCCASIONALLY. ONE CAN HEAR THE UNLOCK MECHANISM CLICK WHEN ENGAGING THE REMOTE, BUT WHEN ONE TRIES TO PULL THE HANDLE, IT IS MISSING THE USUAL TENSION AND LIFTS MORE EASILY THAN USUAL, AND THE DOOR DOES NOT OPEN. IF ONE CRAWLS INTO THE CAR VIA ANOTHER DOOR (POTENTIALLY THROUGH THE TRUNK) AND MANUALLY OPERATES THE DOOR HANDLE FROM THE INSIDE, THE DOOR WILL OPEN. HOWEVER, PRESSING THE AUTO LOCK BUTTON ON ANY DOOR WHEN INSIDE WILL RELEASE THE LOCK, BUT WILL NOT ALLOW AN OUTSIDE PERSON TO PULL THE HANDLE (WHICH REMAINS STILL DISCONNECTED). THE ISSUE STARTED WITH THE DRIVER DOOR AND OVER TIME HAS MOVED TO ALL OTHER DOORS. I WAS INFORMED BY MECHANICS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH VW PASSATS AND IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY WIRING INSIDE THE DOOR. AS IT RELATES TO ALL DOORS, IT SEEMS EVIDENT THAT IT IS TRIGGERED BY A FAULTY DESIGN. GOOGLING, IT APPEARS THAT DOOR ISSUES ARE REPORTED FOR VW JETTAS AS WELL. THIS IS VERY ALARMING BECAUSE IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER WAS INCAPACITATED AND UNABLE TO UNLOCK DOORS FROM THE INSIDE (DESPITE UNLOCKING THE AUTO LOCK SYSTEM), EMERGENCY CREWS OR FIRST RESPONDERS WOULD LIKELY NOT BE ABLE TO OPEN THE DOORS FROM THE OUTSIDE. *TR

STARTED MY CAR TO WARM IT UP, CAME OUT TO DRIVE IT AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. DEALER TURNED IT OFF TWICE BEFORE THE WIRING HARNESS AND AIRBAG HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR AND I FEEL IT SHOULD'VE BEEN VOLKSWAGENS BILL, NOT MINE AS I DID NOTHING TO CAUSE THIS AND IT WAS CAUSED BY POOR CRAFTSMANSHIP, WHICH I DID NOT PAY FOR. *JS