2005 Volkswagen PASSAT: complaints, problems and recalls

THE MOTORIZED SUNROOF ON MY 2005 VW PASSAT PULLS THE INTERIOR SUNSHADE OPEN WITH IT WHEN IT IS OPENED ELECTRICALLY. WHILE THE SUNROOF ITSELF HAS AN ANTI PINCH FEATURE, THE SUNSHADE HANDLES/VENTS REPRESENT A PINCH POINT AS THE SUNROOF OPENS. THE HANDLES/VENTS ARE HARD EDGED PLASTIC THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MANGLE A FINGERTIP. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THE ANTI PINCH SYSTEM OPERATES IN THE "OPEN" DIRECTION OF MOTION, BUT SEEMS NOT TO BE ACTIVE (BASED ON MY BRUISED FINGER) *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10131188 at NHTSA ↗

2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH STALLING.*MR THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER, THE ENGINE WAS DAMAGED.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10138808 at NHTSA ↗

DT THE CONTACT STATED ON OCTOBER 9, 2005 THE VEHICLE LOST FORWARD POWER. PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE REVVED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE, BUT WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE IT WOULD MOVE BACKWARD. THERE WAS NO PRIOR FOR WARNING ,AND NO TYPE OF ODD NOISES. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER, AND THERE WERE PUTTING IN A NEW TRANSMISSION . THE DEALER BELIEVED THIS HAPPENED DUE TO SOME TYPE OF SWITCH IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 8,000 MILES ON IT.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10139849 at NHTSA ↗

ON NOVEMBER 4,2005, AROUND 7:30 PM WHILE A I WAS DRIVING MY CAR FROM NEW JERSEY TO NEW YORK CITY, A NEW JERSEY TRANSIT AUTHORITY BUS DANGEROUSLY CUT IN FRONT OF MY CAR. MY WIFE WAS ACCOMPANYING ME. AS I STOPPED TO AVOID THE BUS, THE BUS MADE A SUDDEN AND FULL STOP ABOUT 15 FEET IN FRONT OF ME. INSTINCTIVELY, I PUT THE CAR GEAR IN NEUTRAL. ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY CAR ENGINE STARTED ACCELERATING AT A VERY HIGH SPEED WITHOUT TOUCHING ANY PEDAL. I PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SEE IF THE ACCELERATION WOULD STOP. WHEN I RELEASED THE BRAKE PEDAL , THE CAR S…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10146004 at NHTSA ↗

CUSTOMER NOTICES A METAL ON METAL SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SEATS. NOTICEABLE WHEN THERE IS ANY WEIGHT SHIFT OF THE OCCUPANT IN THE SEAT SUCH AS DURING ACCELERATION, BUMPS, CORNERS, ETC. CUSTOMER UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE METAL ON METAL NOISE IS FROM SEAT BACK, SEAT SPRINGS OR SEAT MOUNTING. CUSTOMER IS CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL LEAD TO A WEAKENING OF THE METAL COMPONENTS AND THE SEAT WILL FAIL DURING AN ACCIDENT. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10149613 at NHTSA ↗

THE FRONT AND REAR SEAT BELTS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY PASSAT ARE DEFECTIVE. THE DRIVERS BELT HAS BEEN 'LAZY' IN RETRACTING FROM TIME TO TIME BUT IT'S 'NORMAL' NOW. HOWEVER, MY LEFT REAR SEAT BELT HAS BEEN LAYING DETRACTED ON MY SEAT FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS NOW SIMPLY BECAUSE NOBODY EVER SITS BACK THERE AND I'M ALWAYS DRIVING THIS CAR FOR WORK. BY READING MESSAGE BOARD SUCH AS WWW.TDICLUB.COM THIS IS A VERY COMMON COMPLAINT FOR THE 2004 AND 2005 VW PASSAT. TOMORROW MORNING I AM GOING TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL VW FOR EVERY SEAT BELT IN T…

Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10150638 at NHTSA ↗

REGARDING THE INCIDENT OF REFERENCE, REPORTED UNDER ODI NUMBER 10146004, I HAVE TO SAY THAT I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE AUTO MAKER, VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, DATED JANUARY 11, 2006. IT IS MY OPINION THAT SUCH LETTER DOES NOT ADDRESS THE FUNDAMENTAL POINT OF THE SECURITY AND SAFETY OF THE VOLKSWAGEN VEHICLE THAT I LEASED. IN THIS LETTER, VOLKSWAGEN ADMITTED "CONCERNS" ON SOME OF THE VEHICLES THEY MANUFACTURED AND THEIR INABILITY TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THOSE "CONCERNS". I REQUEST THE ASSISTANCE OF NHTSA IN PURSUING THIS MATTER AS AN ISSUE OF SAFETY AN…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10150970 at NHTSA ↗

2005 VW PASSAT, REPEATED TOTAL FAILURE OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS. DOES NOT SEEM TO BE PREDICATED ON ANY SPECIFIC EVENTS. THE DEALERSHIP (DUKE GOLD'S SPEEDWAY VOLKSWAGEN) IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM AND DOES NOT SEEM TO KNOW HOW TO FIX IT. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10152548 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2004-12-15 (December 15, 2004)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE HIGH PRESSURE DIESEL PUMPS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN IMPROPER FASTENER, WHICH COULD ALLOW DIESEL FUEL TO ESCAPE FROM THE PUMP.

Consequence: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DIESEL PUMP. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 8, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

Reported: 2007-02-20 (February 20, 2007)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER, WAGON, AND CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OR WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY.

Consequence: THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OR REMAIN ON. FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE PROPER SIGNAL WHEN BRAKING COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE NEWLY DESIGNED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 27, 2007, AND WILL BE CONDUCTED IN SEVERAL STAGGERED MAILINGS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 21, 2007. VEHICLES WITHIN THE MAKE, MODEL, AND MODEL YEAR OF THIS POPULATION MAY BE INVOLVED IN EITHER THIS RECALL OR 06V-183, BUT NOT BOTH. THE REMEDY IS THE SAME FOR EACH RECALL. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERS WILL APPLY THE REMEDY BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW AT 1-800-822-8987.

Reported: 2008-04-07 (April 7, 2008)

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 412,000 MY 1999-2005 PASSAT (5TH GENERATION) VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AND PRODUCED AFTER JUNE 14, 1999. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE AN UNDERBODY HEAT SHIELD THAT CAN BECOME DAMAGED. IN ADDITION, AFFECTED VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS MAY HAVE A FUEL LINE (1.8T ENGINES ONLY) OR FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE (4MOTION/ALL WHEEL DRIVE ONLY) THAT CAN LEAK DUE TO FRACTURE.

Consequence: A HEAT SHIELD THAT MAY CONTACT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE. IN ADDITION, A FUEL LEAK FROM A FUEL LINE OR FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, CAN LEAD TO A VEHICLE FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL UNDERBODY HEAT SHIELDS ON VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS TO COVER THE POSSIBLY DAMAGED AREAS AND FLASH ALL 1.8T ENGINES WITH A PRECAUTIONARY SOFTWARE UPDATE. DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT AND ADJUST THE FUEL LINE ROUTING ON 1.8T VEHICLES AND THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE ON 4MOTION/ALL WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES, AND REPLACE COMPONENTS IF NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 13, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.