Volkswagen PASSAT WAGON problems and owner complaints

PURCHASED CAR USED. FIRST TIME I FILLED THE GAS TANK STRONG SMELL OF RAW GAS WAS PRESENT DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL MILES OF TRAVEL. WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE STORE FROM PAYING FOR THE SECOND FILL UP THERE WAS A BIG PUDDLE OF RAW FUEL ALL OVER THE GROUND DIRECTLY UNDER THE CAR. I DID SOME RESEARCH & DISCOVERED A MANUFACTURE RECALL FOR THIS VERY ISSUE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION INDICATED THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. AFTER EXPLAINING MY DILEMMA TO THE APPROPRIATE CORPORATE DEPARTMENT I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING MORE THEY COULD/WOULD…

Owner-reported narrative. 158,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10490810 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED A 2004 VW PASSAT 1.8 LITER TURBO 4MOTION STATION WAGON ON AUGUST 12, 2015. WITHIN ONE HOUR OF PURCHASING I TOOK IT TO FILL IT UP WITH FUEL. THE FUEL TANK BEGAN LEAKING IMMEDIATELY. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO FIX IT BY REPLACING AN O-RING ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER, MEANWHILE ADVISING ME TO NOT FILL THE TANK PAST THE 3/4 FULL MARK UNTIL THEY FIXED IT. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, IT STILL LEAKED WHEN IT WAS FILLED ABOVE THE 3/4 TANK LEVEL. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO REINSTALLED THE SAME O…

Owner-reported narrative. 100,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10763153 at NHTSA ↗

TAKATA TECALL I HAVE CONTACTED VW TO SCHEDULE A REPAIR FOR MY TAKATA AIRBAGS NUMEROUS TIMES, AND FOR MONTHS THEY HAVE STALLED ME, GIVING ME NO ANSWERS, AND NO REPAIRS. I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THAT I CAN TO TRY AND GET MY VEHICLE REPAIRED TO SAFETY, BUT VW REFUSES TO COMPLY WITH THE RECALL.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11032269 at NHTSA ↗

FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE I HAVE A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD THAT REQUIRES ME TO BE IN MY VEHICLE 85% OF THE TIME I HAVE LOVED MY VW PASSAT AND ENJOYED DRIVING IT UP TILL ABOUT 1.5 YEARS ITS BEEN ONE FIX AFTER ANOTHER SOME MAJOR SOME NOT IVE HAD CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEMS, ADDING OIL IN BETWEEN CHANGES TIRE ROD ETC THIS ISSUE IM HAVING AT THIS TIME IS ON RECALL LIST ( FUEL PUMP CONTROL) I HAVE BEEN PUT IN SEVERAL UNSAFE MOMENTS LEFT STRANDED. I HAVE BEEN ON HWY MY CAR STALLS OUT CAUSE DRIVING BACK AN FOURTH TO DUKE HOSPITAL IM ON HWY ALOT, I AM ST…

Owner-reported narrative. 160,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11064333 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO RESPOND. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENGAGED IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE THEN CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 151,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10509823 at NHTSA ↗

I WAS DRIVING UP SOMEWHAT OF A HILL AND HAD TO SLOW DOWN DUE TO A BIT OF TRAFFIC FLOW. I HAD REALIZED I WAS A LITTLE CLOSER THAN I THOUGHT SO I BRAKED A LITTLE HARDER THAN USUAL. MY BRAKES WERE GRABBING ON TIGHTLY TO THE GROUND LIKE THEY SHOULD BUT THEN SEEMED TO HAVE GIVEN OUT AT THE LAST COUPLE SECONDS. MY CAR HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, RESULTING IN BOTH MY FRONT AIRBAGS GOING OFF. THE AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND SWUNG OUT AND HIT MY RIGHT HAND, RESULTING IN SOME MINOR BURNS AND SCRAPES. I THEN STARTED GOING BACKWARDS AFTER THE CAR IN F…

Owner-reported narrative. 96,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10563783 at NHTSA ↗

SUMMARY ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THERE COULD BE AN INTERRUPTION IN ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE. THIS COULD RESULT IN THE FUEL PUMP RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY, RESULTING IN A DRAINED BATTERY AND/OR A NO START CONDITION, OR CAUSE A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, WHICH COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH CAUSING INJURY AND/OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. RECALL STATUS RECALL INCOMPLETE. REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE REMEDY REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE AND RELOCATE IT WITHIN THE VEHICLE. SAFETY RISK DESCRPITION A LO…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11041550 at NHTSA ↗

THERE WAS AN INTERRUPTION IN ELECTRICAL POWER FROM THE FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE. THIS RESULTED IN THE FUEL PUMP RUNNING CONTINUOUSLY, RESULTING IN A DRAINED BATTERY AND NO START CONDITION, OR CAUSE A LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLE AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. TOOK THE CAR TO VW GARAGE WHO WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM SAID THERE WOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL SOON, BUT I SHOULD PAY FOR REPAIR AND CLAIM MONEY BACK ONCE RECALL WAS ACTIVE, WAS TOLD THIS WOULD BE EARLY PART OF 2018. STILL NO RECALL AND OVER $400 OUT OF POCKET. CAR STALLED AND CUT OUT …

Owner-reported narrative. 85,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 11097100 at NHTSA ↗

PCV VALVE FAILED, AT SOME POINT PRIOR TO JAN 11, 2016 AND 77,748 MILES. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR OTHER INDICATION OF THE FAILURE EVER OCCURRED UNTIL THE PCV VALVE FAILURE CASCADED INTO FAILURE OF THE ENGINE REAR MAIN SEAL (BETWEEN THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION), RESULTING IN A MASSIVE OIL LEAK. BASED ON A WEB SEARCH, THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON SITUATION, NOT ONLY FOR THE VALVE FAILURE, BUT THE METHOD IN WHICH IT FIRST BECOMES APPARENT TO THE VEHICLE OWNER (REAR MAIN SEAL FAILURE). COST TO REPAIR WAS OVER $1900. PCV VALVE FAILED AGAIN AT SOME POI…

Owner-reported narrative. 77,748 miles reported. Look up ODI 11046156 at NHTSA ↗

STEERING COLUMN LOCK DEVICE FAILED. INSTRUMENT PANEL MESSAGE CENTER BEGAN DISPLAYING "STEERING COLUMN LOCK DEFECTIVE", WITH ILLUMINATION OF A WARNING LAMP, AND WOULD IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN ENGINE UPON INITIAL START-UP (OR ON OCCASION, WOULD NOT ALLOW VEHICLE TO EVEN BE STARTED). VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AT ALL TIMES. ON A SECOND OR THIRD TRY, SOMETIMES WITH A SMALL TWIST OF THE STEERING WHEEL, THE VEHICLE WOULD START AS NORMAL AND WAS DRIVEABLE. VW RECALLED VEHICLES FOR THIS DEFECT, BUT IT APPEARS THE RECALL EXPIRED FEB 2013. THIS CONTINUES…

Owner-reported narrative. 116,102 miles reported. Look up ODI 11046157 at NHTSA ↗