2003 Volkswagen PASSAT problems and owner complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM PERTAINED TO THE ENGINE CYLINDER. *AK THE VEHICLE STALLED AT THE STOP SIGN 3-4 TIMES. THE IGNITION COIL WAS REPLACED BUT THE VEHICLE STALLED THE NEXT DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE EC MODULE/FUEL PUMP RELAY WAS REPLACED. *SC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 86,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10083845 at NHTSA ↗

1. COMPLAINED TO DEALERSHIP MORE THAN ONCE THAT VEHICLE STALLED, RAN ROUGH. DEALER COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM, UNRESOLVED. 2. ENGINE STOPPED, DIED, QUIT RUNNING WHILE VEHICLE IN MOTION. THE ONLY REASON I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IS THE VEHICLE HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, I DISENGAGED THE DRIVETRAIN, AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT POWER. 3. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, DETERMINED FUEL PUMP FAILED. REPLACED FUEL PUMP, DO NOT HAVE OLD PART. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 51,814 miles reported. Look up ODI 10110718 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE DESIGNED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER, WHEN CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKE, THE ACCELERATOR WAS ALSO BEING APPLIED.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10003680 at NHTSA ↗

OUR CAR HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALER 6 TIMES IN NINE MONTHS. 5 TIMES FOR THE SAME, SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE CAR STALLS WITH NO WARNING AND FOR APPARENTLY NO REASON. THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM ONCE, BUT UNABLE TO FIX IT AND UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THE NEXT 4 TIMES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSES THE CAR TO STALL OTHER THAN IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN ON HOT DAYS WHEN THE AIR CONDITION IS ON AND OFTEN IN TRAFFIC. WHEN THE CAR STALLS NEITHER THE BRAKES NOR THE STEERING WILL WORK UNTIL IT CAN BE RESTARTED. VW CANNOT FIX THE CAR AND WILL NO…

Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10041405 at NHTSA ↗

THIS VEHICLE CONTAINS 4 IGNITION COILS, ONE OF WHICH FAILED. THIS PART WHICH IS INSTALLED ON MANY 2002 AND 2003 VW'S IS PRONE TO SUDDEN FAILURE AND VW OWNERS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE AND COMMON FAILURES OF THEIR IGNITION COILS. VW HAS REDESIGNED THE PART BUT IS ONLY REPLACING FAILED PARTS AT THIS TIME. WHEN THIS PART FAILS IT CAUSES THE ENGINE TO STALL OR MISFIRE BADLY AND MAKES THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE. THIS IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE PROBLEM OCCURS ON A HIGHWAY, CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL, OR STRANDING A MOTORIST IN A DANGEROUS LOC…

Owner-reported narrative. 6,050 miles reported. Look up ODI 10006671 at NHTSA ↗

LOSS OF POWER TO CLIMATE CONTROL, CRUISE CONTROL, HEADLIGHTS (LOW BEAM), SOME INTERIOR LIGHTS, RADIO DISPLAY, STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS, HOME LINK TRANSMITTER. APPARENT SHORT IN DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR. VISOR WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AND EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10010919 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2003 PASSAT, WITH 10K MILES, HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 22 DAYS NOW AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT. THIS IS THE FOURTH TRIP IN FOR THE SAME THING. THE BATTERY GOES DEAD EVERY NIGHT. ACCORDING TO UTAH LEMON LAW I SHOULD BE ENTITLED TO ARBITRATE, BUT VW WILL NOT DISCUSS THIS OPTION. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10023294 at NHTSA ↗

I HAVE A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. IN THE TWO YEARS I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR I HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP 5-6 TIMES DUE TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. WHEN PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK IT KEPT MOVING FORWARD. I HAD TO PUT ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR. LUCKILY, I WAS IN A PARKING LOT, AND WAS GOING VERY SLOW. AGAIN, I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR NOT TOO LONG AFTER. MY CAR DISPLAY READ STOP ENGINE, AND THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WATER PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. ANOTHER PROBLEM INVOLVED THE BRAKE L…

Owner-reported narrative. 33,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10117929 at NHTSA ↗

I RECENTLY LEASED A VW PASSATT STATION WAGON AND THINGS HAVE GONE WRONG WITH IT EVEN BEFORE THE CAR HAD 300 MILES ON IT. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 5000 MILES ON IT AND IT HAS SPENT SOME 10 DAYS AT THE REPAIR SHOP. DEFECTS HAVE INCLUDED A TRANSMISSION THAT WOULD DISENGAGE, HEATED SEATS THAT WOULD NOT TURN OFF, A/C AND SIDE MIRRORS THAT WOULD NOT WORK, A MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE CAR HAD TO BE ALIGNED, THE FRONT SPOILER FELL OFF, A SPEAKER HAD TO BE REPLACED, PART OF THE TRIM ON THE BACK WAS FALLING OFF, THE MEMORY SETTINGS ON THE DRIVER'S SEA…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000612 at NHTSA ↗

ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 25TH, AS I WAS LEAVING HOME AND ATTEMPTED TO BUCKLE THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEATBELT ON A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GLS. THE LATCH DID NOT HOLD THE METAL BELT TONGUE. I DROVE DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AND LEFT IT FOR REPAIRS. WHEN ARRIVING TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE LATE IN THE AFTERNOON, I WAS ADVISED THE REPAIRS WERE NOT COMPLETED DUE TO THE NEED TO ORDER A PART, WHICH WAS TO ARRIVE IN 4-7 DAYS. WHEN ASKING FOR A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE, THE RESPONSE WAS NEGATIVE AND THEY SEEMED UNCONCERNED WITH THE F…

Owner-reported narrative. 8,933 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008113 at NHTSA ↗

THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEAD AIRBAG (AIR CURTAIN) OF A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT W8 SEDAN DEPLOYED SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR...A FEW MINUTES LATER, WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED, THE STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG DEPLOYED SPONTANEOUSLY...I SUFFERED A PERMANENT WRIST INJURY AND AM SUFFERING FROM POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME...THE INCIDENT, WHICH HAPPENED DURING A TEST DRIVE, WAS REPORTED TO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE VW DEALERSHIP FOR WHICH I WAS WORKING AND TO VW OF AMERICA BY THE MANAGEMENT...I SENT A DETAILED INCIDENT REPORT TO BOTH VW OF AMERICA AND …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10023337 at NHTSA ↗