2007 Volkswagen Passat Complaint Log

AIR CONDITIONING DOES NOT WORK. ON FOGGY AND RAINY DAYS AIR CONDITIONING IS NECESSARY TO OBTAIN A GOOD VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING. SEVERAL 2006 AND 2007 VW PASSAT MODELS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

WHEN DECELERATING TO A STOP, THE ENGINE REVS MORE THAN NORMAL. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 4800 AND IT HAPPENED AT 4780. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN LOST POWER. THE DEALER STATED THAT A BOLT SHEERED OFF INSIDE THE ENGINE. AS OF SEPTEMBER 27, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 3,500.

COMPLAINT INVOLVES AN ENGINE FAILURE I HAD ON MY 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON 3.6L. THE PROBLEM STEMS FROM A FAULTY "OIL PUMP BOLT/CAM BOLT" . THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN CITED WITH NUMEROUS 3.6L VW OWNERS AND MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE VW SPONSORED VWVORTEX WEBSITE. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE OR PERSONAL INJURY. VW NEEDS TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPLACE THE FAULTY BOLT BEFORE OWNERS WARRANTIES EXPIRE RESULTING IN COSTLY REPAIRS (TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REMOVED). HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=3193697 HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=3448589 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE AND OIL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND NOTICED BLUE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. HE SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART IT, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO THE DEFECT NUTS FROM THE OIL PUMP. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENTIRE ENGINE. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

THE ENGINE STOPPED WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE ( FULL TANK OF GAS) WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON I-91. I COULD NOT START ENGINE AGAIN ON FREEWAY. FORTUNATELY, WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ACCIDENT. AAA AND POLICE CAME THERE WITHIN FIVE MINUTES AND WE COULD GET OFF THE FREEWAY BY TOWING. BEFORE STOPPING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND EPC LIGHTS CAME ON. MY CAR IS VERY NEW. I'VE JUST DRIVEN MY CAR ONLY FOR TWO WEEKS. THE MILEAGE OF MY CAR IS ABOUT 900 MILES. *TR

ON HOT DAYS ENGINE RPM'S RAISE SUBSTANTIALLY, TO THE ~1K RPM RANGE. ALMOST LIKE IT'S RACING. THIS ALSO MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO HOLD THE CAR STOPPED WHEN THIS OCCURS. *JB

WHEN STOPPED THE ENGINE RPM'S HAS INTERMITTENTLY RAISE SUBSTANTIALLY, TO THE ~1500-2000 RPM RANGE. ALMOST LIKE IT'S RACING. THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO HOLD THE CAR STOPPED. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE FROM A COMPLETE STOP. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY OVER A PERIOD OF SEVEN YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

VEHICLE SUBFRAME BOLT FAILURE. LOS ANGELES AREA DEALER NETWORK HAS ATTEMPTED TO RESOLVE FAILURE BUT HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS FOR THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS HAD SUBFRAME BOLTS RETORQUED SUBFRAME WITH COMPLETE DISREGARD TO VEHICLE SAFETY. SUBFRAME BOLTS ARE STRETCHABLE COMPONENT TO THE SUBFRAME ASSEMBLY AND SHOULD BE REPLACED RATHER THAN RETORQUED WHEN REMOVED OR LOSE.

MY 2007 VW PASSAT HAS BROKEN DOWN 4 TIMES IN LESS THAN 3 YEARS WITH REAR BRAKE FAILURE. THE MFG. HAS NEVER FIXED THIS PROBLEM, AND IS UNRESPONSIVE TO MY NUMEROUS REQUESTS, TO REPURCHASE OR FIX MY VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A VERY SERIOUS DEFECT AS IT CAUSES MY REAR BRAKES TO BE INOPERABLE. THIS IS THE FIRST PRODUCTION YEAR FOR VW ELECTRIC REAR BRAKES, AND I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A BRITAX REGENT CLASSIC CHILD RESTRAINT (MODEL # E9L39C5). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BASE OF THE SAFETY SEAT DOES NOT PROPERLY SECURE IN HIS 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT STATION WAGON OR IN HIS 2004 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURED DATE WAS NOVEMBER 10, 2005.

MY CAR STOPPED WORKING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WITH MY FIVE YEAR OLD SON. WE WERE LUCKY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, THE CAR WAS ONLY 4 MONTHS OLD AND HAS ONLY ABOUT 2500 MILES, AND APPARENTLY THEY INSTALLED IT INCORRECTLY OR ITWAS FAULTY. THEY CLAIMED THAT I RAN OUT OF GAS, ALTHOUGH THE GAUGE READ THAT I HAD HALF A TANK. *AK

NO THROTTLE RESPONSE, LONG ACCELERATOR PEDAL REPSONSE FROM A STANDING START OR ROLLING START. TRYING TO MOVE INTO TRAFFIC IS DANGEROUS, PRESS ON THE PEDAL EVEN FLOOR IT AND NOTHING HAPPENS, STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION COMING INTO TRAFFIC, THEN EVENTUALLY, ALL 280 HP COME ON AND THE CAR ALMOST GETS OUT OF CONTROL IF TURNING. THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. THIS IS A NEW CAR, I HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE 4/14/07 AND FINALLY TAKING IT TO THE DEALER NEXT WEEK TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO. *TR

WITH JUST 12,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER THE 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 3.6L 4-MOTION WAGON, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON A BLOCK FROM THE HOUSE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP RIGHT AWAY AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN THE NEXT MORNING. TURNS OUT THAT MY CAR'S ENGINE HAD A FAIRLY RECENTLY DISCOVERED KNOWN ISSUE WITH SOME SORT OF BOLT IN THE OIL PUMP THAT IS SOMEHOW RELATED TO THE TIMING CHAINS. APPARENTLY, IT'S A NEWLY DISCOVERED DESIGN DEFECT THAT ALLOWS THIS BOLT TO BACK ITSELF OUT AND CREATE BIG PROBLEMS - EVEN CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. AT FIRST, THE DEALERSHIP ORDERED A REPLACEMENT OIL PUMP AS A FIX BUT THE MASTER TECH WHO WAS WORKING ON MY CAR WAS CONCERNED THAT OTHER UNSEEN DAMAGE MIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE AN APPEALED TO VWOA FOR A TOTAL ENGINE REPLACEMENT. VWOA MUST HAVE AGREED WITH THE VALIDITY OF HIS CONCERNS AND AUTHORIZED A FULL ENGINE REPLACEMENT. MY CAR'S BUILD DATE WAS 11/05 . I HAVE ALSO READ FORUM POSTS FROM SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM (HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=3193697). *AK

PIRELLI 235/40R18 TIRES ON A BRAND NEW 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT (OEM TIRES) DEVELOPED A SIDEWALL BULGE (NO EXCESSIVE SPEEDING, NO POTHOLES, AND NO CURBS ENCOUNTERED). IN LESS THAN 4,000 MILES, THE TIRE DEVELOPED SIDEWALL BUBBLES. MANY OTHERS REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THESE MODEL TIRES (FOUR SEASONS P6) HAVING SOFT SIDEWALLS THAT CAN RUPTURE, HOWEVER PIRELLI HAS NOT BEEN AT ALL WILLING TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING THE TIRES. THEY CLAIM ROAD DAMAGE, HOWEVER THERE IS NO ROAD DAMAGE TO FOUND ON THE TIRE, OR ANYWHERE ELSE ON MY VEHICLE. HAD I BEEN AT HIGH SPEED, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL IF THE TIRE(S) WERE TO RUPTURE. THESE TIRES ARE DANGEROUS. *TR

ON START-UP, ENGINE TROUBLE LAMP COMES ON, SOMETIMES STEADY SOMETIMES BLINKING. IF BLINKING, VEHICLE MISFIRES, ENGINES SHAKES VIOLENTLY. SUBMITTED TO VW, INC.-OWNED DEALERSHIP REPAIR FACILITY ON 4 OCCASIONS FOR SAME PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN REPAIR FACILITY FOR 15 OF THE LAST 30 DAYS. VEHICLE PURCHASED 01/2007 AND TO DATE HAS BEEN DRIVEN 6,500 MILES. DEALER REPAIR REP SAYS VW CANNOT IDENTIFY SOURCE OF PROBLEM, AND HAS NO IDEA WHEN THE REPAIR WILL BE COMPLETED. DEALER DENIES THAT ANY TSB HAS ISSUED. *TR

MY VEHICLE'S GAUGE CLUSTER HAS RANDOM LIGHTS THAT COME ON AND CAUSE THE DOORS TO LOCK AND NOT OPEN AND IT RESETS ITSELF AFTER 1-2 HOURS AND IT CONTINUES TO DO IT. *TR

COMPLETE/CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT APPROX 1,800 MILES. DEALER STATED BOLT RELATING TO TIMING CHAIN FAILED, CAUSING SERIOUS INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE. VEHICHLE WAS REPLACED, BUT NEW VEHICLE HAS SAME ENGINE, AND MANY OTHERS WITH SAME ENGINE ARE HAVING SIMILAR FAILURES.

OIL PUMP BOLT FAILURE CAUSING COMPLETE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHEN DECELERATING TO A STOP, THE ENGINE REVS MORE THAN NORMAL. THE FAILURE OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 7,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600.

UPON RECEIPT OF THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP, A SHUTTERING OR VIBRATION HAS BEEN NOTICED BETWEEN 65 AND 80 MPH. ORIGINAL DIAGNOSTIC EFFORTS YIELDED A CONFIRMATION OF THE BEHAVIOR FROM THE DEALERSHIP, BUT NO SOLUTION. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE HOME AND NOTICED THAT THE LUG BOLTS WERE NOT TORQUED APPROPRIATELY. TIGHTENING DOWN THE WHEELS IMPROVED THE SHAKING FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT THE BEHAVIOR RETURNED WITHIN 24 HOURS. SUBSEQUENT DIAGNOSTIC EFFORTS BY THE DEALERSHIP HAVE YIELDED ONLY A "MINOR VIBRATION AT SPEED" DESCRIPTION WITH NO PROPOSED RESOLUTION. *NM *AK

THERE IS AN UNSAFE PROLONGED HESITATION WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ON THE 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 3.6 LITER 4 MOTION. WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL YOU'VE DEPRESSED THE PEDAL APPROXIMATELY 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. *NM *AK