Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
STRUCTURE
P-9-99C806/01/200810026068Volkswagen: service air plenum area to improve drainage and install improved pollen filter seal. *pe09/26/2008
STRUCTURE - BODY
P-9-99C806/01/200810026068Volkswagen: service air plenum area to improve drainage and install improved pollen filter seal. *pe09/26/2008
020108/27/200210000543Radiator grille running change. *tt03/24/2003
STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS
P-9-99C806/01/200810026068Volkswagen: service air plenum area to improve drainage and install improved pollen filter seal. *pe09/26/2008
P 9-66C806/01/200810025923Volkswagen: 2001-2005 models: service air plenum area to improve drainage and install improved pollen filter seal. water could leak into the passenger compartment. 2002 models could have leaks into the brake booster. *pe09/16/2008
STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS
201583108/28/200810026848Volkswagen: exhaust heat shield, replacement guidelines. heat shields are to be inspected after completion o any type of repair to the underbody (exhaust system transmission, etc.), and if damaged, replaced. *pe12/29/2008

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
STRUCTURE
11/23/20091350001
 During heavy rains, water entered the vehicle through the sunroof, which was properly closed and latched. owner did not know that water infiltration had occurred. upon driving the car after the storm, multiple warnings appeared. car shuttered and would not shift gears. eventually car shifted into drive. took car to service station, which diagnosed that water had entered vehicle and pooled in passenger floorboard. transmission module located beneath passenger floorboard flooded and failed. transmission module and related components had to be replaced. we contacted manufacturer of vehicle and were told this was not a known problem, but information obtained by our insurance company indicates otherwise. *tr
10/16/200770001
 On or about 2002 i have been complaining to volkswagen about my 2002 volkswagen passat. whenever it rain the back floor on the passenger side of my car have water in it. while my car was under warranty i carried my car into the volkswagen dealership to have them fix the problem and they never fixed my car. when my warranty ran out i still complained to the dealership and to customer service at volkswagen and nothing was done. i also told volkswagen customer service that i believed that volkswagen had sold me a lemon but volkswagen customer service would not do anything about the problem. year 2007 volkswagen usa sent me a recall notice about the problem with the sun roof on my 2002 volkswagen passat, they (volkswagen) stated that a recall on the sun roof had been recalled, and to take it to a volkswagen dealer for repairs. i took my car to the dealer for the recall and i am still having problem with my car. as of now i have rust damage on the floor of my car and i believe that volkswagen usa should do something about this problem that i have had since 2002, and i am still having since volkswagen usa did the recall. i have repeatedly called volkswagen customer service and they won't do anything about this problem. i am hoping and praying that this message is read by someone who will take the time out of there busy day and help me with this problem. if i decide to sell me car the problem won't go away some person who ever it is will end up with the same problem that i have had since 2002 and that's not right. i believe that volkswagen usa should be held liable and responsible for this problem not just to sell this car and pass the problem on to some innocent person who might end up buying this car. please help me volkswagen recall on this car was october 2007. *tr
09/11/200745540107/31/2002
 2002 passat began thumping and lurching while in motion and while idling. check engine light came on. acceleration was abnormally slow. three inches of standing water appeared in right rear footwell. dealer informed me acceleration problem was due to water in tcm. tcm short circuited and then powertrain dropped. water damage was due to leaking pollen filter seal, which was subject to p9 recall. car was past warranty on time, but not miles. they fixed pollen filter seal and told me they couldn't do anything about the $4,000-$5000 damage from the leaking water. the car is not safe to drive. my car is parked outside. we had several rainy days in the week before the problem. the service manager suggested i must have left the window open. i contacted vw corp and they suggested i take it to a dealer for repair at my own expense. *tr
09/09/2006110/10/2001
 Following a heavy rain, entire floorboard wet with no evidence of overhead or side panel wetness. water drained directly into car but not through door seals or windows. drain plugs in undercarriage removed and water streamed out for approx. 10 minutes. initial assessment by dealer indicates water damaged comfort module (controlling all powered components like windows, door locks, sunroof, cruise, seats, etc.) and transmission module and connectors. over $4500 estimate (not finished to date). source of leak not yet found by dealer. *nm
06/28/2006830221
 Debris in cowl area can clog drain hole causing water to enter vehicle shorting out computer and wiring. *nm
07/08/200658000404/17/2003
 I currently own a 2002 volkswagen passat. in may 2006 after some heavy rain, i noticed some dampness and odor emanating from the passenger-side flooring of my vehicle. during the last two months, the leakage has dramatically increased. after a heavy rain i have seen as much as one inch of standing water in the rear footwell. i took it to a local vw dealership today, who suggested the problem was due to an after-market piece of radio equipment that was installed more than two years ago. after returning home and carefully examining all of the sunroof drainage hole, i have determined that the rear passenger side drain does not drain to its intended location. the water seeps through the rear door's casing/seal and into the floor. the leak has caused my undercarriage to rust and leak. many other vw owners have experienced this same problem. the average cost to repair the damage is over $1000. some consumers had electrical failures as the standing water occurs directly over electrical compartments. the defect is not under warranty from vw, regardless rf the age of the vehicle. vw states this is a maintenance issue; however, this is not mentioned in any owner's manual, and it is not a part of any vw service plan. *nm
06/24/200629700104/10/2002
 1 - heavy rains - car parked outside in driveway - no flooding. water leaked into 2002 vw passat passenger side rear foot well, via vent/air filter - 3 inches of standing water on the floor. 2 - carpeting saturated - due to insulation underneath, unable to dry without removing. vehicle computer systems under same side carpeting all damaged - in need of replacement - dealership estimates repairs at over $2000. 3 - called vw customer care center - they said that because the car is out of warranty, they will give no consideration to helping with repair costs. will contact insurance company and/or lawyer. *nm
11/01/200344800302/09/2002
 1) interior of car floods (3rd incident in 4 years)-first incident 11/2003 2) don't know what impact the pooling water has on integrity of vehicle 3) dealer claimed to have repaired problem. *jb
06/25/20061
 Severe flood damage inside the rear passenger side foot well of my 2002 volkswagen passat. flooding occurred after a moderate rain. could find no blocked drains in the sun roof of the pollen filter. *jb
02/04/200652800101/15/2002
 2002 vw passat: water leakage into the car accumulating in the floor wells when it rains. no immediate cause determined. windows all closed. drains for sunroof open and clear. happens repeatedly when raining. *jb
01/19/200636000101/05/2002
 We have a 2002 volkswagen passat station wagon. several days ago, the air bag light came on steadily & the car was accelerating sluggishly. we took it into the dealership the following day. there was a crack in the pollen filter housing which had allowed rainwater to track into the passenger compartment, under the carpets. a number of key electronic modules are in this location, including the transmission control module and the comfort control module. these units had been destroyed by the pooling water and will have to be replaced. the dealership tells us that this has been a common problem with passats; further research on the internet reveals a large number of people who've had similar problems (see http://www.theautobahn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12789&page=1&pp=10). i believe that this is a serious defect with passats that carries risk to drivers and passengers of these cars. *nm
08/27/200580000205/08/2005
 I was driving my 2002 volkswagen passat when my engine light came on. i immediately pulled over. i was in new york at the time so i had the car towed to the nearest vw dealership, which was romano vw in fayetville, ny. i had did some research and found that the vw has a problem with the pollen housing filter. i asked the service manager omar to check the filter, which in return he stated it was fine. the problem was the oil pump, and the computer. i eventually found out that the computer failed do to a water leak on the passenger side of the car, which is where the computer is located. romano vw said there was a water leak but it was not caused by the filter. i have been fighting with vw customer care and they keep denying my claim. i eventually had my car fixed and picked the car up and drove home. once i got home the engine light came on again. i took the car to prestige vw in turnersville, nj and they stated that the problem is cause from the pollen housing filter. vw customer care has still denied my claim. after doing more research it turns out the pollen housing filter is a major issue in the volkswagen, but vw themselves do not agree. *nm
04/10/20021011/29/2001
 2002 volkswagen passat experiencing problems with passenger seat, door panels, glove compartment, radio equipment, buttons for the mirror equipment and the vehicle kept cutting off.*mr the consumer stated when the passenger seat went forward it would not stop, the heated seats burned the consumers children, however he did not state how many children. the vehicle could not be aligned. the door panels and arm rest were peeling. the headlights were always going out. the brakes squeaked. the battery, generator and ground wire were replaced due to vehicle stalling. *jb
03/05/2002803/02/2002
 There were numerous problems with this vehicle. the filter and carpet on the back passenger side was replaced. the mlp light had come on and the dealer installed a new vacuum hose. the radio did not work, standing water was found in the back right side of the vehicle under the front seat, the pollen filter was clogged and the air pollen filter was cracked due to the factory, the back door locks refused to open and could not be opened from the inside or out, a bumping noise was heard coming from under the vehicle, the engine revved, the vehicle lurched forward and accelerated at rapid speed all while the brakes were pumped with no response. the vehicle hit a curb doing over 50 mph all while pumping the brakes until it finally stopped 20-30 yards into a field damaging tires, rims and the bumper. *sc *jb
12/16/2001108/01/2001
 The air dam that protects the transmission/engine bottom, only the front center bolt had been attached. the right and left bolts were not installed. dam broke while moving and could get wedged under vehicle causing a potential accident. *jg
STRUCTURE - BODY
01/12/200839900305/29/2002
 After heavy rainfall, water filled the passenger floor well. i vacuumed out the water and moved vehicle on a surface that is sloped and another 3 gallons of water came through the front passenger kick panel where there are electrical components. in total, there was 7 gallons of water. now all the service lights comes and remains on. *tr
06/04/200752000312/06/2002
 When it rains water leaks into the car under the passenger dash over electrical components for the car. *tr
12/28/200329000303/08/2002
 When it rains, my volkswagen passat 2002 station wagon floors get soaked and puddle. had back to dealer 3 times over 1.5 years of ownership, had rugs replaced 2x, they said it was a filter seal that was bad. problem has not been resolved.*ak
30003
 The entire floor of the vehicle floods when it rains.cause/location of the leak is unknown. *ak
03/04/20031
 The vehicle experienced a severe vibration.*jb
STRUCTURE - BODY - ROOF AND PILLARS
05/17/200655510/10/2005
 Clogged drain,for sun roof,causes water build up on rt. side floor of car,electronic module($800.00),not water proof,creates mixed signals-airbag fault have serviced-engine lubrication fault stop engine--there defect,they don't pay due to water exclusion-carpeting $1,400.00-water exclusion!!!!!
STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS
02/01/2010895001
 I was filling up my windshield washer fluid and was trying to put the cap back on my 2002 passat when the hood strut failed and the hood crashed down on my forearm, pinning my arm between the hood and car frame. i screamed out both in pain and not being able to pull my arm free and had someone rush over to me within seconds. however, the hood latch had engaged but would not release since the hood was not closed all the way, my arm blocking this from happening. the first gentleman tried to alleve the pressure on my arm, which had already started going numb, while he called out for someone else to come and help and bring a heavy metal bar to pry me out. the second gentleman came with a large wrench and was able to bend the frame enough for me to pull my arm out. major indent of my forearm had me make an emergency room visit. xrays showed nothing was broken though 1 week later i am still swollen and sore. about $1900 body damage to car, as well as at least $250 medical. my mechanic never had an issue with the hood strut, so this incident came as a total surprise to him. he has ordered a replacement strut to be installed tommorow. *cn
01/07/200647000204/01/2002
 Water leakage in 2002 passat 1.8t gls. after rain, water seeped in through faulty pollen filter housing. fried engine cluster. after being returned, water continued to seep in. it corroded electrical wires and caused many problems. after 5+ dealer visits, no one was able to fix it until i personally stripped all carpeting and found the faulty wire. dealer had told me filter housing was susceptible to water leakage, and yet he did no fix it... *jb
12/23/200540264201/10/2002
 Dt*: the contact stated the cowling drainage became filled will debris causing water to enter the transmission module. the vehicle lost partial power. the vehicle was towed to a dealership. the dealership cleaned the cowling drains, repaired the wiring and battery. additionally, the brake booster, the transmission module and the carpeting were replaced. *nm
STRUCTURE - FRAME AND MEMBERS - UNDERBODY SHIELDS
02/13/200915000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a recall repair and was informed that other repairs were also needed. prior to the recall being issued, the vehicle was experiencing the same symptoms stated in the recall. the vehicle is currently at the dealer to have the motor mount and cv boot repaired. in addition, there is a rubber component that needs to be repaired. the contact would like to know why she began experiencing so many issues with her vehicle at 15,000 miles. the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown. the failure mileage was 15,000 and current mileage was 44,000.
10/04/200530204/01/2002
 During normal driving, my 2002 passat 1.8t has suffered damage to the engine shield twice in the last year. the shield comes loose or tears loose from its moorings and needed replacement. i do not drive off road or use excessive speed. my second appointment to replace the engine shield is october 13, 2005. at lithia volkswagen in reno, nevada. *nm
12/16/2001350002
 Front end/engine protector has separated from vehicle while driving. *bf in both cases, the turn bolts on the left front and right side separated. a single central screw bolt at it's front then supported the air dam. the plastic around it finally tore under vibration and air pressure forces. *sc