Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 004 | 11/09/2004 | 10011567 | Engine coolant temperature (ect) sensor. *tc | 01/26/2005 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - HOSE | |||||
| 010702 | 01/11/2007 | 10021315 | Dtc's p1297 (17705) or p1557 (17965) stored in dtc memory. this may be caused by intake hoses leaking (during boost conditions) due to incorrect torque on clamps or improper placement, worn or torn intake hoses. *kb | 04/03/2007 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| TB-01-12-04 | 02/10/2012 | 10043602 | Volkswagen: gasoline engines have rough idle, have significant loss of power or stalling with reduced performance. *pe | 04/13/2012 | |
| SAC-28F3/P1-REV | 08/01/2010 | 10036496 | Volkswagen: gasoline engine vehicles inspect, and if necessary, replace ignition coils. vehicles affected by this action may have ignition coils that could malfunction under certain conditions. models passat and wagon; golf; gti; jetta a | 03/23/2011 | |
| TB-07-09-06 | 05/18/2009 | 10030369 | Volkswagen: engine oil pressure too low, light is on, engine flush. the low engine oil pressure condition may be caused by a restriction of the oil pump suction line strainer. *pe | 09/25/2009 | |
| 2013233 | 03/30/2007 | 10021437 | Engine oil pressure too low, light is on, engine flush. *kb | 04/26/2007 | |
| 0403 | 10/01/2004 | 10010539 | Valve cover, diagnosing oil leakage from gaskets. *tt | 11/30/2004 | |
| 0402 | 08/05/2004 | 10009888 | Low engine oil pressure light is on. *tt | 11/01/2004 | |
| 0421 | 08/01/2004 | 10009873 | Warranty extension covering certain oil sludge related repairs. *tt | 11/01/2004 | |
| 0421 | 08/04/2004 | 10009874 | Oil sludge - warranty extension for 1998-2004 model year volkswagen passat with 1.8l turbo engine us and canadian dealers. service circular. *tt | 11/01/2004 | |
| 0401 | 08/26/2005 | 0503 | 10009887 | Engine oil specifications, oil capacity, oil filter. *tt | 11/01/2004 |
| 0403 | 07/12/2004 | 10008913 | Engine, fluctuating idle or idle speed too low. *mj | 08/31/2004 | |
| 0409 | 05/10/2004 | 10007711 | Evaluating fuel mixture diagnostic trouble codes- how to perform effective diagnosis related to fuel system adaptation - system too rich/too lean. volkswagen. *mj | 07/08/2004 | |
| 0406 | 04/06/2004 | 10007015 | Readiness code, setting. *tt | 05/21/2004 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - DIESEL | |||||
| SA-28F6 | 01/28/2011 | 10038591 | Ready | 06/22/2011 | |
| SA-28F6 | 01/28/2011 | 10038591 | Volkswagen service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. engine software may cause the vehicle to exceed emissions standards. *rm | 06/22/2011 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||||
| 2015831 | 08/28/2008 | 10026848 | Volkswagen: 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. *pe | 12/29/2008 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| SAC-28F3/P1-REV | 08/01/2010 | 10036496 | Volkswagen: gasoline engine vehicles inspect, and if necessary, replace ignition coils. vehicles affected by this action may have ignition coils that could malfunction under certain conditions. models passat and wagon; golf; gti; jetta a | 03/23/2011 | |
| 0419 | 10/27/2004 | 10010537 | Update programming - evaporative emissions (evap) self-test revision. *tt | 11/30/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | ||||||
| EA11002 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 01/26/2011 | 02/17/2012 | Engine Compartment Fire | ||
| In july 2010, the agency opened pe10-027 to investigate allegations of coil on plug (cop) ignition coil fires in my2002-2003 vw passat vehicles.the investigation was upgraded in january 2011 to include all my2001-2007 4-cylinder vw passat, gasoline, turbo-charged vehicles.based on the analysis of vw's response, and including odi's consumer complaints, odi has since identified 135 unique engine fire reports attributable to the cop coils.after further review of the details as contained in each report, odi determined that 43 of the 135 fire reports were actual fire/flame incidents, 83 fire reports were thermal events (smoke, spark, heat or wire melt), and another 9 fire reports were undetermined in severity due to the lack of information.these cop coil fires were characterized as initiated from within the cop coil circuit located at the top of the engine block and below the plastic engine cover.the fires observed were contained in the engine compartment and did not reach into the passenger compartment in contrast to those caused by an overheated catalytic converter examined in odi | ||||||
| EA11002 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 01/26/2011 | Engine Compartment Fire | |||
| Odi has received 14 complaints alleging that a fire started in the engine compartment of the vehicle that may be related to ignition coil failure, and 21 complaints of ignition coil failure that did not result in a fire.reports state that the vehicle hesitated or lost power, and the check engine or dashboard lights illuminated.the vehicles were repaired by replacing the faulty ignition coil(s). some of the complaints indicated that the ignition coils were replaced more than once.the scope of pe10-027 focused on model years (my) 2002-2003 passat vehicles and volkswagen provided data regarding their analysis of the vehicle fires and faulty ignition coils for these vehicles.however, based on consumer complaints, odi also requested and received data from volkswagen regarding my2006-2007 passat vehicles.the failure report for this engineering analysis contains data for my 2002-2003 and my 2006-2007 vehicles.odi needs to further investigate this issue.to facilitate the acquisition and analysis of additional information, this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis.odi is expanding the scope to include my 2001-2007 passat vehicles. | ||||||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | ||||||
| EA07014 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 09/28/2007 | 07/07/2008 | PASSENGER ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | 08V156000 | |
| The manufacturer notified nhtsa on 04-apr-08 that a safety recall action would be initiated to remedy the issue.in june 2008, the manufacturer issued a technical service bulletin (code 26e5/r5) regarding the specific procedures to be employed in this campaign.vehicle owner notification letters were sent beginning approximately june 13, 2008.the campaign was assigned nhtsa no. 08v-156.this recall affects all my 1999-2005, 5th generation gasoline-powered passat sedans and station wagons.approximately 412,000 vehicles are affected.corrective action will consist of installing additional exhaust system heat shielding to mitigate the potential thermal effects of engine ignition problems.based on this action, the subject ea has been closed. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 03/15/2012 | 96000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 60 mph, there was a complete loss of engine power. when the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road smoke and flames began to emit from under the hood. the contact immediately exited the vehicle. the fire department extinguished the fire which originated within the engine area. the vehicle was declared as destroyed and towed to savage facility. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 96,000. kmj | |||
| 03/15/2012 | 96000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 60 mph, there was a complete loss of engine power. when the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road smoke and flames began to emit from underneath the hood. the contact immediately exited the vehicle. the fire department extinguished the fire which originated within the engine area. the vehicle was declared as destroyed and towed to savage facility. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 96,000. js | |||
| 06/09/2010 | 107068 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen passat. the contact stated was driving 30 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact took the vehicle to a local mechanic for diagnostic testing where the contact was advised that oil sludge caused the engine to stall. the mechanic advised that the engine needed to be replaced. the mechanic replaced the engine but the failure persisted. the oil tank fractured, causing oil to leak onto the engine erroneously. in addition, the engine coil misfired and the vehicle could not be started. the failure mileage was 107,068. kmj | |||
| 06/09/2010 | 107068 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen passat. the contact stated while driving 30 mph the vehicle stalled. the contact took the vehicle a local mechanic for a diagnostic test. the test results shown oil sludge caused the engine to stall. the mechanic stated the engine needed to be replaced. the mechanic replaced the engine. after the engine was replaced the vehicle continued to stall. the oil tank broke causing oil to leak on the engine. also, the engine coil misfired and causes the vehicle not to start. the failure mileage was 107,068. jo | |||
| 11/26/2011 | 105000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns 2004 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while parked in the garage. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 105,000. | |||
| 11/26/2011 | 105000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns 2004 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while parked in the garage. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 105,000. sm. | |||
| 11/26/2011 | 105000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns 2004 volkswagen passat. the contact stated the vehicle caught on fire while parked in the garage. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 105,000. li | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 2 | ||
| 2004 volkswagen passat. consumer writes in regards to class action settlement against volkswagen, stating a series of issues such as oil sludge, engine malfunction issues, anti-freeze and coolant issues and ignition coil issues with volkswagens *tgw the consumer stated she learned there was a specific type of coolant that only be used for her model vehicle. she stated each summer she drove around with 2 containers of anti-freeze because the vehicle would consume so much anti-freeze. also, the brake light bulbs were replaced. *jb | |||
| 12/16/2010 | 150000 | ||
| Tl-the driver owns a 2004 volkswagen passat. the contact did not own the vehicle so full details of the failure were not available. the check engine light began illuminating on the dashboard. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was told pieces of the engine block was chipping off into the oil pan. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 150,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 01/19/2011 | 160000 | ||
| 2004 volkswagen passat 1.8l turbo. oil sludge class action. my car had the stop engine warning come on the other day after the required oil change. since i am the second owner of this car i can not prove the oil changes where done as vw recomends. i have only owned the car for a few months. sadly i am looking at a total engine change with no help from the class action suit or vw. i have owned a vw on and off for 15 years. this will be my last if they dont make good on the recal. | |||
| 03/22/2010 | 35000 | ||
| Oil sludge related repairs on '98-04 model year vw passat equipped with 1.8l turbo engines. was not notified until engine light came on march 2010. letter from vw of america did not prescribe 3000 mile oil change, but when contacted, said in order for extended warranty to be enforced vehicle must have 3000 mile oil change. letter from vw subsequently faxed over on 3/22/10 does not state rules regulating oil change or subsequent limitations on extended warranty. my 04 vw passat with 35k miles had to have a new engine, and had i seen the august '04 letter prior to 03/10 would have gotten rid of car as soon as i read letter. the engine is clearly defective, and vw has an obligation to inform all vw owners of these vehicles to inform them of this deformity. i bought the car new in 2004 and never saw a copy of this letter until my engine failed. the letter states 5000 mile oil change intervals, but when i presented proof to gunther vw of coconut creek florida, that my car was in compliance, they stated that it had to be 3000 mile intervals. there are over 197000 websites, and blogs dealing with the vw 1.8 turbo, but no one has addressed this problem, and people continue to buy these cars off used car lots, unaware that they are buying a car with limited expectations, and possible engine replacement. please feel free to contact me at villing123@aol.com, or 954-725-6589. so that we can discuss saving someone's life before this car's engine failure in heavy traffic. you have offically been notified of the dangers of this engine. ronald l. archer, 3428 deer creek alba way, deerfield beach fl. 33442 | |||
| 04/17/2010 | 75000 | ||
| Oil sludge is clogging oil pick up and stop/oil light is going on. starving engine of oil. full synthetic oil has always been used. | |||
| 10/24/2009 | 75000 | 2 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen passat. on october 24, 2009 she noticed that the vehicle had an oil leak. the dealer replaced the oil pan at the owners expense for $500. on january 12, 2010, the oil failure recurred; however, the dealer replaced the oil tank for $500. she stated that the failures occurred when she drove over a speed bump and a rock while driving approximately 15 mph. the manufacturer stated that there were no recalls for the oil pan; therefore, they would not assist with the repair cost. the failure and current mileages were 75,000. *cn updated 02/17/20 | |||
| 06/25/2009 | 65000 | 1 | |
| 2004 vw passat 1.8t. upon starting car, check engine light came on. took to dealer, autobarn of evanston (il) who replaced thermal sensor for $500. less than 2 miles after leaving dealer, car ran hot and a/c went out, had to pull over to cool. this was not an issue prior to visiting the dealer. returned to dealer. dealer replaced thermal switch for $300. car still ran hot. dealer now says radiator is clogged and needs to be replaced ($700+). car has been serviced regularly per vw, radiator was flushed 4,000 miles ago. car only has 65,000 miles on it. either car is defective or dealer is ripping me off. *tr | |||
| 06/04/2009 | 35000 | 1 | |
| It never occurred to me that there was a problem with the engine...everytime i have the oil changed but it seems to be losing a little bit of oil. i need to add oil every 200 to 300 miles to the engine....i've checked for oil leaks..cant find any...please advise...rear seals? maybe *tr | |||
| 03/23/2009 | 1 | ||
| I own a 2004 vw passat tdi (diesel) with 64, 500 miles on it. i did not have a failure but i was so concerned about it, that i had it pre- fixed. the problem is that the balance shafts in this engine are driven by a chain off the motor which also drives the oll pump. this unfortunate design subjects the chain to stresses it can't withstand. on various tdi forums, especially tdiclub.com, there have been a significant number of chain failures reported. when the chain driving the oil pump fails,the engine is starved of essential lubrication and if it fails it can cause catastrophic engine damage and the engine could seize up which would be life-threatening. recently, vw in europe recognized the problem and designed a repair, which changes the chain driven oil pump to a gear driven oil pump. this appears to be a permanent fix to the original design defect. since, unlike vw of america, i am unwilling to put my and my child's life at risk, i recently paid almost $3000 to have the balance shaft module replaced with the gear driven one. most of the people having this problem are experiencing it after the car is out of warranty and vw done nothing to notify the nearly 12, 000 owners of these vehicles. most of the people driving these vehicles have no idea that their car is a potential time bomb. it is not a matter of if, but when, because of the poor design, they all will fail. i was fortunate that the parts were available; there has been a shortage and people have had to wait several weeks just for the parts to come in. if the part fails and destroys the engine, the cost for that repair is $8-10,000. this is a safety issue that needs to be addressed by vw of america and we need your help. thank you for your consideration. *tr the mechanic informed the consumer the module and chain drive had not failed, but they were showing signs of fatigue. updated 04/15/09. *jb | |||
| 03/03/2009 | 109789 | 1 | |
| A potential issue has come to my attention that some engine parts related to the balance shaft assembly and the engine oil pump system drive can fail as early as 45,000 miles. and if the failure of said components do fail, severe engine damage can easily occur forcing the driver, at minimum, to pay an unreasonable and very costly service bill. if a driver experiences a sudden loss of power from the engine during a typical highway pass or merging on a roadway, the cost would be unfathomable pertaining to the loss of life, far surpassing the cost of a new engine and the labor to install the engine. volkswagen has come up with a fix by changing the chain to a gear. they have not acknowledged this problem as yet, even with many of these vehicles having failed. it is just a matter of when not if this will happen to every 2004 passat with the bhw engines. i would like to know what steps volkswagen of america is taking to inform 2004 and 2005 passat tdi owners of this problem. good corporate citizenship would dictate a problem of this severity should be communicated to the owners as soon as possible. these engine failures could leave motorists stranded under dire circumstances. *tr | |||
| 10/27/2006 | 1 | ||
| While under warranty complained to dealer of noise from engine area. dealer could not determine where noise was coming from but said not to worry problem was noted and would be covered if/when something failed. out of warranty now, dealer states power steering pump needs replacing, not covered under warranty. had the power steering pump replaced, not by dealer but severe wine remains. was told it is probably ac pump. had belt tensioner replaced also with no resolve. noise is a loud wine, constant varies slightly when ac is on. have heard several other passats with same noise. no failure has occurred as of yet. *tr | |||
| 02/25/2009 | 68000 | 1 | |
| The balance shaft assembly and the engine oil pump system drive will fail. failure of balance shaft assembly and the engine oil pump system drive can lead to catastrophic engine failure with loss of oil pressure, broken oil pan, broken front engine seal flange, and damaged crankshaft. this can result in damage to the extent that the engine must be replaced. if this occurs while the vehicle is in traffic, it can lead to a collision with injuries or deaths. *tr | |||
| 02/24/2004 | 80000 | 1 | |
| It has come to my attention through the b5 forums at www.tdiclub.com that all 2004-2005 vw passat tdi engines have been outfitted with a faulty chain driven oil-pump (aka balance shaft) assembly that has an extremely high rate of failure. failure of the oil-pump assembly has proven to cause multi-thousand dollar repair bills for owners that experience a failure while driving. a bulk of the failures have been occurring on 04-05 passat tdi's well before the cars reach 100,000 miles. there are no warning signs to oil pump failure other than louder than normal engine noises. vw has since redesigned the oil-pump assembly to incorporate a gear-driven mechanism that isn't prone to failure. unfortunately vw has not taken into consideration the thousands of passat tdi owners that are being forced to upgrade their cars on their own dime. the upgrade costs ~$2,500 (parts & labor). it is of my opinion (and the thousands of fellow passat tdi owners) that this faulty design should be recalled immediately as the potential for an oil-pump failure causing property damage and/or death is eminent. *tr | |||
| 01/26/2009 | 56000 | 1 | |
| Sludge buildup cause by vw design flaw led to engine locking ... vw refusing to cover engine replacement even though covered by power train warranty. *tr | |||
| 12/27/2008 | 101000 | 1 | |
| In the 2004 vw passat tdi (diesel engine) the balance shaft & oil pump are driven by a chain. the chain failed at 101,000 miles and stopped engine lubrication instantly. required unsafe maneuver in traffic to get off road to a safe stopping spot. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 77000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen passat. while driving 50 mph, the stop warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. within seconds, the contact was unable to accelerate. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the engine failed due to a massive oil deposit. the engine was replaced. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 77,000 and current mileage was 89,000. | |||
| 11/23/2008 | 69800 | 1 | |
| About 1/2 mile from my house car indicated that there was an oil pressure issue and displayed stop engine. proceeded to drive home and let the car cool off and checked oil level. oil level was fine, based on the dip stick. started the car up and the car was very loud and exhibited a rough and irregular idle. stop engine indicator came on again. did research on the internet and found that there have been numerous other issues with exactly the same issue. issue apparently sludge build up in the engine. car is currently at repair shop and i have no faith that this will be resolved in a positive way (ie not costing me as the car is out of warranty) as apparently there is a design issue with this engine and manufacturer, repair shop recommended changing the oil filter and oil, yet the most recent oil change was performed just about 3 weeks ago. next they are recommending that they take the oil pan out and look for repairable culprits, which i believe is just nonsense as i'm sure this is not the first time they've dealt with this specific issue. this is a cash cow for the repair shops/dealers. i would like to know what if any recourse i have. i've seen other similar complaints as well, has volkswagen acknowledged the issue? i've stuck with the manufacturer's recommended service interval and product requirements, so i am at a loss if this is not being investigated as some form of negligence on vw's part. *tr | |||
| 12/28/2007 | 46332 | 1 | |
| On 12/28/2007 the oil cooler on my 2004 passat failed and allowed large quantities of oil to leak into the coolant. the oil cooler repair was covered under vw's powertrain warranty. per the passat owner's manual and per verbal confirmation from vw, when a part covered under warranty fails and causes damage to other parts, those other parts are covered under warranty as well. in this case the dealer, flow volkswagen of greensboro, nc, replaced not only the oil cooler but also the coolant reservoir, and flushed the cooling system 3 times. during the service they telephoned me at work and gave me a quote of nearly $300 to replace the thermostat because they felt it could have been damaged by the fouled coolant. at that time i was not aware that the thermostat was covered under warranty, nor did i know that the dealer already had the thermostat completely out of the vehicle. the dealers service technician noted that the coolant was the consistency of mud. the $300 quote that the flow volkswagen dealer gave me involved a double charge on the labor as well as violated vw's warranty policy that the thermostat should have been covered. the dealer was already going to charge vw for the removal of the thermostat and other cooling system components, yet they were calling to ask me to pay for the labor as well as for the warranty covered part itself (the thermostat) that was damaged by the oil cooler's leak. during the phone call when i was given the quote the flow volkswagen service personnel told me that the thermostat might be okay since they were cleaning it. in august of 2008, the passat's check engine light came on. according to flow volkswagen this time, the thermostat needed to be replaced and the total charge would be $478. *tr | |||
| 05/08/2008 | 63000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen passat. while driving 40 mph, the turbo booster became very hot and the engine warning light illuminated. the first time the failure occurred, the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer replaced a certain part of the vehicle, which temporarily corrected the failure. less than two months later, the turbo booster began to overheat again. the contact believes that the vehicle has a manufacturer defect. the vehicle is currently located at the dealer being repaired. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 63,000 and current mileage was 68,000. | |||
| 04/12/2008 | 37000 | 1 | |
| 2004 volkswagen passat with the oil pressure light on. consumer states that the mechanic refuses to see why her vehicle is acting up. she was told to produce receipts saying that the oil was changed. *kb the consumer stated she did some research and discovered the vehicle produced sludge no matter how often the oil was changed. a mechanic informed the consumer that vw should issue a recall and fix the oil pressure pump immediately. *jb | |||
| 10/12/2005 | 10000 | 35 | 11/30/2003 |
| 1. new 2004 volkswagen passat, v6 sedan. returned car several times under warranty for many types of repairs. volkswagen unable to repair car. both the dealer and volkswagen of america were made aware of the problems. 2. several failures including but not limited to: excessive oil consumption, loss of power and acceleration, transmission problems, failure to start, malfunction indicator lamp constantly on, braking problems, climate control problems, and several electrical problems including failed brake lights. 3. several attempts by volkswagen has failed to fix the problems. they are unwilling to resolve the problems adequately. *tr | |||
| 10/13/2007 | 1 | ||
| Oil sludge problem with my 2004 vw passat 1.8l turbo has caused irreversible engine problems. *tr | |||
| 10/16/2007 | 62000 | 1 | 01/28/2006 |
| The sludge problem that is common in volkswagen 1.8 4 cylinder engines has happened to our car. the dealer has repaired the problem but volkswagen refuses to honor the warranty even though we have jumped through every hoop they can think of. the last one is that they wanted the vin number printed out on every oil change receipt. *tr | |||
| 11/07/2005 | 10075 | 1 | 06/16/2004 |
| I own a 2004 volkswagen passat, which i lease from vw. i was backing out of my driveway at no more than three miles per hour into the street. as i cut the wheel to keep the vehicle on my side of the traffic lanes, i ran askew of the driveway and over the rising edge where the driveway rises to meet the curb - a mere 6. i have pictures. i heard a faint scraping noise and lamented the fact i scraped the bottom of the car, but given the miniscule height of the drop from mid-curb edge to the street, i didn't think anything of it and proceeded to my destination and then back home without incident. the next time i used my car i noticed a large puddle of oil and was shocked to find that the oil pan, which was strategically engineered to reside at the lowest and most susceptible place on the engine, had the tiniest crack and was leaking oil. i called vw to inquire about a new part where they informed me that the oil pan is aluminum and cost $158 for a new one, but that because it is bolted to the vehicles sub-frame it will cost me $650 in labor to repair the part. nearly $800 to fix an oil pan? this is clearly an attempt by vw to extort more money from its customers. who would design a vehicle in such a manner as this otherwise? to place an aluminum oil pan at the lowest point of the engine with no protection is criminal. luckily i noticed this leak, but others who may be less observant could easily rupture this oil pan as innocuously as i did and failing to notice the leak, continue to drive the car as it leaks oil - potentially burning up the motor and causing dangerous engine fires or worse, the engine seizing at high speeds. i contacted vw about this issue and that they wouldn't do anything to help me recoup the costs of this repair. this car has a major safety flaw that could make millions of motorists susceptible to serious harm and i hope that the nhtsa will further investigate this issue and help save any future loss of money or life. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 11/20/2010 | 59000 | ||
| My 2004 volkswagen passat is part of the vw oil sludge settlement. i have done all scheduled oil changes, maintenance, etc. i have all receipts. i had to replace the engine coils, the underbody heat, etc. nov. 20th 2010 i took the car in because a performance light related to the engine came on. i did not know at the time the warranty of the vehicle had been extended. i had to pay $ 654.11 for repairs and spent 4.5 hours at the dealer, vw south service, waiting for my car. now, i have to take it back in for the same light coming on as in november. i have 2 years to pay for the car approximately $ 8000.00. a car that is known has major issues with oil sludge and the engine. i cannot afford to continue to pay volkswagen for a car that is going to give me headaches in the next 2 years, a lemon. and will continuously cause me to miss work. i have the settlement letter and a file with all receipts. vin# wvwpd63b84p152043 - 2004 passat gls 1.8t | |||
| 10/12/2010 | 84300 | ||
| The owner's manual states that the engine coolant is not to be replaced. however, i now have a heater core that is clogged and that causes no heat in the passenger compartment of the car. the instructions given to consumers in the volkswagen owner's manual is in error and leads to expensive repair costs. | |||
| 01/05/2010 | 80499 | 1 | |
| Purchased a used 2004 vw passat in april 09. did not purchase an extended warranty for the vehicle, however, such would not have covered this issue regardless. the passat heating/air conditioning system is a climatronic. the vents and airconditioning operated as they should. after purchase, noticed on cool mornings that vehicles heat ws not operating correctly necessary for defrosting/defogging windshield and windows. took vehicle back to dealership and requested diagnostic. diagnostic was no flow through heater core and recommendation was replacement of heater core in order to receive heat. no indication of any posed danger or threat was indicated by dealership as to this issue. three months after the diagnosis, having operated the vehicle with no heat for 6 months, the vehicle has now begun to leak massive amounts of antifreeze/coolant, however, the coolant is not leaking out of the car, i cannot see any coolant or very little coolant anywhere underneath, therefore i can only assume that the antifreeze is leaking into the vehicle, possibly posing a fire hazard and risk of being burned should the pressure of the coolant system become to great and the volume of antifreeze in my vehicle is unknown. i am not operating the vehicle at this time. i contacted vw customer care and informed them of this problem, the indicated my vehicle is too old and has too many miles on it for any goodwill replacement. however, there was a recall on vw jettas for a similar issue with the heater core. *tr | |||
| 10/28/2008 | 75001 | 1 | |
| We have a 2002 and a 2004 volkswagen passat sedan and wagon. both have suffered motor mount leakage and both have broken water pump dispellers. we have replaced the water pump parts and are saving up to replace mounts on both vehicles. this seems to be a weak part for volkswagen. we are constantly going to get something fixed which is not a typical repair for automobiles from other companies. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2008 | 55999 | 1 | |
| Incident description = 2004 vw passat had been previously report several fuel consumptions problems at hoy fox vw and gas ended up leaking out of fuel tank and cause a spill in my garage and drive. hazard was inhalation gas in a closed in area caused head aches/ nausea/dizziness/ for my family and i i have had mutiple problems with vehicle since then has broke down on me twice in less than 1 day's time. on 01 sep 08 my wife noticed and oil spot in driveway after i left to go out of town granted we have brand new home and the vw was only vehicle parked in that spot she could reach me because no service with my cell phone but i ended up broke down outside big spring ,tx the care was sluggish and leaking oil this time and on 03 sep08 in /texarkana after being in shop allday 2sep08 it broke down for a previous condition with ignition coils. hoy foxvw not admitting that may have put the new oil filter to tight to cause to breakdown after having the oil change on 28aug08/29aug08 for other neglected maintenance. please look into this matter i'm sure it's not just my vehicle they trying to assume because it just had went out warranty. the engine oil cooler was damaged and bursted when put on at hoy-fox vw by a vw technician after putting the oil filter on entirely to tight. leaked in yard and i was not aware of it and the spilled out all over the ground at a high temperature vehicle (overheated) which make it hard for me stop while drive because of the slickness of mixture between the coolant and oil. almost ran off the road but ended up shifting to neutral and letting coast over to median. *tr | |||
| 12/28/2007 | 46332 | 1 | |
| On 12/28/2007 the oil cooler on my 2004 passat failed and allowed large quantities of oil to leak into the coolant. the oil cooler repair was covered under vw's powertrain warranty. per the passat owner's manual and per verbal confirmation from vw, when a part covered under warranty fails and causes damage to other parts, those other parts are covered under warranty as well. in this case the dealer, flow volkswagen of greensboro, nc, replaced not only the oil cooler but also the coolant reservoir, and flushed the cooling system 3 times. during the service they telephoned me at work and gave me a quote of nearly $300 to replace the thermostat because they felt it could have been damaged by the fouled coolant. at that time i was not aware that the thermostat was covered under warranty, nor did i know that the dealer already had the thermostat completely out of the vehicle. the dealers service technician noted that the coolant was the consistency of mud. the $300 quote that the flow volkswagen dealer gave me involved a double charge on the labor as well as violated vw's warranty policy that the thermostat should have been covered. the dealer was already going to charge vw for the removal of the thermostat and other cooling system components, yet they were calling to ask me to pay for the labor as well as for the warranty covered part itself (the thermostat) that was damaged by the oil cooler's leak. during the phone call when i was given the quote the flow volkswagen service personnel told me that the thermostat might be okay since they were cleaning it. in august of 2008, the passat's check engine light came on. according to flow volkswagen this time, the thermostat needed to be replaced and the total charge would be $478. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 2004 volkswagen passat. consumer expresses discontent with vw regarding defective engines *tgw the consumer stated vw has acknowledged that the engine's were defective. *jb | |||
| 10/02/2009 | 116153 | 1 | |
| While driving the engine lamp came on and the test message indicated emission workshop. the dealership found the mass air flow meter (p0101) to be faulty. it was replace but the problem and code recurred within 6 miles. next the dealership found a crack in the turbo air cooler, it was replaced but the problem and code recurred within miles. the dealership has had the car for nearly 2 weeks when they found a slight air leak in a turbo hose. the o rings were replaced and it may have corrected the problem but i have not had the car since they are still working on the engine surge problem. *tr | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 72000 | 1 | |
| Excessive noise from engine - chain driven oil pump. this noise has gotten progressively worse and will lead to catastrophic failure while driving. oil will cease being fed to the engine and seizure will occur. at 70 mph this will likely lead to death of occupants and possibly others in vehicles behind mine. this has been reported to dealer as well. *tr | |||
| 06/12/2009 | 100243 | 1 | |
| Vehicle: 2004 volkswagen passat gls sedan with 2.0 tdi motor problem: chain driven oil pump has serious vibration. it is not on volkswagen's suggested maintenance list or things to check during preventable maintenance. the cast metal chain tensioner cracks and fails, causing loss of tension on the oil pump drive sprockets which leads to : 1. wear on drive sprockets. 2. catastrophic failure of the oil pump. 3. complete loss of engine power without warning at any speed in any traffic condition. i do not know the complete failure rate for this equipment, but i do know this setup was sold on approximately 20,000 2.0l turbo diesel motors, stamped bhw. this setup was only sold in north america and other similar motors in european markets have a gear driven oil pump that do not show the failure rate being seen in the n.a. market. volkswagen in north america has discontinued making the chain driven oil pump, replacing it with the gear driven pump originally available only in foreign markets. volkswagen continues to stand by that there's no problem with chain driven pump, yet there a numerous accounts of failing tensioners, chains, sprockets and balance shafts (hex shaft holding the driven sprockets) due to loss of tension and poor design. every chain driven oil pump on the bhw motor will fail. mileage does not appear to be a determination on when this will fail as reports of wear and failure from 45,000 to 180,000 miles are being reported on internet volkswagen diesel forums. for photos of failed parts, see: see post #743: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=233651&page=50 note: this complaint does not refer to the timing belt assembly or timing belt. it refers solely to the chain driven oil pump and balance shaft assembly on the bhw type turbo diesel motor. *tr | |||
| 06/04/2009 | 35000 | 1 | |
| It never occurred to me that there was a problem with the engine...everytime i have the oil changed but it seems to be losing a little bit of oil. i need to add oil every 200 to 300 miles to the engine....i've checked for oil leaks..cant find any...please advise...rear seals? maybe *tr | |||
| 04/03/2009 | 55000 | 1 | |
| I purchased a used 2004 vw passat with 34k miles in september 2007. the car was running file and has been kept current with oil changes. on april 3, 2009, my fiance was driving us home from work and a loud knocking noise started and a message displayed saying stop! oil pressure low. this has never happened before. we were still far from home so we pulled over and took a look under the hood. the oil was low for some reason, although it was recently changed, so we purchased a quart to get us home. we continued to drive home and starting losing power as this knocking noise continued. we did make it home. the car was towed from our home to a vw dealer the next day. we were told that the crank shaft was damaged due to oil sludge build-up in the engine. basically, the engine was shot and i needed a new one, which would cost about $4k with about $2k in labor. the car only has 55k miles on it - how could this happen? we then went online and conducted a search. we found that this is a well-known problem with 1.8 t engines between 2003-2005. i was mortified. i was never given any information from vw about this issue, although the car was purchased used. the dealer told us that vw extended the powertrain warranty for to 8 yrs due to this issue but we must provide oil change receipts. we had none, because not only did we not have ones from the previous owner, but my fiance changes my oil and although he used the required synthetic oil, the dealer told us that there are approved brands that must be used. we were never given this info because the owner manual only says use 5w40 or if not available, use 5w30 oil. so, we are left with nothing. it can cost anywhere between $4-8k to fix. the cost to get a new or used engine plus labor is ridiculous. i'm driving my old honda that has 231k miles while my vw sits at the shop waiting to be fixed. i fear the bill. i planned to purchase a new vw in a couple years, but now i will never buy a vw again and will make sure my story is heard!! *tr | |||
| 03/01/2009 | 112000 | 1 | |
| The balance shaft chain drive in the bottom end of our 2004 passat tdi has started to make noise. they will all fail. i am a car enthusiast and from what i understand through the pains of many that have already replaced their failed or failing chain driven balance assembly, many break apart completely, and cause the oil pump to quit turning and the engine to lock up suddenly. vw has come up with a fix for this, to retrofit a gear driven unit, but as of yet has not even acknowledged this very serious problem that more times than not manifests itself in the 60 to 80k mile range. the cost to repair proactive is about $2500, but if the engine is damaged, the cost is about $9000. this is a very serious safety issue, and can cause the engine to suddenly seize while underway! currently there is not even a warning of any kind from vw to owners of these vehicles to be aware of this issue. if not for an internet forum, fred's tdi club.com, i like many others who still are, would be completely oblivious to this serious and potentially catastrophic failure. *tr | |||
| 07/10/2008 | 96000 | 1 | |
| The chain on the oil pump, balance shaft assembly failed at 96,000 miles. it was detected by a mechanic before the engine seized. the entire oil pump and balance shaft assembly was replaced. had the problem not been detected, and the chain broke, the engine would have been starved of lubrication and failed. this is the diesel passat with the bhw engine. *tr | |||
| 02/23/2009 | 82387 | 1 | |
| The balance shaft chain drive in the bottom end of our 2004 passat started to make noise. they will all fail. i am a mechanic specializing in these cars, and have currently had to repair 27 of these, including my own. many break apart completely, and cause the oil pump to quit turning and the engine to lock up suddenly. i have one such car here right now. vw has come up with a fix for this, to retrofit a gear driven unit, but as of yet has not even acknowledged this very serious problem that more times than not manifests itself in the 60 to 80k mile range. the cost to repair proactively is about $2500, but of the engine is damaged, the cost is about $9000. this is a very serious safety issue, and can cause the engine to suddenly seize while underway! *tr | |||
| 09/12/2008 | 40000 | 1 | |
| Oil sludge developed in the engine of my 2004 vw passat wagon 1.8t, causing excess engine wear and $2800 service charge to desludge the engine. the sludge was caused by a problem known to vw but not made known to vehicle owners. i would like vw to reimburse me for the cost of this service. at a minimum, i would like vw to notify all customers of this defect (including warranty coverage requirements) and provide periodic sludge checks, every one to two years. *tr | |||
| 06/30/2008 | 100500 | 1 | |
| After hitting 100,000 miles on 2004 passat, the warning light came on for low oil pressure. i took it in to vw and they quoted me $2,800 to replace all oil lines and vacuum lines. i did some research and found out that this is a known problem with vw engines and even after doing the $2,800 worth of work, the engine will still fail within a year. i have gone to another repair shop to perform an oil flush and i was able to drive another 500 miles before the light came on again. i have gone for 2 more oil flushes. now, they will do 2 oil flushes each time. the first time, there will be a lot of sludge that comes out and the 2nd time is clear. there is an obvious problem with sludge build up and will eventually ruin the engine. i know there was a recall on 1.8t engines for this same issue. it is an issue with all vw engines, not just the 1.8t. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2008 | 89000 | 1 | |
| Engine started fine, and let it ran for a minute or two on drive way. then suddenly it died. computer screen displayed stop, oils pressure can, and low oil pressure warning lights came on. *tr | |||
| 10/13/2007 | 1 | ||
| Oil sludge problem with my 2004 vw passat 1.8l turbo has caused irreversible engine problems. *tr | |||
| 06/11/2007 | 55955 | 1 | 09/04/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volkswagen passat. while driving 30 mph, the check engine light illuminated and the engine began to shutter. the contact smelled rubber burning and the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic. the cause of failure was diagnosed as a failed ignition coil. the vehicle was repaired. the current mileage is 56,010 and failure mileage was 55,955. | |||
| 02/03/2007 | 35787 | 50 | 11/18/2003 |
| My car, a 2004 vw passat glx automatic, has had a transmission problem since the day i bought it, when the salesperson told me it just needed to adjust to my driving style. months later, it was clear that it wasn't adjusting to my driving style. i took it in and it was fixed. about may or june of 2006, it began to experience problems again, e.g., slamming, surging, delayed engagement, etc. i gave it some time, hoping it would readjust, then took it in november of 2006, when the problems had become more acute. in a 4-5 minute test drive within a mile of the dealer, the most worrisome malfunctions could not be repeated. the service manager at the time said the minor issues were normal, and that i would have to write a letter to get the problem addressed. on saturday, 2/3/07, a transmission surge propelled my car over a speed bump and into the concrete, causing what i presumed was an oil leak. this transmission issue presents obvious hazards to people, in addition to property. as of today (2/6/07), the dealer is requesting that i pay approximately $900 to fix the oil pan so they can drive the car and address the transmission malfunction. *jb | |||
| 01/09/2007 | 45000 | 1 | 01/17/2005 |
| Vw passat 2004 purchased new from dealer in jan. of 2005. we did our own oil changes following the manual recommended schedule and oil specifications (every 5,000 miles 5w-30 or 5w-40 regular or synthetic oil). we never received a letter from vw nor the dealership about the extended warranty for the known oil sludge problem nor any new requirements for oil changes. most of the oil changes were done at home and recorded in the manual; two were done outside and have receipts. oil pressure light went on at about 45,000 miles, car was towed to dealership. they recommended a new motor. dealership contends that warranty will not cover it because they require synthetic oil only and for oil to be changed at the dealership. vw warranty denied warranty service. car is still at the dealership. *nm | |||
| 04/26/2006 | 1 | 08/02/2004 | |
| I have a vw passat with less than 30,000 miles on it that has sludge in the motor and have been faithful with my oil changes but i am missing one receipt. vw of america refuses to cover the work under warranty stating lack of maintenance on my behalf for the problem. they are taking no responsibility for the defective engines they are putting in these cars but blaming it on the consumers. i am sorry i ever bought this car and i am now left with no transportation for my kids to get to school and for me to get to work and i have no money to fix the car because i am a single mother living paycheck to paycheck. it is very frustrating that i have to be driving down the freeway with my 3 daughters in the car and have my engine freeze up and almost crash into several cars trying to get over to the side of the road. i then take it to the closest dealer to be treated like dirt and told i did not do enough to take care of my car. they then shuttle me off to some advocate for vw and he treats me even worse and tells me sorry the answer is no have a nice day.. i have never been treated so poorly in my life and i am appalled that i ever bought this car and will tell everyone i know about this issue and warn everyone i know to get rid of their vws. *nm | |||
| 11/30/2005 | 23700 | 1 | 12/03/2003 |
| My 2004 vw passat has 23,700 miles on it when the stop engine light went on. i had it towed to east coast vw where i had leased it. they told me i have the well known 'engine sludge' problem and it will cost between $2700 and $5000 to repair it. i was told that i needed my oil change history documentation. i produced 5 invoices for the time i had the car (dec. 3, 2003). i was told my invoices were not good enough and vw will not honor my warranty. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 01/23/2008 | 1 | ||
| I have a 2004 vw passat 1.8 t. i have a complaint with this whole oil sludge issue. although i do not have a problem yet but i want to be prepared in the advent of mechanical failure. the problem i have is that i received a letter in the mail 2 years ago about the possibility of engine failure do to oil sludge. i since then have been taking the car to the dealer and paying 80 dollars to get the oil changed with the full synthetic oil. now i am reading that even when using the synthetic oil there are numerous cases of engine failures do to oil sludge. not to mention the dealer will not cover costs of engine replacement if all receipts of oil changes are not shown. which is not fair because up until 2 years ago i did not even think we had a problem. so vw has a defect with there unsafe engines and on top of it they scare people into getting the oil changed with full synthetic and then come up with an excuse like you were late on an oil change therefore you have to pay $5,000.00 for engine replacement. i still owe $12,000.00 on the care and i owe more then the car is worth so i cannot sell it, please tell me what can i do to protect myself. had i have known this in 2004 i would never have purchased the vehicle. i just don't that this is the american way to sell people a inferior product and then make money off there turmoil. *tr | |||
| 10/16/2007 | 1 | 04/01/2004 | |
| My 2004 vw passat: was driving when noticed a gasoline smell in the car. the car stalled, heard a pop sound from under the hood and immediately saw smoke/orange flame -the engine was on fire. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 01/12/2009 | 62000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle passat 2004. 1.8 wagon. with 62000 miles on it, problem as follow , steam came off ventilations when heaters is activated,fogging windshield and windows, the smell is so strong odor of antifreeze filling the whole cabin and causing nausea and headaches to whoever is in the car when car is been driving, according to the dealers repair person the heater core is leaking and need to be replaced at the dealer only at cost of $1600.00 thee part is not a moving part that is easy accessible and that needs regular maintenance, this is a part that came defective from factory and vw does not want to repair not acknowledge that this part came defective from the manufacture. and should be fixed by them ,that is a problem that is a hazard to the driver, and passenger health due to the toxic fumes that emanated throughout the vents from the heater core leakage and entering the inside of the cabin, it should be recalled to fix this very problem that may cause people develop any type of lung cancer inhaling this fumes. on top of the described problem this car has been in repair for bad water pump,bad heating sensor,bad thermostat,broken cv boots at 50200 miles,bad battery, warning sensor lights. this car is a lemon. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||
| 08/25/2004 | 1 | 11/21/2002 | |
| I have sent information regarding to nhtsa about three weeks ago regarding my 2003 volkswagen passat and engine seizure which occurred september 25, 2004 on a major bridge in newport news va. my car is under warranty. volkswagen of america is aware that they have engine oil sludge problems (2004 volkswagen passat 1.8t engines. however, there position is that i neglected the car. i have had four -five oil changes. i took my car in to joe pecheles, greenville, north carolina, august 25 due to the engine oil pressure light being illuminated. i was told to bring the car back august 26, 2004. i did so. i was given my car back and told the oil had been changed. therefore, i thought my car was in good working condition. i have talked to the area service represeentatives and i was told volkswagen of america would not honor the warranty. i will be happy to forward you correspondences. however, i have sent you information as stated.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 11/17/2007 | 42000 | 1 | 03/08/2004 |
| 2004 passat 1.8t caught fire after a coil pack failed and the catalytic converter overheated. i only drove 5 miles after the coil pack failed trying to limp back to the dealer when the fire started. i put the fire out myself. *tr | |||