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 | |
| 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 | |||||
| V201203 | 12/03/2012 | 10050079 | Volkswagen:evaporative (evap) emission system, diagnostic trouble code diagnosis. revised procedure developed to test evap system without fuel cap. *js | 01/24/2013 | |
| 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 | |
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 | |||
| 01/14/2013 | 130000 | 1 | |
| The interior heater does not work correctly. we took the vehicle to a vw mechanic oasis auto center in redding, ca. he said he cleared the coil but that a valve may also be part of the problem. this occurred in november 2011. since we live in n. california it has not been a big issue since it is warm most of the year. i did however see this is a recall item. please advise me if we can still get this repaired under the recall. *tr | |||
| 01/14/2013 | 130000 | ||
| The interior heater does not work correctly. we took the vehicle to a vw mechanic oasis auto center in redding, ca. he said he cleared the coil but that a valve may also be part of the problem. this occurred in november 2011. since we live in n. california it has not been a big issue since it is warm most of the year. i did however see this is a recall item. please advise me if we can still get this repaired under the recall. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 05/08/2012 | 125000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 30 mph. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for a diagnosis. the dealer stated that they had to replace the engine. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted stated that they were not responsible for the repairs because the vehicle was not under recall. the failure and current mileages were 125,000. the vin was not available. sm. | |||
| 05/08/2012 | 125000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 volkswagen passat. the contact stated while 30 mph driving his vehicle come to a complete stop. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. the dealer stated that they have to replace the engine. the vehicle has not be repaired. the manufacturer was contacted they stated that they was not hold responsible because is not under recall. the failure and current mileage was 125,000. the vin number was not available.jp | |||
| 03/06/2012 | 100000 | ||
| I was driving on highway when the alarm message oil pressure low: stop engine came on. i got off the side of the road and the engine locked up. bent valves, broken piston shaft, engine needs replaced. i've seen this so many times on the internet as i've been looking into my options since then. volkswagen will do nothing to help nor take responsibility. they offered me $1000 toward a new volkswagen. seriously? i have maintained the vehicle. they know there is a problem with these cars and as far as i'm concerned, it is criminal to sell these without recalling to fix the problem. if i wasn't able to get off the highway, outside of chicago, my passenger and i would have been smashed with countless other injuries. i didn't stop the car once i got off the road, it stopped itself. volkswagen needs to be accountable for their products. | |||
| 02/06/2012 | 120000 | ||
| 2.0l vw passat tdi had a rattling, vibrating chain noise from the oil pump balance shaft module in the oil pan. the oil pump chains/sprockets/tensioners were worn and caused noticeable vibration and rattling noise for thousands of miles; however, it was difficult to diagnose. we had the entire oil pump assembly replaced by a vw dealership at approximately 120,000 miles with oem gear driven pump which includes the balance shafts and oil pump. it was a $3700 repair to exchange the original oil pump with the gear driven pump. not a cheap service. the sound before and after the module change was much improved because the gears are quieter. the replacement gear driven oil pump/balance shaft assembly uses a similar balance shaft but with a different oil pump and gear drive. the gear drive smoothes out stress on the oil pump hex shaft so runs much better. in summary, i am not happy with having to do such an expensive repair due to a poor design at the low mileage of 120,000 for a diesel that should last to at least 400,000 miles. this is a recurring expensive problem that should be reimbursed by vw. | |||
| 02/16/2012 | 96500 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2005 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact heard a clattering sound coming from the engine. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance where the mechanic advised that the chain drive assembly for the oil pump would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 96,500. | |||
| 02/16/2012 | 96500 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact heard a clattering sound coming from the engine. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance where the mechanic advised that the chain drive assembly for the oil pump would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 96,500. kmj | |||
| 02/16/2012 | 96500 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 volkswagen passat. while driving at approximately 35 mph the contact heard a clattering sound coming from the engine of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine maintenance. the mechanic stated the chain drive assembly for oil pump would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 96,500. ds | |||
| 09/15/2008 | 30000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 volkswagen passat gls tdi. the engine began to rattle violently immediately after the vehicle was started. the noise sounded like marbles rolling around in the engine compartment. the noise was louder during start up and while driving lower speeds. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the failure who replaced the glow plugs and fuel filters; however, the failure continued. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and who advised him that the balance shaft assembly needed to be replaced with a redesigned balance shaft assembly. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 70,000. | |||
| 09/15/2008 | 30000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 volkswagen passat diesel. after starting the vehicle the engine began to rattle violently. he stated it sounded like marbles rolling around in the engine compartment. the noise was louder during start up and lower speeds. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the failure. the dealer replaced the glow plugs and fuel filters. the failure continued. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic and the mechanic advised him that the balance shaft assembly needs replacing with a redesign balance shaft assembly. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage 70,000. vwb | |||
| 07/01/2009 | 100000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 volkswagen passat. she could hear what was described as a chain noise while driving at any speed. after approximately 1 year the failure began to become louder so the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where she was informed the balance chain was going to brake soon. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 117,000. sm. | |||
| 12/17/2009 | 134500 | 1 | |
| I have a 2005 vw passat gls with approx 135,000 miles. i took it in to get winterized, oil change and clear the engine light (whatever the misfire was for), and a factory recall on the engine coils. got all that done (plus serpentine belt replaced) and was told that the engine light should be ok, if it comes back on...to let them know asap. a day and 1/2 later, the light came back on, and this time, there was barely any heat on in the car. took it back...they stated that the coils needed to be replaced (again) and that there was an oil leak going into the coils & the fuel injectors, and that the heater core needed to be replaced. i had the coils and the 2 faulty injectors replaced. i got frustrated with this dealer and went to another vw deal, for their evaluation. they said that they didn't know how i could've been told that the heater core was bad, when there was so many other things wrong before they even got to the heater core!! and they gave me 3 options: either pay for each service separately, get a new/used engine or see what i can get for this car and trade it in (not happy @ all). i called vw of a to see if there were any recalls or complaints about the heater core, since it was causing more damage that originally thought, but they nicely documented it and sent me a loyalty voucher if i were to get another vw. i am pissed. i know i have alot of mileage, but this is major, major damage and expenses to be put out for this car!!! vw needs to get it together. i loved my passat until this point. *tr | |||
| 12/29/2009 | 87400 | 1 | |
| Numerous reports of vw bhw diesel engine oil balance shaft / chain failure are reported. volkswagen of america refuses to acknowledge any responsibility for repair despite the fact that vw has recognized the issue and changed the design. failure of the balance shaft / chain results in immediate lack of power creating a potential life safety hazard. vw of canada has acknowledged responsibility in some documented cases. vw of america should be compelled by government authorities to resolve the matter on behalf of us citizens. i am having the repair done proactively to prevent any serious safety issue but vw should step up and reimburse those of us who have paid for the expensive repair on our own. *tr | |||
| 05/20/2009 | 57000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2005 passat tdi gls. my car had developed a very serious noise caused by the oil pump chain unit that was originally on this vehicle. i did talk to vw and my dealer service department about the thrashing chain noise. i got polite denials and blank stares when i told them of this issue. members of the www.tdiclub.com discovered a vw engineered fix for the vehicles involved. members who have driven their cars beyond the 80k or so seem more likely to have the chain snap during operation which renders the car inoperative and dangerous during the breakage. the fix is not exactly an inexpensive repair as the parts alone are around $1500 and the installation requires extensive disassembly of the vehicle. the repair involves replacing the chain driven oil pump balance shaft assembly with a gear driven assembly. the below link has videos/sound clips of my car before the noise, after the noise and after the fix. this was taken with 44,444 miles on the clock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0wmgcdjfqi this the car prior to balance shaft repair in may 2009 with 56,000 miles on the clock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttqx3sj6_fk this is a post-op recording june 2009 at 57,000 miles of my passat after brian johnston of cardocautomotive in st. louis missouri. he is a nationally known independent ase certified expert on this issues repair. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtqiak-cwd4. *tr | |||
| 07/27/2009 | 62000 | 1 | 01/07/2006 |
| Tl* the contact owns a 2005 vw passat. while driving 30 mph, the low pressure warning light illuminated on the instrument panel; which instructed her to discontinue operation. it the contact chose to continue operating the vehicle engine failure could have occurred. the vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection. a technician replaced the turbo along with the oil and pick-tube; to avoid oil from entering into the inner cooler. the current and failure mileages were 62,000. updated 10/21/09 *bf updated 10/20/09*jb | |||
| 12/15/2008 | 69000 | 1 | |
| My 2005 passat tdi was leaking a huge amount of oil so i topped off the oil and took it to the mechanic. he showed me a huge gash in the oil pan, resulting in the leak. when we took the pan off the oil pump chain tensioner and chain came out in pieces. the tensioner broke and slammed the chain into the oil pan, making the gouge. we replaced the oil pan, chain, tensioner, and completed an early timing belt change including a water pump. this was around $2000 total. after some research i found out this is likely due to a problem with the balance shaft module / chain driven oil pump setup on these cars. i found out that even though i spent $2000 fixing this i may need to complete the same repairs again or replace the balance shaft module which would be several thousand dollars. i also discovered that vw has upgraded the design of the balance shaft/oil pump drive so obviously they know this is a problem. i've read that i was rather lucky, it is entirely possible that i could have suffered a catastrophic loss of oil pressure and had the engine seize up, which could be deadly. i'm basically just afraid to drive my car now. *tr | |||
| 05/19/2009 | 92000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2005 passat tdi that had its balance shaft module and chain that drive the oil pump fail at 92,000 miles. it happened while i was driving on a two lane road and i had to stop the car on the side of the road. the mechanic that is doing the job is charging me $1500 for the repair and the parts are about $1300. i have started to research this failure and have found out that it is quite common and vw has not done a recall to repair the problem the nhtsa should look into this and force vw to recall these cars for they are a safety hazard on the road. *tr | |||
| 04/07/2009 | 79000 | 1 | |
| There is a problem with the bhw engine in my 2005 passat tdi the balance shafts in this engine are driven by a chain off the motor, which also drives the oil pump. this unfortunate design subjects the chain to stresses it cannot withstand. on various tdi forums, especially tdiclub.com, there are a significant number of chain failures being reported. of course, when the chain driving the oil pump fails, the engine is starved of essential lubrication. if the failure of the chain causes engine to stop running in the middle of traffic, merging onto a highway, or passing on the highway, this condition could easily cause danger to all citizens nearby, possibly leading to death. recently, volkswagen 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. the repair is quite expensive. when the chain fails, the parts to repair cost approximately $1800 plus approximately another $1500 in labor bills to have the parts installed. if the engine is destroyed, it will cost the owner approximately $8000 to replace the engine. this is unacceptable. i believe it is now obvious that all the bhw engines will fail unless the gear driven oil pump modification is undertaken. it is unfair to expect owners of these vehicles to pay for the repairs. the problem originated with a flawed design. this is not a small problem, as this design flaw will lead to total engine failure. my vehicle is currently experiencing severe noise oscillations that is attributed to imminent failure of the aforementioned chain assembly. thus, i must pay to repair this design flaw before it can cause an accident. so far, volkswagen of america has not provided adequate support for resolving this design problem. *tr | |||
| 12/31/2008 | 94000 | 1 | |
| Nvs-216 mec and ref. # is 10257848 vw 2005 passat tdi balance shaft replacement this was a very expensive repair($3200)ot avoid a catastrophic failure of the engine at any speed that could result in total lose of control. this is a design flaw by vw and should be replace at their cost! *tr | |||
| 02/15/2009 | 66000 | 1 | |
| The balance shafts in this engine are driven by a hex shaft off the chain driven oil pump. this unfortunate design subjects the chain to stresses it cannot withstand. my own passat had the oil pump and balance shaft replaced 2/16/09 with less than 65,000 miles. thankfully, a good mechanic detected the problem before i had a catastrophic engine failure. a $3,500 repair is never welcome, but it was better than replacing the engine like the vw dealer recommended. i did a lot of research on this problem and inquired at several vw dealerships and chose the most experienced man to do the job. recently, volkswagen 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. the repair is quite expensive. parts will cost in excess of $1,400 and labor will be in excess of $1,200 at most shops. i believe it is now obvious that all the bhw engines will fail unless the gear driven oil pump modification is undertaken. it is unfair to expect owners of these vehicles to pay for the repairs. the problem originated with a flawed design. this is not a small problem, as this design flaw will lead to total engine failure. my wife normally drives the car and she should not be put through this. if the failure of the chain causes engine to stop running in the middle of traffic, merging onto a highway, or passing on the highway, this condition could easily cause danger to all citizens nearby, possibly leading to death. 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 recognize a problem of this severity and should be communicated to the owners as soon as possible. these engine failures could leave motorists stranded under dire circumstances and their safety is at risk. *tr | |||
| 11/22/2008 | 52000 | 1 | |
| Engine noise, rattle, oil light. engine (turbo diesel // passat) does not seem normal and much noisier than usual. other fiends with tdi's have had major concerns with their cars (same circumstances). *tr | |||
| 01/10/2009 | 80000 | 1 | |
| I have recently come to the need of having to replace a critical part of the engine oil system in my 2005 passat tdi. for various reasons, not the least of which is an inferior design, the balance shaft assembly on this particular engine (2004-2005 model years) will cause oil flow to the engine to cease, disrupting safe travel of the car immediately, regardless of the speed of travel. this failure is exceptionally dangerous at highway speeds of 70+ mph. if this failure were to occur at highway speed, the driver would notice a sudden deceleration and a need to move to the shoulder abruptly. not only would this endanger the driver and occupants of said vehicle, but other drivers on the roadway as well. volkswagen has yet to issue a statement, recall or warning to owners of this particular vehicle, nor is it mentioned anywhere in the owner's manual as part of a vehicle maintenance program. *tr | |||
| 11/07/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| I currently lease a 2005 vw passat. warranty offered: 5 yr/ 50,000 mile. approx. nov 7, 2008 vehicle dashboard began to register stop oil press low. immediately pulled into closest gas station and purchased a synthetic oil for vw thinking this would solve the problem. on nov 17, 2008 dashboard lit up again with same message and immediately brought vehicle into vista vw, pompano bch, florida. was instructed that issue was possibly due to faulty oil pressure dip stick cylinder and need of oil change. (cylinder replaced and oil change completed) prior oil change was completed at vista vw pompano beach. vw mechanic placed a clear oil change maint. sticker with incorrect mileage due at next oil change. oil change should have occurred at 38,000 miles vs. 45,000. vista vw stated i would need to pay for a diagnostic test to be completed (approx $166.00) as well as an hourly charge for labor (approx. $110 p/hr) not including any and all repair to be paid for upon completion. this due to warranty expired. brought vehicle in at 792 miles over 50,000. due to the expense that i would have incurred it was not feasible for me to go ahead and perform this diagnostic test hence causing me to leave no further choice but to decline service. i attempted to trade my passat in early and release a new vehicle and was unsuccessful in doing so. approximately 1 month later i was at gunther vw coconut creek and informed finance mgr that i now have an engine light on. i was told to try and drive the vehicle back home and see if the light goes out. that maybe it's a faulty sensor. upon arrival at my residence the vehicle completely shut down and engine failed. the following day i had the vehicle towed to a mechanic. my mechanic stated that the approx. cost for repair would be anywhere between $8,000 - $10,000. i immediately began research and found there is a lawsuit from the consumers of vw passats in regard to this exact same mechanical issue & vw will not comply with this issue. *tr | |||
| 01/29/2009 | 1 | ||
| I have not had failure yet, but there are several individuals who own the same exact car i own, a 2005 vw passat tdi. there is an ongoing concern at several news groups including www.tdiclub.com and other diesel enthusiast newsgroups about the oil pump chain unit that is in the vw bhw 2.0 turbodiesel engine. many of these cars when they get out of warranty at 60k will start to have engine noise which is indicative of the oil pump chain unit chain weakening. this condition leads to complete failure without general warning. this is a disaster awaiting to happen. vw in europe has developed a fix for this engine that involves installing a gear system instead of the chain and tensioner system for the engine balancing system. there are several episodes of people having the engines fail while on the road. i am concerned as an owner of this particular engine vw passat. there were about 12 thousand of these imported into the usa. i know of at least four individuals who have had this situation happen to them and their passat. the repairs are not cheap in the neighborhood of $3000 at a bare minimum with up to 9 thousand for a new motor, even despite owners using the proper specified motor oil. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 100000 | 1 | |
| This reference a very specific vehicle, i.e. namely the 2005-2005 vw passat tdi (diesel) car, both sedan and station wagon version, with the vw bhw engine. what started out as an occasional need to replace the chain that drive the oil pump, became a certainty that the chain would break. if the chain breaks, you loose oil pressure immediate, and the engine is going to seize (not to mention the chain itself flopping around in the crank area which could lodge in the drive system and do the same). in any situation where you are accelerating, that is going to be catastrophic , and certainly any higher speed on a freeway/highway being the same) vw has recognized the issue and has now issued a tsb on the problem, but has not instituted a recall. the change is to remove the chain drive system and convert the engine to a gear driven oil pump. this is extremely expensive. what this does to the counter balancer shaft is unknown (i.e. what caused what to fail has not had any indication from vw). ww should immediately be mandated to recall all these vehicles with the tdi bhw engine and or issue a recall notice that the vehicle should be brought in before the 100k timing belt change interval listed in the manual and have that tsb changed to a recall and safety repair. any owner hearing the signatory noise of the failure developing should have that repaired immediately, but it should be replaced not latter than the 100k point. this is based on a survey of a few at 40 to 60k, most have it developing by 100k (if not failed or close to failure at that point. all other vw diesel engine use a gear driven oil pump system. *tr | |||
| 08/05/2008 | 43000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 volkswagen passat. while the vehicle is idling, the engine makes a chain rattling noise. the failure has not been diagnosed. the current mileage was 48,000 and failure mileage was 43,000. | |||
| 05/05/2008 | 44000 | 1 | |
| I have leased a 2005 vw passat. i changed my oil on a regular basis, my mechanic did not write the in mileage or out mileage when he gave me my receipt. my car broke down on the highway and vw states that i need a new motor due to sludge in the motor. the are telling me my receipts are not good enough and won't cover the motor. i have searched the web and see i'm not the only one with this problem. the palisades, ny vw are impossible to do business with. i'm not getting a new motor! *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 10/28/2009 | 96000 | 1 | |
| I was driving on the highway with my 2 years old son, and out of no where the car stop and as soon as stop one of the message from my car was stop cooling engine, that was the four time that light appears on my car, i been talking the car to the mechanic for that problem but they told me it is a defect i already spent more than $3,000.00 on my car and is not working, my car is a wv passat 2005. *tr | |||
| 03/18/2009 | 77000 | 1 | |
| 2005 vw passat tdi heater core failure, a common vw recall problem. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 01/04/2010 | 141000 | ||
| Escessive and increased rattling noise noticed on my 2005 passat tdi. evaluation revealed that the chain and tensioner driving the balance shafts and oil pump was failing and needed replacement. service technician states that this is a common problem and vw has issued a gear drive to replace the chain, however there is no recall or tsb therefore the cost of the repair is the owner's responsibility. over $2000 to repair. | |||
| 02/01/2010 | 66300 | 1 | |
| Oil sludge, oil pump failure, engine failure, now my 2005 vw passat needs a new engine , this is a vw manufacturing defect in the 4 cylinder 1.8 turbo engine because the turbocharger gets to hot and cause the expensive synthetic oil breakdown and it sits in the bottom of the oil pan until it gets sucked up by the oil pump and this causes your engine to fail. *tr | |||
| 12/28/2009 | 94245 | 1 | |
| Numerous reports of vw bhw diesel engine oil balance shaft / chain failure are reported. volkswagen of america refuses to acknowledge any responsibility for repair despite the fact that vw has recognized the issue and changed the design. failure of the balance shaft / chain results in immediate lack of power creating a potential life safety hazard. vw of canada has acknowledged responsibility in some documented cases. vw of america should be compelled by government authorities to resolve the matter on behalf of us citizens. *tr | |||
| 04/09/2009 | 123122 | 1 | |
| Balance shaft module, which drives the oil pump, has a chain drive. this drive was getting very noisy. if the chain were to fail the engine would loose all oil pressure. i had a shop replace the balance shaft assembly, which includes the oil pump, with the new and improved geared balance shaft module. (old part is no longer available). *tr | |||
| 02/10/2009 | 62000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle affected is a 2004-2005 volkswagen passat tdi equipped with a 2.0l diesel engine. codedbhw. the oil pump balance shaft module and chain are week in design and are failing without any warning to the driver. when this failure occur the engine is starved of oil and internal failure is imminent. safety of operation becomes compromised at this point since an engine failure at highway speeds removes all power steering and braking features and the driver is along for the ride until getting the vehicle to a stop by use of e-brake or other speed reducing maneuvers and hopefully avoiding a collision. this failure is being reported at a broad range of mileage starting with 45,000 and up. its main sign is a loud chain rattle or abnormal vibration while at idle. volkswagen has issued an upgraded part but no further guidance was issued. there are no recalls or warranty repairs as of right now. all owners are upgrading there vehicles with a gear driven assembly at a price tag for the repair of $3000. *tr | |||
| 03/27/2009 | 44867 | 1 | |
| My vw passat wagon gls tdi (diesel) engine has been making a loud noise and vibration at stop over the last year and worsened until i had it repaired. i took it to an independent auto shop and was told the chain driven oil pump and tensioners were making the noise. the brilliant mechanic replaced the parts with a gear driven oil pump and the vibrations and noise stopped. i think this is a design flaw and should be recalled by vw. the mechanic said that the oil pump chain tensioners were close to breaking. *tr | |||
| 03/04/2009 | 41000 | 1 | |
| Excessive noise from oil pump, chain unit, and chain (and possibly balance shaft) due to original equipment design. i believe a failure is imminent and within 100 miles. failure of the 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. my vehicle is still under warranty, however, it is unclear that the extensive parts and labor to repair will be corrected by vw dealer due to the limited number of vehicles such as this in north america. *tr | |||
| 02/24/2009 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Loud noise in the lower half of engine prompted evaluation by mechanic. problem was from failure of chain driven balance module. this failure was due to faulty design that vw has admitted to by virtue of no longer manufacturing this unit and replacing it with a totally re-engineered balance shaft module that is gear driven. complete failure of this unit while operating the vehicle could result in a collision that potentially could be fatal. vw refuses to be responsible and admit their error in design to the public, hoping to avoid a costly recall campaign. in the meantime vw owners are having to pay $2500 to $3000 for this repair. at the same time this is a recognized problem with the same engines in europe and vw has re-engineered the parts for north america for replacement. vw needs to be held responsible for this design failure and the affected engines in north america need to be repaired at vw's expense before someone gets killed. *tr | |||
| 02/25/2009 | 55555 | 1 | |
| Imminent failure of major engine component due to poor vw design. this involves the oil pump drive chain mechanism that should be replaced with vws new gear drive via a recall. broken chain drives are piling up yet vw refuses to acknowledge the potential harm and damage that could occur. visit http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=233651 for details. *tr | |||
| 02/24/2009 | 58000 | 1 | |
| I am an owner of a 2005 passat tdi gls wagon with 58,000 miles on it. i am writing to seek help in getting volkswagen of america to recognize there is an inherent problem with the engine | |||
| 02/20/2009 | 1 | ||
| Design flaw of 2004-2005 passat tdi vehicles sold in usa and canada involving the balance shaft module and its chain driven oil pump design. the chain has been reported to fail with no warning. vw has issued new design to replace the old but has not commenced and recall as of yet. *tr | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 91000 | 1 | |
| 2005 vw passat tdi had a loud noise coming from the engine like marbles in a blender. the car also shook violently. it got progressively worse over time until it was unbearable. the noise and vibrations were constant - whenever the car was running. i finally took the car into the shop and it turns out the timing chain that drives the oil pump and balance module was bad. the shop had to replace the entire oil pump and balance module due to a redesign from vw. the new design is now gear driven. the old parts are available at the shop that did the replacement. it looks like vw did upgrade the parts back in the early part of 2008 but they have not notified their customer base nor have they issued any recall. if the chain were to break there would be oil starvation to the engine because the chain drives the oil pump. this could lead to catastrophic damage and also life threatening injuries if this were to happen while the vehicle was in motion. i'm very lucky that i repaired my car when i did. total cost for the repair was around $2400.00. *tr | |||
| 02/08/2009 | 102000 | 1 | |
| Eventual failure of chain driven oil pump and balance shafts, resulting in a sudden loss of power and destruction of the engine, leading to a potential life/safety situation in this 2005 passat tdi. this method of driving the oil pump and balance shafts is a volkswagen acknowledged engineering flaw as noted in technical product information bulletin 2016429/2. not wishing to replace an engine that as a result of said failure, might potentially place myself and passengers in a life threatening situation, i have proactively changed out the chain-driven oil pump/balance shaft module for a gear driven assembly at a cost to myself of $3000. i believe vw needs to step up and issue a recall for this model. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 59999 | 1 | |
| I have not had failure yet, but there are several individuals who own the same exact car i own, a 2005 vw passat tdi. there is an ongoing concern at several news groups including www.tdiclub.com and other diesel enthusiast newsgroups about the oil pump chain unit that is in the vw bhw 2.0 turbodiesel engine. many of these cars when they get out of warranty at 60k will start to have engine noise which is indicative of the oil pump chain unit chain weakening. this condition leads to complete failure without general warning. this is a disaster waiting to happen. vw in europe has developed a fix for this engine that involves installing a gear system instead of the chain and tensioner system for the engine balancing system. there are several episodes of people having the engines fail while on the road. i am concerned as an owner of this particular engine vw passat. there were about 12 thousand of these imported into the usa. i know of at least four individuals who have had this situation happen to them and their passat. the repairs are not cheap in the neighborhood of $3000 at a bare minimum with up to 9 thousand for a new motor, even despite owners using the proper specified motor oil. *tr | |||
| 10/16/2008 | 82000 | 1 | |
| The balance shafts in this engine (2005 vw b5 passat tdi) are driven by a chain off the motor which also drives the oil pump. this unfortunate design subjects the chain to stresses it cannot withstand. ours let go at speed with my family of five on board. fortunately no one was injured at the sudden deceleration in traffic. a fix has been mandated in the ecu but not in the us. there is no current official fix from vw america. the expectation is the engine will self destruct and the customer will be required to purchase an entire $5000-8000 motor with a replacement gear assembly. volkswagen technical product information 016429. *tr | |||
| 10/09/2008 | 60877 | 1 | |
| I own a 2005 vw passat gls tdi sedan diesel and the oil pump balance shaft assembly including oil pump drive chain, tensioner, and sprocket are bad and making a horrendous noise. the vehicle has just over 60,000 miles but, is out of factory warranty. the vw dealer the vehicle was taken to has no idea of such a problem. my research has proven otherwise. it is said that if such a failure occurred at highway speeds, disaster could result. apparently, there is a fix for this issue which entails the removal of the whole oil pump chain drive assembly and replacing it with a gear driven assembly. i feel this should be considered a factory defect and safety issue to where vw issues an immediate service bulletin followed by a mandatory recall campaign. *tr | |||
| 08/28/2007 | 25500 | 1 | |
| August 2007 i got an oil change from the 10 minute oil change place in north arlington, nj. the first week of october my engine seized due to sludge. i always get my oil changed on a regular basis (3,000 miles) not the suggest 5,000 in my car manual. the 10 minute oil change place does not have a computer system to produce records and unfortunately i have only one receipt from the august 2007 oil change. so i went through all my old charge card receipts and debit receipts from my bank to prove that i did get my oil changed. however gensinger volkswagen in clifton, nj and volkswagen of america the corporate office said that my receipts were not proof enough that it was my car even though some of my receipts had the oil change place twice in one month which proves that i got an oil change & my husband got an oil change. so since october 2007 my car has been undriveable and has sat in my driveway ever since. i have continued paying for my lease and my insurance on this car even though my car is undriveable. this 2005 passat has only 25,500 miles on it and this engine should have never seized. volkswagen passats are known for heavy sludge in their engines and yet this company does nothing about it! i now have to pay for a new engine before i turn this leased car back. please do something about this awful company. *tr | |||
| 06/07/2006 | 9600 | 1 | 11/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph uphill, there was popping noise followed by a loss of all power. after the initial engine stall, the engine was restarted, but stalled again. the vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection. the dealer determined there was a failed connection of the inter-cooler hose and pressurized hose that connects to the turbo charger. the dealer replaced the hose fittings on the turbo charger. updated 6/27/2006 - the consumer feels that the hose connection mechanism wasn't sufficient to support the high pressure created by the turbo. *nm | |||
| 07/06/2005 | 1 | 05/21/2005 | |
| 2005 volkswagen passat developed problems with stalling.*mr the consumer was told by the dealer, the engine was damaged. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - DIESEL | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Ltr from senator murkowski on behalf of constituent who has concerns re the safety of the 2005 vw passat tdi station wagon. *nj the consumer stated there is a design issue with the engine. the consumer stated vw used an unusual combination of a chain driven oil pump (normally gear drive) and associated with that a counter balancer to reduce vibration in the diesel engine. the oil chain is prone to failure, and the balancer shaft is not a tight enough fit. the consumer stated the repair is costly and there is no real fix for the issue. *jb | |||
| 09/05/2006 | 65000 | 2 | 01/03/2005 |
| The vehicle was in for repairs at 42k miles, while under the warranty in 2004. there was an oil leak and the car was running rough. they stated they replaced a flange that was cracked, the oil pump/balance shaft sprocket, chain tensioner. when i got the car back it wasn't running right, very, very rough and loud (it's a diesel but used to be quiet). it turns out they did not balance the balance shaft with the engine, they ordered the part/tool to do this. nearly 1k miles later, after they told me it was safe to drive, they called me to come in and have it balanced, which i did. at 65k miles, roughly 9-10 months after this initial repair, the chain snapped for the oil pump. the sprocket on the oil pump that they replaced along with the chain tensioner were destroyed. the sprocket had old and new wear, the chain tensioner ended up in pieces, and the chain should have been replaced the initial time but was not. the chain snapped. the original flange that was leaking was also leaking again. this catastrophe led to the crankshaft needing to be replaced as well as the turbo which was immediately starved for oil and burned up too. the engine was rebuilt (bottom end), turbo replaced, new crank, and currently it still cannot be driven due to electrical or mechanical problems associated with the repair and failure. vw of america stated the parts they replaced did not fail, and if they did they only have a 12mo/12k mile warranty on them. the warranty for the car was up at 50k miles. there are numerous complaints on the forums and message boards in regards to the balance shaft and components (chain, tensioner, shaft, hex shaft, sprocket) being faulty or failing. many are having problems shortly after the warranty is up. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - TURBO-CHARGER | |||
| 07/27/2009 | 62000 | 1 | 01/07/2006 |
| Tl* the contact owns a 2005 vw passat. while driving 30 mph, the low pressure warning light illuminated on the instrument panel; which instructed her to discontinue operation. it the contact chose to continue operating the vehicle engine failure could have occurred. the vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection. a technician replaced the turbo along with the oil and pick-tube; to avoid oil from entering into the inner cooler. the current and failure mileages were 62,000. updated 10/21/09 *bf updated 10/20/09*jb | |||