Problems with 2000 Volkswagen Passat ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 volkswagen passat. while driving at any speed, the vehicle would overheat and cause the engine to fail. the contact stated that the failure was recurring and the "emissions work" indicator illuminated sometimes during the failure. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the cooling system failed. the manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failure. the contact believed the failure was related to nhtsa campaign number: 14e007000 (engine and engine cooling). the approximate failure mileage was 185,000. the vin was not provided.

When acceleration and engaging passing mode, vehicle continues to accelerate even when pedal released. very difficult to control speed and brake. have done internet search on problem and find it fairly common with vw passat and certain audi models that use same throttle body. this device apparently requires regular servicing to avoid sticking problem. there is no doubt this is a dangerous condition and in my own instance, could easily have led to a highspeed accident. this vehicle was just purchased by me and went through md motor vehicle inspection in december, 2011. *tr

The heater core started to leak and my windows fogged up while driving on freeway. i almost got into a car crash because i lost my visibility. *tr

While stopped at a red light, the engine accelerated by itself (computer failure?). my husband, who was driving, had to use both feet, pressing down as hard as he could, to stop the car. fortunately, no one was in front of us and we were far enough back that we did not accelerate into the intersection. the engine sound returned to normal after 15-30 seconds and we drove it home without further incident but we have stopped driving the car for safety reasons. in addition, the abs computer module has also failed, though we have not had any incidents related to that failure as the brakes are otherwise fine.

2000 vw passat 1.8t engine failure due to sludge build up. *tr

In the last couple years my 2000 vw passat has a burning smell like a fire in the engine after driving a bit (i've noticed this particularly when the heater is on), has hesitated and jumped when i've tried to shift gears and accelerate, and a while ago the "check engine" light was going on when this hesitation occurred; although this light hasn't come on in the same situation lately, and the hesitation itself doesn't seem to be occurring as much as before. at any rate, i still get the burning smell and recently read that there is an investigation on this very make and model by nhtsa for said problems. my mechanic has been saying all along there is no problem, but perhaps he doesn't know of this investigation. what should i do? *tr

2000 passat wagon 1.8 caught fire and burned - its was not running and was parked for 20 min then fire started under the right side of the engine. *tr

2000 passat auto transmission began to catch on fire near engine and where exhaust meet. my son and a friend both 20yrs old were driving late at night when this occurred. i thank god it did not end tragically. *tr

I am the owner of a 2000 vw passat with the 1.8 liter turbo engine. this engine is known to have serious sludging issues. this was unknown to me. two months ago my oil pressure indicator lit up. i could not find any oil pressure issues so i took the car to the dealership 45 miles away. they "inspected" the car and informed me the engine was sludged up. apparently vw has a warranty regarding this issue but only if you can produce every receipt of every oil change the vehicle has ever had from the day it was purchased from vw. problem: i am the second owner. i can not produce receipts from the previous owner. to compound the problem i purchase my oil and filters by the case to last me several years. i do not have those receipts of those purchases anymore. i changed the oil according vw specifications located in the manual. to make matters worse vw decided to change the owners manual to state that synthetic oil must be used instead of regular motor oil, but did not inform me of this. vw will/has contacted me as the new owner of the car regarding recalls but would not inform me of this very important maintenance change that could destroy my engine. now vw wants to charge me over $4,000 to put a new "oil sludging kit" on my car to compensate for a known defect simply because i can not produce records to show that i changed the oil every three months and that i used synthetic oils instead of regular oil as the owner manual states. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 volkswagen passat. while driving 5 mph, the vehicle began to shake and the front end made a clicking noise. the contact then noticed a burning rubber smell and noticed smoke coming from the front passenger side. a police report was filed. the vehicle caught fire under the hood and has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the failure mileage was 90,000. updated 05/28/08 *bf

Bought a vw passat used from private dealer~i owned the car for exactly 1 year, turbo failed ~ check engine light has been on since owning vehicle. car has been diagnosed with oil sludge issues from previous owners. just paid for turbo and two oil lines to be replaced. vw of america stated they would take responsibility ~ never heard from them, i keep calling ~ check engine light has been on since day one ~ no one wants to help me on this quest to seek action. i owe 11,000.00 more on the vehicle car was smoking severely ~thought it was an undercarriage~but it is near the turbo line so it could be mistaken. *tr

I have had my 2000 vw passat for a little over two years and it has been a money pit! i have had so many problems since a month or so after i bought my car. i bought the car from a private party, test drove the car, had it checked out by a mechanic, and i have put thousands of dollars into the car. i bought the car just before my senior year in high school thinking i made a wonderful choice, and i had to replace a new right side boot just after a month of owning the car. the check engine light/abs/airbag kept coming on and beeping at me, and i had to buy a whole new brain to the car over $1500. i had to replace the timing belt way before the mile warranty, oil leaks which ruined some wires, new shocks/shock absorbers, now the window will go part way down, but will no longer go up... and my headlights are fogged up which i have noticed on all other 2000 passats...! many things have gone wrong with this car. i am so frustrated with the car. i do not recommend a vw to anyone! i am going into the second year of college and have spent most of my savings on this piece of junk. i think after fixing a part of the car that it should run without any problems. since i have put so much money into this car i cannot afford to get a reliable car. there is something seriously wrong with vw and the recalls! as far as i am concerned the whole car should be recalled!!!! *tr

Turbo started sucking up oil, eventually leading to engine failure. *jb

I've had my 2000 passat now for 3 years, my husband and myself see to it that our cars have annual tune-ups and regular oil changes. for the past month the abs and brake light has been flashing non-stop. during my most recent tune up, i was informed that the catalytic converters have to be replaced. my mechanic was convinced that a recall had to be in place because he was seeing this problem occurring frequently. i called the vw dealership where i purchased the vehicle and was informed that $100 was needed to even look at the car. all of this has me furious. a recall is needed--right a way!!!!! *jb

Purchased my 2000 passat in 2003, had numerous problems since. it seemed like everything on the car had to be replaced. the control arms, o2 sensors, twice, belts, stereo didn't turn on, all new hoses right away, all 4 window regulators, and now to top it all off, the abs lights kept coming on. my husband has a 2000 audi a4, virtually the same car, and had to replace all of the same things. the abs seemed to work fine, but the dealer said it would be $1800 to fix it. i looked at some online forums and found thousands of people with similar problems. the manufacturer, (bosch or volkswagen, should do something about this. my car has been parked since august 2006 because i don't have money to fix it! i am college student. help!

Owner drove the vehicle approximately 7 miles, went into a store, came out, and observed a fire in the vehicle. heat shield above right side catalytic converter melted and some wiring in the dash was burned.

The engine light has been on for a while. i had the catalytic converter replaced last year in 08/05 when it initially occurred. the problem went off. it came back on just yesterday 07/11/2006. the message says it is emission workshop. i have not taken it to a vw dealer, however, i suspect it is the same catalytic converter problem. another problem i have had is the stop - brake fault message. the abs light is on while the brake light is illuminating. i have taken my car to two different independent mechanics to check on the issues. they mentioned that the brake pads were all fine. and so was the fluid brake reservoir level. they were guessing it was electrical problem or abs sensor problem. *jb

Check engine light has been on since purchasing of car ~ electra auto sales was aware of this and noted this was their records they would be responsible. they have been given me the run around because of the faulty engine system. my daughter and i were subjected to almost being killed on the highway because of the car stalling and rough idliing ~ paul vargas owner of electra auto sales has not returned any called back . ak

I am the original owner of a 2000 vw passat, 4 cyl. on 3/24/06, the defrost no longer worked properly in the vehicle. pinkish-orange coolant started spraying out on my feet while driving, white smoke came spilling out of the vents & the coolant spread itself thick on the interior of the windshield & windows. this left it cloudy & i had to pull the vehicle over and wipe the windows with cleaner and paper towels. with it becoming immediately cloudy, i lost visibility of the cars in front of me. coolant also leaked onto the passenger floor board/mat. i immediately looked online for feedback and found it could possibly be a cracked heater core (which is not covered under my extended warranty). i took it by a vw dealer for a drive by diagnosis, it was confirmed it was the heater core. i contacted vw of america immediately to notify them of this problem and asked if they could assist with 50%-100% of the repairs because it was a reported problem everywhere. vw customer care said i needed to set up a diagnosis appt with the vw dealer, which was on 4/24/06. 10 minutes after i dropped my car off, my service consultant russell dilley w/miramar vw in san diego, ca called my cell phone and said "yes it is the heater core". prior to leaving my car with him, he believed it to be a cracked heater core, just with my few symptoms explained and he said he has seen this problem many times before and he confirmed vw of america had covered the cost of the repairs. i notified vw of america customer care that the diagnosis was performed and ready. i had to pay $99.00 for the so called one hour diagnosis appt, even though it was confirmed in 10 minutes. customer care said they would contact me within 48 hours to let me know their decision w/the assistance of the repair. i received a call yesterday 5/1/06 from marlina, she said vw of america will not be able to assist with the repair of the cracked heater core because of the age of the vehicle & the mileage. year 2000, mileage 89k. *nm

Oil sludge build up in engine. 2000 volkswagen passat 1.8 turbo 4 cylinder 49000. *jb

While driving my 2000 passat, the stop engine light came on to notify me that there was a problem with oil pressure. there was nothing prior to this warning that would have lead me to believe that there was a problem. no odd noises in the car and it was driving fine. i took the car to the dealer and was informed that the engine was totaled and it needed to be replaced at a cost of $7,000. i did find out that in august of 2004, vw of america issues a service notice to all the service departments that due to a malfunctioning fuel pump, oil sludge may build up in the engine, ultimately leading to engine failure. this was not sent to any of the vehicle owners. in the notice, vwoa said that they would extend the warranty of the car and replace the motor, only if there was proof that the oil was changed every 5000 miles. because i have gaps in my oil changes with the dealer, they will not honor this extended warranty and are trying to charge me for the new motor. i've had the care in a number of times between august of 2004 and february 19, 2006 when the light came on and was never notified that there may be a problem. i asked the service manager at the dealer why i wasn't notified of this issue and he said that vwoa issues a number of service memos and was he to tell all of the customers everytime one was issued. had i been notified that this might be the end result of the oil pump not being replaced in 2004, i wouldn't be in my current situation. i have read a number of web posts with people that have had similar problems with their local dealers and vwoa. *jb

2000 passat gls 4-motion v6 has been regularly serviced. oil changes every 3000 miles. at appx 65000 miles, with no warning, the car overheated while idling (it had been idling for less than 8 minutes, it was only 50 degrees outside, the coolant had been checked a few weeks previous at the car's last oil change). the temperature gauge in the dash maxed out and steam and smoke started issuing from under the hood. turned the car off & let it cool for appx 20 minutes before opening hood. checked coolant, it had completely boiled away. replaced coolant, let car continue to cool for appx another 1.5 hrs. started car and drove it (slowly) to a garage specializing in european cars. (my regular mechanic.) replaced the water pump and thermostat, both of which had stopped working. vw recommends that the timing belt be replaced at 80000 miles. mechanic told me that the timing belt looked significantly worn and that it should be replaced now for fear it might break before the regularly scheduled replacement. replaced timing belt. total cost of replacing water pump, thermostat and timing belt: $725. due to excessive engine temperature from the water pump and thermostat failure, pistons and valves in engine now knock and engine is noisy, particularly when first started. engine no longer seems to be as responsive, power wise, as it was previously. 65000 miles seems a bit young to be experiencing a water pump failure. the fact that the engine overheated so quickly and with no prior indication of an impending problem, and that this resulted in such stress to the engine leads me to believe that there may have been a design flaw involved. (have had water pumps go out in other cars, but never prior to 80000 miles, never in under 8 minutes and never with such dire results and high repair costs. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was parked for over an hour, when the heat shield on the top of the exhaust system began to smolder. no indicator lamp illuminated prior to the problem. the fire department was notified and came, although no flames erupted. the fire department could not determine the cause of the smoke. however, an independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and discovered the cause of the smoke was the heat shield.

2000 volkswagen passat. consumer writes in regards to vehicle that die unexpectedly at various speeds *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle has stalled while making turns across highways and entering freeways. the vehicle was taken to the dealer numerous times where different components were replaced, but the stalling continued. *jb

Owner had the catalytic converters and oxygen sensors replaced. a few weeks later, owner was driving the vehicle and then stopped and was sitting in her driveway using her cell phone when she smelled smoke. she got out of the vehicle and looked at the engine and saw fire. exhaust system had overheated, causing melting of the exhaust heat shield and materials on the floor pan just above the catalytic converters.

Purchased a used car from dan perkins chevrolet, in milford, ct on march, 18, 2004.i was advised by the salesman, john almeida, that the car came in as a trade from a girl who bought cars from him all the time at dan perkins. upon further investigation i found the car was purchased brand new from a couple in massachusetts and that dan perkins purchased it at an auction. when i picked the car up and drove it home the engine light was on/the lighter did not work/the tires were bald, and the 6 disc cd changer was not in the car. when i contacted the salesperson, john almeida, and the used car manager, they stated they fixed everything, but that they were not responsible for the cd changer, i wrote a letter to dan perkins himself, and he gave me a new one because it was advertised with the cd changer. when my oil light came on i brought it to curran volkswagen in stratford, ct. they advised me to get a copy of my contract from dan perkins and any other paperwork from dan perkins. i contacted the salesman, john almeida and his manager told me that there was no way i was getting a copy of anything. they do not keep copies of contracts from their customers. he also yelled in the background that curran vw was trying to pass the buck and that i was out of luck!!!the car is now sitting in my driveway with no engine!i am making car payments on a car that does not work, on a car that i have had less than 2 years!i contacted curran vw because vw extended the warranty for the engine to 8 years, i only found this out because i did my own research online. vw of america denied my claim because one of my mechanics, who does not have a computer, handwrote receipts for the oil changes.curran volkswagen gave me an estimate of $12,074.60. the kelly blue book value is $8,000!!!!!vw of america advises their consumers to have oil changed every 5,000 miles or every 6 months. i had mine changed every 3,000 miles.dan perkins showed me no vehicle history reports. *ak

When i brought my 2000 vw passat (55k miles) to dealer for service, they said that the cooling system has sludge. the radiator, heater core needed to be replaced and need to have coolant flush for 2 times. the total is $2600!!! the service advisor said the only cause would be wrong type of coolant, but i have not done service other than the vw dealer. so, i suspect that that is defect in the cooling system of the 2000 passat. *nm

2000 passat -oil pressure light and a big stop light came on with no prior warnings or anything wrong. immediately turned off. waited about 1 hour then drove 1 mile home. next day had it towed to dealership for diagnosis. was told by vw mechanic he was not supposed to tell me but my engine was blown due to oil sludge in the engine which was a "known problem" with this year. wanted $9500 to replace engine (only 52k miles) i still owed $7500 on the car. replaced engine at another garage for $5400 then had to replace turbo for $2000. oil is now leaking and they do not know what the problem is. called vw. they said they would be glad to pay for a replacement engine if i could produce every oil change receipt. the garage where i got my oil changed only keeps records in the computer for 6 months then they are put in boxes in storage. vw basically said "too bad". i have had 2 jettas and now this passat. i will not buy another vw product. i had no problems with the jettas. if they have "known problems" why are they not recalls? vw could not answer this question. *tr

I recently had an experience that i believe would be of interest to your organization. in july of 2000 my wife and i researched for an finally purchased a volkswagen passat [xxx]. we were very pleased with our purchase for a number of years, until what were described to us as "normal" repairs became necessary. some of the more memorable normal repairs included rear brakes at 40,000 miles (front brakes were in very good condition) for approx. $700.00, and the outside rear view mirror adjustor for $400.00. we began to suspect the pricing structure of vw parts and labor was skewed toward the expensive. a big part of of our decision to buy vw was their reputation for solid transportation over a long time. the car was even listed as a recommended purchase on a number of consumer magazines! the most outrageous example of this situation occured in july 1st 2005, when the check engine light came on, and we took the car to our dealer for service. the result of the check was that the catalytic converters (2 of them) needed to be replaced, at a total cost of $3,400.00! since our state has vehicle testing, this is a required repair to be able to continue to drive the car. we have owned the car for 5 years and have 108,000 miles on the odometer. contacting vw gave no relief, as their stated warranty was for 5 years, but only for 80,000 miles. needless to say, i will never purchase a volkswagen product again, and would like to inform potential purchasers of this type of unexpected cost. updated 07/19/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

At 58,000 miles my oil pressure light came on and the stop demand light came on. i contacted the dealer and the service man indicated to me that the 2000 passats' where having problems with the oil pumps. he further explained to me that what was happening was that the pumps that were manufractured were not built strong enough to up hold certain sythetic oils. he further stated that when the oil gets to hot the oil cyrstalizes and then turnss to sludge. given that information i then proceeded to get my car serviced. however upon the date of service ( even knowing the problem) my car was diagnosed at a cost to me for $75.00. at the time of service i learned that the pump was only covered under the warrenty if i could produce 5 years of oil slips. i have several concerns regarding this matter. the first, the owners mannual does not indicate that the pumps are sensative to certain types of oils (synthetic). secondly, the mannual does not state that the warrenty repairs will only be coverded if all receipts for services performed on the vehicle are provided. thridly, it is clear in my mind that if a manufracturer places a default or defective oil pump in a car that it should be a recall? i have read in the most recent comsumer report magazine and it seems to be a reoccuring problem with vw passats. fourthly, when contacting volkeswagon directly i spoke to customer "care" the attidude was appauling. the response i received was "oh well" " that is our policy" did not get that reception when buying the car! i bought my passat july 13, 2000 and by july 13, 2005 i have a serious engine problem. finally, the dealer stated that the cost to me would start anywere at 1,000. can anyone tell me why this is my problem? i am a therapist and i come across many paths in my travel. my paths include physiatrist, teachers,doctors, clients etc i will be sure to share with them my dissatification with volkeswagon. this should be a recall issue. thank you

The secondary air filter on my 2000 vw passat failed at 14,000 miles. it was replaced under warranty. my car now has 50,000 miles on it and it has failed again. replacement price is $1,000. the vw repairshop stated that this not a necessary part and really doesn't need to be replaced. but without replacement the engine light goes on everytime the car is started. i contacted vw directly and filed a complaint. they refused to fix the part. i see that two other people have filed a complaint about the secondary air filter.

2000 4-cyl vw passat, 64000 miles: 2 emissions failures within 48 hrs: 1.) replaced defective evaporator check valve and hose, replaced fuel reg to manifold line and n249 valve line to manifold, replaced vacuum lines ($331); 2.) cleaned carbonated throttle body, replaced jet valve, repalced air filter. replaced mass air flow meter (under extended warranty) ($236). at 50,000 miles: replaced 2nd pump, n112 valve, cobi valve, cracked pipe, fuse set codes. *ak

The engine check-emission light has come on five times. each time the dealer made a different repair. 1) secondary air pump 2) check valve 3) mass air flow sensor 4) inlet hose for booster valve 5)combi valve and secondary air pump. the first time the secondary air pump was replaced was at 58000 miles. the second time at 72000 miles, only 14000 miles later. the dealer said the emission system is poorly designed.*ak

If found on www.epa.gov a recall for emission on the passat 2.8l. mfr recall # we/lk, epa# 1694. the exact defect was found on my passat 1.8l. vacuum supply within the secondary air system is lost when the secondary air vacuum hoses disconnect from the system control valve. the rubber vacuum hose connectors split and separate from the vacuum connection the valve due to heat dissipation in that area. the secondary air hose part# 058133817d. i took my vehicle in after the check engine light went on for the emission workshop. my repair was not covered due to recall not covering my vin. *jb

Emissions workshop light is on. *ak

Alexandria vw damaged my engine and refuses to take responsibility for proving a replacement engine. also, vw of america won't replace a defected engine. *nm

The mass air flow meter gave out on my 2000 volkswagen passat in august 2003. a couple of months later, the warranty for the part was extended to 70,000 miles. i received a rebate for the expense (five months after submitting it). now, 16 months later, the air flow meter failed again, and my car is past the 70,000 mile warranty period (but the part is only 20,000 miles old). volkswagen is clearly having a significant problem with this part, which has been confirmed by two different volkwagen dealerships. *jb

The car was making a funny noise and then the engine stopped. we had it towed to minuteman vw in bedford, ma and they said that the oil pump had failed and that both the oil pump and the engine would have to be replaced at a cost of $6,320.00. the 2000 passat has 60,586 miles on it and had been in for service at 55,478 miles. the service department told us that it should be covered under the 10 year/100,000 mile power train warranty, but when they submitted our claim to vw they refused to cover it because they said i needed to provide copies of every oil change receipt for the past 4 1/2 years. i was able to find 4 receipts, but i do not see anywhere in the owners manual where it clearly and explicitly states that warranty repairs will only be performed if all receipts for all services performed on the car are provided. i noticed that there have been several technical service bulletins issued on this car which relate to engine problems and would like this defect to be considered for a recall. thank you. *jb

My check engine light comes on every 2 weeks, my transmission is jerking when gearing down. this is a new car and it should be more dependable. they reset my light and then we start over because it always comes back on.*ak

While driving at any speed a knocking noise was coming from the engine compartment. dealership repaired the gas recirculation valve (egr valve). *ak

For second time, in two months the emission check light has come on. this is on my vw passat 2000, which has 43,000 miles. after taking the car to dealership, i was told that there are faulty vacuum hoses again in the engine that needs to be replaced. i was told by dealership that i should be expecting to change these vacuum hoses every 40,000 miles. this sounds like a manufacturing defect to me, as i have never replaced this component in my other cars, let alone on a regular basis. i had replaced other vacuum hoses a month ago. *jb

1. brought 2000 passat glx to dealer twice to fix 'smoke coming from engine compartment and accompanying burning smell.' dealer charged $430 to replace "in/out transmission cooler lines" the first time in the shop, and "tightened the cams" the second time. 2. less than 3 weeks after the second service 'tightening the cams', car caught fire while traveling northbound on i-95 at mile marker 8 in ny. after being notified of smoke coming from the car by another motorist, we pulled over. shortly thereafter, the entire car was engulfed in flames. 3. nothing was done to correct the failure as the car was totaled. investigation may or may not be conducted by insurance company to find the cause of the fire. *ak

While driving check engine light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic informed consumer that the problem could not be duplicated. *ak

At 40,000 miles, the water pump bearing failed. foutunately, i stopped the car immediately and did not incur further engine damage. was advised by the dealer that wv "under-engineered" the water pump bearing, resulting in premature failure.*ak

Tl*contact owns a 2000 volkswagen passat. it was repaired on two occasions. the check engine light was always on, and when she accelerated the vehicle made an unusual noise. the mechanic stated that the failure was the air pump and fuse. the contact was concerned of the risk involved since the failure mileage was 51,971 miles. the current mileage was 75200. *ak

Analysis of system after check engine light showed one of two oxygen sensors defective. item was replaced. no other codes indicated further problems..two days later, check engine light lit again. second oxygen sensor replaced. three days later, check engine light on again. . analysis determined air mass meter defective and was replaced. repair costs = $841.25. very reputable repair shop said this happens frequenly to vw's??? vw will be notified and asked to compensate for repairs. *ak

Owner parked the vehicle at a doctor's office. shortly after he went into the doctor's office, the vehicle caught fire. fire burned throughout engine compartment and passenger compartment and caused severe scorching to the front of the floor pan. exhaust heat shield melted. *nm

I have a 2000 vw passat and have carbon build up on the valves due from premium gas use as required in manual. 2 seperate occasions i had to pay hundreds to repair this recurring problem. the dealer says they don't know what fuel i should use. vw headquarters first said a year ago to strictly use premium. now they tell me to use regular but they will not do anything for me. i had to replace a re circulation valve and vacuums. i beleive there is a consumer issue here that someone has to address because i cannot get anybody to agree which fuel to use. they should repair my problem for free.

Owner was driving the vehicle, parked it, turned off the engine, and went inside a restaurant to pick up a pizza. while owner was inside, the volkswagen caught fire. fire burned carpet in front center of passenger compartment, plastics in front center of dash. all damage above location of exhaust and catalytic converter underneath the floor.

Engine speed pulsates at idle when automatic transmission is in gear and brakes applied. no failure or warning lights displayed. to prevent surging of car while stopped, transmission must be put in neutral. also hesitates significantly during some accelerations from stop due to condition, and idles rough when cold. same fault last year in jan. 2003, resolution through replacement of coolant sensor and throttle body.*ak