Problems with 2000 Volkswagen Passat ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I have a 2000 vw passat gls sedan (automatic) 1.8t engine. i have taken the car to service every 5k miles to vw and then to a reputable mechanic (have all the service records). it is currently at 82,000 miles. 2 months ago the car stalled on the road. the oil check light had been on for awhile. i had called vw regarding the sensor light and they said that it is only a sensor problem, and not worry about it. after investigation, the car is in need of a new engine. cam shafts 3 and 4 were dry and not receiving oil. i submitted the car to vw to claim under the 10 year/100k mile powertrain warranty. after 2 months of investigations, vw usa has denied my claim and states that this is due to poor maintenance. the mechanic shop i take my car to is very reputable. my family and friends have and continue to go to this shop and have never had a problem. i am in the stages of legal action against vw usa.*ak

4th winter in a row since purchasing vehicle it has experienced a problem starting. each year the "diagnosis" has been somewhat different...but mainly a "problem with carbonization buildup". 4 times in 4 years, resulting in new plugs, oil change, this year a new battery, "decarbonization procedure"....hundreds and hundreds of dollars. have used only the finest fuel (vw claimed this was the root problem, poor quality fuel) since the first incident in 2000. problem persists.

I have had persistent emission problems with my 2000 v6 vw passat since date of purchase. the maf/oxygen sensors have been replaced numerous times and now i have an emissions issue again (now outside of warranty) that traces back to something in my secondary air system (error codes 1411, 1423). these emission problems are regular and persistent and vw should take care of them without me spending hundreds/thousands of dollars time and time and time again! *nm

Owner was driving and noticed a smell, then he saw smoke coming out of the dash vents. he then saw fire on the passenger-side footwell area. the fire was first observed on the floor where it sloped upward, where the passenger would place their feet. he pulled over, got out, and threw some snow on the passenger-side floor area. he opened a rear door and took some personal belongings out and then observed the dash break out into flames. *nm

My husband and i purchased a 2000 passat with 927 miles on the odometer on july 21, 2000 (ancira, san antonio, tx). three visits to the dealer three for a fluid leak (3/29/01, 2/13/02, 1/17/03). each time, we were told that nothing was wrong. four months ago- "emission control," "check engine" light came on. also the following quit working: power mirrors, the travel computer, temperature sensor was erratic, fuel door quit and the fuel mileage gauge malfunctioned. most recently, the car started running rough and a clear, viscous fluid appeared on my garage floor. the car has 25,000 miles. we change the oil regularly. it had a 15,000-mile check-up. we took the car to a reputable mechanic (mander automotive in helotes, texas). the owner of mander (bob mander) was very concerned that this car had so many electrical and computer problems. ancira informed (mander) that the car's warranty had expired by 900 miles (24,990) that visit (11/6/03). computer scan and analysis showed several codes related to misfires and running lean. also: transaxle seal leak and battery failed the load test-would not hold acharge. mander fixed: seal leak, replaced the battery, changed the oil, replaced the actuator (fuel door), repaired vacuum leaks, reset the t.e.h. computer and corrected the faulty wiring to the mirrors. we spent $649. 24 hours later-"check engine" light re-appeared. the car began to vibrate hard. we took the car back to mr. mander (11/14/03). he found a defective oxygen sensor and problem with the coolant sensor- both replaced. that time we spent $358. my husband and i have an established relationship with mander automotive and trust their work and analysis. the "check engine" light and "emissions control" light is back on. the car is running hard, again. i have contacted vw (reference #30522917) and my husband was advised to take the car to a different dealer here in san antonio (rod east). *la

When the vehicle stopped at a stop sign or a traffic light, it stalled. *ak the problem was diagnosed as a secondary air injector valve. the vehicle experienced a rough idle. the valve was replaced, but the vehicle still idled rough. the check engine light was intermittent prior to repair. *sc *jb

Complete engine failure check oil pressure light appeared at 38000 miles; brought to vw dealer - told that the sensor light was stuck on car is taken to vw dealer at 40444 for 40000 mile maintenance check oil pressure light appears at 44578 miles; car taken to another dealer and dealer claims engine is total loss.

3 emissions system failures in one year. secondary air pump replaced twice and mass air flow sensor replaced once. car has less than 24000 miles. *la

Mass air flow sensor needed to be replaced 4 months after having the secondary air pump and actuator valve on the back of the head replaced.*ak

While driving at moderate speeds of about 35 to 45 mph, car engine lost all power. engine was still running and all accessories (lights, radio, etc.) were on, but pressing on the gas pedal lead to no movement by the car. epc warning light came on at the time of power loss as did the asr warning light. stopping the car and turning it off and then back on remedied situation, but it recurred on 9/2/2003 under same conditions. dealer analysis showed a sticking turbo booster valve and a bad oxygen sensor (this is the 2nd o2 sensor to be replaced within a year). dealer had to order parts and they will not be in until at least 9/9/2003. meanwhile, i have to drive a 79 mile round trip commute daily in traffic, and fear that this will happen when i am at 75 mph on the interstate. this could lead to a crash with possible fatalities if it occurred.*ak

Problem extended over the period of about 2 years. the check emissions light came on sporadically, then stayed on at all times. the sensor was worked on by 3 mechanics : 1st time- diagnosis unsealed gas cap - stayed off for 6 months; 2nd time - 4th time- "just happens on vws" and computer reset - stayed off about average of 2-4 weeks before lighting up again; 5th time - on all the time, mechanic would reset, would take on test drive and it would come on again. at this point i had moved to nc where the car proceeded to fail inspection due to this issue. the second local mechanic managed to fix problem; car passed emissions inspection and light has been off for 6 months. *jb

The malfunction indicator light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on 5/24/2003, and the temperature sensor was replaced. six days later light the illuminated again.*ak the volkswagen headquarters did pay for the hose when the malfunction indicator light illuminated at approx. 24,000 miles. *ph *jb

Consumer complained that at 43000 miles catalytic converter was replaced under warranty. currently, at 90,000 miles another one needed to be replaced. dealer will not replace the catalytic converter for free.*ak

The vehicle started to make a noise, and then stalled.*jb

I drive a 2000 volkswagon passat glx 4motion. i have felt that i got a bad car since very early on in my lease (i now have 8 months left). on this particular occaision, i had a severe oil leak. the dealer informed me that there was a hole in my oil pan that must have been caused by a rock (i don't recall feeling anything hit the car hard enough to put a hole in anything). i was told that this was not a warranteed item, rather normal wear and tear. i have owned 5 other cars and never had this problem. i also noticed that the car was shaking when the breaks are applied. i was told by the dealer that this is due to warped rotors. i only have 20,000 miles on the vehicle and have never heard of any kind of break problems with that few miles. i was also told that is not covered by warrantee either, again, normal wear and tear. the other 5 cars that i owned easily had over 20,000 miles on them and never had a problem with brake rotors. this seems to be a trend with this vehicle. early on in my lease, i had multiple problems with my car not starting. each time it was due to carbon buildup on my spark plugs. the first time it happened there was only 2,000 miles on the car and the dealer had the nerve to tell me that spark plugs were standard maintenenance items and i must not be taking care of my car properly. 2 years later, there was an emission controls recall which fixed this problem, which the dealer initially called driver error, not a vehicle problem.

Engine occassionally stalls when shifting from a gear into neutral (for the purpose of braking). today it happened 3 times stopping at stop lights, and 2 times in parking lots. this has been happening, often, all week (once at highway speeds, slowing for an exit ramp - engine stalls, power steering and braking goes out, not good). this problem was 'fixed' at around 40k miles when a 'waste solenoid gate' and a 'turbo valve' were replaced at the dealership over 3 separate visits. the stalling was gone for about 6000 miles, but now it has returned. this may be connected with the 'check engine light' which was on at that time, and has flashed on recently. i'm planning on taking it to a local vw shop soon to get thier opinion. dt

Vehicle check engine light and emissions workshop indicator have been coming on 2-3 minutes after start up. vehicle taken in for 40,000 mile service and check engine light diagnostic. visit # 1) replaced oxygen sensor on emissions system. check engine light back on next day. visit # 2)reset check engine light. check engine light back on next day. scheduled appointment for full diagnostic next week. visit #3) replaced vacuum lines, thought 40,000 mile service was stressing older parts. check engine light on next day. visit # 4) reset check engine light. check engine light on next day. scheduled another full diagnostic. visit # 5) ordered and replaced secondary air pump, left vehicle overnight. check engine light on at pick up. no alternate transportation available, agreed to return vehicle next day. visit # 6) replaced relay for secondary air pump. plan to return vehicle to me after 3 more days. hoping 6th repair attempt is successful (11/22/02) dt

The belly pan became dislodged from the front undercarriage as i accelerated onto a major highway. when i stopped for assistance at the nearest gas station. the two mechanics on duty told me that they had seen eight similar instances that week, all involving volkswagens. to my knowledge, i hadn't ran into any curbs or belgian blocks with the front of my car recently. i believe that all the screws/bolts that had held up the pan had falllen out over time. three days later, i took the car to a vw dealer, because only a dealer had the right fasteners to secure the pan. they told me that the pan was scraped in the front, that i must have hit something for the pan to fall off. i disagree i think the screws fell out over time. the mechanics had the opinion that the design of the screws/bolts is flawed, since they had seen this situation happen on so many recent model vws. i'd like to know if there is a trend of vw belly pans coming loose over time. i was told that the belly pan serves to deaden road noise. isn't it purpose also to protect the uindercarriage? if so, it should be able to withstand scraping up against curbs or survivng assault from other regular road debris. the fact that the belly pan may fall off without warning at any time is a dangerous situation. dt

I bought my 2000 volkswagen passat from georgia auto square in athens, ga. it was brand new with no miles. i have had all service requirements & recommendations done at this dealer. my car hesitates & loses power when trying to pass other cars on two lane roads, accelerating onto the expressway or accelerating while on the expressway. i have taken my car to the dealer one hour away six to seven times over a year (not including the times it was in for routine maintenance). they have kept my car over 50 days trying to find the problem, which they claim, is a wet air filter. they told once that they had to remove the snow guard, which worked with other cars experiencing this problem (obviously i am not the only one). this seems bizarre since it doesn't appear to be weather related. how does water get into an air filter (if that in fact is the problem) and why after all this time haven't they been able remedy it? i have had numerous close calls involving my family & other drivers unfortunate enough to be near me during these power failures. being in several life threatening situations after being assured that my car was fixed, their service manager apologized for "my inconvenience". three weeks ago while driving to a funeral, my car stalled while merging at i-985 & i-85. after suddenly losing power & terrifying me and the driver behind me, who saw that i experiencing trouble, the car finally started jerking, let out a billow of smoke & finally (and thankfully) caught & drove on. i have been forced to drive a nissan with 240,000 miles on it while i pay for a volkswagen with a little over 40,000 miles, which once again sits at the dealer's. this time he has had it for over a week (test driving, yet again) the car i am paying for. he has admitted previous times experiencing the exact problems i reported while driving the vehicle. yet, the dealer and the volkswagen rep continue to exercise reckless disregard for my life, my family's lives, and others on the road. dt

Secondary air injection pump used for ignition has failed. when starting vehicle it makes a loud wining noise. hard part replaced 3 times, but problem reoccurred. *ak

Car wouldn't start, towed to dealer, was told it was a carbon buildup on the valves. solution oil change, tune up, change thermostat, fuel cleaner. cost $946 not covered under waranty. *ak

Emissions workshop light comes on, then engine check lamp shows on dash. dealer replaced air pump, said that a hose was loose and never found the problem. vw of america was contacted along with the customer service rep at the dealer. we had to trade the car becauce the problem could not be repaired. i have not contacted an attorney at this time. why is vw allowed to sell cars that they cannot repair? i would like to be compensated for our financial loss as well as for our time and trouble.*ak

I purchased a new 2000 passat in feb. of 2000. on nov. 5, 2001 the engine light came on, the dash displayed emission workshop.the sysmptoms were a jolting when placing the car into any gear and the car losing power for several seconds while driving.i took it in and found out the "engine control module" needed replacment & the "mass air flow sensor" needed to be replaced and it was fixed at no charge. then, on dec. 23, 2002 i had the same symptoms and took it in and had topay $161.00 to replace the "vaccum line to manifold". now yesterday april 28,2003 i had the same symptoms and found out the "mass air flow sensor" needs to be replaced for the seoncd time and the dealer will only pay 50% and they will stand behind their decision because they feel it's more then fair. the dealer has told me that it is very rare for this problem to happen. well it has already happened 3 times in the 3 years i have owned it and they are unable to give me an answer to why this happens. i would like to know how may complaints you have received on case number:748685. i feel like i purchased a lemon and will be dealing with this same problem over and over. i will never purchase or recommend a volkswagen to anyone.

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Vehicle has stalled numerous times at any speed. vehicle taken to dealer every time vehicle stalled, could not remedy problem. *ak

Check engine light keeps coming on along with emissions workshop lights; gas tank, vacumn pump and sensors all replaced but still this problem continues. *ak

The engine uses too much oil prior to the recommended regular service changes, the vehicle has had 3 oil changes. nlm

The vehicle has had three failures of the mass airflow sensor since it was purchased. in each instance the failure occurred while accelerating onto a freeway. each failure resulted in a severe loss of power for several seconds that could have resulted in an accident. the dealer has only replaced the mass airflow sensor with no other cause found reported for the previous failures.*ak

The problem resulted in engine shut down without warning. potential for catastrophic failure. technicians worked for nearly two weeks - problem not resolved. *ak

Oil pan was designed without a protective cover, and has on two occasions became punctured, causing a major oil leak.*ak *nlm

Would be pulling out of parking lot or driveway when vehicle would stall out. this problem has happened at least 4 other times. contacted dealer and informed use different fuel which did not work. *ak

Consumer states vehicle shakes when idle at a light, consumer states vehicle has been in for service many times and the problem contiues to exist, possibly engine related. *jb

I had to replace 2 oil pans within a week apart due to small hole in pan. they told me it was from driver error but i know i did not go over anything to make hole. i was willing to concede first time as i could not remember if i had indeed maybe hit something but a week later it happened again and i had been extremely careful. the hole happened to be in the exact same spot as before. they gave me very hard time and would not allow me to take both oil pans with me so i could investigate. i bought car from checkered flag in virginia beach but live in texas and these events occurred here in tx. i went to autobahn vw in fort worth,tx for repairs. please help.*ak

Deadly fault at low mph, low rpm, emergency or lane change situation! no safety defect listed. *ak

Vehicle failed to start.*et

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Vehicle stalled and died while driving. vehicle is currently at the dealership awaiting parts. *ak