Problems with 2001 Volkswagen Passat ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

My car has been leaking coolant. i took it to a shop and was informed that the heater core was bad. i have had to replace the inside computer already and probably all the carpet since the water has been leaking into the car. i suffer from asthma and can no longer drive this car since it smells like coolant/mold and not to mention water leaking on my foot as i drive (very unsafe since the pedal gets slippery.) i have read online on many sites that there was a recall regarding this matter and the owners were never notified. i need this fixed before something bad happens; either i get into an accident or i end up in the hospital. thank you very much for getting back to me and getting this matter fixed promptly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the vehicle was leaking coolant, causing smoke to be released. the dealer diagnosed that antifreeze leaked onto the electrical wires. the dealer denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied any assistance with repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 127,980 and the current mileage was 128,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the vehicle was sitting at a traffic stop when he noticed smoke and fire coming from under the hood of the vehicle. the fire department was called to extinguish the fire. a police and fire report was filed and available. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 70,000. the vin was unavailable.

Oil pressure. stop engine light came on. after several miles driving and lot of noise from back off the engine. need new oil pump passable rebuilt engine. it is sitting parked in my driveway. *tr

Class action law suit settled with vw for oil sludge. this makes no sense by the time the settlement was reached my 2001 vw passat, 1.8 turbo was not covered. 7 or 8 weeks ago i took my vehicle into the vw dealer (halmark vw of madison) they told me i had a sludge problem and did not even mention that it was a known problem or that the law suit was underway- very sneaky. they told me to replace my engine or to change the oil every 1000 miles for awhile. my abs and computer module failed at the same time with no one taking responsibility for it. now i have the problem but have no way to get it resolved. *tr

Vw engine oil sludge problem.

Heater core failure,plugging up. vehicle has no heat unable to clear windshield to see. heater core porses too small and clogged from reaction from anti freeze calcified reaction with metal used in core. *tr

I brought my vehicle into firestone for a rountine tune-up and to replace my axle. because of firestones mis-diagnosis of the tune-up, they determined it was the engine coil. my vehicle had to be towed to audi of brookline for a complete diagnostic and they found this.....a pre-existing condition - e.c.m..the engine coil was only a symptom of the bigger problem in the faulty e.c.m. misfiring. prior to bringing my vehicle into firestone, it was operable. because of their tampering with the ignition coils; my vehicle was subsequently destroyed. regarding the diagnostic report, the current and passed condition of my vehicle, which is normally a healthy, safe, vehicle, is as follows: "fuel delivery inspection at present time, ignition system check, and power provided to coils tech found no communication between engine control module (e.c.m.) and a.b.s. control module because a.b.s. control module was disconnected. reconnect and access a.b.s. system and fault detected customer aware of the a.b.s. problem and warning has been on for a while. that is true, and not the reason for this letter. continued: found e.c.m. fault for #3 ignition coil open circuit. pin check wires on #3 ignition coil plug #3 post from connector to e.c.m. found height resistance in wire, replaced #3 connector and re-tested ok. also clean and replace terminal on top of valve cover for proper ground. start engine and road test vehicle, found engine misfire on #1, #2, #3, #4 ignition coils". i have to replace all 4 ignition coils, catayltic converter, and e.c.m. this is the second ignition coil replaced in the 1 year i've owned the vehicle. this car has more mechanical errors than imaginable. the estimated cost of repairs is in the thousands. i can't afford to maintenance this tempermenatl vehicle. i will have to junk the car. i refuse to fix this vehicle. pushing for a recall!! *tr

I have a 2001.5- 2.8 dohc vw passat with just over 106k miles.at around 98k miles i started to experience a loss of power in the engine and got multiple misfires on the scan of the engine. this happens intermittently, although mostly when i start the car at the beginning of the day, regardless of temperature. fast forward 6 months, after already replacing the coil pack twice, i still have the same problem. the dealership wants to charge me over $600 dollars to try and figure out what "might" be the problem. they're still not sure. if anyone is having this problem, please let me know if you've figured out what it is. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen passat. the vehicle was serviced for a routine tune-up and a honda dealer wrote on the invoice that the control valve joints and boots were torn, in addition to the shaft. the contact stated that the failures were related to several complaints on the nhtsa website. there had been no failure to date. the current mileage was 56,511. updated 05/08/09. *lj the consumer stated the cv joints were replaced. updated 05/08/09.*jb

2001 1/2 volkswagen passat station wagon, manual, 1.8t persistent issues with ignition coils, and check engine light over 8 years. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen passat. the vehicle failed a routine inspection because the engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument control panel. the inspector advised the contact of a recall on her vehicle pertaining to the failure. the dealer stated that the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 08v156000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery). the vehicle has not yet been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 62,004. the consumer stated there was a strong smell of gas every time she turned the vehicle off. updated 02/24/09. *jb

I have a '01 vw passat. i had to go to the vw dealer today since i was hearing a pinging noise when i drive. they checked and advised that the lower control arm and tie ends would need to be replaced since they were worn out. the car has 77k miles and on researching have found that other vw passat owners from the same time frame are having the same issue. it has been attributed to design flaws. i am worried that this is going to deteriorate and lead to an accident. additionally they identified a valve cover camshaft seal leakage. this is another issue that has been identified by other owners. *tr

Tl-the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen passat glx. while driving approximately 40 mph the vehicle engine light came on. the contact stated he drove the vehicle to his destination. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and he was told the catalytic converter needed replacing. the failure was constant since july 1, 2008. the vehicle has not been repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 51,000 and the current mileage was 62,000. vwb

I was driving to my new employment when my 2001.5 passat lost power. the engine ran very rough and the idle was stable. the engine continued to stall and rendered the vehicle unusable. my passat was taken to a garage near my place of employment and i was told the cylinder #4 has failed. i had the vehicle towed home (90 miles) to my local garage to be told the same. cylinder #4 has no compression and the turbo has also failed as a result of the failing cylinder. i was told by vw that i need to replace the coil packs and spark plugs and the error should clear up. i had the mechanic replace the spark plugs and all four coil packs on the vehicle. after the repair the mechanic stated to me that the vehicle performance and issue was not fixed with the repair and the cylinder #4 was still down. i have been left without a vehicle now for almost two months while still having to make payments on a vehicle that i can not use. *tr

My 2001 vw passat abs module became defective after 1 year of owning car from the original owner. not sure if original owner had done repairs/replacements of the unit. now there is no communication between the car computer and the module, therefore no abs brake is active. abs light stays on and brake light flashes intermittently. there are also 3 beeps when car has been started. i am a very unhappy consumer of vw due to their faulty vehicle equipment and has deter me from purchasing any vw in the future. i have recently just had a repair to replace my maf sensor, 2 ignition coils, 4 spark plugs again after purchasing brand new ones just a month prior. it was very costly!! *tr

Owner driving the car when smoke began appearing from the right side of the dashboard. fire density increased rapidly and owner drove into a safeway parking lot was able to get out of the vehicle when it immediately filled with smoke. fire dept. was called and broke all windows causing a tremendous amount of smoke to be released. the smoke was white and black. *tr

I have had my 2001 vw passat for 7 years now and have had it in the shop multiple issues including warped rotors (front and back), cracked chasse, electrical issues and various other problems. before having this car, i had a toyota for 8 years and in the 8 years i had the toyota, i only had it in the shop for routine maintenance. this car is disappointing and everyone i talk to who has a similar model/year says the same thing. i think the 2001 vw passat is a lemon. *tr

My car just stopped. there could have been an accident had i not gotten off the road in time. i was on route 68, a 4 line highway. come to find out the timing chain and timing tensioner broke, which the manufacture knew would happen because all the repair books say to have it changed at about 65,000 to 75,000 miles. nobody told me that. if my children would have been in the car at the time needless to say if my wife would have been driving instead of me what could have happened. it is costing me over $2,300.00 to have it fixed. needless to say had i been warned i would have had it replaced. *tr

1. during my wife's morning commute the oil light stop engine light illuminated in our 2001.5 vw passat. fortunately she was in a rural area and was able to get the car shut off immediately and coasted off the road without incident. 2. the failure was the result of severe oil coking with the 1.8t engine. vw issued a notification letter dated august 2004 advising of the ?oil sludge? problem. the letter states ?engine oil sludge occurs when old, dirty engine oil thickens and cannot continue to provide adequate engine lubrication.? the letter implies the issue is due to poor maintenance. in reality the failure is due to a latent design defect of improper heat rejection attribute of the engine sump. basically not enough oil quantity and oil cooling capacity. the oil then cokes over time in a similar manner as is encountered on gas turbine engines under extreme temperatures. eventually the coked particles accumulate and plugs the sump screen. the oil pump then resulting in the loss of oil pressure and engine failure. the loss of engine power at a critical time is a safety concern. 3. fortunately as our car was not run without oil pressure i was able to save the engine. vw would not honor the warranty despite providing a log book from all the maintenance performed from new. they required all receipts of oil changes. i perform all my own maintenance. vw clearly has gamed the warranty and misrepresented the problem as poor maintenance and sludge. i have always changed the oil every 5k miles. this cost me nearly $2k in parts not including my labor. this is a major repair. the oil pump, sump screen, all crank case ventilation lines, turbo lines, etc. had to be replaced. there was coffee grounds (coked oil) throughout the engine. what a mess. i hold a bs in aero engr tech and faa a&p license. i run the aftermarket for a large gas turbine engine mfg. i know engine design and warranty gaming when i see it. *tr

I own a 2001 volkswagen passat with a 1.8 liter turbo engine and 85,000 miles. my oil light came on so i took it to the vw dealer right away. the dealer claims my motor is "sludged". even though vw has extended the warranty for 8 years because of this problem it will not cover my vehicle repairs of over $2,000 and growing. i have kept excellent track of oil changes in my vehicle maintenance book and even changed every 3,000 when the service calls for only 5,000. i have use a good quality sae valvoline 5w-30 motor oil which my owners manual says is fine. vw will not cover my repairs simply because i did not keep every single purchase receipt for my oil changes. they claim, without receipts there is no way of knowing that i put in appropriate oil. my response is, you spend $30,000 for a vehicle, i have proven i changed oil every 3,000, why in the world would i put in an oil that did not conform to my owners manual. this is the last vw my family will purchase. *tr

I brought my vehicle for service on august 4, 2007, at vw dealership fairfax imports, in fairfax, va. at this time i informed mr. david deloatche, service advisor, that my coolant light (stop red light flashing) had come on and there seemed to be a leak as the fluid was not sustaining and rather spilling out. on august 4, 2007, i was charged $776.99 for manifold of services including an injector flush, power steering flush, brake fluid flush, and coolant flush. the coolant bottle was replaced and i was assured that there was no engine flush needed. i was informed that there wasn't enough time to fix the temperature sensor and the car was safe for me to drive. as i left the parking lot on august 4, 2007, after my service at fairfax imports, the coolant light came on and the temperature sensor rose to 260 degrees. i called david deloatche immediately to inquire on the safety of my car. i was assured once again to ignore the coolant light and the temperature sensor, and that it is safe for me to turn on and use the air conditioning and that the car was completely safe for me to drive. my employer, ibm sent me for training to palisades, ny from august 5 to 12, 2007. on wednesday, august 15, 2007, i was enroute to ibm office in bethesda, md from fairfax, va. my engine blew out on highway 270 and i was placed in a dangerous situation. my safety was disregarded as my vehicle wasn't properly fixed, and i was abandoned on a major highway. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen passat. she stated that the check engine light remained illuminated. the dealer stated that the engine coolant temperature sensor needed to be replaced. the dealer stated that they would make the repair; however, there would be a charge. the current mileage was 67,000 and the failure mileage was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the on-board diagnostic indicated that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. the dealer and manufacturer refused to replace the unit. the dealer stated that there were no recalls available. the vin, engine size, and dealer information were unknown. the failure and current mileages were 75,000.

2001 passat 1.8l turbo. car's engine pressure warning light came on. the car was towed to dwight harrison volkswagen. they checked the oil pressure and said it was fine. they changed the oil and said the oil pressure indicator might have been caused by not using a vw oil filter. not one mention of the oil sludge problem that has been prevalent with this engine. drove the car for around 5000 miles without any more problems. then the oil pressure light came back on intermittently. i towed the car into heritage vw who said it could be an oil sludge problem but that i'll have to authorize 5 hours of labor to tell for sure (about $500). i cannot find all of my oil change receipts and vw won't advise if they will cover any of the repair until i spend the $500. what am i supposed to do after they've taken my car apart and i'll already spent $500 getting a diagnosis? i never received the letter vw said they sent about the problem in 2004. i've had the oil changed at vw dealerships after they acknowledged the problem in 2004 yet the dealership never once asked if i'd like to put in synthetic oil. don't they have any responsibility for the faulty design of the turbo engine? don't the dealers have a responsibility to tell you of the problem when you are getting the oil changed? this is typical of vw dealerships - they want you to spend money while they have a guessing game about the problem. they did this with a transmission problem i had, the cooling system and the check engine light. *tr

Engine sludge in engine leading to failure of the oil pump and the turbo. in addition, also had to have the front control arms ,and tie-rods replaced , and even now there were still problems with the front suspension. i have researched and found these were similar problems with many passat owners. i still recall the major issue / recall over the ignition coil failures and how vw of america denied there ever was a problem. the entire car should be declared a lemon !!!! the oil pump failure leading to failures of the turbo, and seizure of the engine should be proof enough that this car has too many major problems and should be recalled . *ak

I have a 2001 volkswagen passat and the check oil pressure stop engine light came on yesterday. the oil level is fine. we had an oil change the day before. the car had to be towed to the volkswagen dealership. this comes three months after we had to send it to volkswagen to have a cooling problem worked on which cost over 3,000. they were told to fix anything that was wrong with the car. *nm

I have a 2001 vw passat that i purchased a 18 months ago. the car was a certified vw and had a warranty extended till 74,000 miles. at 70,000 miles while driving i had the stop low oil pressure light come on- it was time for an oil change so i took it in for an oil change and for the dealer to find the problem. no issue was found. now at 75,500 miles the light comes on again- this time more issues. i pulled over immediately to find that all my oil was leaking out of the car. towed vehicle to closest vw dealer as i was 120 miles away from home. dealer informs me that the camshaft adjusters were leaking oil badly and the cost to fix is $2,600. - car is still in the shop and hopefully no more problems will be found. 1,500 mi outside warranty and vw can do nothing to help lower the expense- even though i had a issue w/ low oil while within my warranty period. *jb

Having an oil sludge problem with a 2001 1/2 model year vw passat with a 1.8t engine. recently had a low oil pressure warning light come on, requiring the vehicle to be towed to a local vw dealership. dealership diagnosed as an oil pump problem, most likely caused by an oil sludge problem. if it is caused by oil sludge, then engine damage is likely to be found as it seems to be a common problem based on web forum postings by other passat owners who have experienced the same problem. vehicle is unoperable at this time. vw is refusing to cover to the repair under warranty due to insufficient documentation of oil changes. all vw service intervals were completed for the vehicle including all oil changes and are backed up with documentation. i am still trying to get clarification from vw as to why the documentation is considered insufficient. vehicle has 99,004 miles on it. oil changes prior to 30,000 service interval were completed at vw dealerships and included vw approved non-synthetic oil. oil changes from 30,000 miles/january 2002 forward were completed using synthetic oil. vw recognized the sludge problem and issued a warranty extension in august 2004 along with requirement to use synthetic oils (nhtsa tsb #10009888 and #10009873). a previous problem occured at 78,400 where a defective head gasket was replaced. during that service the head gasket, oil cooler, oil pump, and associated parts were replaced under warranty. based on web postings from other owners this may also be associated with the oil sludge problem. *nm

I had a synthetic oil change on my 2001 vw passat, november 7,2006 at heritage vw (dealership) and then on november 22,2006 the vehicle slowed and the display showed stop with an oil icon. i immediately stopped the car and checked the oil. there was oil in the car but i called the dealership and they said do not drive the car, there is probably sludge in the car. i towed it in the dealership and they said it needed a new oil pump with a new oil screen and it did have sludge. this repair was $1267.00. i was not offered any warranty reimbursement at that time. later i found out that this is a widespread problem with vw. why did they not see the sludge when they did the oil change nov 7,2006? *nm

10/24/06 my 2001 volkswagon passat has a stop warning light come on stating low oil pressure. come to find out the 1.8 litre turbo engine which my car has is non to have oil sludge problems and that vw is aware of this. i never received a letter from them stating this or the fact that i should use synthetic oil. called the huntsville, al vw dealership and they said that unless i have pristeen serve records they will not pay to fix it at a cost to me of over $1800. my husband changes the oil in my car so of course i do not have the service records vw is requiring. i hear the no longer make the 1.8 liter turbo but are not willing to honor fixing a problem we knew nothing about.

With just about 70000 miles on the volkswagen passat, the engine started leaking oil from 4 areas: cam seals, valve gaskets and some leaks on top of the catalytic converter. the oils leaked onto the catalytic converter causing toxic fumes. the problem recurs consistently even after fixing it. the volkswagen passat 2001 model is extremely dangerous with such rudimentary engine problems and could potentially cause death. there is no clear documentation on what parts are covered under warranty available to the customer. with the nearest dealership 30 miles away, it becomes extremely difficult to take the car to the dealer everytime this happens just to check if the parts will be covered under warranty and it costs nearly $3000 to fix these problems. *nm

Purchased 2001 passat in may, 2005. had same 'non-covered' oil pump problem as many on the list have. last month, noticed a pool of oil on the garage floor after backing it out. looked under the hood, noticed that the antifreeze overflow looked like a chocolate milkshake. oil cooler and oil cooler seals had to be replaced. 76000 miles. *nm

Tracking number: [xxx] date: september 09th 2006 11:24:34 am complainant: [xxx] - re: 2001 passat vws and the ongoing sludge problems!!! *jb complaint: my complaint is the same as everyone else with regard to vw passats. sludge!!!! i just spent $2000 trying to fix the problem and it happened again 2 days later. my mechanic tells me that he did some research and that there is an inherent problems of sludge in these cars especially. i would like to file a complaint and ask if you have any referral attorneys familiar with this problem. please let me know as soon as possible. i have to rent a car at $30 dollars a day and my insurance doesn't cover it. if this is been going on so long, why is there not a class suit? if you have a number i can call for same, please advise. thank you, [xxx]. you can reach me by phone at either [xxx] home, or [xxx]i look forward to hearing from someone soon, and your help is much appreciated. *jb information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 45 mph on the highway, the engine stalled and there was a loss of all power without warning. the engine would not restart and the contact pushed the vehicle off the road. the vehicle was towed to a dealer who determined there was excessive oil sludge and the engine needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was alerted.

Dt*: the contact stated an independent mechanic determined the vehicle had oil leaks from every seal and gasket. oil was all over the entire bottom of the vehicle. the dealership was not contacted.

We have a 2001 passat and put about 10k miles/year. the car has been serviced about twice every year at our local vw dealership since we bought it new. we originally bought the car with safety in mind. while driving on the interstate about a week ago, the engine light came on. the car seized/stalled as i was getting off the interstate. this could easily have led to a serious accident. i had the car towed to our dealership. once they realized what had happened, they became very hostile. they asked us for all of our records. they had incomplete ones for us as the dealership had changed hands a few years ago. we have almost every record but this will not suffice for them. they are asking for half of the 11k repair bill (and suggested that we repair it and trade in for one of their used cars). what really bothers us is that part of the problem of missing records is due to the dealership. the other issue is that when the car had failed, the tow guy showed me that the oil cap was encrusted with sludge. when i pointed this out to the dealership and that while they probably would have seen this at the last oil change, that they are under no obligation to inform the customer of such a potential hazard. this is a major safety concern and vw/vw dealerships should be obliged to watch for this and at least suggest an engine flush. after too much trust, we are very disappointed with vw for this. they should know better. *jb

Water pump failed on freeway, unable to drive vehicle. *jb

My 2001 passat------my husband and i were driving on the freeway, the stop engine light appeared in big red lettering and proceeded to say that the oil pressure was low. we got to a gas station and checked the oil and it looked fine. got home and looked again with better lighting, still the same. we had the vehicle towed to the dealership. there the service center had told us that this was due to "oil sludge" and will be covered under our extended warranty if documentation was provided for all oil change services. not to mention the vehicle was purchase in 2001 with 6 miles and has only got 53000 now in 2006. i have gotten the routine oil changes up to date and they are requiring me to show proof of all oil changes. i would like to know who keeps every oil change receipt!!! this is insane. i am so fed up with the way vw is taking care of this issue, they are using this as an excuse so that they do not have to repair my vehicle. i am still in the process of trying to find all the "documentation" that is needed. i can not believe that less than 3 weeks of my last oil change vw still will not provide me with moderate service. i will never, repeat never buy another vehicle or recommend vw to anyone!! i have read all other similar complaints and i can see that vw has no remorse for the fishy service it is providing. i will take this action further. i just wonder how many people got there vehicles with the "sludge" covered under warranty??? why even purchase the warranty if it is not covering the problem??? *jb

2001 volkswagen passat coolant warning light illuminated and engine shut off. once the vehicle was restarted it ran at reduced power. upon inspection mechanic determined there was a faulty sensor in the cooling jacket. *kb moisture invaded the sensor, migrated up the wiring harness and destroyed the computer which managed all engine functions. the consumer was billed $3200. the technician at the dealer explain that this was not an uncommon failure. the consumer contacted the manufacturer but they refused to provide any assistance. *nm

My 2001 volkswagen passat needs a new engine because it is filled with sludge. after researching this on my own i found that this is a common problem with the 1.8t engine. vw issued an extended warranty on that engine provided the consumer can produce oil change receipts showing the car was maintained according to the owners manual. i sent them the proper receipts showing my car was maintained properly and they still denied me. my car only has about 43,000 miles on it and i just bought it 10 months ago. *jb

My 2001 volkswagen passat had a timing belt failure due to an internal component that caused the car to just turn off. this belt did not fail, but the component did which caused it to fail. here is the concern: just think if you are traveling in bumper to bumper traffic and this part fails, you are all done. you lose the car, nothing is available to get you over to a safe spot. its just a matter of time when someone is traveling and this happens. note - volkswagen is aware of this issue and offers a upgrade kit to replace this part. also, no where in their service guide lines will you be able to detect this part through the techs. i'm hoping by submitting this we make them accountable and to correct this issue. i do have the belt which shows that it did not fail as they pitched it.*ak

Oil pump failure: the warning light turned on "stop, oil pressure low" contacted vw and was told that i needed to bring the car in for an inspection. it was determined that there was a sludge build up in the oil which caused the oil pump to fail. recently vw has issued a new warranty for the replacement of the oil pump due to this problem, only if you have your oil receipts from day one. i wish to keep my vw for a long time and yes oil was changed on a regular basis, however receipts are difficult to find from day one. from my findings and what makes sense is that the turbo is over heating the oil and building up a sludge in the oil. as of today my pump was replaced along with the cam. the dealership did the necessary work but has not really informed me as to any future problems that will arise. where as other oil repair shops know of vw with turbo that have failed at 20,000 miles and then again at 40,000 miles. as of today i question if the turbo was inspected for sludge or was an oil flush done. *jb

All bolts holding compressor in place broke. *nm

Purchased the vehcile (second-hand) from the lexus dealership on veterans drive in metairie,la back in march 2004. here is my complaint: my family evacuated for hurricane 'katrina' and we left the vw behind at the house. well, it sat for about a month. once we got back to the vehicle, we noticed it was not running good at all. very rough. very different than before the storm. i checked the car out and found out it was very low on oil. yet, we have no oil leaks. i could not explain where the oil had gone. and the oil in the case of the vehicle looked "grainy" and "sludgey". we thought it was storm related and filed a claim with state farm. we then took it to the local vw dealer near my office to have to locate the problem. the vw service guy said, yes, volkswagen has identified a mechanical problem with our model vehicle where the turbo can not handle conventional motor oil. they would fix that free of charge....however, they need the last 12 month history of our oil changes. well, at first i thought this would be no problem. we have always gotten our regular oill changes so the receipts should be handy. well, i didn't take into account that the destruction of our new orleans home by hurricane katrina. our house was a total loss and so were those receipts. i think we managed to get our hands on two of them. well, that's not good enough for vw. as a matter of fact, they won't even take hand-written receipts from the oil change places. i am extremely angry that they will not fix an existing problem with their vehicle without this information. they acknowledge the fact that it's the vehicle mechanisms but they refuse to fix it without copies of receipts i can never produce. all of new orleans was destroyed. now, my wife, who has to commute 50 miles each way to work, has to drive her unsafe vehicle and endanger her life because vw refuses to fix a problem they admit their car has. we have no recourse but to file this complaint with the nhtsa. *nm

Engine oil sludge- i have been reading about volkswagens problem with 1.8 turbo engines creating a sludge that results in low to no oil pressure. i have one of the cars affected, a 2001 passat. recently my "stop engine" light came on. i did stop and changed the oil and filter immediately. i called a volkswagen dealer and he said that yes my car was covered for 8 years from in service date. he did say however that trying to get everyone to "sign off" might pose some difficulty when the problem actually arises. my friend has a 2003 audi with the same 1.8 t and he has had his car in for this problem twice. i think there need to something from a government agency to document this problem and hold volkswagen accountable. i can't believe that they are still allowed to make these same engines. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 55 mph, the "stop vehicle do not drive", and oil pressure warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the indicators remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and they repaired the engine. the previous repair required the vehicle to remain at the dealer for one month. on three separate occasions, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for identical failures, but there were no resolutions. in addition, during rainy weather conditions, five inches of water leaked onto the front passenger side floor panel. there was electrical failure due to the water leakage that caused gear component damage. recently, the contact received a recall notice that consists of installation of a drainage filter and fuel system component repair. the vehicle has not been repaired for these malfunctions. the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown. the failure mileage was 36,000 and current mileage was 85,000.

The check engine light came on with a message display of "emissions workshop!" around 73k mi. the car dealer i bought it from thought it might be the o2 sensors, but it turned out not be to. i took it to the local vw dealer and they told me that it was a "recall/service bulletin" problem of some sort so they reset my onboard computer. the check engine light came on again with the same message shortly there after. i took it in to the vw dealer again and they replaced both of my catalytic converters (which were covered by the vw emissions warranty). this seemed to have resolved the problem. (the problem occurred the same day i purchased the vehicle so it would be a good assumption that this problem had occurred before i attained the vehicle). *nm

Dt: the contact states that the vehicle is a 2001.5 volkswagen passat. there is a problem with the windows fogging. this occurs when the temperature is around 50 degrees or less. the fog will appear on the window after the vehicle is started. sometimes the fog will appear after the contact was driving. it will occur wither or not the heater or fan turned on. the problem seems to be less severe once the vehicle was heated . the only way the fog will go away is if the air conditioner is turned on high. she has already taken it to the dealership twice, each time they did a pressure check to the heater core , but no repairs were made. she is taking it back again to the dealer. there was a previous problem with the radiator leaking. the radiator was replaced on october 4, 2005. the fog problem appears to have gotten worse since the radiator was replaced. *ak

I own a 2001 volkswagen passat station wagen and have had nothing but trouble with it since i bought it. i had to replace the engine due sludge and volkswagen of america would not reimburse me because i was missing one oil change receipt the lights keep coming on in the car telling me i have engine problems once again, and i bring it in for regular repairs and check ups. currently the suspension part of the car has gone and that will cost another $2000 on top of the $7000 i already put into it. that does not include new tires and other things that have gone wrong with this idiot car. volkswagen does not stand by its customers at all and i will never ever buy from them again and will tell people i know the car is a piece of crap. the place i bring in my car to for repair already knows that. do not bring it into a volkswagen repair place to have it fixed> they are the biggest ripp offs and so totally dishonest!!!! i bought the car from jack daniels in fairlawn, nj and have had it repaired at trend motors, in denville, nj *jb