Problems with 2003 Volkswagen Passat ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Started car and asrs light came on and remained on. soon the mil lit up, followed by the air bag system light flickering and a clicking sound coming from the car. dealership could not check car the next morning b/c fully booked so had alternate mechanic check it out. mechanic realized it was not the battery running low (battery charge checked). the next morning alternator checked (alternator replace and tested and same problem continued). the mechanic finds a puddle of water on the floor of the passenger side that same morning which was not there day before. he states car had been parked at slight incline overnight with front of car higher than trunk. mechanic recommended towing car to dealership. currently at dealership to try and figure out problem. *nm

I recently had my 40k mile service done and was preparing to go on vacation. the car made it there without incident however the second day into out vacation the asr light came on and then the prnd432 all stayed lit. it had been beautiful weather for several days however there was easily two inches of water on the passenger side. the vehicles check engine light came on and it stopped automatically shifting. the vehicle is at the shop waiting repair. *nm

Design defect results in failure of computer due to water flooding. computer failure results in disabling of vehicle and expensive repairs. this condition caused by parking the car where leaves occasionally fall onto it. reason: windshield drains into compartment containing the battery, which has a drain hole located under the battery, requiring removal of battery to properly clean. drain gets clogged due to leaves, resulting in battery compartment filling with water. when this happens, water enters passenger compartment foot well. i took my car to vw dealer with this condition and they told me the computer could get flooded/ruined and this would not be covered under warranty due to "external influence". they agreed to clean the drain free of charge, but were unable and unwilling to provide me with a service advisory that the drain must be cleared to prevent computer damage. i contacted vw of america and they acknowledge the problem over the phone but refused to provide any written statement of the existence of the problem and refused to provide a written, permanent remedy for this problem, or to modify the car so this would not happen. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated rain water leaked into the vehicle. there were concerns expressed of cables under the dash becoming wet, therefore creating an electrical hazard. the rain water usually accumulated in the doors, and when the doors was opened the water traveled to the dash board.

Bought a 2003 vw passat 1.8t in may 2005. since then, i have taken the car to the dealership for repair 4 times now. the car will all of the sudden start running very rough and the check engine light came on. the first time, they replaced a "defective" spark plug. within a few days of getting it back, it happened again. they decided to replace all the spark plugs that time. it happened a third time and they did not tell me what they had done to the car, but kept the car for a week. it is currently in the shop again (now for a week again) because it began to run rough, developed a slow oil leak, and does not always start on the first attempt. i have not yet heard from the dealership what is causing the problems. i asked them to check everything on the car. i have also lodged a complaint with vw of america. *jb

I am investigating and gathering incident information about the flooding problems that volkswagens, especially the passat, exhibit from model years 1998 to the present. there is a chance of a class action suit for which this information is being gathered. if interested, please respond to [email protected] for more information. *nm

Car had trouble starting, electrical problems, lurching while driving and ultimately transmission and air bag failure. *nm

I purchase a new 2003 volkswagen passat from burlington volkswagen 2 years ago and have taken it back to the dealership at least 7 times since then for a myriad of problems, from airbag lights coming on to check enginge light to the latest of the car shutting off in the middle of the road.

Have had nothing but problems with this lemon. * 500 miles cruise control fails, has to be replaced. * 16,000 miles ignition coil fails, replaced coil and mass air flow sensor. * 28,000 miles fan in dash diagnosed as faulty and needing to be replaced. parts ordered, never installed. * 40,000 miles oil pump and oil hoses are replaced due to oil pressure failures. car broke down on road. * 44,159 miles oil pressure switch replaced due to oil pressure failures. * 46,000 miles fuel pump failure, replaced under warranty. car broke down on road. volkswagen has a problem with these cars and "oil sludge". vw refuses to fix my car under warranty. last word was "we reserve the right to refuse any warrany claim, regardless of documentation of oil changes." i've talked to several dealerships and it's a #1 problem with these cars comming in for ruined engines and oil sludge. vw is refusing to pay for fixing the problems in most cases. i've got all documentation, original paperwork when purchased, etc. *jb

1. vehicle began to sputter, emissions light began to flash, then loss of engine power. 2. failure of ignition coils (3) 3. 3 coils being replaced at vw dealership

Front headlights malfunctioned - replaced them but they couldn't make the alignment of the beam. the car runs to the right but the wheels are calibrated and the direction alignment is done. the car infiltrated water inside the car and trunk. sunroof malfunction - opens in all positions but don't close. the car as the front glass is from 2005 and all the others are from 2002, construction of the car 2003. diesel escaped from the pump. cd changer - 6 cds as malfunction the radio doesn't eject the cd's. the motor gag various times a constant rotation. the trunk was hard to open and close. there are other complaints.... the complaints begin 15 days from the purchase. *jb

Headlights fails proper function. they have been replaced. seat belts and sun roof do not work properly. engine replaced; steering wheels - car pulls to the right everytime an alignment was done and they calibrated the wheels. - problem continued - this problem caused the tires to be destroyed in a few kms - less 20 000; water infiltration - for now it is fixed; trunk was hard to open and close - problem fixed. front doors vibrated - the rubber of the doors are being exhibiting signs of damage; the front glass ( windscreen ) isn't from the same year of all the others. *jb

8/01/03 - car inspected and told had proper j ignition coils installed 8/18/03 - car again inspected and told had proper j ignition coils installed 11/18/03 - coil ignition recall was performed on the car for a 3rd time. after all three attempts of checking the ignition coils they yet failed again. this is the 12 coil i have had replaced on a volkswagen in 2 years. *jb

After rainy days my 2003 passat wagon (4 motion) has 1 -2 inches of water on floor of the front passenger side. this has now been to the dealer twice (i just took it back today) - the first time they told us that it was a drain problem from the sun roof that was clogged. the carpet smells and i am afraid that the electric seats will soon short out.*ak

While starting the vehicle it caught on fire under the hood. local fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. dealer was not notified. *ak

2003 volkswagen passat consumer request for early termination of the lease.***no answer required***. *mr the consumer made the request due to the numerous mechanical problems such as a defective purge valve, right front head light, the vehicle overheated and started t o smoke due to a faulty water pump. the brake light would not shut off and the right head light went out for the second time. the brake light switch was replaced. the cruise control would not disengage. the vehicle would not start at times. *jb

On three separate occasions, 2/29/04, 3/5/04, and 4/15/04 my 2003 vw passat (6 cyl.) had to be towed to the dealer because the check engine light (mil) and electronic power control (epc) light came on and i had significantly reduced power such that i was unable to drive my car home without endangering myself on the highway. the dealer's service group has been unable to resolve the problem thus far.*ak

2003 volkswagen passat w6 2.8l car will not start or fails to run properly due to ignition misfire or excessive fuel flooding engine. volkswagen will not repair. car has been seviced with the best synthetic lubricants and has had extremely good care. the dealership told us the reason the car would not run was because the oil needed changing due to it being loaded with gasoline. the oil had been checked 3 days prior to the incidents and was at satisfactory levels and clean. the car had 6700 miles on the synthetic oil change and was not due for a 3rd oil change. the car has 11813 miles on it. the recommended oil change interval by the dealer was 10000 miles on the synthetic oil. if the car is failing to run and has allows severe gasoline contamination of the oil there are major problems. there seems to be many complaints regarding the reliability of these cars available through other web sites. the engine failing to maintain operation or misfiring while on the highway or if it fails to operate in an unsafe environment proves this vehicle to be a failure in engineering, and reliability.*ak

While driving on interstate highway i observed smoke billowing in my rear view mirror. i pulled off highway and found a fire in engine compartment which i extingushed using an extingusher. the fire was caused when a plug at the rear of the engine fell out causing the engine oil to empty onto the exhaust system which caused the fire. the temperature at the time was well below zero. i was told the plug in the aluminum block engine was made of steel which heats and cools at different rates and appears to have caused the plug to fall out. the car was a total loss per my insurance and volkswagen. the car is a 2003 vw passat wagon glx 4-motion. *ak

Defective coils on each cylinder

The ignition coils on my 2002 vw passat 1.8t ar about to fail for the third time. the car was bought in may of 2002. the first incident occured in december, the second in january, and now it is about to happen again now in february. each incident is preluded by a slight jolt in the car upon start up followed bu rough idleing. every time we take it and and are told it is fixed and then sure enough a month later i am back there again. i do not see this problem getting any better. in addition the mach rstereo system has been fixed, then replaced. the replacement unit's qulaity is poor in comparison to the original. this car has been a nightmare.

Tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 2003 volkswagen passat with 7000 failure mileage the brake lights intermittently turned off. also, the driver's side front headlight turns off, the rear passenger side window, and the horn did not operate. the vehicle was taken to a dealer several times, but they still could not determine the cause of the problems. the current mileage was 105,944. *ak

Problems with engine shut down on 2003 volkswagen passat. *mr there was a problem with the odometer reading. the ecp light would constantly come on, the engine would go out intermittently, and there was rough idling. *sc *jb

Engine starts to stall and misfires in traffic. dealer refused to change recalled coils on 8-15-03 . contacted vw help line and they indicated that their records show that dealer replaced the recalled coils even though he didn't. it appears the dealer filed a false warranty service claim with vw according to the information they received. dealer still refused to change coils on 9-25-03.

Failure to provide replacement coils after manufacturer' s recall

Very expesive unreliable car with nothing but excuses from the dealer-manufacturer filled with lies, constant trouble with car and volkswagen cannot fix properly plus refuses to replace a defective car twice over! they told me when i purchased this car that all the 2003 had fixed coil problems. they failed around 7000 miles. also have replace the dash, reprogrammed computer,ruined a pillar upholstery,put in wrong oil, replace d a sprk plug thinking that would fix the missfire, still runs bad. every time i have to go to the dealer its a 260 mile round trip! i got out of a 99 passat that theysold me (unkowingly)wrecked and then coldnt fix so i traded up to this 2003 with lots of trouble. nightmare vw for sure.*ak

Brake failure light appears even after multiple brake repairs. driver?s side rear upper brake light replaced for 29th time in less than 2 yrs. multiple coolant leaks still present even after repair and water pump replacement. radio/amplifier not functioning even after replacement (radio was only used twice in vehicle?s lifetime). diagnostics show airbag malfunction. regulator pin on rear passenger side window keeps breaking (3rd replacement since 2003). engine cover below car keeps falling off due to rusted bolts. homelink system keeps malfunctioning. fuses keep blowing out. dashboard panel lights out (odometer, fuel gauge, etc.). ccm module keeps breaking down. car needs to be jumpstarted when not in use for over 48 hrs. climate control (a/c and heater) works only sporadically. all repairs performed by vw dealership, yet same issues keep reappearing just a few weeks after repairs. repairs performed in past 2 years: ecu unit replaced, brake light switch replaced 3 times, a/c compressor unit replaced, abs module replaced, alternator replaced, brakes replaced 3 times. *tr

Consumer states that the vehicle ignition coil is not working.dealer notified.*ak

My 2003 passat, with 10k miles, has been in the shop for 22 days now and they don't know what's wrong with it. this is the fourth trip in for the same thing. the battery goes dead every night. according to utah lemon law i should be entitled to arbitrate, but vw will not discuss this option. *nlm

Volkswagen of america will not recall faulty coil packs in 2001/2002/2003 passat 1.8ts, even though they know the installed part is defective. my first coil pack failed, and will be replaced under warranty but vw will not replace all coil packs, as they should. this is a dangerous situation, as coil pack failure while on the road may cause accidents. *jb

Whild driving at any speed vehicle will shut off. ts

Possible failure of h type coil packs on 1.8 t vw engines

Multiple problems with the 2001 vw passat. problems began at 16000 miles and have continued up to the current date and mileage of 33000 miles. car has been seen in vw service department 11 times since november 2001. lawsuit has been filed against vw america.

Failure of ignition coils on 2003 volkswagon passat resulting in sudden total inability to drive vehicle. estimated repair time due to parts shortage - 2 weeks. dealer acknowledged that this is a growing problem with 1.8t passats and expects a goverment mandated recall soon.

The ignition packs are defective and it's very hard to start the vehicle. ph

Starter coil failure - for over a month the problem would appear and disappear. sounded almost like the muffler fell off, but would be accompanied by loss of power to the vehicle. unexplainable as to why this happened.

This vehicle contains 4 ignition coils, one of which failed. this part which is installed on many 2002 and 2003 vw's is prone to sudden failure and vw owners have been experiencing multiple and common failures of their ignition coils. vw has redesigned the part but is only replacing failed parts at this time. when this part fails it causes the engine to stall or misfire badly and makes the car undriveable. this is certainly a safety issue if the problem occurs on a highway, causing the car to stall, or stranding a motorist in a dangerous location. i believe that vw should replace all the defective ignition coils with the redesigned replacement part. thanks. scc ***dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****770857****

Faulty ingintion coils, two out of four have been replace on 2003 vw passat 1.8l t the reamining two are bound to fail, but vw will not cover the cost of replacing them. this is very concerning, given the fact that this car was bought in dec 2002 and only has 2000 miles, and when the problem occurs the car loses power and must be towed to a dealership. note losing power on the highway, in the middle of the coldest winter in new england is not a pleasent thought!!

Failed coil pack on vehicle after only 16000 miles. dealer service adviser stated that vw is aware of this problem in all 2001 thru 2003 vw passats with 1.8 liter turbo engines. service adviser stated that vw is having so many failures on this product that the part had to be ordered through vin direct from germany. they will not replace all four coils, only the failed items. vehicle failed on highway and became a safety hazard to other motorists until i could negotiate to safe area to investigate failure. ts

I recently leased a vw passatt station wagon and things have gone wrong with it even before the car had 300 miles on it. the car has less than 5000 miles on it and it has spent some 10 days at the repair shop. defects have included a transmission that would disengage, heated seats that would not turn off, a/c and side mirrors that would not work, a module had to be replaced, the car had to be aligned, the front spoiler fell off, a speaker had to be replaced, part of the trim on the back was falling off, the memory settings on the driver's seat were not working, and the sun roof was rattling. the sales department has responded to all my calls by saying that i need to talk to the service department or to vw corporate directly. i have done both, when i called vw corporate they responded that as long as the car was driveable they would cover it under warranty and would not replace the car. they offered me a lube job as a settlement!

Loss of power to climate control, cruise control, headlights (low beam), some interior lights, radio display, steering wheel controls, home link transmitter. apparent short in driver side sun visor. visor was replaced under warranty and everything returned to normal. *jb

Failure to correct misfire and stalling problem after 3 visits to vw dealer. engine continues to misfire and vw won't try to replace any obvious parts related to the cause. told to return the car for repair for the 4th time when problem occurs again. car has been to 2 vw dealers in 2 weeks and problem continues. *jb