Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1990 Volkswagen Passat submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
RECALL 96V115000: THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ANY HEAT, THE VEHICLE WAS CHECKED AND THE DEALER FOUND A FAULTY HEATING CORE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE HEATER CORE, BUT THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK *SC *JB
RECALL 96 V 115 000/ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM: VEHICLE EXPERIENCED OVERHEATING IN WHICH COOLANT / STEAM WAS COMING INTO VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK HEATING CORE FAILED AND LEAKED THROUGH THE VENTS. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM REPAIR WHILE THE SAME FAILURES AS IN THE RECALL OCCURED. *YH
WATER PUMP FAILED AND ENGINE OVERHEATED. CURRENTLY, THERE IS A LEAK. *AK
SPRING STRUTS AND STRUT MOUNTS FAILED. YH
THE ENGINE STALLS WHEN I APPLY QUICK BRAKES AT 50 MPH. ALSO, WHEN I LEAVE THE HIGHWAY, REDUCING VEHICLE SPEEC TO 30 MPH, UPON APPLYING BRAKING THE ENGINE FREQUENTLY STALLS. THIS IS AN DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITION WHICH CAN CAUSE ACCIDENT/CRASH. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHEN I APPLY QUICK BRAKES AT 30 MPH. THE LACK OF VACCUM PRESENT DUE TO ENGINE STALLING CAUSES THE POWER BRAKES TO FAIL, REQUIRING EXCESSIVE FOOT PRESSURE AND EMERGENCY BRAKES ENGAGEMENT IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE HAD AN RECENT TUNE-UP WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS TO THE PROBLEM*AK.
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 30 MPH AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE DUE TO THE OIL TOP BEING LEFT OFF WHICH CAUSED ANIT-FREEZE FLUID TO LEAK ONTO THE ENGINE. *AK
ENGINE OVERHEATS, CAUSING THE COOLANT PRESSURE TO RISE, RESULTING IN LEAKAGE. *AK
HEAD GASKET LEAKS, ALLOWING OIL TO RUN ONTO EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND BURNS, CAUSING CARBON MONOXIDE FUMES TO ENTE RVEHICLE; ALSO, HEAT EXHANGER LEAKS, CAUSING ODOR TO ENTER PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. COULD RESULT IN INJURY TO DRIVER'S FEET OR FOG UP WINDSHIELD.
THE HEATER EXCHANGER LEAKS AND ODER ENTERS PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THIS LEAK COULD CAUSE INJURY TO THE DRIVER'S FEET OR CAUSE THE WINDSHIELD TO FOG OVER, INCREASING THE RISK OF AN ACCIDENT.
HEAD GASKET LEAKS ALLOW OIL TO RUN ONTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND BURN, CAUSING CARBON MONOXIDE TO ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THERE IS ALSO A RISK OF FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
TIMIMG BELT BROKE WHILE DRIVING.
TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED ELECTRONIC FAILURE.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .