1997 Volkswagen Passat

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION ON AUGUST 10, 2000 BASED ON 9 REPORTS REGARDING PUNCTURED FUEL TANKS INVOLVING THE JETTA, PASSAT, AND CABRIO MODELS.THE REPORTS INDICATE ADDITIONAL REPORTS IN ITS RESPONSE TO THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED FOR FURTHER STUDY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TDI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A FIRE ERUPTED SPONTANEOUSLY INSIDE THE DASHBOARD WHICH CAUSED ALL OF THE WIRES TO MELT AND THE WINDSHIELD TO FRACTURE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE AREA WHERE THE IGNITION WAS LOCATED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,000. UPDATED 6/12/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE FIRE OCCURRED IN THE AREA OF THE IGNITION AND LOCKING COMPONENTS WERE SERVICE, REPLACED AND REMOVED 15 DAYS BEFORE THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPT DETERMINED THE FIRE STARTED IN THE IGNITION.

NHTSA ID

10457713

Incident

May 5, 2012

Mileage

200,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACTIVATE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS OR HEADLIGHTS, THEY FAILED TO TURN ON. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ID

10240603

Incident

Jul 21, 2008

Mileage

60,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HEARD AN UNFAMILIAR NOISE AND THE AIR CONDITIONING BEGAN TO BLOW HOT AIR. HE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED WATER LEAKING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE. HE BELIEVES THAT THE HEATER CORE MAY HAVE FAILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 157,000.

NHTSA ID

10230298

Incident

Jun 7, 2008

Mileage

157,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT HAS TAKEN HIS VEHICLE TO THE GARAGE AND THE DEALER EIGHT TIMES. THE ENGINE HEAD WAS REPLACED AT 42,000 MILES AND THE TURBO CHARGE IS CURRENTLY FAILING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REPAIRS COST MORE THAN THE ACTUAL PRICE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE TURBO CHARGE. THE REPLACEMENT WOULD COST $1,000. THE VIN WAS VERIFIED, BUT APPEARS TO BE INVALID. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000. UPDATED 03/18/08. *LJ UPDATED 03/18/08 *TR

NHTSA ID

10219330

Incident

Nov 6, 2007

Mileage

38,000 mi

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 5TH, 2007, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WITH MY 7 YEAR OLD SON IN THE BACK SEAT, DENSE, NOXIOUS 'STEAM'/SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT OF ALL VENTS AND AROUND THE DASH AREA IN MY WELL-MAINTAINED VOLKSWAGEN. HOT COOLANT ALSO LEAKED INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF MY PASSAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. NOTE THAT THIS OCCURRED WHILE AIR CONDITIONING (A/C) WAS ON & CONTINUED TO POUR OUT OF VENTS WITHOUT A/C ON. MY 'LOW COOLANT' INDICATOR LIGHT (RED LED IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER) ALSO BEGAN FLASHING. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR (AND MY SON) HOME WITHOUT OVERHEATING AFTER STOPPING ON THE SIDE OF A BUSY WASHINGTON DC THOROUGHFARE (WISCONSIN AVENUE), OPENING THE FOGGED-UP WINDOWS, CLEANING THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD, AND REFILLING THE COOLANT RESERVOIR/'OVERFLOW' TANK WITH ANTIFREEZE PURCHASED NEARBY. SINCE THE 'STEAM' SMELLED LIKE COOLANT/ANTIFREEZE, I IMMEDIATELY SUSPECTED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO A FAILURE OF MY CAR'S HEATER CORE. I SUBSEQUENTLY CONFIRMED THIS DIAGNOSIS AFTER DROPPING OFF THE PASSAT AT MY LONG-TIME, CERTIFIED, MECHANIC, BEAHM'S AUTO SERVICE OF SILVER SPRING MARYLAND. BEAHM'S DIAGNOSED, BUT DID NOT REPLACE MY HEATER CORE ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 7TH, 2007 (THE HEATER CORE HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY BYPASSED SO THAT THE CAR COULD BE DRIVEN WITHOUT ADDITIONAL COOLANT LOSS OR OF THE CAR'S WINDOWS/INTERIOR). MY PASSAT IS OTHERWISE IN EXCELLENT, WELL-MAINTAINED CONDITION WITH ONLY 116,000 MILES, NO ACCIDENTS, AND IT PASSED WASHINGTON DC SAFETY AND EMISSIONS INSPECTION IN AUGUST, 2007. *TR

NHTSA ID

10204707

Incident

Aug 5, 2007

Mileage

115,500 mi

VEHICLE VOLKSWAGEN 1997 PASSAT GLX - V6 ENGINE. FULL INSTRUMENT CLUSTER - SPEEDOMETER, TACHOMETER, FUEL GAUGE, DIGITAL CLOCK... EVERYTHING ON IT, DOES NOT OPERATE WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 50 DEGREES. CAR MUST BE DRIVEN FOR 10MIN., OR ABOUT 8-12 MILES, BEFORE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER RETURNS TO NORMAL FUCTION. CAR IS BEING DRIVEN WITHOUT FUNCTIONING SPEEDOMETER, AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE MY SPEED AND DOES NOT FEEL SAFE. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE, EXCEPT INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WOULD MAKE A BUZZING NOISE WHEN CAR STARTED AND TRIP MILEAGE WOULD RESET. THIS STARTED A FEW MONTHS BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE BEGAN. THIS PROBLEM GETS WORSE AS TIME PASSES, AS THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PROBLEM OCCURS IN WARMER WEATHER NOW. PROBLEM USED TO OCCUR WHEN TEMPERATURE WAS BELOW 35 DEGREES. NOW HAPPENS AT 50 DEGREES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10203187

Incident

Feb 1, 2007

Mileage

86,000 mi

HEATER CORE FAILED- CLOUDING THE WINDOW TO A DEGREE THAT WE NEARLY HAD AN ACCIDENT BEFORE WE COULD GET THE CAR PULLED OVER.

NHTSA ID

10192704

Incident

Jun 4, 2007

Mileage

125,952 mi

VARIOUS ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS FAILED WHILE DRIVING--WINDSHIELD WIPERS, LIGHTS, DEFROST MOTOR--ON A VERY DARK, RAINY MORNING, CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND A NEAR-ACCIDENT. MANUFACTURER PREVIOUSLY WARNED OF 'IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE', BUT WOULD ONLY REPAIR AFTER FAILURE AND BEFORE 10 YRS OR 100,000 MILES. MY CAR HAS 100,600 MILES. MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO BEAR THE REPAIR COST FOR THIS KNOWN DEFECT THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *NM

NHTSA ID

10171239

Incident

Oct 18, 2006

Mileage

100,600 mi

Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards

Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.

Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.

Updated to include additional models and model year applicability.

The part number listed in the document is to be returned if it meets the criteria provided.

Alternative method for radio code retrieval.