2000 volkswagen passat. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle that die unexpectedly at various speeds *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle has stalled while making turns across highways and entering freeways. The vehicle was taken to the dealer numerous times where different components were replaced, but the stalling continued.
2000 Volkswagen Passat engine complaints
Page 2 of 5: complaints 11 to 40 of 101, newest first, as owners wrote them.
In the last couple years my 2000 vw passat has a burning smell like a fire in the engine after driving a bit (I've noticed this particularly when the heater is on), has hesitated and jumped when I've tried to shift gears and accelerate, and a while ago the "check engine" light was going on when this hesitation occurred; although this light hasn't come on in the same situation lately, and the hesitation itself doesn't seem to be occurring as much as before. At any rate, I still get the burning smell and recently read that there is an investigation on this very make and model by the federal safety agency for said problems. My mechanic has been saying all along there is no problem, but perhaps he doesn't know of this investigation. What should I do?
While stopped at a red light, the engine accelerated by itself (computer failure?). My husband, who was driving, had to use both feet, pressing down as hard as he could, to stop the car. Fortunately, no one was in front of us and we were far enough back that we did not accelerate into the intersection. The engine sound returned to normal after 15-30 seconds and we drove it home without further incident but we have stopped driving the car for safety reasons. In addition, the ABS computer module has also failed, though we have not had any incidents related to that failure as the brakes are otherwise fine.
2000 vw passat 1.8t engine failure due to sludge build up.
2000 passat wagon 1.8 caught fire and burned - its was not running and was parked for 20 min then fire started under the right side of the engine.
I am the owner of a 2000 vw passat with the 1.8 liter turbo engine. This engine is known to have serious sludging issues. This was unknown to me. Two months ago my oil pressure indicator lit up. I could not find any oil pressure issues so I took the car to the dealership 45 miles away. They "inspected" the car and informed me the engine was sludged up. Apparently vw has a warranty regarding this issue but only if you can produce every receipt of every oil change the vehicle has ever had from the day it was purchased from vw. Problem: I am the second owner. I can not produce receipts from the previous owner. To compound the problem I purchase my oil and filters by the case to last me several years. I do not have those receipts of those purchases anymore. I changed the oil according vw specifications located in the manual. To make matters worse vw decided to change the owners manual to state that synthetic oil must be used instead of regular motor oil, but did not inform me of this. Vw will/has contacted me as the new owner of the car regarding recalls but would not inform me of this very important maintenance change that could destroy my engine. Now vw wants to charge me over $4,000 to put a new "oil sludging kit" on my car to compensate for a known defect simply because I can not produce records to show that I changed the oil every three months and that I used synthetic oils instead of regular oil as the owner manual states.
2000 passat -oil pressure light and a big stop light came on with no prior warnings or anything wrong. Immediately turned off. Waited about 1 hour then drove 1 mile home. Next day had it towed to dealership for diagnosis. Was told by vw mechanic he was not supposed to tell me but my engine was blown due to oil sludge in the engine which was a "known problem" with this year. Wanted $9500 to replace engine (only 52k miles) I still owed $7500 on the car. Replaced engine at another garage for $5400 then had to replace turbo for $2000. Oil is now leaking and they do not know what the problem is. Called vw. They said they would be glad to pay for a replacement engine if I could produce every oil change receipt. The garage where I got my oil changed only keeps records in the computer for 6 months then they are put in boxes in storage. Vw basically said "too bad". I have had 2 jettas and now this passat. I will not buy another vw product. I had no problems with the jettas. If they have "known problems" why are they not recalls? Vw could not answer this question.
2000 passat auto transmission began to catch on fire near engine and where exhaust meet. My son and a friend both 20yrs old were driving late at night when this occurred. I thank god it did not end tragically.
Tl*the contact owns a 2000 volkswagen passat. While driving 5 MPH, the vehicle began to shake and the front end made a clicking noise. The contact then noticed a burning rubber smell and noticed smoke coming from the front passenger side. A police report was filed. The vehicle caught fire under the hood and has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The failure mileage was 90,000. Updated 05/28/08
Bought a vw passat used from private dealer~I owned the car for exactly 1 year, turbo failed ~ check engine light has been on since owning vehicle. Car has been diagnosed with oil sludge issues from previous owners. Just paid for turbo and two oil lines to be replaced. Vw of america stated they would take responsibility ~ never heard from them, I keep calling ~ check engine light has been on since day one ~ no one wants to help me on this quest to seek action. I owe 11,000.00 more on the vehicle car was smoking severely ~thought it was an undercarriage~but it is near the turbo line so it could be mistaken.
I have had my 2000 vw passat for a little over two years and it has been a money pit! I have had so many problems since a month or so after I bought my car. I bought the car from a private party, test drove the car, had it checked out by a mechanic, and I have put thousands of dollars into the car. I bought the car just before my senior year in high school thinking I made a wonderful choice, and I had to replace a new right side boot just after a month of owning the car. The check engine light/ABS/airbag kept coming on and beeping at me, and I had to buy a whole new brain to the car over $1500. I had to replace the timing belt way before the mile warranty, oil leaks which ruined some wires, new shocks/shock absorbers, now the window will go part way down, but will no longer go up... And my headlights are fogged up which I have noticed on all other 2000 passats...! Many things have gone wrong with this car. I am so frustrated with the car. I do not recommend a vw to anyone! I am going into the second year of college and have spent most of my savings on this piece of junk. I think after fixing a part of the car that it should run without any problems. Since I have put so much money into this car I cannot afford to get a reliable car. There is something seriously wrong with vw and the recalls! As far as I am concerned the whole car should be recalled!!!!
Check engine light has been on since purchasing of car ~ electra auto sales was aware of this and noted this was their records they would be responsible. They have been given me the run around because of the faulty engine system. My daughter and I were subjected to almost being killed on the highway because of the car stalling and rough idliing ~ paul vargas owner of electra auto sales has not returned any called back . Ak
Tl*contact owns a 2000 volkswagen passat. It was repaired on two occasions. The check engine light was always on, and when she accelerated the vehicle made an unusual noise. The mechanic stated that the failure was the air pump and fuse. The contact was concerned of the risk involved since the failure mileage was 51,971 miles. The current mileage was 75200.
Purchased my 2000 passat in 2003, had numerous problems since. It seemed like everything on the car had to be replaced. The control arms, o2 sensors, twice, belts, stereo didn't turn on, all new hoses right away, all 4 window regulators, and now to top it all off, the ABS lights kept coming on. My husband has a 2000 audi a4, virtually the same car, and had to replace all of the same things. The ABS seemed to work fine, but the dealer said it would be $1800 to fix it. I looked at some online forums and found thousands of people with similar problems. The manufacturer, (bosch or volkswagen, should do something about this. My car has been parked since august 2006 because I don't have money to fix it! I am college student. Help!
Turbo started sucking up oil, eventually leading to engine failure.
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.
Owner was driving the vehicle, parked it, turned off the engine, and went inside a restaurant to pick up a pizza. While owner was inside, the volkswagen caught fire. Fire burned carpet in front center of passenger compartment, plastics in front center of dash. All damage above location of exhaust and catalytic converter underneath the floor.
Owner parked the vehicle at a doctor's office. Shortly after he went into the doctor's office, the vehicle caught fire. Fire burned throughout engine compartment and passenger compartment and caused severe scorching to the front of the floor pan. Exhaust heat shield melted.
Owner drove the vehicle approximately 7 miles, went into a store, came out, and observed a fire in the vehicle. Heat shield above right side catalytic converter melted and some wiring in the dash was burned.
Owner had the catalytic converters and oxygen sensors replaced. A few weeks later, owner was driving the vehicle and then stopped and was sitting in her driveway using her cell phone when she smelled smoke. She got out of the vehicle and looked at the engine and saw fire. Exhaust system had overheated, causing melting of the exhaust heat shield and materials on the floor pan just above the catalytic converters.
I've had my 2000 passat now for 3 years, my husband and myself see to it that our cars have annual tune-ups and regular oil changes. For the past month the ABS and brake light has been flashing non-stop. During my most recent tune up, I was informed that the catalytic converters have to be replaced. My mechanic was convinced that a recall had to be in place because he was seeing this problem occurring frequently. I called the vw dealership where I purchased the vehicle and was informed that $100 was needed to even look at the car. All of this has me furious. A recall is needed--right a way!!!!!
2000 passat oil sludge build up caused engine to fail. *ts while driving the oil indicator light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer who explained that the oil pressure was low, but close to manufacturers specifications. The oil pump, pvc system, and turbo tubes were replaced. Less than three months later the consume started hearing a rumbling noise which seemed to be coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken back to the service dealer where id was determined that he noise was probably rod knock and the remedy was to replaced the engine. The consumer feels that vw should be responsibly fro replacing the engine because they were aware that the oil filter was too small.
The engine light has been on for a while. I had the catalytic converter replaced last year in 08/05 when it initially occurred. The problem went off. It came back on just yesterday 07/11/2006. The message says it is emission workshop. I have not taken it to a vw dealer, however, I suspect it is the same catalytic converter problem. Another problem I have had is the stop - brake fault message. The ABS light is on while the brake light is illuminating. I have taken my car to two different independent mechanics to check on the issues. They mentioned that the brake pads were all fine. And so was the fluid brake reservoir level. They were guessing it was electrical problem or ABS sensor problem.
2000 passat gls 4-motion v6 has been regularly serviced. Oil changes every 3000 miles. At appx 65000 miles, with no warning, the car overheated while idling (it had been idling for less than 8 minutes, it was only 50 degrees outside, the coolant had been checked a few weeks previous at the car's last oil change). The temperature gauge in the dash maxed out and steam and smoke started issuing from under the hood. Turned the car off & let it cool for appx 20 minutes before opening hood. Checked coolant, it had completely boiled away. Replaced coolant, let car continue to cool for appx another 1.5 hrs. Started car and drove it (slowly) to a garage specializing in european cars. (my regular mechanic.) replaced the water pump and thermostat, both of which had stopped working. Vw recommends that the timing belt be replaced at 80000 miles. Mechanic told me that the timing belt looked significantly worn and that it should be replaced now for fear it might break before the regularly scheduled replacement. Replaced timing belt. Total cost of replacing water pump, thermostat and timing belt: $725. Due to excessive engine temperature from the water pump and thermostat failure, pistons and valves in engine now knock and engine is noisy, particularly when first started. Engine no longer seems to be as responsive, power wise, as it was previously. 65000 miles seems a bit young to be experiencing a water pump failure. The fact that the engine overheated so quickly and with no prior indication of an impending problem, and that this resulted in such stress to the engine leads me to believe that there may have been a design flaw involved. (have had water pumps go out in other cars, but never prior to 80000 miles, never in under 8 minutes and never with such dire results and high repair costs.
I am the original owner of a 2000 vw passat, 4 cyl. On 3/24/06, the defrost no longer worked properly in the vehicle. Pinkish-orange coolant started spraying out on my feet while driving, white smoke came spilling out of the vents & the coolant spread itself thick on the interior of the windshield & windows. This left it cloudy & I had to pull the vehicle over and wipe the windows with cleaner and paper towels. With it becoming immediately cloudy, I lost visibility of the cars in front of me. Coolant also leaked onto the passenger floor board/mat. I immediately looked online for feedback and found it could possibly be a cracked heater core (which is not covered under my extended warranty). I took it by a vw dealer for a drive by diagnosis, it was confirmed it was the heater core. I contacted vw of america immediately to notify them of this problem and asked if they could assist with 50%-100% of the repairs because it was a reported problem everywhere. Vw customer care said I needed to set up a diagnosis appt with the vw dealer, which was on 4/24/06. 10 minutes after I dropped my car off, my service consultant russell dilley w/miramar vw in san diego, ca called my cell phone and said "yes it is the heater core". Prior to leaving my car with him, he believed it to be a cracked heater core, just with my few symptoms explained and he said he has seen this problem many times before and he confirmed vw of america had covered the cost of the repairs. I notified vw of america customer care that the diagnosis was performed and ready. I had to pay $99.00 for the so called one hour diagnosis appt, even though it was confirmed in 10 minutes. Customer care said they would contact me within 48 hours to let me know their decision w/the assistance of the repair. I received a call yesterday 5/1/06 from marlina, she said vw of america will not be able to assist with the repair of the cracked heater core because of the age of the vehicle & the mileage. Year 2000, mileage 89k.
While driving my 2000 passat, the stop engine light came on to notify me that there was a problem with oil pressure. There was nothing prior to this warning that would have lead me to believe that there was a problem. No odd noises in the car and it was driving fine. I took the car to the dealer and was informed that the engine was totaled and it needed to be replaced at a cost of $7,000. I did find out that in august of 2004, vw of america issues a service notice to all the service departments that due to a malfunctioning fuel pump, oil sludge may build up in the engine, ultimately leading to engine failure. This was not sent to any of the vehicle owners. In the notice, vwoa said that they would extend the warranty of the car and replace the motor, only if there was proof that the oil was changed every 5000 miles. Because I have gaps in my oil changes with the dealer, they will not honor this extended warranty and are trying to charge me for the new motor. I've had the care in a number of times between august of 2004 and february 19, 2006 when the light came on and was never notified that there may be a problem. I asked the service manager at the dealer why I wasn't notified of this issue and he said that vwoa issues a number of service memos and was he to tell all of the customers everytime one was issued. Had I been notified that this might be the end result of the oil pump not being replaced in 2004, I wouldn't be in my current situation. I have read a number of web posts with people that have had similar problems with their local dealers and vwoa.
Oil sludge build up in engine. 2000 volkswagen passat 1.8 turbo 4 cylinder 49000.
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was parked for over an hour, when the heat shield on the top of the exhaust system began to smolder. No indicator lamp illuminated prior to the problem. The fire department was notified and came, although no flames erupted. The fire department could not determine the cause of the smoke. However, an independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and discovered the cause of the smoke was the heat shield.
Purchased a used car from dan perkins chevrolet, in milford, ct on march, 18, 2004.I was advised by the salesman, john almeida, that the car came in as a trade from a girl who bought cars from him all the time at dan perkins. Upon further investigation I found the car was purchased brand new from a couple in massachusetts and that dan perkins purchased it at an auction. When I picked the car up and drove it home the engine light was on/the lighter did not work/the tires were bald, and the 6 disc cd changer was not in the car. When I contacted the salesperson, john almeida, and the used car manager, they stated they fixed everything, but that they were not responsible for the cd changer, I wrote a letter to dan perkins himself, and he gave me a new one because it was advertised with the cd changer. When my oil light came on I brought it to curran volkswagen in stratford, ct. They advised me to get a copy of my contract from dan perkins and any other paperwork from dan perkins. I contacted the salesman, john almeida and his manager told me that there was no way I was getting a copy of anything. They do not keep copies of contracts from their customers. He also yelled in the background that curran vw was trying to pass the buck and that I was out of luck!!!the car is now sitting in my driveway with no engine!I am making car payments on a car that does not work, on a car that I have had less than 2 years!I contacted curran vw because vw extended the warranty for the engine to 8 years, I only found this out because I did my own research online. Vw of america denied my claim because one of my mechanics, who does not have a computer, handwrote receipts for the oil changes.curran volkswagen gave me an estimate of $12,074.60. The kelly blue book value is $8,000!!!!!vw of america advises their consumers to have oil changed every 5,000 miles or every 6 months. I had mine changed every 3,000 miles.dan perkins showed me no vehicle history reports.
Alexandria vw damaged my engine and refuses to take responsibility for proving a replacement engine. Also, vw of america won't replace a defected engine.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2000 Volkswagen Passat?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history