We own a 2002 vw passat wagon and are so happy with it we bought another one with lower mileage. Shortly after buying the second vw the engine warning light came on the first vehicle. Our mechanic said it was the ignition coil pack - $600 to replace. Car had over 120,000 miles so we weren't unduly alarmed, and paid it. Three weeks later engine warning came on again. Took it to a different garage - one that used to be the local vw dealer - and they said the ignition coil was bad again. We assumed the replacement part had turned out to be bad so paid another $600 to have it fixed. Took the old part back to the original garage but the mechanic did nothing about it. 'chalked it up to experience. Three months later the engine warning light came on the second vw. Took it to the second mechanic and he said - voila! - ignition coil bad again! Paid another $600 to get it replaced, and then went home to research it online. Was stunned to see all the problems listed about the ignition coil pack. Called vw and asked for reimbursement for two of the three ignition packs but was told our vws were not listed in the correction bulletins. They also denied there was a recall even though their own pr department had sent out a press release saying all 2002 v6 passats had been recalled due to this problem. I have called vw several times and found their 'customer advocates' to be very courteous and polite but absolutely stonewalling any reimbursement. When pressed was finally told I needed the old ignition packs, the repair bills (original only, no copies) and could send all to them and they would consider it but would probably not make an adjustment!
2002 Volkswagen Passat electrical complaints
Page 2 of 8: complaints 11 to 40 of 220, newest first, as owners wrote them.
2002 vw passat engine fire while driving. Shop said it looks like it started in the wiring harness. No injuries, vehicle total loss. One owner, well cared for. I purchased this vehicle new, intending to drive it a long time. Not a good investment.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. The contact was driving 70 MPH when the vehicle began to shake abnormally and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle independently decelerated from 70 MPH to 20 MPH. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was advised that the ignition coil spring failed. The coil springs and spark plugs were replaced at the contact's expense. The contact stated this was the fifth time the ignition coil springs failed. The vehicle was not under recall and the manufacturer was not contacted. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 161,000.
Turn signal produces continuous turn signal noise after use of the turn signal. This is a significant distraction while driving and discourages use of the turn signal. This has been a persistent problem.
2002 passat wagon, automatic transmission, accelerator pedal became stuck while getting on highway during a cold morning. Brakes were non-responsive even when car was put into neutral. Car continued to accelerate, driver put car into a lower gear which slowed down the car a bit and finally put the transmission in "park". This caused the car to eventually stop. To get off the highway, driver slowly drove off onto the exit ramp after calling 911 and being advised to get off the highway which had no shoulder. After that the car and brakes appeared to function normally. The next morning car would not start due to the battery being drained and was towed to vw mechanic. After being inspected for 2 days the mechanic did not find anything wrong with the accelerator or the breaks and there was no evidence that the pedal got stuck on the floor mat. No error codes were found on car's computer. We had had no prior problems with the car other than a dash message indicating a break fault would occasionally light up on cold wet days. The vw mechanic could never find anything wrong with the breaks after repeated visits and attributed the message to a computer glitch. After the incident with the accelerator we traded the car in for a new one of a different make since we did not feel safe driving it, despite assurances that nothing unusual was found with the car.
2002 volkswagen passat has engine problems. *nj the consumer stated the vehicle has not been driven in a year and a half due to the oil sludge and misfiring problems. The catalytic converter failed and the spark plugs and coil packs were constantly being replaced.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that her vehicle was a lemon when she purchased it in 2002. Water enters the vehicle from the sun roof whenever it rains. She received a recall notice, but the vehicle was not repaired according to the recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer more than fifteen times, but it has never been repaired. The failure mileage was 500 miles. Updated 8/24/09 *cn the consumer was told the water leak was coming from the after market speaker. The headlight tail light and fog light bulbs were replaced. The check engine light illuminated and the coolant bottle had a hairline crack. The heat in the vehicle was not working properly. The technician discovered the heater core had a blockage. The water pump was leaking. Both outer cv boots were replaced. There was a large evap leak at the purge valve which was replaced. The cruise control light was on. The right side valve cover gasket was leaking oil and the alternator was replaced. Updated 08/26/09.
I was driving my 2002 passat 1.8t for a approximately 30, reaching my house the car started sputtering and acting weird. Once I parked in my driveway and open the hood the engine was on fire for no apparent reason. The car was running perfectly fine for the first 30 minutes and then was on fire.
Loss of engine power check engine light comes on I shut engine off one ignition coil starts to smoke and start on fire along with coil electrical lead.
I was at the trying to find a parking spot when suddenly my check engine light came on and started blinking. I lost alot of power and could not accelerate. I then had to have the vehicle towed to my home because I was afraid of causing any further damage to the vehicle. The next day I contacted the dealership and explained the situation. They then informed me that many of these types of vehicles have been repaired due to the proarising from a faulty ignition coil or coil pack and I was told that the cost to repair it would be between $350-$500 to remove and replace faulty ignition coils (4). After further looking into the problem through numerous websites I noticed the same exact problem happening consistently to many owners of such vehicles.
Turn signal/hazard relay switch failed while driving, no turn signals...find out there has been a recall on the 2002 jetta and golfs but not on the passat, same switch in all the cars made by vw...this is a huge hazard, why hasn't vw recalled the 2002 passats as well?
My 2002 vw passat initially blew the #5 fuse which controls the A/C, steering wheel items (horn, volume control, etc.) and items on the driver side sun visor. The fuse was replaced and subsequently I experienced smoking in the area of the sun visor. Removing the visor, I noticed frayed wiring and burnt wiring insulation. In addition there was sparking inside the roof area. I took the car to the dealer and they cut the frayed wire and taped it up, with a more complete repair to come in a couple of days. Driving the car home later that day the car started smoking again with the addition of crackling sounds. I had the car towed to the dealer that evening. The dealer is now looking at the wiring and has found at least one wire leading from the visor area all the way down to the fuse box which is bare because it's insulation has been burned off. The fuse that should have blown was melted into the fuse box. The burned wire has also burned off insulation on other wires which were touching the damaged wire. The dealer is trying to track down all the wires that may have been damaged. Current cost is approximately $2400 with volkswagen agreeing to pick up $900 of the cost. Based on internet research, there have been other reports of frayed wiring in the visor area of the 2002 passat. I have numerous postings by people who have blown the fuse and had their visors replaced. Others have pulled down the visor and taped up the frayed wiring in their visor. I believe this to be a design or manufacturing flaw and I believe that my visor wiring has been fraying for some time prior to the catastrophic failure.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle began shaking violently and shut down in the middle of an intersection. The vehicle then skidded into an intersection and almost struck a child. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the ignition coil housing burned. The dealer would not repair the vehicle or allow him to pay $785 with a credit card to repair the ignition coil. The turbo coil also failed; however, the dealer does not agree with this diagnosis. The manufacturer was unable to assist. The contact also smelled electrical wiring burning. He stated that oil breaks down prematurely, which caused the engine to seize and the vehicle to overheat. The manufacturer stated in writing that they see no reason why they should offer any assistance, and that there was a previous recall on a case by case basis related to other engine failures. The federal trade commission complaint number was 13323205. The current mileage was 101,222 and failure mileage was 86,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that his vehicle caught fire with flames rising approximately three feet above the hood. The fire and police departments arrived at the scene. A police report was filed. The fire was extinguished, however, the vehicle was destroyed. The contact has not spoken with the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 91,000. Updated 01-15-08. * bf the fire was due to an electrical short in the ground of an electrical harness. The wiring shorted out against the vehicle's steel cowl with temperatures high enough to weld the 12 gauge against the body panel . Updated
The ABS control module failed on my car causing the ABS system and the asr (anti-slip regulation) traction control systems to no longer function. This happened without warning with no signs leading up to the failure. This has also caused other strange electrical issues where my keyless entry will no longer work. Also, the error lights continue to flash on the instrument panel and the radio remains turned on (unless I manually turn it off) even after the car has been turned off and the key has been removed from the ignition. This caused a dead battery after 4 days of flashing (radio was off). It has also caused an error between the communication paths from my transmission control module (TCM) and my engine's ecu and instrument panel as evidenced by the error codes produced. The last issue that has been caused by the ABS failure is that the car continues to run for several seconds after the ignition has been turned off and the key has been removed. It will then sputter out and turn off. From my research, this appears to be a common problem on these cars: http://www.passatworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173334
Fuel system failed. The car ran like a tractor, misfiring and emitting explosive like sounds. The dashboard warning light came on and stayed on. We limped to the next vw dealer who found it necessary to replace the ignition coils. The coils were already once replaced under warranty on july 23, 20003. Why do we have to pay $200.44 plus tax for these obviously unreliable parts?
The 2002 volkwagen passat 1.8t problem started with the car stalling while driving on the road on saturday july 1 2007, and the epc light coming on. I took it to the dealership the following monday, and they ended up replacing a faulty engine RPM sensor. The following saturday I picked up the car and drove off. Exactly 12 miles from the dealership the car stalled with the same epc light. The only consequences of this incident were me stranded on the side of the road for almost an hour with slightly charred engine. I coasted off the road and smelled smoke. Needless to say the dealership stated that it was short coil-packs and not their responsibility, so I was stuck with a $3,000.00 repair bill. After researching online I know there have been several similar instances and am wondering why it was never recalled.
2002 volkswagen passat, wagon, 4 cyl 2.0 l motor. I had 2 occasions where the wiring harness shorted out on the front headlights, once on the driver's side at 75,000 miles, and once on the passenger's side at 40,000 miles. There was no fire, but in both incidents the wires had completely melted to the wiring harness where the headlights were attached. The wires were completely exposed in both incidents.
I own a volkswagon 2002 passat wagon. I have replaced the coils at least 7 times . I replaced #4 two weeks ago, and #1 & 2 blew yesterday. I took it into livingston volkswagen in woodland hills, ca., and they told me I needed to have all four replaced, and,, I have complained to corporate, saying this was obviously a defect and was dangerous as the time before last. I was in the fast lane on the freeway, doing 65 MPH and the car went from 65 MPH to 25d MPH in a 10 seconds! Not dangerous?
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. The contact was driving with the cruise control set at 67 MPH when the vehicle shut off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was repaired. The current mileage is 70,000 and failure mileage was 7,586.
Right daytime driving light burned out on 3 occasions. Last incident included a melted wiring harness as well
The engine sputters and appears to misfire after the car has been sitting or driven in the rain. Preceding and after this event the check engine light comes on. This happened twice during the week of september 11, 2006. The dealership could not identify the problem and said the car was safe to drive, but suggested we get a tune up, including getting the spark plugs changed (the car didn't need it!). On a rainy october 6 at 5:00 a.m., the car stalled in the middle of a 2-lane state road. When we attempted to restart the car, it sputtered a bit and then died. The car would not restart and had to be pushed off the road. We are going to ask the dealership to inspect the ignition coil.
When it rains heavily, the air bag fault light and the mil come on. Water gets into the vehicle and shorts out the electronics. Fortunately the oct. 2005 repair was still under warranty. I was without the car for a week that time. I took the car in july 5th, 2006 for the same thing and have not seen the car yet (7/20/06). Each time the service person calls, I am told that there is more electrical damage. Now the transmission module also must be replaced for $800+. There is obviously a design flaw in the passat. If you cannot keep the car in a garage, you should not purchase a vw passat. The dealership is inundated with these cars whenever we experience heavy rain. I have placed numerous calls to vw, and have received no assistance. The response is that the vehicle is out of warranty. Too bad. The car has only 21,000 miles on it. The master cylinder also had to be replaced last year. Vw needs to do something about this design flaw.
Bought the car new and have had to deal with defective tires, defective ignition coils causing two major breakdowns at highway speeds with children in the car. The last two ignition coils were recalled. The car will not run if it is wet from heavy rain and has to be completely dried before the breaks work properly. Oil pump was replaced 14 months ago, another major breakdown on highway with children. It has broken down yet again...the dealership says it needs another oil pump because of sludge, about $2000, not under warranty because it is past the 12 month, 12,000mile mark. Two other private mechanics told me, replacing the oil pump would only disguise, temporarily the real issue....the engine is junk. It now sits in my driveway because it is not under warranty because I am missing some oil change receipts. Also the blinkers don't work, the rear door won't open, auto locks work intermittently and headlights have been replaced twice and are out again. This was the first new car I ever bought. I bought the car after a divorce because I wanted a dependable car to commute to work and transport my children safely. The car has 85,00 mi.
My 2001.5 vw passat abruptly stopped recognizing its keys. These keys have some kind of magic number that is used to validate their authenticity. However, the car stopped recognizing its three keys yesterday. The vw dealership does not have a sense for what might be wrong. I disconnected the battery for 5 minutes yesterday and the car started recognizing the key after that. However, I had the same problem again today, and looks like its going to keep happening unless I figure out what the root cause is. As of now, the engine does not start, central locking does not let me lock the car. The trunk doesn't pop. The only thing that works is the unlocking of the car, and the locking of the driver side door (only).
Water leakage in 2002 passat 1.8t gls. After rain, water seeped in through faulty pollen filter housing. Fried engine cluster. After being returned, water continued to seep in. It corroded electrical wires and caused many problems. After 5+ dealer visits, no one was able to fix it until I personally stripped all carpeting and found the faulty wire. Dealer had told me filter housing was susceptible to water leakage, and yet he did no fix it...
Numerous spontaneous electrical failures within 24 hours. A week ago today) the gas gauge on my 2002 passat w8 went dead, both the analogue gauge and the computer readout; then the AC went dead, windows, horn, door locks and lock remote and lights suddenly stopped working. The radio stop working, then came back on, but the reception was very bad, a lot of static, and the radio did not shut off when the car was turned off and the key removed. I had to manually turn it off. While driving the speedometer & odometer went dead, all of the warning lights came on but the engine displayed no problems. I got a call from the dealer the next day, the car will not even start now. The comfort control module needed to be replaced, he stated that"it stopped communicating". $500.00 for that. It's a week later today. My w8 is still at the dealer. It took them 6 days to get the comfort control module. They installed it and the car still will not start. My bill is at $630, and they want me to authorize more time so they can start tearing apart the wiring and the wiring harnesses. There are hundreds of postings on many websites from owners with the identical issues. The wiring is corroded going to/from the ccm.
Ltr from consumer referencing defective front right daytime running lamp constantly failing on his 2002 vw passat, reply directly to constituent. *ts the light has failed three times in the last three years. Each time the vehicle was taken to the dealer who explained that the light burn out frequently because they were on all the time. The driver's side daytime running lamp has never failed.
Horn quit working
Dt: the check engine light came on while vehicle still under warranty, but the dealer said there was nothing wrong. After owning the car for one year the transmission had to be replaced. But it still transmission not work properly. . It jumped into gear. Also, the engine air bag, and thermostat lights kept coming on. One week ago, the car wouldn't start. Replaced the battery, and a few days after that it wouldn't start again. Currently, the dealer insisted it needed a new alternator, and f warranty expired. In order to get to the original problem, it would cost $1100.00.
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