2002 Volkswagen Passat: won't start

Filed Feb 14, 2019 · Body, Engine · 200,000 miles · WA

When it rains the car gets flooded causing the whole wiring system through the car to get damage. The car will suddenly lose power and die as your driving. Seems to happen. When on highway most. The car will not start or crank. I've had to vacuum the floor boards and trunk, search for damaged wires, change relays as well as camshaft position sensor, and fuel pump.as well as sensors. Trying to get it running again. Also the transmission jerks very hard when trying to go into reverse and most of the time in slips out of gear within1or 2 seconds.

Filed Feb 18, 2010 · Acceleration, Electrical · 55,000 miles · RI

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.

Filed Feb 10, 2010 · Fuel system · 155,000 miles · VA

While driving home last night, my 2002 vw passat began to lose power and cut off. I was able to let it coast to the side of the road but in the lane of an exit ramp for traffic exiting the highway. I engaged my flashers and called 911 and a tow truck. I tried starting the car again and it would not crank. Once the police came, he pushed my car into safety and awaited the tow truck. My car was towed to the vw dealer. This morning, I received a call from the dealer who said the fuel flow to the engine was interrupted and caused by a inoperative fuel pump. My complaint is when I checked online for recalls, I found a recall that was posted in sept 2002 for the same issue I am having with my car. My car was purchased in feb 2002 and the recall is for 2003 models. I called vw of america and explained the issue with them and the only offer they gave me was $1000 towards a new vw. Unbelievable! Because the recall was for 2003 models, they could not assist me because my vehicle is a 2002. Even though I am having the same issues with my vehicle as the 2003 recall. The dealer quoted $589 for the repair. This stall could have been worse than it was due to the inclement weather, night time and the exit ramp. This should be included in a safety recall because there is no warning before the vehicle cuts off which causes a potential for a crash, which is what I was faced with last night. I am not asking to be singled out, but to look into this 6-month gap of the recall in sept 2002 and the purchase date of my vehicle feb 2002. I was also told at vw of america that they could only assist me with my issue if my VIN number matched the recalls. So my question, what if the stall of my vehicle caused an accident and serious injuries or fatalities were involved, would vw look into the 2002 recall then or just tell the families, sorry, you didn't have a 2003.

Filed Apr 10, 2007 · Brakes, Engine · 41,926 miles · WA

Tl*- the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passsat wagon gls with a failure mileage of 41,926 . The contact stated that when she tried to start the vehicle it would not start. She noticed white smoke coming from the tail pipe, and some fluid squirting from the brake hose. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and the contact was informed that there was water in the engine. Also, the dealer determined that the brake booster had condensation build up which was getting into the intake manifold. The manufacturer stated it was an environmental issue due to the climate in which she lived. The current mileage was 42,400.

Filed Jul 6, 2006 · Electrical · CA

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).

Filed Mar 23, 2006 · Electrical · 62,500 miles · OH

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.

Filed Jun 22, 2005 · Electrical, Transmission · 57,000 miles · TX

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.