Bolt failure in cam system, commonly known as the "oil pump bolt failure". The "check engine" & "epc" lights came on. The engine went into it's "safe" mode, limiting acceleration and power. The vehicle was under warranty & taken to the dealer. The dealer confirmed the bolt failure and repairs were made and covered by warranty. The repairs took approximately 1 month to make. Major components replaced were as follows: 2 - timing chains oil pump gears oil pump bolt timing chain cover tensioners software update the repairs required the removal of some major components, including the intake manifold, valve cover, transmission and side covers. In my case, the timing chain cover prevented the timing chain system from completely falling apart. If this had happened, it would have been complete destruction of the internal components of the engine requiring complete replacement of the engine. My vehicle was approximately 3 weeks and 2000 miles inside the warranty period. In fact, my warranty ran out while the vehicle was at the dealer for the repairs.
2006 Volkswagen Passat engine complaints
Page 4 of 5: complaints 71 to 100 of 130, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I noticed that I was receiving notifications to change the oil more often prior to 3000 miles. When I went to dealership to determine why I was told that the car should not require an oil change usually until 6000 miles. I was totally baffled because I am barely making the 3k mark. So, after another oil change shortly 3000 miles...I got the notification to shut off engine, oil level too low. I panicked and had the car towed to the dealership. They said it was alright and some car asorb more than others. A few weeks later, I received notification of a check engine light. This was supposedly the cam shaft. This was replaced in feb 2011. Continously I experienced the low oil level and have had it monitored. The check engine light came on the next day after it was monitored. The dealership is unable to determine why I am experiencing this issue. I went to a local auto store who stated it was the cam shaft. At halls volkwagen, a volskwagen specialist was there at the time and suggested that they clean my engine completely. This was one week ago and guess what, the check engine light is back. I went back to another auto store who confirmed again it was the cam shaft. Yes, there is an extended warranty on the cam shaft. This is twice in a year it will require replacing? My warranty is about to end. Im not coming out of pocket to get a cam shaft every year. Something else has to be wrong. Also, I would like it noted that I purchased this car at car max. The car fax stated that the car was not in any accidents. The driver side door has been replaced and has the sticker information from when it was replaced. I think that I was mislead about the state of this vehicle. Total check engine lights since purchase - 9 total notifications to shut off engine due to low oil level 9.
In august, my check engine light had been coming on and off for about two weeks. I made an appointment at the dealership. They found several faults and recalls (my car only had 39,000 miles) and told me that the repairs would be around $800. I paid this amount only for the light to come on about a week later. I called the dealership to make another appointment but the light went off and stayed off about a month and was told to try changing or tightening the gas cap. I did both, however, the problem persisted. The light came on again and stayed on and in november, I brought the car back. I was told there was a problem with the cam shaft and that the car was no longer safe to drive because the cam shaft attached to the high performance fuel shaft was completely worn through. Additionally, the part is on back order for a few weeks!!! Obviously vw is aware of this issue and has done nothing to notify owners. I have been to the same dealer three times and was only told recently after complaining about several strange noises and engine light issues. 1) how did you not see this before? 2) if this was covered by the warranty, then why didn't it get fixed the first time? I believe that the original problem was caused by this "camshaft" issue and I was ripped off.
I've encountered lots of issues with my vehicle and am very tired of taking it to the shop like it is an old piece of junk. This time I have a noise which is coming from the underhood. It's a clicking noise that is very unusual. I took it to the shop but they weren't able to identify the problem. And I also found that I am not the only one having that noise, there are tons of people with the same exact problem that posted their same problem online. There should be a recall on this.
Lost most of power while driving on highway. Drove vehicle (2006 passat 3.6l) to vw dealer where they diagnosed a "timing chain issue". Vw dealer claimed they would fix engine for $5000, used replacement for $8000, or new engine for $10,500... After hearing that good news, towed vehicle to local vw pro who also diagnosed "timing chain issue", and was given the go-ahead to fix. Problem isolated to intermediate shaft bolt, which had backed out, allowing timing sprockets to wander. Bolt itself is nearly sheared in half - good thing we stopped when we did. Bolt was also rubbing on timing chain cover, and would have likely broke or ground thru timing chain cover. This problem was corrected by my local vw guy for $3300, which included all oem parts, new water pump, plus plugs. Imho, this is a serious safety issue for owners which may experience this problem. Minimal research on the web indicates I'm not the only one with this issue. The loss of power at highway speeds was alarming enough without thinking of what may have happened had the bolt broke, or worn thru the timing cover. From a mechanical perspective, I'm extremely dismayed at how this could happen in the first place. I have about 30 years of mechanical experience with car engines - mostly with 60's and 70's era vehicles. My experience would hold suspicion that a bolt backing out of the timing sprocket would be the fault of the mechanic who installed it, either by applying the incorrect torque, oil under the bolt, or not applying loc-tite to threads.
I have a 3.6 engine and the oil pump bolt that holds timing chain and crank chain came loose and cause major engine problems. Dealer says I need to replace the engine and it's going to cost me over $7000.00 dollars for a used engine or $16000.00 for a new engine and vw of america won't take any responsibility.
Vehicle started making a knocking/rattling noise that made the engine sound like it was a diesel. The engine in this car is a 3.6 v6 gasoline engine. I brought it into my mechanic as soon as possible and he advised against driving it any more as it sounded like the timing chain was loose. After attempting to get at the noise from under the hood he found out he had to get under the cover on the back of the engine to get to the lower chain. This would require removal of the transmission in the front since the car is a 4motion awd. At that point I had to put $2000 down because of the labor to take everything apart. I've searched online and found many other people have had this same issue, due to an oil pump bolt that fails. There are links to these failures here: http://www.passatworld.com/forums/74-club-b6/327507-3-6-oil-bolt-failure-reference-material.html I called vw customer care and the person on the phone knew nothing about the problem, but said they recommended the timing chain be replaced at 100,000 miles. With my service bill currently upwards of $2,000 with just the labor to get to that chain, I don't think its right that it should cost that much for a 100,000 mile maintenance item.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall with the illumination of the column steering lock warning light. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 83,000 and the current mileage was 85,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Engine light came on while driving (2006 passat 3.6 4motion) followed by epc light (indicating e-gas "limp mode"). Vehicle wouldn't drive any faster than ~40 MPH. Car required over $3300 in repairs (excluding rental), covered by a certified pre-owned warranty. Dealership technician informed me that the cause was the oil pump bolt backing out. This issue seems to be widespread and has been well documented with dozens of reported incidents on vwvortex.com as well as passatworld.com.
Beware of the 2006 vw passat. I have had ongoing issues with this car. Major issue: stalling out without warning. My car was worked on 6 months ago approx date of 1/11 for stalling. Car ran great, july 7th,11 traveling high rate of speed on interstate, car stalls, almost got hit! Taken to (2) two diff dealerships and (2) diff opinions. Dropped off at dealership on july 14th,11 part needed is on back order until july 25,11) they say the stalling is caused from cam shaft high pressure fuel pump! And apparently they (vw) has decided to cover this under and extension of the warranty up to 120,000 miles! No recall. Hmmmm wonder why? They would be out alot of money! There is a problem with the fuel system on this car. The way it was designed is a joke! Six months ago my fuel pump was replaced and now another problem exists. My point is this: my car has stalled out on the interstate and various other places. Someone is going to get killed. I have read several complaints regarding this issue! This car is unsafe. I made a complaint to vw and they basically stated it was my problem! I have had my car on the diagnostic machine 2 times and all have come back with diff issues! When speaking to the rep from vw, I advised they all gave me diff opinions due to diagnostic readings and she stated "maybe your car has all of these problems" maybe? So I pay for all of these "maybe's" to get my car fixed and "maybe" it will run the way its supposed to, or "maybe" it wont! I'm not the only consumer that has had this problem, it still exists for many others.
20 after I purchased my car at carmax in laurel, md in june 2009 I had to take it back because my AC was blowing hot air, after a diagnosis carmax sent my car to a fitzgerald volkswagen dealership in annapolis, md where they diagnosed it for the same problem and in turn had to replace my AC compressor, condensor and clutch. I ran the AC for approximately 2 months (july & aug 2009) that year, since we were already half way through the summer. In may 2010 when I turned my AC on again it blew hot air, I sent it back to carmax who diagnosed it again and said the AC compressor and pressure switch should be replace, less than a year since the initial AC was replaced the first time. At this point, I called fitzgerald and was told I was past my 12,000 miles per the replacement warranty and that I would have to pay for the work which was quoted at $2300 and $1700. After I complained to the attorney general office, the dealer offered a good will one time offer decreasing the estimated cost to $900. I declined the offer since I don't believe I should have to pay for something that clearly was not done correctly the first time. After purchasing an extended warranty for another issue, I took the car back to the dealer, they diagnosed with the same problem I agreed to have them fix it based on my warranty coverage however, I was denied coverage by the warranty company because volkswagen previously issued a tsb regarding AC issues in 2006 vw passat. This tsb was issued in 2007, my car was purchased in 2009. So as of today 7/20/2011 I am still without a working AC system and I am currently driving around in heat advisory weather with no AC. I am forced to make alternate arrangements for transportation as a result, since the excessive heat exposure causes me headaches & dizziness.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. While driving 80 MPH, the vehicle began to loose power and stalled without warning. A mechanic diagnosed that the fuel pump and hose needed to be replaced and that the high and low pressure sensors were defective. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for further inspection and the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable and the current mileage was 105,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact stated the vehicle was being inspected by an independent repair shop when he was informed that the entire intake and manifold system needed to be replaced. The contact also stated that the vehicle would no longer accelerate as quickly as it did prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 94,000. The VIN was not available.
I've had my 06 passat for little under 2 years now, it was bought used from carmax and it has been horrible from the start. As other consumers have noticed I have a big problem with the key getting stuck in the ignition to the point that I have to start and stop the car at least five or more times before it will dislodge. Also, if the key isn't stuck the engine itself won't crank, also taking at least five tries before the engine will start. I have to take the car to a dealership regularly, about once every two to three months, fixing the same problems repeatedly. The check engine light is constantly on and no matter how many times I change the headlights they never last. My most recent problem has been the noises my car is making. It's like a rattling, knocking noise that has only gotten louder since taking it to the shop. The mechanic has said it would take around 3 to 4 thousand dollars to fix, which is only a small amount less than I've put into buying the car, not including the money I've been pouring into constant repairs. This is a horrible car and now that I've done some research and seen just how many other people have had the same problems I have (and more severe, potentially deadly problems in some cases) I make it my business to make sure everyone knows what a dud this car is and how vw does not care about its consumers by not doing anything to fix these ever prevalent problems.
2006 vw passat vr6 3.6l 1./2. On a hot day (90 +/-) and the engine is in idle (normal around 650 RPM) unexpectedly the revs go over 1000 RPM. To keep the car stopped the foot brake pressure must be increased by the driver. This is quite hard to time because the problem does not occur at every stop/idle. It looks like that this occurs more often with the A/C on. 3. So far I did nothing but I read that other vw passat 2006 vr6 owners have the same issue. I will make a service and ask my dealer if he is aware of this problem next week.
Air conditioning stopped working after 5 years. Condenser cracked/broken according to dealer, requires replacement of all air conditioning components. Total cost $1,700 incl. Labor.
Started vehicle in normal fashion, noticed large amount of vibration from engine compartment, check engine light came on. Upon acceleration, vehicle hesitates drastically. Took to vw service center and they ran diagnostics. 3 fault codes - po300 multiple cylinder misfire detected, po304 cylinder 4 misfire detected, p3073 throttle transfer pump electrical malfunction in circuit. Vw service center swapped ignition coils and plugs - duplicated faults. They wanted to put in new injectors, exhaust lifters, exhaust rockers and fuel pump control module for $1800.00 - and since they were already in there, they wanted to replace timing belt, tensioner, and water pump for another $340.00 I was told that if I don't mind the bad performance/hesitation then it won't hurt the engine any more then it already is. This is a 2006 vw passat 2.0t lux with 80,000 miles. Crazy that all these problem occur just after the 75,000 warranty was up.
I got 2006 vw passat 2.0t - 77,000miles. Last week, I got engine light came on during the drive and went to dealership and they checked computer system then fixed air filter housing. I paid $585.00. I don't understand how it can break, but I don't have choice. And next day on the driving it happen again and I went to dealership again. This time they told me pcv valve was not working so another fix cost $281.00. Last september I did regular maintenance service and they told me everything good. But after every month it happened again and again, first problem was steering columns......I paid $485.00 second problem was battery........I paid $130.00 third problem was engine light came on I paid $585.00 and this time another engine light came on $281.00 within two day. Now I knew vw cars are pieces of junks. It is really junks.
I have a 2006 vw passat that had a crankcase breather valve foul up for no reason. The vehicle was maintained in accordance with the vw recommended maintenance schedule and this is documented, however, the vw service rep indicated this was a result of not properly maintaining the vehicle. Specifically he stated that this is what happens when the owner fails to change the engine oil. (note: vw recommends changing the oil every 10k miles and calls for the use of synthetic oil. Both recommendations were followed in this case). This incident occurred when the vehicle had approximately 48,000 miles on the vehicle. The vehicle was driven under "normal driving conditions"--primarily highway driving in a non snow, non desert environment. As a result of this defect, there was an increase in emissions. Also, the engine began to seize up while I was traveling on an interstate highway thus putting me and my family in danger.
1. Started hearing "ticking" noise from engine 2. "ticking" became louder, slow performance 3. Replaced intake cam / lifters, h.p. Fuel pump, valve cover gasket and sealant, vacuum pipe to leak detection pipe (all 2 times each).
I own a 2006 vw passat 3.6, engine died suddenly after pulling out across a 45mph state route, after engine failed, there was no steering or brakes, had to push car out of traffic with my 2 young sons inside. Young vw, easton pa. Stated the failure as a oil pump bolt that had backed out and sheared off, causing the catastrophic engine failure. After some research I found 58 failure of this type of this same year and engine, at: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3462993-attn-3.6l-owners-has-your-engine-failed , - this is clearly an issue vw was aware of several years ago, as evidenced by the replacement or repair of so many, 58+ engines that I can document, and chooses not to recognize the issue, I believe due to financial reasons as this fix is $3,000 in labor alone. I contacted vwoa, (ref. # [xxx]) and vw ag, (,ref. No.: [xxx]) with this issue and neither had recognized this as a known issue, my vehicle is out of warranty, and vw estimated the repair at $12,800 for a rebuilt engine. Aside from being abusively expensive, this failure should not be allowed to occur randomly, in traffic or anywhere creating a very unsafe and life threatening situation, vwoa should be well aware of these potential problems with this year engine, by the many they have replaced or fixed and should make the public aware and effect a fix to prevent a loss of life due to this known engine defect. My VIN # [xxx], 2006 vw passat 3.6l 4motion. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Attempted to start 2.0t engine, heard odd noises coming from engine bay...sounded like a diesel engine though it was a gasoline/petrol engine, shut off and turned on again, check engine light and low oil pressure light activated...shut engine off again and had towed to dealership. Bolt that holds oil pump sheared off, oil pan shows metal debris, drive sprocket loose, engine needed total replacement, engine is total loss, vw claims no fault for repairs, vw needs to recall issue, without dealer warranty, repairs would have cost over $7k if this happened on the road it would have resulted in a loss of power and become a potential road hazard/accident.
2006 vw passat. Consumer states vehicle suddenly began making rattling and loud popping noise *tgw the consumer stated while leaving work, the vehicle suddenly came to a halt. Even though the vehicle was on, the wheels would not move forward. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the mechanic discovered the right axle had broken. Prior to the axle failing, the catalytic converter had to be replaced which was the cause of a loud noise coming from the engine and it also caused the brake booster pipe to melt, which left the consumer with no brakes.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact was attempting to pull into a parking space when the brakes failed. A local mechanic stated that the heat shields on the turbo failed, causing the brake failure. The vehicle was repaired under the contact's factory warranty. The failure and current mileages were approximately 47,000.
The car will occasionally, yet sporadically, not start. The key gets stuck in the ignition. The car sounds like it is going to start but it stalls. The error message sometimes says steering wheel lock defective. This happens at all times of the day, including when I leave from work. The car was taken to the dealership once before the warranty ran out and once after and they could not diagnose the problem.
When braking or idol, my 2006 vw passat will have an engine surge that amounts to a sudden increase in RPM. This will make the car difficult to brake and has almost resulted in a accident numerous times. The car will continue to idol at this higher RPM until you begin driving again and the problem will likely occur at the next traffic light. It is very difficult to hold down the brake pedal under this increased engine speed and makes it difficult to bring the car to a stop. My wife struggles to keep the car stopped for 3 minutes at a traffic light because of the high amounts of force required to keep the brake pedal down and the car stopped. The problem seems to be extremely frequent when under hot temperatures or when the AC is being run. This has been ongoing for years but they have been unable to fix it. There are other reports of this happening from other drivers. I have taken it to a dealer 4 times to try to resolve the issue. They acknowledge the issue and can easily repeat it but have been unable to fix it. This car is now dangerous to drive, especially for my wife. Please help resolve this issue. Thanks
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that while driving at approximate speeds of 63-65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. All the gauges went to zero yet the radio and the radio display remained on. The contact moved the vehicle off the roadway where she attempted to remove the key from the ignition. This took several attempts before the key dislodged. After several attempts, the vehicle restarted. She stated this was the second occurrence of the failure. Both the dealer and the manufacturer were contacted and she was awaiting a return call. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 73,300 and current mileage was 73,320.
Symptom #1) car will not start or if it does start it will immediately stall and steering column will lock. After moving the steering wheel back and forth repeatedly, reopening the door several times and attempting to start the push ignition 5-10 times it will eventually start and run. Symptom #2) major safety issue! Car will lose all power without warning at highway speeds. This defect causes the engine to stall immediately, the loss of power steering and the loss of all power controls at speeds at least up to 70 MPH. There is no warning from the car itself. There is no stuttering or noise. Suddenly the car is just dead and rolling along at extreme speeds. The fix is to shift the car into neutral and attempt to restart by removing and reinserting the key until it starts again. The dashboard will light up "steering column defect" and prompt a warning light for the steering column as if it were locked from a car alarm prompt. Occasionally, I have been unable to restart the car while in motion and have had to pull off to the side of the road. This is done without the aid of power steering and can be very dangerous in traffic and at high speeds as there is no way of "knowing" when the defect will occur. This defect is occurring daily. I took the car into the dealer for diagnosis. Was told it was a defect in the steering column requiring a complete replacement. Estimated cost to myself was $1,000-2,000. Car is now out of warranty (58,000 miles). I believe this defect is not a result of any habit of myself as the driver but rather a defect in the workmanship of the vehicle and the dealer should be subject to a recall. A search on google about this issue revealed thousands of other drivers with the exact same problem (stall at highway speeds, loss of power steering, difficulty starting and restarting, possible stranding of the driver). I urge a recall to move forward immediately!
The check engine light came on after starting the vehicle. No abnormal behavior was observed before the light came on. On subsequent starts the engine sputtered then drove normally (but the light stayed on). The dealership diagnosed the problem as a "faulty intake flap motor" with a quoted cost of $475 to replace. Problem related to service bulletin num : tsb-01-08-12, the federal safety agency item number : 10028104. This should be a recall as it is a pollution problem (car cannot pass emissions inspection).
2.0t fsi engine with 44k miles has had multiple issues with misfires in cylinder #2, unresolved after 5 visits to dealership for warranty service. Dealer has followed vw corporate techline instructions and replaced ignition coils (twice), camshaft, fuel pump, hydraulic lifter in bad cylinder, intake breather hose, intake manifold sensor and other parts with no improvement. Car will run ok with no error codes for an average of 3 - 5 days after repair before problem recurs, and condition of engine continues to deteriorate. Due to misfires, unburned fuel is now reaching the catalytic converter (detected by sulfur smell) and likely damaging that component as well. Entire engine vibrates severely due to improper firing sequence and feels as if it wants to jump out of engine compartment. Car has 1 month left on warranty; was advised by dealer that "we want to make sure this is fixed while the car is still under warranty, so you don't have to deal with this out of pocket," but they appear either unable or unwilling to fix the root cause. Dealer has not offered to provide rental or loaner car during multiple repairs, so I have had to rely on a 15-year old vehicle as primary transportation during multiple repairs lasting 1 to 5 days. Will call vw customer care today but do not expect satisfaction, despite the reliability and safety concerns.
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