NHTSA Complaint #10054573 — 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

CAR WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE. FINALLY AFTER TRYING AGAIN IT DID AND BROUGHT TO MECHANIC. PROBABLY A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. TOWED TO DEALER. FROM THEN ON ITS BEEN A NIGHTMARE. TWO WEEKS LATER AND THEY STILL HAVE MY CAR. THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (COVERED UNDER POWERTRAIN), JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY GET A CALL THAT SOMETHING ELSE NEEDS REPLACING. WAS TOLD THAT THE MASS AIR FLOW CENSOR NEEDED REPLACING AND WAS COVERED. GAVE APPROVAL. WEEK LATER GOT CALL THAT ITS NOT COVERED (ANY OTHER STORE WOULD HAVE TO HONOR THE INCORRECT PRICE TAG AND EAT THAT COST-NO-NOT THE DEALER!). ALL ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. ERROR CODE FLAGGED 10 PROBLEMS WHEN ORIGINALLY BROUGHT IN. OUTER CV BOOTS WORN, HARNESS (SOME KIND OF ELECTRICAL WIRING GOING TO CENSOR), COOLANT HOSE, 2ND AIR HOSE. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THAT CAR HAS BEEN INFERIOR SINCE DAY ONE. HOSES AND PARTS REPLACED WITHIN FIRST MONTH OF OWNING NEW CAR. INFERIOR ON VW AND AWFUL RESPONSE FROM VW. HAD RECALL ON FILTER LEADING TO AIR FLOW CENSOR. SEEMS TO ME THAT THE MASS AIR FLOW CENSOR IS ALSO PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE UNDER RECALL. HAVE READ PRIOR COMPLAINTS ON THIS YEAR/MODEL AND SEEMS THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ITSELF IS MAJOR PROBLEM. *AK