NHTSA Complaint #10151287 — 2000 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

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. *JB