NHTSA Complaint #10155827 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

CUSTOMER WAS DRIVING FROM MISSISSIPPI WHEN LIGHT COME ON READING STOP. CUSTOMER STOPPED VEHICLE. NOTHING FOUND WRONG. DROVE TO SOUTH CAROLINA WITHOUT ANYMORE INCIDENT. TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALER IN COLUMBIA, SC WHEN GOT HERE TO HAVE OIL CHANGED, AND CHECK OUT VEHICLE FOR LIGHT COMING ON. DEALERSHIP PERFORMED OIL CHANGE, SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. SOLD CUSTOMER ON REPLACING BOTH FRONT CV JOINT BOOTS AND REPACKING BEARINGS. TWO WEEKS LATER LIGHT CAME BACK ON READING STOP, OIL PRESSURE. TURNED VEHICLE OFF, HAD TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALER SAID THEY WERE CHECKING CAR, WOULD HAVE TO ORDER NEW OIL PAN. CALLED DEALER WHEN DIDN'T HEAR BACK FOR SEVERAL DAYS, TOLD ENGINE HAD OIL SLUDGE, WOULD NEED TO GET ALL RECEIPTS FOR OIL CHANGES TO GET COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. CALLED THREE DEALERSHIPS, ALL SAID WOULD FAX RECORDS. ONE FAXED RECORDS, BUT THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT HAD THEM WAS NO LONGER WORKING THERE WHEN WE WENT TO DEALERSHIP AND RECORDS WERE GONE. RECORDS WERE FAXED FROM ALL 3, NO OIL CHANGES NOW EXISTED. AFTER TALKING TO VW AMERICA, GOT SOME OIL CHANGES SENT, SAID THAT WAS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE. ASKED DEALER WHAT THE ACTUAL PROBLEM WAS WITH ENGINE, NOT SURE, BUT I NEEDED TO BUY A NEW OR REMANUFACTURED ONE THOUGH. I REQUESTED TO SPEAK TO TECH WHO WORKED ON CAR, HE SAID THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM WHEN BROUGHT CAR IN FOR OIL CHANGE FIRST TIME, SAID BEARINGS BURNED OUT IN ENGINE, WHEN THEY USED THE SYNTHETIC OIL THAT WAS NOW RECOMMENDED BY VW, IT WOULD HAVE FREED UP THE SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE AND CAUSED IT TO CLOG UP THE OIL PUMP AND THE BEARING TO BE BURNED AS THEY WERE. I KNOW THAT CUSTOMER HAVING PROBLEM LOCATING THREE OIL CHANGES FROM VARIOUS FACILITIES, 55K MI ON CAR, VW NOT EVEN CONSIDERING ANY ASSISTANCE IN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST ENGINE REPAIR ONLY REPLACEMENT, DENIAL OF ANY RESPONSIBILITY ON VX PART. *NM