NHTSA Complaint #10162309 — 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

JUST BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF MY 100,000-MILE, 6-YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY AT 99,938 MILES (AND 23 DAYS BEFORE THE END OF 6 YEARS) I TOOK MY 1999 1.8L TURBO VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT (B5) TO THE DEALERSHIP. I REQUESTED THAT THEY PERFORM THE 100,000-MILE SERVICE AND TO THOROUGHLY CHECK THE CAR FOR ANY REPAIRS THAT MAY BE REQUIRED SINCE IT WOULD SOON BE OUT-OF-WARRANTY. FOUR HOURS LATER WHEN THE SHOP WAS CLOSING, I PICKED UP MY CAR. UPON CHECKOUT, THE SERVICE REP STATED THAT THEY DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS, BUT THAT THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN AND VOLKSWAGEN RECOMMEND CHANGING THE TIMING BELT, TENSIONER, AND WATER PUMP AT 105,000 MILES. I THANKED HIM AND WENT HOME NOT REALIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS COMMENT. THREE WEEKS LATER ON JUNE 2, 2006 AT 102,088 MILES (AND 3 DAYS PAST THE SIX-YEAR POINT), MY TENSIONER BROKE WHICH CAUSED MY TIMING BELT TO SLIP AND STRIP THE TEETH INTERMITTENTLY OFF THE BELT. SINCE I WAS NOT AWARE THAT MY TIMING BELT WAS SLIPPING (EXCEPT FOR AN INCREASE IN NOISE WHEN I ACCELERATED), THE VALVES WERE BENT DURING THE EVENT. I HAD MY CAR TOWED THE FOLLOWING MORNING TO A LOCAL VW SERVICE SHOP, AND THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT MY TIMING BELT WAS BROKEN AND THAT MACHINING OF THE CYLINDER BLOCK WAS NECESSARY SINCE THE VALVES WERE BENT. THE REPAIR TO MY ENGINE, INCLUDING A WATER PUMP AND FAULTY PLASTIC HOSE, COST $2,342. IN ADDITION, I HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR ONE WEEK FOR THE DURATION OF THE REPAIR ($225) AND TOW THE CAR TO THE SERVICE SHOP ($28). UPON RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I REALIZED IT IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR THE TIMING BELT TO FAIL PREMATURELY ON B5 PASSATS AND THAT HAD EITHER THE DEALERSHIP OR VW NOTIFIED ME OF THIS PROCLIVITY FOR FAILURE (AND CHANGE THEIR SERVICING RECOMMENDATION) THIS FAILURE AND ASSOCIATED $2600 EXPENSE WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. *JB