NHTSA Complaint #10202574 — 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

01/20/07 PASSAT 3.6 HAD CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING HOME. WARNING LIGHT CAME ON DISPLAY ADVISE LOW OIL PRESSURE AND TO IMMEDIATELY STOP THE CAR. MILEAGE ON VEHICLE AT TIME OF FAILURE 13,357. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND THEN LATER STATED THAT REPAIR COULD BE DONE. PARTIAL LIST OF REPAIRS IS AS FOLLOWS: REMOVE AND REPLACE TIMING BELT, TENSIONER AND SHEARED BOLT THAT CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE. CHECK MAIN BEARINGS AND REPLACE REMOVE AND EXTRACT BROKEN.......? CANNOT MAKE OUT NOTES ON SERVICE TICKET. FLUSH ENGINE BLOCK VEHICLE RETURNED TO US WITHIN 1 WEEK AND HAS NEVER BEEN RIGHT. CONSTANT ISSUES WITH SHIFTING AND CONTINUED NOISE IN ENGINE. 09/10/07 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINS ON. LOW OIL PRESSURE MESSAGE AND STOP CAR IMMEDIATELY DISPLAYED ON READOUT. LOUD CLUNKING AND GRINDING NOISE IN ENGINE AGAIN. APPEARS THAT SAME FAILURE AS BEFORE HAS OPCCURED AGAIN. MILEAGE IS 22,161 DROPPED VEHICLE AT DEALERSHIP ON 09/11/07 AND DEALER IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SENT WRONG AND WHY. I AM INSISTING ON NEW ENGINE REPLACEMENT OR VWOA TO BUY BACK THE VEHICLE. *TR UPDATED 10/03/07. *JB