NHTSA Complaint #10231177 — 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH, ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON (FLASHING), I WAS ADVISED ENGINE WAS MISSING ON A CYLINDER AND COULD DRIVE 'SLOWLY' TO THE MECHANIC. ON WAY TO DEALERSHIP WARNING LIGHT CAME ON (STOP - NO ENGINE OIL). MECHANIC CHANGED VACUUM HOSE AND RESET COMPUTER, ENGINE NOT LOOSING OIL. WEEK LATER - WARNING LIGHT (STOP - NO ENGINE OIL). MECHANIC CONFIRMED ENGINE WAS NOT LOOSING OIL. TOOK TO VW DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP ADVISED VACUUM HOSES WERE 'BAD'. ORIGINAL MECHANIC CHANGED VACUUM HOSES. WEEK LATER - WARNING LIGHT (STOP - NO ENGINE OIL). TOOK TO VW DEALERSHIP - DEALERSHIP ADVISED "AFTER MARKET PARTS" (VACUUM HOSES) CAUSING ISSUE. - CHANGED HOSE. DAY LATER - WARNING LIGHT (STOP- NO ENGINE OIL) - TOOK BACK TO VW DEALERSHIP - DEALERSHIP ADVISED HOSES ARE 'BAD' - REPLACED 3 OTHER HOSES. ABOUT 2 WEEKS LATER - ENGINE RUNNING POORLY, DELAY WHEN PULLING OUT FROM STOPS, TOOK TO VW DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP TOOK APART ENGINE. ADVISED THAT THEY 'SCRAPED CARBON DEPOSITS' FROM THE FILTER LEADING TO THE OIL PUMP. (COST $500+) CAR RAN WELL FOR APPROX 2 WEEKS. SPOKE TO ORIGINAL MECHANIC ABOUT 'CARBON DEPOSITS'. MECHANIC ADVISED 'CARBON DEPOSITS' ARE 'ENGINE SLUDGE' - VW WILL NOT REPLACE ENGINE UNDER 'SLUDGE' RECALL BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE ALL OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS. *TR