NHTSA Complaint #10249203 — 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: NONE - SUDDEN FAILURE. WAS ON INTERSTATE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. POWER SUDDENLY DROPPED AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS LIT UP. SPEED DROPPED VERY QUICKLY BUT WAS ABLE TO AVOID INCIDENT AND GO THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. FAILURE: OIL PUMP DRIVE GEAR BOLT BROKEN. CAR WAS AT DEALER FOR 15 DAYS TO REPLACE OIL PUMP, TIMING CHAIN, SPROCKETS, ADJUSTER TENSIONERS. PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. CAR WAS AT SECOND DEALER FOR ADDITIONAL 19 DAYS TO CORRECT PROBLEMS CREATED BY FIRST DEALER WHILE FIXING THE ENGINE. (RECEIVED APOLOGY BY PHONE FROM SERVICE MANAGER OF FIRST DEALER.) ISSUES: 1.SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. 2.FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS IN MANUAL, I DROVE CAR TO NEAREST DEALER ? A DISTANCE OF 10 MILES ? WITH REDUCED OR ZERO OIL CIRCULATION. LONGEVITY OF THE ENGINE MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED. 3.VW OF AMERICA DECLINED TO INSPECT THE ENGINE IN MORE DETAIL OR TO REPLACE ENGINE. 4.THIS IS A MODERATELY COMMON FAILURE OF THIS ENGINE. I FOUND 38 ALMOST IDENTICAL FAILURES AT: A.HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=3462993 B.HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=3193697 SUMMARY & REQUESTED ACTIONS: 1.RECALL ISSUED FOR AFFECTED ENGINES. 2.MY ENGINE REPLACED / VEHICLE REPLACED. *TR