NHTSA Complaint #10281534 — 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

MY 2005 PASSAT TDI WAS LEAKING A HUGE AMOUNT OF OIL SO I TOPPED OFF THE OIL AND TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC. HE SHOWED ME A HUGE GASH IN THE OIL PAN, RESULTING IN THE LEAK. WHEN WE TOOK THE PAN OFF THE OIL PUMP CHAIN TENSIONER AND CHAIN CAME OUT IN PIECES. THE TENSIONER BROKE AND SLAMMED THE CHAIN INTO THE OIL PAN, MAKING THE GOUGE. WE REPLACED THE OIL PAN, CHAIN, TENSIONER, AND COMPLETED AN EARLY TIMING BELT CHANGE INCLUDING A WATER PUMP. THIS WAS AROUND $2000 TOTAL. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I FOUND OUT THIS IS LIKELY DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH THE BALANCE SHAFT MODULE / CHAIN DRIVEN OIL PUMP SETUP ON THESE CARS. I FOUND OUT THAT EVEN THOUGH I SPENT $2000 FIXING THIS I MAY NEED TO COMPLETE THE SAME REPAIRS AGAIN OR REPLACE THE BALANCE SHAFT MODULE WHICH WOULD BE SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS. I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT VW HAS UPGRADED THE DESIGN OF THE BALANCE SHAFT/OIL PUMP DRIVE SO OBVIOUSLY THEY KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM. I'VE READ THAT I WAS RATHER LUCKY, IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT I COULD HAVE SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AND HAD THE ENGINE SEIZE UP, WHICH COULD BE DEADLY. I'M BASICALLY JUST AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR NOW. *TR