NHTSA Complaint #10284689 — 2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

1. DURING MY WIFE'S MORNING COMMUTE THE OIL LIGHT STOP ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN OUR 2001.5 VW PASSAT. FORTUNATELY SHE WAS IN A RURAL AREA AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR SHUT OFF IMMEDIATELY AND COASTED OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. 2. THE FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF SEVERE OIL COKING WITH THE 1.8T ENGINE. VW ISSUED A NOTIFICATION LETTER DATED AUGUST 2004 ADVISING OF THE ?OIL SLUDGE? PROBLEM. THE LETTER STATES ?ENGINE OIL SLUDGE OCCURS WHEN OLD, DIRTY ENGINE OIL THICKENS AND CANNOT CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE ENGINE LUBRICATION.? THE LETTER IMPLIES THE ISSUE IS DUE TO POOR MAINTENANCE. IN REALITY THE FAILURE IS DUE TO A LATENT DESIGN DEFECT OF IMPROPER HEAT REJECTION ATTRIBUTE OF THE ENGINE SUMP. BASICALLY NOT ENOUGH OIL QUANTITY AND OIL COOLING CAPACITY. THE OIL THEN COKES OVER TIME IN A SIMILAR MANNER AS IS ENCOUNTERED ON GAS TURBINE ENGINES UNDER EXTREME TEMPERATURES. EVENTUALLY THE COKED PARTICLES ACCUMULATE AND PLUGS THE SUMP SCREEN. THE OIL PUMP THEN RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AND ENGINE FAILURE. THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AT A CRITICAL TIME IS A SAFETY CONCERN. 3. FORTUNATELY AS OUR CAR WAS NOT RUN WITHOUT OIL PRESSURE I WAS ABLE TO SAVE THE ENGINE. VW WOULD NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY DESPITE PROVIDING A LOG BOOK FROM ALL THE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED FROM NEW. THEY REQUIRED ALL RECEIPTS OF OIL CHANGES. I PERFORM ALL MY OWN MAINTENANCE. VW CLEARLY HAS GAMED THE WARRANTY AND MISREPRESENTED THE PROBLEM AS POOR MAINTENANCE AND SLUDGE. I HAVE ALWAYS CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 5K MILES. THIS COST ME NEARLY $2K IN PARTS NOT INCLUDING MY LABOR. THIS IS A MAJOR REPAIR. THE OIL PUMP, SUMP SCREEN, ALL CRANK CASE VENTILATION LINES, TURBO LINES, ETC. HAD TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS COFFEE GROUNDS (COKED OIL) THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE. WHAT A MESS. I HOLD A BS IN AERO ENGR TECH AND FAA A&P LICENSE. I RUN THE AFTERMARKET FOR A LARGE GAS TURBINE ENGINE MFG. I KNOW ENGINE DESIGN AND WARRANTY GAMING WHEN I SEE IT. *TR