NHTSA Complaint #10298620 — 2004 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

PURCHASED A USED 2004 VW PASSAT IN APRIL 09. DID NOT PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER, SUCH WOULD NOT HAVE COVERED THIS ISSUE REGARDLESS. THE PASSAT HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IS A CLIMATRONIC. THE VENTS AND AIRCONDITIONING OPERATED AS THEY SHOULD. AFTER PURCHASE, NOTICED ON COOL MORNINGS THAT VEHICLES HEAT WS NOT OPERATING CORRECTLY NECESSARY FOR DEFROSTING/DEFOGGING WINDSHIELD AND WINDOWS. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND REQUESTED DIAGNOSTIC. DIAGNOSTIC WAS NO FLOW THROUGH HEATER CORE AND RECOMMENDATION WAS REPLACEMENT OF HEATER CORE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE HEAT. NO INDICATION OF ANY POSED DANGER OR THREAT WAS INDICATED BY DEALERSHIP AS TO THIS ISSUE. THREE MONTHS AFTER THE DIAGNOSIS, HAVING OPERATED THE VEHICLE WITH NO HEAT FOR 6 MONTHS, THE VEHICLE HAS NOW BEGUN TO LEAK MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF ANTIFREEZE/COOLANT, HOWEVER, THE COOLANT IS NOT LEAKING OUT OF THE CAR, I CANNOT SEE ANY COOLANT OR VERY LITTLE COOLANT ANYWHERE UNDERNEATH, THEREFORE I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THE ANTIFREEZE IS LEAKING INTO THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY POSING A FIRE HAZARD AND RISK OF BEING BURNED SHOULD THE PRESSURE OF THE COOLANT SYSTEM BECOME TO GREAT AND THE VOLUME OF ANTIFREEZE IN MY VEHICLE IS UNKNOWN. I AM NOT OPERATING THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. I CONTACTED VW CUSTOMER CARE AND INFORMED THEM OF THIS PROBLEM, THE INDICATED MY VEHICLE IS TOO OLD AND HAS TOO MANY MILES ON IT FOR ANY GOODWILL REPLACEMENT. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A RECALL ON VW JETTAS FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE HEATER CORE. *TR