NHTSA Complaint #10484920 — 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

WE PURCHASED OUR 2007 PASSAT 3.6L 4-MOTION WAGON AND HAD ISSUES WITH THE AIRBAGS FROM DAY 1 (LITERALLY), AND HAD THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE SENSORS UNDER BOTH SEATS WITHIN THE FIRST THREE DAYS. WITHIN A MONTH, WE BEGAN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM. NEW TIRES FIXED THE TPMS ISSUE FOR ABOUT A WEEK, THEN WE BEGAN HAVING ISSUES AGAIN. A YEAR AFTER WE BOUGHT THE CAR, MY WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT (REAR-ENDED SOMEONE), AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. WE HAD TO HAVE THE ENTIRE FRONT-END REPAIRED - $10,237 WORTH OF REPAIRS. AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED, THERE WAS SO MUCH EXTERNAL NOISE THAN THERE WAS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. OVER THE NEXT 8 MONTHS, WE BEGAN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON (AND STAYING ON). WHEN THE CAR SHUT OFF ONE DAY, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF (BUSY) TRAFFIC, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. THEY TOOK OUR 2007 PASSAT TO THE VW DEALERSHIP, WHICH MADE A BLANKET STATEMENT THAT NONE OF THE EXISTING ISSUES WERE RELATED TO THE WRECK. THEREFORE, THE REPAIR SHOP WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING MORE TO FIX THE CAR, AND SINCE THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS EITHER. ON OCTOBER 29, 2012, 14 MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, AS IT HAD MANY TIMES BEFORE. HOWEVER, ON OCTOBER 30, 2012, THE ENGINE DIED COMPLETELY. WE'VE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT THE BEARINGS ARE COMPLETELY GONE AND WERE TOLD IT WILL COST US $7,000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T INCLUDE REPAIRS TO THE PREVIOUSLY EXISTING ISSUES WITH THE TPSM OR THE AIRBAG. *TR