NHTSA Complaint #10554929 — 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, WE TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP AND HAD REPAIRS DONE INCLUDING OIL CHANGE, AFTER A DAY OF DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, RETURNED TO DEALER, MORE REPAIRS WERE DONE, PAID AROUND $3,000 IN REPAIRS TO TIMING BELT, TENSIONER, GUIDE PULLEYS, AND WATER PUMP. AFTER THAT REPAIR, THE LIGHT AGAIN CAME ON AND RETURNED TO DEALER, WAS TOLD THAT METAL WAS FOUND IN OIL FILTER HOUSING AND ENGINE WILL NEED REPLACED TO ADDRESS THE CONCERN. COULD NOT AFFORD AT THAT TIME AND WAS NOT INFORMED IT COULD NOT BE DRIVEN, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS OFF AND WERE TOLD THAT UPON ACCELERATION FROM STOP THE METALS WOULD SCRAPE. CAR WAS STILL OPERABLE, C/E LIGHT WAS OFF AND NEEDED FOR TRANSPORTATION TO WORK AND AFTER 3 TRIPS TO AND FROM REPAIR SHOP (3 RIVERS VOLKSWAGEN) AND ALL OF THE MONEY ALREADY SPENT ON REPAIRS TO "FIX" THE SAME ISSUE LEADING UP TO THIS, I WAS NOT ABLE TO DO THAT AT THE TIME, AS WELL AS BEING SKEPTICAL OF PAYING $9K MORE! WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE OIL PUMP BOLT FAILED COMPLETELY AND CAUSED ENGINE TO CEASE. LATER LEARNED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE ON THE 2006 VW PASSAT 2.0T ENGINES AND THAT IT CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE, THAT VW WAS AWARE OF THE DESIGN FLAW AND HAS MANUFACTURED A REPLACEMENT BOLT BUT HAS NEVER ISSUED A RECALL AND DOES NOT INFORM OWNERS OF THESE CARS THAT THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR THIS ENGINE FAILURE. HTTP://WWW.FAQS.ORG/CAR/VOLKSWAGEN-PASSAT-2006/ENGINE/#IXZZ2MCKGQSG2 I WAS LUCKY NOT TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT AS THE ENGINE FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, AND HAD TO GET A TOW HOME. THIS IS A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN FOR MANY LIKE MYSELF WHO WERE NEVER TOLD THE ENGINE MAY CEASE AND COULD RESULT IN PEOPLE BEING INJURED OR KILLED. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS AS THERE ARE MANY OTHERS HAVING THIS EXACT ISSUE ON THIS CAR. *TR