NHTSA Complaint #10787521 — 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY GOING TOWARDS HOME AND WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 65MPH WHEN SUDDENLY I HEARD A LOUD BANG AND A SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING AND ALL THE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. I COASTED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND OPENED THE HOOD AND GOT OUT TO CHECK WHAT WAS GOING ON. WHEN I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT I NOTICED A HOLE IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND LOOKING CLOSER I NOTICED CRACKS WHERE THE BOLTS HOLD THE INTAKE MANIFOLD ON. ALSO THE AIR FILTER BOX MOUNTS ARE ALSO CRACKED AND THAT IS ALL I CAN SEE WITHOUT FURTHER INVESTIGATION (REMOVING ENGINE). I TOWED IT TO A VW DEALERSHIP IN EASTON PA WHERE I PURCHASED IT. I TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE SAID THEY WOULD EVALUATE IT AND IT COST $129 TO TELL ME THAT THEY HAD TO PULL THE TRANSMISSION AND TRANSFER CASE DOWN WHICH WOULD COST ME AN ADDITIONAL $1000 JUST FOR THE LABOR AND WOULD LET ME KNOW WHAT ELSE IS NOT BROKEN. I TOLD THEM NO. THEY WOULD NOT TELL ME WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS WRONG BUT WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER ONE ON ONE OUTSIDE THE BUILDING HE ADMITTED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR OF VW. I HAD IT TOWED BACK TO MY HOME. I AM MECHANICALLY INCLINED AND AFTER SOME RESEARCH ON THE COMPUTER SAW THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR OF VW HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE. THE CAR LOST TIMING CONTRIBUTING TO THE TIMING CHAINS BEING DISCONNECTED. ONLINE THEY MENTION ABOUT THE OIL PUMP BOLT BACKING ITS WAY OUT AND THE TIMING CHAINS BECOMING DISCONNECTED. WHEN WE PURCHASED THE CAR IT WAS USED AND HAD 70,000 MILES AND ONE OWNER AND WHEN THIS HAPPENED IT HAD 120,000 AND ACCORDING TO OUR RESEARCH THIS OIL PUMP BOLT ISSUE OCCURS USUALLY BETWEEN 70,000 AND 100,000 IN THE 2006 AND 2007 VW PASSAT 3.6. IF VW KNEW THESE BOLTS WERE COMING OUT THEY SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL. VW KNEW THIS WAS AN ISSUE.