NHTSA Complaint #10907302 — 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

ON SEPT 14, 2016, WHILE DRIVING, MY CAR BEGAN LOSING POWER, GLOW-PLUG INDICATOR LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, AND THEN THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STALLED. FROM FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE TO COMPLETE POWER LOSS WAS LESS THAN 60 SECONDS. SCARY STUFF WHEN YOUR ON THE HIGHWAY. HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE VW DEALER. AFTER I EXPLAINED HOW THE CAR HAD LOST POWER AND SHUT OFF, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SUSPECTED IT WAS A HIGH PRESSURE PUMP FAILURE. THE NEXT DAY, THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A "HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE". BASICALLY THE FUEL PUMP EXPLODED, SENDING METAL FRAGMENTS THROUGH THE ENTIRE FUEL AND FUEL INJECTOR SYSTEMS. NOT GOOD NEWS! THE VW TECH TESTED THE FUEL IN THE TANK AND CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS 100% DIESEL FUEL. THE VW SERVICE ADVISOR INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TDI'S SINCE 2009. THE VW TECH INDICATED THAT THE CAR WOULD NEVER RUN AGAIN UNLESS THE WHOLE FUEL SYSTEMS IS REPLACED, AND THE COST FOR THIS WOULD BE AROUND $6,500. VW TECH AND VW CUSTOMER SERVICE INDICATED THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THAT THEY HAVE ADDRESSED THE ISSUE WITH 2009 - 2012 TDI'S BY EXTENDING THE WARRANTY. UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE A 2013 AND HAD NO CLUE THESE PUMPS WERE FAILING ON OLDER MODELS. THIS IS A SERIOUS AND VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE NOT TO MENTION A COSTLY MALFUNCTION THAT CAN AND MOST LIKELY WILL HAPPEN TO OTHER 2013 TDI OWNER'S. I'M GLAD IT WAS NOT MY WIFE WHO WAS DRIVING WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED.