2000 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS MY 2000 VW PASSAT HAS A BURNING SMELL LIKE A FIRE IN THE ENGINE AFTER DRIVING A BIT (I'VE NOTICED THIS PARTICULARLY WHEN THE HEATER IS ON), HAS HESITATED AND JUMPED WHEN I'VE TRIED TO SHIFT GEARS AND ACCELERATE, AND A WHILE AGO THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS GOING ON WHEN THIS HESITATION OCCURRED; ALTHOUGH THIS LIGHT HASN'T COME ON IN THE SAME SITUATION LATELY, AND THE HESITATION ITSELF DOESN'T SEEM TO BE OCCURRING AS MUCH AS BEFORE. AT ANY RATE, I STILL GET THE BURNING SMELL AND RECENTLY READ THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION ON THIS VERY MAKE AND MODEL BY NHTSA FOR SAID PROBLEMS. MY MECHANIC HAS BEEN SAYING ALL ALONG THERE IS NO PROBLEM, BUT PERHAPS HE DOESN'T KNOW OF THIS INVESTIGATION. WHAT SHOULD I DO? *TR

2000 VW PASSAT 1.8T ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD UP. *TR

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2000 VW PASSAT WITH THE 1.8 LITER TURBO ENGINE. THIS ENGINE IS KNOWN TO HAVE SERIOUS SLUDGING ISSUES. THIS WAS UNKNOWN TO ME. TWO MONTHS AGO MY OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR LIT UP. I COULD NOT FIND ANY OIL PRESSURE ISSUES SO I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP 45 MILES AWAY. THEY "INSPECTED" THE CAR AND INFORMED ME THE ENGINE WAS SLUDGED UP. APPARENTLY VW HAS A WARRANTY REGARDING THIS ISSUE BUT ONLY IF YOU CAN PRODUCE EVERY RECEIPT OF EVERY OIL CHANGE THE VEHICLE HAS EVER HAD FROM THE DAY IT WAS PURCHASED FROM VW. PROBLEM: I AM THE SECOND OWNER. I CAN NOT PRODUCE RECEIPTS FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNER. TO COMPOUND THE PROBLEM I PURCHASE MY OIL AND FILTERS BY THE CASE TO LAST ME SEVERAL YEARS. I DO NOT HAVE THOSE RECEIPTS OF THOSE PURCHASES ANYMORE. I CHANGED THE OIL ACCORDING...

2000 PASSAT -OIL PRESSURE LIGHT AND A BIG STOP LIGHT CAME ON WITH NO PRIOR WARNINGS OR ANYTHING WRONG. IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF. WAITED ABOUT 1 HOUR THEN DROVE 1 MILE HOME. NEXT DAY HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS. WAS TOLD BY VW MECHANIC HE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO TELL ME BUT MY ENGINE WAS BLOWN DUE TO OIL SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE WHICH WAS A "KNOWN PROBLEM" WITH THIS YEAR. WANTED $9500 TO REPLACE ENGINE (ONLY 52K MILES) I STILL OWED $7500 ON THE CAR. REPLACED ENGINE AT ANOTHER GARAGE FOR $5400 THEN HAD TO REPLACE TURBO FOR $2000. OIL IS NOW LEAKING AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. CALLED VW. THEY SAID THEY WOULD BE GLAD TO PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT ENGINE IF I COULD PRODUCE EVERY OIL CHANGE RECEIPT. THE GARAGE WHERE I GOT MY OIL CHANGED ONLY KEEPS RECORDS IN THE COMPUTER...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THE FRONT END MADE A CLICKING NOISE. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED A BURNING RUBBER SMELL AND NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD AND HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 05/28/08 *BF

TL*CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. IT WAS REPAIRED ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALWAYS ON, AND WHEN SHE ACCELERATED THE VEHICLE MADE AN UNUSUAL NOISE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS THE AIR PUMP AND FUSE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED OF THE RISK INVOLVED SINCE THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,971 MILES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75200. *AK

TURBO STARTED SUCKING UP OIL, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO ENGINE FAILURE. *JB

OWNER PARKED THE VEHICLE AT A DOCTOR'S OFFICE. SHORTLY AFTER HE WENT INTO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. FIRE BURNED THROUGHOUT ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND CAUSED SEVERE SCORCHING TO THE FRONT OF THE FLOOR PAN. EXHAUST HEAT SHIELD MELTED. *NM

2000 PASSAT OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP CAUSED ENGINE TO FAIL. *TS WHILE DRIVING THE OIL INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHO EXPLAINED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE WAS LOW, BUT CLOSE TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS. THE OIL PUMP, PVC SYSTEM, AND TURBO TUBES WERE REPLACED. LESS THAN THREE MONTHS LATER THE CONSUME STARTED HEARING A RUMBLING NOISE WHICH SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHERE ID WAS DETERMINED THAT HE NOISE WAS PROBABLY ROD KNOCK AND THE REMEDY WAS TO REPLACED THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT VW SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLY FRO REPLACING THE ENGINE BECAUSE THEY WERE AWARE THAT THE OIL FILTER WAS TOO SMALL. *NM

WHILE DRIVING MY 2000 PASSAT, THE STOP ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TO NOTIFY ME THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH OIL PRESSURE. THERE WAS NOTHING PRIOR TO THIS WARNING THAT WOULD HAVE LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. NO ODD NOISES IN THE CAR AND IT WAS DRIVING FINE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS TOTALED AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $7,000. I DID FIND OUT THAT IN AUGUST OF 2004, VW OF AMERICA ISSUES A SERVICE NOTICE TO ALL THE SERVICE DEPARTMENTS THAT DUE TO A MALFUNCTIONING FUEL PUMP, OIL SLUDGE MAY BUILD UP IN THE ENGINE, ULTIMATELY LEADING TO ENGINE FAILURE. THIS WAS NOT SENT TO ANY OF THE VEHICLE OWNERS. IN THE NOTICE, VWOA SAID THAT THEY WOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY OF THE CAR AND REPLACE THE MOTOR, ONLY IF THERE...

OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP IN ENGINE. 2000 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1.8 TURBO 4 CYLINDER 49000. *JB

PURCHASED A USED CAR FROM DAN PERKINS CHEVROLET, IN MILFORD, CT ON MARCH, 18, 2004.I WAS ADVISED BY THE SALESMAN, JOHN ALMEIDA, THAT THE CAR CAME IN AS A TRADE FROM A GIRL WHO BOUGHT CARS FROM HIM ALL THE TIME AT DAN PERKINS. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I FOUND THE CAR WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW FROM A COUPLE IN MASSACHUSETTS AND THAT DAN PERKINS PURCHASED IT AT AN AUCTION. WHEN I PICKED THE CAR UP AND DROVE IT HOME THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON/THE LIGHTER DID NOT WORK/THE TIRES WERE BALD, AND THE 6 DISC CD CHANGER WAS NOT IN THE CAR. WHEN I CONTACTED THE SALESPERSON, JOHN ALMEIDA, AND THE USED CAR MANAGER, THEY STATED THEY FIXED EVERYTHING, BUT THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CD CHANGER, I WROTE A LETTER TO DAN PERKINS HIMSELF, AND HE GAVE ME A NEW ONE BECAUSE IT WAS ADVERTISED WITH THE...

ALEXANDRIA VW DAMAGED MY ENGINE AND REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROVING A REPLACEMENT ENGINE. ALSO, VW OF AMERICA WON'T REPLACE A DEFECTED ENGINE. *NM

AT 58,000 MILES MY OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STOP DEMAND LIGHT CAME ON. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE SERVICE MAN INDICATED TO ME THAT THE 2000 PASSATS' WHERE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE OIL PUMPS. HE FURTHER EXPLAINED TO ME THAT WHAT WAS HAPPENING WAS THAT THE PUMPS THAT WERE MANUFRACTURED WERE NOT BUILT STRONG ENOUGH TO UP HOLD CERTAIN SYTHETIC OILS. HE FURTHER STATED THAT WHEN THE OIL GETS TO HOT THE OIL CYRSTALIZES AND THEN TURNSS TO SLUDGE. GIVEN THAT INFORMATION I THEN PROCEEDED TO GET MY CAR SERVICED. HOWEVER UPON THE DATE OF SERVICE ( EVEN KNOWING THE PROBLEM) MY CAR WAS DIAGNOSED AT A COST TO ME FOR $75.00. AT THE TIME OF SERVICE I LEARNED THAT THE PUMP WAS ONLY COVERED UNDER THE WARRENTY IF I COULD PRODUCE 5 YEARS OF OIL SLIPS. I HAVE SEVERAL CONCERNS REGARDING THIS MATTER. THE FIRST,...

ENGINE SPEED PULSATES AT IDLE WHEN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS IN GEAR AND BRAKES APPLIED. NO FAILURE OR WARNING LIGHTS DISPLAYED. TO PREVENT SURGING OF CAR WHILE STOPPED, TRANSMISSION MUST BE PUT IN NEUTRAL. ALSO HESITATES SIGNIFICANTLY DURING SOME ACCELERATIONS FROM STOP DUE TO CONDITION, AND IDLES ROUGH WHEN COLD. SAME FAULT LAST YEAR IN JAN. 2003, RESOLUTION THROUGH REPLACEMENT OF COOLANT SENSOR AND THROTTLE BODY.*AK

4TH WINTER IN A ROW SINCE PURCHASING VEHICLE IT HAS EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM STARTING. EACH YEAR THE "DIAGNOSIS" HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT...BUT MAINLY A "PROBLEM WITH CARBONIZATION BUILDUP". 4 TIMES IN 4 YEARS, RESULTING IN NEW PLUGS, OIL CHANGE, THIS YEAR A NEW BATTERY, "DECARBONIZATION PROCEDURE"....HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS. HAVE USED ONLY THE FINEST FUEL (VW CLAIMED THIS WAS THE ROOT PROBLEM, POOR QUALITY FUEL) SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT IN 2000. PROBLEM PERSISTS.

MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A 2000 PASSAT WITH 927 MILES ON THE ODOMETER ON JULY 21, 2000 (ANCIRA, SAN ANTONIO, TX). THREE VISITS TO THE DEALER THREE FOR A FLUID LEAK (3/29/01, 2/13/02, 1/17/03). EACH TIME, WE WERE TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. FOUR MONTHS AGO- "EMISSION CONTROL," "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. ALSO THE FOLLOWING QUIT WORKING: POWER MIRRORS, THE TRAVEL COMPUTER, TEMPERATURE SENSOR WAS ERRATIC, FUEL DOOR QUIT AND THE FUEL MILEAGE GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED. MOST RECENTLY, THE CAR STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND A CLEAR, VISCOUS FLUID APPEARED ON MY GARAGE FLOOR. THE CAR HAS 25,000 MILES. WE CHANGE THE OIL REGULARLY. IT HAD A 15,000-MILE CHECK-UP. WE TOOK THE CAR TO A REPUTABLE MECHANIC (MANDER AUTOMOTIVE IN HELOTES, TEXAS). THE OWNER OF MANDER (BOB MANDER) WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS CAR HAD SO MANY ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER PROBLEMS. ANCIRA INFORMED (MANDER) THAT THE CAR'S WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED...

WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN OR A TRAFFIC LIGHT, IT STALLED. *AK THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A SECONDARY AIR INJECTOR VALVE. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A ROUGH IDLE. THE VALVE WAS REPLACED, BUT THE VEHICLE STILL IDLED ROUGH. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT PRIOR TO REPAIR. *SC *JB

THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 5/24/2003, AND THE TEMPERATURE SENSOR WAS REPLACED. SIX DAYS LATER LIGHT THE ILLUMINATED AGAIN.*AK THE VOLKSWAGEN HEADQUARTERS DID PAY FOR THE HOSE WHEN THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AT APPROX. 24,000 MILES. *PH *JB

THE VEHICLE STARTED TO MAKE A NOISE, AND THEN STALLED.*JB

THE BELLY PAN BECAME DISLODGED FROM THE FRONT UNDERCARRIAGE AS I ACCELERATED ONTO A MAJOR HIGHWAY. WHEN I STOPPED FOR ASSISTANCE AT THE NEAREST GAS STATION. THE TWO MECHANICS ON DUTY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD SEEN EIGHT SIMILAR INSTANCES THAT WEEK, ALL INVOLVING VOLKSWAGENS. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, I HADN'T RAN INTO ANY CURBS OR BELGIAN BLOCKS WITH THE FRONT OF MY CAR RECENTLY. I BELIEVE THAT ALL THE SCREWS/BOLTS THAT HAD HELD UP THE PAN HAD FALLLEN OUT OVER TIME. THREE DAYS LATER, I TOOK THE CAR TO A VW DEALER, BECAUSE ONLY A DEALER HAD THE RIGHT FASTENERS TO SECURE THE PAN. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE PAN WAS SCRAPED IN THE FRONT, THAT I MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING FOR THE PAN TO FALL OFF. I DISAGREE I THINK THE SCREWS FELL OUT OVER TIME. THE MECHANICS HAD THE OPINION THAT THE DESIGN OF THE SCREWS/BOLTS IS FLAWED,...

CAR WOULDN'T START, TOWED TO DEALER, WAS TOLD IT WAS A CARBON BUILDUP ON THE VALVES. SOLUTION OIL CHANGE, TUNE UP, CHANGE THERMOSTAT, FUEL CLEANER. COST $946 NOT COVERED UNDER WARANTY. *AK

OIL PAN WAS DESIGNED WITHOUT A PROTECTIVE COVER, AND HAS ON TWO OCCASIONS BECAME PUNCTURED, CAUSING A MAJOR OIL LEAK.*AK *NLM

WOULD BE PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOT OR DRIVEWAY WHEN VEHICLE WOULD STALL OUT. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 4 OTHER TIMES. CONTACTED DEALER AND INFORMED USE DIFFERENT FUEL WHICH DID NOT WORK. *AK

I HAD TO REPLACE 2 OIL PANS WITHIN A WEEK APART DUE TO SMALL HOLE IN PAN. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS FROM DRIVER ERROR BUT I KNOW I DID NOT GO OVER ANYTHING TO MAKE HOLE. I WAS WILLING TO CONCEDE FIRST TIME AS I COULD NOT REMEMBER IF I HAD INDEED MAYBE HIT SOMETHING BUT A WEEK LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND I HAD BEEN EXTREMELY CAREFUL. THE HOLE HAPPENED TO BE IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT AS BEFORE. THEY GAVE ME VERY HARD TIME AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO TAKE BOTH OIL PANS WITH ME SO I COULD INVESTIGATE. I BOUGHT CAR FROM CHECKERED FLAG IN VIRGINIA BEACH BUT LIVE IN TEXAS AND THESE EVENTS OCCURRED HERE IN TX. I WENT TO AUTOBAHN VW IN FORT WORTH,TX FOR REPAIRS. PLEASE HELP.*AK