2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Electrical Systemignition Problems

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS DEFECTIVE IGNITION COILS. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED, AND SUGGESTED THAT THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE THE COILS WHEN THEY FAIL. PH SCC

CONSUMER NOTICE WHILE TRAVELING VEHICLE JERKING AND BUCKING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER, TECHNICIAN NOTICE IGNITION COLE NEED TO BE REPLACE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. PH

MY 2002 VOLKSWAGON PASSAT 1.8T WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER DUE TO ANOTHER IGNITION COIL FAILURE. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THIS PROBLEM. NOT THE SAME IGNITION COIL FAILED.

THE COIL CONTROLLING THE SPARK PLUG OF ONE OF THE CYLINDERS FAILED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN. THE FAILURE RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF SPARK CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OPERATE ON ONLY THREE CYLINDERS AT REDUCED POWER.

FAILED COIL PACK ON VEHICLE AFTER ONLY 16000 MILES. DEALER SERVICE ADVISER STATED THAT VW IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN ALL 2001 THRU 2003 VW PASSATS WITH 1.8 LITER TURBO ENGINES. SERVICE ADVISER STATED THAT VW IS HAVING SO MANY FAILURES ON THIS PRODUCT THAT THE PART HAD TO BE ORDERED THROUGH VIN DIRECT FROM GERMANY. THEY WILL NOT REPLACE ALL FOUR COILS, ONLY THE FAILED ITEMS. VEHICLE FAILED ON HIGHWAY AND BECAME A SAFETY HAZARD TO OTHER MOTORISTS UNTIL I COULD NEGOTIATE TO SAFE AREA TO INVESTIGATE FAILURE. TS

12/28/02 -- ON START UP, VEHICLE IDLED ROUGHLY AND FELT AS THOUGH IT WERE GOING TO STALL, SO WE TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT 2 IGNITION COILS ARE CERTAINLY BAD. THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY GIVEN OFF AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL 2 TIMES THAT WENT AWAY AFTER ONE MINUTE OR SO, AND AT A DIFFERENT TIME IT WAS DIFFICULT TO START AND IDLED ROUGHLY FOR ABOUT A MINUTE OR SO. WE ARE WAITING TO SEE IF ALL THE COILS CAN BE REPLACED AT ONCE INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL THEY GO BAD OR CATCH FIRE. GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FOR THIS PROBLEM, WE CERTAINLY FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY VOLKSWAGEN IN A TIMELY FASHION AND HOPE THAT THEY WILL DO SO IN OUR CASE. TS

THE ENGINE STARTED IDLING ROUGH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. HAPPENED IN NEIGHBORHOOD, LIMPED CAR HOME AND HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER REPLACED FAULTY COIL PACK. WITHOUT CAR FOR EIGHT DAYS.

IGNITION COIL FAILURE. THE FIRST TIME ON 11/29/02; COILS 1 & 3. WAS TOLD "PARTS WERE ON BACKORDER" AND "IT COULD BE WEEKS" AND "MANY PASSAT OWNERS WERE EXPERIENCING THIS". DEALER ONLY REPAIRED THE COILS THAT FAILED. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 12/26/02--SAME THING; HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALER AGAIN. AGAIN, DESPITE ALL THE KNOWN OCCURRENCES WITH THE COIL PACKS AND PASSATS, ONLY THE COILS THAT FAILED WILL BE REPLACED (AND WHO KNOWS HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE). I AM EXTREMELY WORRIED THAT THE NEXT TIME THIS OCCURS I WILL SUDDENLY LOSE POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND END UP BEING IN AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT AND/OR WILL BE STRANDED ALONE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD....I DO A LOT ( ~300 - 400 MILES/WEEK) OF SOLO DRIVING. TS

CAR STARTED UP NOT RUNNING ON ALL CYLINDERS. REFUSED TO RUN ON ALL CYLINDERS. ENGINE WARNING LIGHT (MIL) CAME ON. MANUAL AND DEALER SAID TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER IN THIS SITUATION. CAR WENT TO DEALER. BAD IGNITION COIL IS DIAGNOSIS. DEALER SAYS NONE AVAILABLE IN U.S. OR CANADA. DEALER DOESN'T KNOW WHEN IT CAN FIX. CAR IS 4 MONTHS OLD WITH 3,800 MILES AND IS UNDRIVEABLE. NO DATE SET FOR WHEN IT WILL BE REPAIRED. TS

VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA HAS A KNOWN COMPONENT FAILURE WITH THE IGNITION COILS ON ALL VW AND AUDI 1.8T ENGINES IN ALL 2002 MODELS. THESE COMPONENTS FAIL WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING THE CAR TO STALL AND/OR LOSE POWER DRAMATICALLY AND CAN CAUSE THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. VW HAS STATED THAT THEY KNOW THE COMPONENTS ARE BAD (4 PER ENGINE) BUT WILL ONLY FIX THESE ITEMS AS THEY FAIL. I PERSONALLY HAVE HAD THIS FAILURE TWICE AND THEY WILL NOT CORRECT ALL OF THE COMPONENTS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS AND FORCE VW TO RECALL ALL OF THESE VEHICLES AND REPLACE ALL OF THESE KNOW BAD COMPONENTS.

COIL DEFECT ON 2002 VW PASSAT 1.8 T. THIS CAR HAS 27K MILES ON IT AND 3 COILS HAVE BEEN REPLACED IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS (THERE IS ONE FOR EACH CYLINDER). VW HAS MADE REPAIRS AS NEEDED, BUT WOULD NOT REPLACE THE 4TH COIL. EACH TIME ONE GOES THE CAR HAS TO BE TOWED. WE ARE AT THE POINT WHERE WE DON'T WANT TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR FEAR OF BEING STRANDED.

THE ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED ON AND OFF AND THE CAR MADE A VIBRATING NOISE ON 12-21-02. THE VEHICLE IS A 4 CYCLINDER 2002 VW PASSAST WITH 5200 MILES WHICH I PURCHASED IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR. I HAD IT TOWED TO FAIRFAX VW IN FAIRFAX, VA ON 12-22-02. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD TOWED A NUMBER OF PASSATS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS THAT HAD BURNED OUT COIL PACKS. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED ON 12-23-02 AND 2 OF THE 4 COIL PACKS HAD BURNED OUT. I WAS TOLD THAT VW WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. I ASKED THE DEALER WHY THE OTHER 2 COIL PACKS WERE NOT REPLACED AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT VW WILL ONLY APPROVE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BURNED OUT ONES. I FEEL THAT IF VW IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM THAT ALL OF THE COIL PACKS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED SINCE THE...

COIL PACK ON VW 1.8T ENGINE DEFECTIVE SO MANY BAD ONES DEALER DON'T HAVE REPLACEMENT PART. TS

2002 VW PASSANT. I AM TOLD THAT ALL LATE 2001 AND ALL 2002 MODELS WITH 4 CYLINDER ENGINES WHERE SUPPLIED WITH DEFECTIVE INGITION COILS. THIS HAS RESULTED IN MY CAR BREAKING DOWN THREE TIMES. IT EITHER SPONTANISLY (SP) LOSES POWER OR LOSES ALL POWER AND THE CAR SHAKES. THIS IS POTENTIALLY DEADLY IN HIGH TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. VW NORTH AMERICA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT REFUSES TO REPLACE ALL 4 COILS. THEY WILL ONLY REPLACE THEM AS THEY FAIL. THIS MEANS THAT FOR THOUSANDS OF OWNERS, THEY EACH HAVE FOUR CHANCES TO BE INVOLVED IN A WRECK WHEN THE ENGINE FAILS.

COIL PACK FAILURE. DEALER HAS REPLACED TWO BROKEN COILS ON PREVIOUS INCIDENTS - CURRENTLY AWAITING REPLACEMENT FOR THIRD INCIDENT. VEHICLE UNDRIVEABLE - MUST BE TOWED. SYMPTOMS INDICATED BY FLASHING ENGINE LIGHT ON DASH AND VERY ROUGH IDLING. NO INDICATION OF WHEN REPLACEMENTS WILL BE AVAILABLE - CAR IS IN DEALER SERVICE LOT TWO WEEKS. DEALER HAS REPORTED THAT 17 OTHER PASSATS ARE ALSO AWAITING REPLACEMENT. VW MUST ISSUE A RECALL OR SERVICE ADVISORY TO REPLACE ALL COILS NOT JUST BAD ONES.

ENGINE MISSED AND ACCELERATED POORLY. DEALER FOUND CODES P0300 AND P0304 AND REPLACED #4 IGNITION COIL PACK. SINCE THEN THE ENGINE CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE ERRATICALLY AND DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM.

COIL PACK FAILED FIVE TIMES. NO ANSWERS FROM VW.

CAR WILL BEGIN TO VIBRATE AND RUN POORLY. CYLINDER MISFIRES AND BURNS COIL OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. CAR IS CURRENTLY IN SHOP TO REPLACE COIL AND CONTROL PANEL WHICH IS ON BACK ORDER. DT

CAR MISFIRING TOWED TO DEALER. DIAGNOSED AS IGNITION COIL FAILURE. CAR HAS BEEN DISABLED 30+ DAYS AWAITING PART. VW AND DEALER HAVE NO IDEA WHEN REPLACEMENT PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. DEALER INDICATES A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PASSAT'S HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. DT

NOTICE THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A NUMBER OF PASSAT'S AND THEY ARE LISTED UNDER DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, BUT THE SAME PROBLEM. THE ENGINE COILS ARE DEFECTIVE AND THEY KEEP REPLACING ANYTHING RELATED TO IT. DT

I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR JUST OVER 12 MONTHS AND I HAVE REPLACED 3 OUT OF 4 IGNITION COILS. I WAS TOLD BY A SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT VW MANUFACTURED A BAD BATCH AND NOW THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THEM. I HAVE CONTACTED VW CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT THEY WILL NOT ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM. I AM REQUESTING THAT THEY REPLACE THE 4TH COIL BEFORE IT GOES BAD. WHEN THE COILS GOES BAD THE CAR VIBRATE. I WAS TOLD BU THE DEALER THAT YOU SHOULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENS. DT

NO SUMMARY. DT

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN WILL NOT RESTART. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PH

CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO START THEIR VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO INDICATED THAT TWO OF FOUR IGNITION COIL HAD FAILED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING A PROBLEM WITH IGNITION COIL. ALSO STATED THAT THERE IS PROBLEMS WITH THE IGINITION COILS AND THAT ONE WAS REPLACED BUT SHE STILL THINKS THAT THE OTHER ONES CAN GO BAD. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY DO KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT THEY WILL NOT REPLACED THEN UNTIL THEY GO BAD. TS

ROUGH IDLE AT START-UP WITH NO PRIOR SYMPTOMS. DEALER CAN NOT GIVE ACCURATE EXPECTED REPAIR DATE DUE TO PART BEING ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. MANY, MANY OTHER VW AND AUDI OWNERS WITH 1.8T ENGINE HAVING SAME EXPERIENCE. DT

NO SUMMARY. DT

THERE HAVE BEEN 5 SEPARATE IGNITION COIL FAILURES WITHIN A 1 MONTH PERIOD (10/15/02-11/15/02). ONE OF THE FAILURES (#3 COIL ON 11/4) WAS FOR THE SAME COIL THAT HAD JUST BEEN REPLACED ON 10/15. I BELEIVE THAT THIS IS A RIDICULOUS NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES, AND YET THE MFG DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM. I HAVE FILED CASE # 20380656 WITH VW. DT

VW IS REFUSING TO REPLACE REMAINING COILS UNTIL THEY FAIL AT RISK FOR FAILURE AT ANY TIME. DT

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW APPROXIMATELY 2 MONTHS AGO. WHILE DRIVING CAR BEGAN SHAKING AND CONSUMER SMELLED A BURNING ODOR EMITTING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT IGNITION COIL HAD CRACKED. TS

DEALER REPLACED REMAINING ORIGINAL COIL ONLY AFTER 3 HAD FAILED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED FOR ALL 3 INCIDENTS. DT

IGNITION COIL FAILURE: THE CAR BEGAN TO RUN VERY ROUGH AS IF AFFECTED BY BAD GAS OR FAULTY SPARK PLUGS. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH. TS

CONSUMER NOTICED PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL IGNITION SWITCH SYSTEM, CAUSING STALLING ENGINE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE THE ODI# AND FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WAS JERKING. A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR EMISSION OR CATALYTIC CONVERTER. TOWED TO DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED IGNITION COIL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK