1999 Volkswagen Passat engine and engine cooling problems

“WAS DRIVING VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY , THE VEHICLE'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN , I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY I SEEN SMOKE I OPENED THE HOOD AND IT WAS ON FIRE. I CALLED POLICE AND FIRE. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT THE FANS ARE MELTED AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE IS BURNED , I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT COULD HAVE STARTED THE FIRE THE VEHICLE IS TAKEN CARE OF AND THERE'S NO WARNING LIGHTS ON , ON THE DASH. *TR”

“MY 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT HAS BAD IGNITION COILS. MY SON WAS DRIVING THE PASSAT. WHEN HE GOT HOME FROM SCHOOL HE INFORMED ME THE CAR WAS SLUGGISH AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS BLINKING. I WENT OUT AND DROVE IT TO SEE WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. I NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT IF I DROVE IT, IT COULD CATCH FIRE. IT DIDN'T. I WAS TOLD THAT AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF BAD COILS. THAT WAS WHEN A FAMILY FRIEND LOOKED AT IT AND TOLD ME THAT IT HAD BAD IGNITION COILS. FORTUNATELY SCHOOL IS ONLY A MILE AWAY. I WAS TOLD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO MY NEAREST DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR (EACH COIL COSTING OVER $100 TO REPLACE - NOT INCLUDING LABOR) BECAUSE THE ENGINE COULD CATCH FIRE IF I DROVE IT. I CHECKED ONLINE AND I SEE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. I SAW VW IS DOING A VOLUNTARY RECALL BUT ON 2001-2007. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH THIS WAS GOING TO COST ME THEY EVEN TOLD ME THEY RECOMMEND REPLACING ALL 4 (IT IS A 4 CYL) BECAUSE IF EVEN ONE IS BAD, THE OTHERS WILL FOLLOW. THIS IS NOT JUST ME. THIS IS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME YEAR SAME MODEL AS MINE. ALL SHOULD BE REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS THE IGNITION PACK. THAT HAS BEEN A…”

“THE ENGINE IN MY 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1.8T APPEARS TO BE DEAD. OIL PRESSURE LIGHT COMES ON AND WON'T GO OFF. VOLKSWAGEN IS AWARE THAT THEY PROVIDED BAD INFORMATION ON OIL CHNAGE INTERVALS FOR THIS CARS, BUT STILL INSISTS OWNERS HAVE DOCEMENTS FOR EVERY OIL CHANGE EVER ON THE CAR. AS THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS CAR, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO PROVE. ALSO, I CHANGE MY OWN OIL, AGAIN MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVE THE INTERVALS TO THEIR SATISFACTION. MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THAT AT MINIMUM, THEY HAVE TO PULL THE ENGINE TO REPLACE THE OIL PUMP, BUT THAT THE ENGINE IS LIKELY SO FULL OF SLUDGE THAT THE ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED, TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $8000. VOLKSWAGEN KNOWS THIS IS A DEFECT THAT IS THEIR FAULT, LOOK FOR A MEMO TITLED: AUGUST 2004 SUBJECT: WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR 1998 - 2004 MODEL YEAR VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT SEDAN OR WAGON EQUIPPED WITH TURBO ENGINE NOTE THAT AFTER REPAIR THE OIL SPEC HAS CHANGED FROM THE ORIGINAL AND THE INTERVAL BETWEEN CHANGES IS SHORTER - AN OUTRIGHT ADMISSION THAT THEY DESGINED THE ENGINE INCORRECTLY IF EVER I'VE SEEN ONE. *TR”

“ABS, BRAKE LIGHT AND OIL LIGHT INDICATORS ON - APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM WITH PASSATS. FAULTY ABS MODULE ACCORDING TO DEALERSHIP, $900 PART. VEHICLE HAS 67,000 MILES AND DEALERSHIP SERVICED. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING AND A RECALL SHOULD BE MADE. *TR”

“WHEN A $2 O RING IN OIL FILTER HOUSING FAILS, OIL IS QUICKLY PUMPED FROM THE ENGINE. . MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 1.8 LITER TURBO. DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING WHEN THE OIL LIGHT FINALLY CAME ON. IN LESS THAT 5 MILES ENGINE DAMAGE STARTED. CAM SHAFT IS SCORED. *TR”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE THE DEALER WAS REPAIRING THE EXHAUST SYSTEM THEY OBSERVED THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE WAS MILEAGE 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,000.”