2005 Volkswagen Passat engine and engine cooling problems

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 125,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.”

“I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WHEN THE ALARM MESSAGE "OIL PRESSURE LOW: STOP ENGINE" CAME ON. I GOT OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE LOCKED UP. BENT VALVES, BROKEN PISTON SHAFT, ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED. I'VE SEEN THIS SO MANY TIMES ON THE INTERNET AS I'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO MY OPTIONS SINCE THEN. VOLKSWAGEN WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP NOR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. THEY OFFERED ME $1000 TOWARD A NEW VOLKSWAGEN. SERIOUSLY? I HAVE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE. THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS AND AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IT IS CRIMINAL TO SELL THESE WITHOUT RECALLING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IF I WASN'T ABLE TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY, OUTSIDE OF CHICAGO, MY PASSENGER AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN SMASHED WITH COUNTLESS OTHER INJURIES. I DIDN'T STOP THE CAR ONCE I GOT OFF THE ROAD, IT STOPPED ITSELF. VOLKSWAGEN NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR PRODUCTS. *KB”

“2.0L VW PASSAT TDI HAD A RATTLING, VIBRATING CHAIN NOISE FROM THE OIL PUMP BALANCE SHAFT MODULE IN THE OIL PAN. THE OIL PUMP CHAINS/SPROCKETS/TENSIONERS WERE WORN AND CAUSED NOTICEABLE VIBRATION AND RATTLING NOISE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES; HOWEVER, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE. WE HAD THE ENTIRE OIL PUMP ASSEMBLY REPLACED BY A VW DEALERSHIP AT APPROXIMATELY 120,000 MILES WITH OEM GEAR DRIVEN PUMP WHICH INCLUDES THE BALANCE SHAFTS AND OIL PUMP. IT WAS A $3700 REPAIR TO EXCHANGE THE ORIGINAL OIL PUMP WITH THE GEAR DRIVEN PUMP. NOT A CHEAP SERVICE. THE SOUND BEFORE AND AFTER THE MODULE CHANGE WAS MUCH IMPROVED BECAUSE THE GEARS ARE QUIETER. THE REPLACEMENT GEAR DRIVEN OIL PUMP/BALANCE SHAFT ASSEMBLY USES A SIMILAR BALANCE SHAFT BUT WITH A DIFFERENT OIL PUMP AND GEAR DRIVE. THE GEAR DRIVE SMOOTHES OUT STRESS ON THE OIL PUMP HEX SHAFT SO RUNS MUCH BETTER. IN SUMMARY, I AM NOT HAPPY WITH HAVING TO DO SUCH AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR DUE TO A POOR DESIGN AT THE LOW MILEAGE OF 120,000 FOR A DIESEL THAT SHOULD LAST TO AT LEAST 400,000 MILES. THIS IS A RECURRING EXPENSIVE PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE REIMBURSED BY VW. *TR”

“THE TDI (DIESEL) ENGINE IN THE '04 & '05 NORTH AMERICAN VOLKSWAGEN PASSATS WAS EQUIPPED WITH A CHAIN DRIVEN OIL PUMP/BALANCE SHAFT MODULE. THE CHAIN TENSIONER FAILS CAUSING THE CHAIN TO SEPARATE WHICH STOPS THE OIL PUMP AND DESTROYS THE ENGINE. IF A PERSON IS LUCKY, LIKE I WAS, AND HEARS THE CHAIN NOISE BEFORE IT FAILS, THE ENGINE CAN BE SAVED. THE FIX INVOLVES INSTALLING A NEW GEAR DRIVEN BALANCE SHAFT MODULE WHICH CONTAINS A NEW OIL PUMP. THE REPAIRS COSTS ~ $2,500 PARTS AND LABOR. VOLKSWAGEN HAS IGNORED THIS FAULT IN THE US (AND CANADA), DENYING THE PROBLEM EXISTS, EVEN THOUGH HUNDREDS OF CASES OF FAILURE HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED. IN FACT, THE NEW DESIGN MODULES ARE CURRENTLY ON BACK ORDER AT THE VW PARTS FACTORY. THE OIL PUMP CHAIN DRIVE PROBLEM IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A DEFECT. THE FACT THAT VW RE-ENGINEERED AND REPLACED THE ORIGINAL OIL PUMP DRIVE ASSEMBLY IS AN ADMISSION THAT THE DESIGN WAS DEFECTIVE. REFERENCE VW'S TECHNICAL PRODUCT INFORMATION NO. 2016429/2 DATED 29-JAN-2008. I SEE THIS AS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ONE OF THESE CHAINS FAILED, ON THE HIGHWAY DURING FREEWAY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO DESTROY…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLATTERING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE CHAIN DRIVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE OIL PUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,500.”

“TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TDI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT ENGINE STARTUP, A NOISE WAS HEARD FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE OIL PUMP CHAIN WAS LOOSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,000. KMJ”