2006 Volkswagen Passat engine and engine cooling problems

“DRIVING 65 ON THE FREEWAY IN HEAVY RAIN, CAR MADE HORRIBLE SOUND AND LOST ACCELERATION POWER. ALMOST INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT , HOWEVER MANAGED TO PULL TO SHOULDER WHEN THE CAR THEN FILLED WITH A GAS SMELL. CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE AND WAS TOWED 100 MILES BACK TO MY MECHANIC. UPON INSPECTION, MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DISCONNECTED AT THE TURBO FLANGE. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD FIXED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN MY EXACT VEHICLE MAKE/MODEL THE WEEK PRIOR. CONTACTED VW TO SEE IF THIS WAS COVERED UNDER THE 80K MILES EMISSIONS WARRANTY, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT IN CALIFORNIA THE WARRANTY ONLY GOES TO 70K MILES. THE ENTIRE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $1,150. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT CATALYTIC CONVERTER FROM VW WAS MUCH MORE STURDY THAN THE ORIGINAL INSTALLED , INDICATING THAT VW IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE. ADDITIONALLY, HE STATED IT WAS ODD THAT A CAR DEALERSHIP STOCKS THAT PART AS IT IS NOT TOO COMMON TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER UNDER 100K MILES. *TR”

“THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SEPARATED FROM THE FLANGE CONNECTING IT TO THE TURBOCHARGER. SEEMS COMMON FROM WHAT IS SEE ON THE INTERNET, BUT NO RECALL HAS BEEN DONE. *TR”

“OIL PUMP BOLT BACKED OUT/BROKE CAUSING ENGINE DAMAGE. CAR LOSS OIL PRESSURE FORTUNATELY WAS NEAR AN EXIT TO AVOID THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY GETTING INVOLVED IN A POTENTIAL DANGEROUS WRECK. DEALER SAYS IT WILL COST $11,000.00 TO REPLACE ENGINE. VW KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE BUT WILL NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY. THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING SEEING I AM OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY AND STATED WOULD NOT DO A THING BECAUSE I AM THE SECOND OWNER. ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR TWO YEARS AND BOUGHT IT AS A PRE-CERTIFIED OWNED USED VEHICLE FROM THE VW DEALERSHIP. I HAVE SEARCHED ON LINE AND MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. LINK TO VIEW NUMEROUS ISSUE HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?4321376-**OFFICIAL-24V-3.6L-ENGINE-(OIL-PUMP-BOLT)-FAILURE-THREAD**. ALSO ANOTHER LINK: HTTP://WWW.PASSATWORLD.COM/FORUMS/74-VOLKSWAGEN-PASSAT-B6-DISCUSSION/331097-OIL-PUMP-BOLT-FAILURE-74K-MILES.HTML THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND WE THE CONSUMERS A RE PAYING FOR IT. *JS”

“I BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE LIGHT. EVERY TIME I HAD IT CHECKED, IT CODED SOMETHING DIFFERENT (PO455, PO171, PO441) WITH THESE RESULTS: FUEL CAP LIGHT CAME ON, HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP, EVAPORATIVE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM , AND LEAN BANK 02 CENSOR BEFORE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. IT BECAME HARD TO CRANK, AND ONCE SHOOK WHEN IT DID CRANK. THE STEERING WHEEL MODULE AND COMFORT CONTROL MODULE WERE REPLACED IN 2008 UNDER WARRANTY AFTER I TOOK VOLKSWAGEN TO SMALL CLAIMS COURT. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP IN ATLANTA (THERE ISN'T ONE CLOSE TO WHERE I LIVE) AND THEY COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING REPAIRS: CODE PO444, THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION SYSTEM PURGE CONTROL VALVE CIRCUIT; CODE PO193, FUEL MEASURING SYSTEM 2 ABNK 1; AND P2187 SYSTEM TOO LEAN AT IDLE. TOTAL= $884.84 ($619.95 LABOR; $204.31 PARTS; $43.25 WASTE DISPOSAL CHARGE; AND $17.33 TAX). AT NO CHARGE, THEY CHECKED THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WHICH I HAD TO REPLACE @ TWICE A YEAR AND INSPECTED HIGH PRESSURE PUMP, GFF GUIDED FUNCTIONS AND A COURTESY VISUAL SERVICE INSPECTION. *TR”

“THE OIL PUMP BROKE AND DESTROYED THE MOTOR. I HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP; THEY TOOK A MONTH TO REPLACE PARTS AND REPAIR THE MOTOR. THERE HAVE BEEN A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SUCH INCIDENTS; THIS HAS BEEN ADMITTED BY VW TO BE A MANUFACTURER PART FAULT, BUT THEY FAIL TO RECALL '06-'07 PASSATS AND COVER THE COSTS. I JUST SAW THIS SITE OR I WOULD HAVE REPORTED IT SOONER. I DID NOT OTHERWISE FIND ANY OTHER SUPPORT. *TT”

“DRIVING IN THE S CITY 45 MILES/P/H GIVING A WAY TO AMBULANCE I ACCELERATE THE CAR PULLING RIGHT LANE, CAR FELL ON HIS FACE NO POWER AMBULANCE ALMOST WAS GOING TO HIT ME SAME TIME EPC LIGHT CAME ON. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS KIND LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. *TR”