1993 Volkswagen Passat

Defect. IMPROPER MATERIAL WAS USED IN MANUFACTURING THE RADIATOR FAN MOTOR SHAFT CAUSING THE SHAFT TO WEAR AND BECOME NOISY.

Risk. A WORN AND NOISY FAN MOTOR SHAFT CAN SEIZE RENDERINGTHE FAN MOTOR INOPERATIVE, EVENTUALLY CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND STALL. A STALLED VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC CAN INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE COMPLETE COOLING FAN ASSEMBLY ON VEHICLE HAVING THE POTENTIAL SHAFT MATERIAL PROBLEM. DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW FAN BLADE INCLUDING A NEW LOCK NUT ON VEHICLE WITH LOOSE FAN BLADE LOCK NUTS.

Defect. LOCK NUTS USED TO HOLD THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT AXLES TO THE SUSPENSION STRUTS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY MANUFACTURED. THE LOCK NUTS MAY BREAK AND CAUSE SEPARATION OF THE AXLE FROM THE SUSPENSION STRUTS.

Risk. SEPARATION OF THE AXLE CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO PULL TOTHE SIDE OF THE SEPARATION AND RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND ANACCIDENT.

Remedy. REPLACE THE LOCK NUTS.

Defect. THE FUEL HOSE ATTACHED TO THE FUEL DISTRIBUTION RAIL ON THE ENGINE MAY SHRINK BEYOND THE CLAMP FORCE OF THE FUEL HOSE CLAMPS, ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK.

Risk. FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAN CAUSE AN UNDERHOOD FIRE IF THE FUEL COMES IN CONTACT WITH A SOURCE OF IGNITION.

Remedy. REPLACE THE FUEL HOSE ATTACHED TO THE FUEL RAIL AND INSTALL A NEW SPRING TYPE SELF-TIGHTENING CLAMP.

HEATER CORE BAD IN 1993 VW GLX, VERY COMMON IN MY EXPERIENCE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1993 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL LEAKS AT THE END OF THE HOSE AND HE SMELLED GAS. THE VEHICLE DID NOT RUN AS EFFECTIVELY WHEN THE FUEL BEGAN LEAKING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 115,000.

FRONT SEAT BELTS FAIL TO POWER, MUST USE EMERGENCY BELTS. *JB

FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND NOISY FAN MOTOR SHAFT. FOUND TWO RECALLS REFERRING TO THESE TWO PROBLEMS. NEVER RECEIVED RECALL LETTERS FROM MANUFACTURER. *JB

FAULTY HEATER CORES/HEATER EXCHANGERS LOCATED BEHIND THE DASHBOARD IS A PERVASIVE PROBLEM. HEATER CORE LEAKED. *BF ANTI FREEZE LEAKED INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AROUND THE FEET OF THE PASSENGER. THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. RECALL# 98V295000. *SC

TURN ON AIR CONDITIONER, OR HEATER, AND A STEAM OF ANTIFREEZE COATS WINDSHIELD, AND IT GETS COMPLETELY FOGGED OVER TO THE POINT WHERE I CANNOT SEE. HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. 1993, PASSAT GLX. VR6. *AK

VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WHEN STEAM STARTED COMING THROUGH THE AIR VENTS AND THE WINDOWS FOGGED UP. HOT ANTI FREEZE LEAKED IN AND SCORCHED THE DRIVER'S FEET. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE THE HEATER CORE CAME APART AT THE SEAM. *AK *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *MR

LETTER CONCERNING THE MANNER IN WHICH VOLKSWAGEN CHOOSE TO HANDLE A RECENT FAILURE ON THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE. (NAR) *PH WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER VEHICLE HEATER CORE EXPLODED. *CB

WHILE DRIVING AT ROUGHLY 25 MPH, HEATER CORE FAILED. INTERIOR OF VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN FILLING WITH FOUL SMELLING DENSE SMOKE, AND WINDOWS BECAME COATED WITH A FILM. DRIVER QUICKLY PULLED OFF THE ROAD, WHICH FORTUNATELY WAS EASY AS WE WERE IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. DRIVER AND PASSENGERS BELIEVED THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE, AS THE TRUE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY KNOWN. WE QUICKLY EVACUATED ALL 4 PASSENGERS, INCLUDING A 5 YEAR OLD CHILD WHO WAS STRAPPED IN A CAR SEAT. THIS WAS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE. WE HAD EXITED A BUSY FREEWAY LESS THAN 1 MINUTE BEFORE. IF THIS FAILURE HAD OCCURRED WHILE WE WERE STILL ON THE FREEWAY, WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD SAFELY PRIOR TO THE DRIVER'S VISION BEING COMPLETELY IMPAIRED. THIS COULD HAVE PROVED DISASTROUS. AFTER THE ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED, AND WE BEGAN TO DO SOME RESEARCH, WE WERE VERY UPSET TO FIND THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH OUR VEHICLE. WE WERE ALSO STUNNED TO READ THE COMPLAINT SUMMARIES ON THE NHTSA SITE WHICH NOTED THAT SOME DRIVERS/PASSENGERS WERE INJURED BY HOT STEAM/COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. IT IS AMAZING THAT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN OR RECALL HAS NOT YET BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. AS OF THE TIME THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING FILED, WE ARE ALSO DRAFTING A LETTER TO VOLKSWAGEN TO URGE THEM TO ADDRESS THIS FAILURE. A FAILURE THAT CAN CAUSE TOTAL LOSS OF VISIBILITY IN A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME, AND THEREFORE LOSS OF CONTROL OF A VEHICLE, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED

THE LEFT FOG LIGHT STARTED SMOKING, AND THEN ON FIRE. I WAS SITTING INSIDE THE VEHICLE, CLEANING IT. THE LIGHTS WERE ON, INCLUDING THE FOG LIGHTS. I SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC, AND DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT AT FIRST, IT GOT WORSE, SO I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM AROUND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BUMPER. I GOT UNDER THERE TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, AND SECONDS LATER A PIECE OF BURNING PLASTIC WITH THE BULB STILL IN IT FELL INTO THE INSIDE OF THE BUMBER, APPARENTLY IT SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN UNIT OF THE LIGHT. I HAD TO STUFF IT WITH SNOW TO STOP THE FIRE. THERE WAS NO SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE BEYOUND THE LIGHT ITSELF. LATER ON I PURCHASED A PAIR OF USED FOG LIGHTS FROM EBAY TO REPLACE MINE. WHEN TRYING TO REPLACE THEM, IT TURNED OUT THAT THE LEFT LIGHT ON MY VEHICLE WAS ALSO BURNT, AND THE PIECE WITH THE BULB FELL OUT OF IT TOO. THE LIGHTS I BOUGHT ALSO TIRNED OUT TO BE DAMAGED IN SIMILAR WAY, BUT JUST MELTED. THE REASON I MARK PROPERTY DAMAGE ON THIS FORM, IS BECAUSE TO REPLACE ONE OF THE UNITS COSTS $135, WITHOUT ANY GUARANTEE THAT THIS SAME THING WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS AN OBVIOUS AND HAZARDOUS DESIGN FLAW, AND VW SHOULD REPLACE THE UNITS WITH FIRE PROOF ONES. VW SHOUD ALSO PAY FOR THAT, NOT I.*AK

WHILE DRIVING HEATER CORE WAS STEAMING THE ENGINE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

LEAKAGE OF HOT ENGINE COOLANT FROM THE HEAT EXCHANGER LOCATED IN THE VEHICLES PASSENGER COMPARTMENT CAUSED MINOR BURNS TO DRIVER'S LOWER LEG AREA. ADDITIONALLY, STEAM FROM THIS EVENT FILLED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE THE VEHICLE. THIS EVENT REQUIRED THE DRIVER TO EXECUTE EMERGENCY ACTIONS TO AVOID A COLLISION AND SAFETY STOP THE VEHICLE. I UNDERSTAND THAT VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICAN, INC. IMPLEMENTED A RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR THE 1992-1994 VR6 CORRADO WHICH EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR FAILURE (NHTSA INVESTIGATION/ACTION NO. EA98-012). *NLM

AFTER DRIVING FROM CT TO WASH, D.C., I WAS PARKING MY 1993 VW PASSAT. I HEARD A "POP" SOUND, AND IN < 5 SECONDS, THE CAR FILLED WITH ANTIFREEZE STEAM & SCALDING ANTIFREEZE POURED INTO THE DRIVER SIDE COMPARTMENT. AS THE CAR WAS NEARLY PARKED, WE WERE ABLE TO JUMP OUT OF THE CAR. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE WHEATON SERVICE CENTER IN WHEATON, MD. VIA PHONE, THE MECHANICS IMMEDIATELY SUSPECTED THE HEATER CORE. IRONICALLY, THERE WAS ANOTHER 1993 PASSAT GETTING FIXED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM WHEN I GOT THERE. ONCE INVESTIGATED, MY HEATER CORE HAD CRACKED. THEY NOTED THAT THIS WAS A RECURRING PROBLEM IN VWS. I CALLED THE VW CONSUMER CARE LINE. AFTER LENGTHY NEGOTIATION, VW AGREED TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE $788 REPAIR, IF I BROUGHT THE BROKEN PART AND THE NEW PART'S PACKAGING TO THE CAR'S HOME DEALERSHIP, RIVERSIDE MOTORS, IN CT. I WAS REIMBURSED SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, AFTER WEEKLY FOLLOW UP PHONE CALLS TO "REMIND" VW OF THEIR REIMBURSEMENT COMMITTMENT. I AM UPSET AND CONCERNED ABOUT THIS MATTER FOR SEVERAL REASONS: 1) I BOUGHT THE CAR USED IN 1998. THE ONLY ISSUE WITH THE CAR WAS THAT THE WINDOWS TENDED TO "FOG UP", PARTICULARLY WHEN THE A/C OR HEAT WAS ON, WHICH HAD BEEN LOGGED AT SERVICE VISITS. AT NO TIME WAS THE HEATER CORE LOOKED AT. BUT, THERE ARE NUMEROUS HEATER CORE AND "DEFOGGING" CONSUMER COMPLAINTS. FURTHER, I BEGAN THE REVIEW OF COMPLAINTS AFTER LISTENING TO A RECENT NPR CAR TALK SHOW, B/C THEY REFERENCED THE PROBLEM WITH VW HEATER CORES. WHAT IS CONSPICUOUSLY MISSING IS A SAFTEY BUL

THE POWER WINDOWS OPERATE BY THEMSELVES-NEED TO PULL FUSE TO STOP THIS, BUT THEN THEY ARE NOT OPERABLE AT ALL--THIS COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN TERMS OF ESCAPE FROM VEHICLE, AND IS VERY INCONVENIENT FROM A VENTILATION STAND POINT. THE ENGINE STALLS WHEN CORNERING AND BRAKING, CREATING VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. *JB ***DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****760759

WAS DRIVING 25MPH WHEN FILM STARTED DEVELOPING ON WINDOWS. DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE OUT OF WINDSHIELD. HAD SMELLED ANTIFREEZE INSIDE VEHICLE. DROVE TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT HEATER CORE HAD FAILED, CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK, WHICH CAUSED THE FILM ON WINDOWS. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

THE HEATER COIL BLEW AND CAUSED THE CAR TO RAPIDLY FILL UP WITH STEAM TO THE POINT THAT DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO SEE OUT ANY WINDOWS. DRIVER WAS TRAVELING IN THE FAST LANE OF INERSTATE 285 IN THE ATLANTA AREA AND AMAZINGLY WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND JUMP OUT WITHOUT BEING KILLED. THIS FAILURE OF THE HEATER COIL AND SUBSEQUENT RELEASE OF STEAM INTO THE VEHICLE IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY HAZARD THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF THE DRIVER.

115F DEGREE DAY. USED A/C. PARKED CAR. RETURN 15 MIN LATER. FLOOR/DASH/INSTRUMENTS WET/FOG/HOT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, STEAM AND HOT ENGINE COOLANT FLUIDS STARTED COMING OUT OF VENTILATION SYSTEM, BURNING DRIVERS FEET AND LEGS, AND REDUCING VISIBILITY OUT OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED VEHICLE AND MADE REPAIRS TO HEATER CORE. THEN ON AUGUST 2, 2001, AIR CONDITIONING STARTED MAKING A STRANGE NOISE, AND STARTED PRODUCING STEAM AND HOT FLUIDS FROM THE VENTILATION AGAIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK