← NHTSA complaints

2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

fire · 726103 · 2009-07-06

Vehicle

Make
VOLKSWAGEN
Model
PASSAT
Year
2002
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
Miles at failure
68,000
Speed
30 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
Yes
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

HEAT SHIELD WAS REPLACED IN A RECALL DURING THE SUMMER OF 2008. A COUPLE DAYS AFTER THE REPAIR WE COMPLAINED OF A FIRE SMELL, RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALER. AT THE TIME THEY SAID THEY REPLACED THE HEAT SHIELD AGAIN AND THE SMELL WOULD EVENTUALLY GO AWAY. A YEAR LATER, THE WE EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER THAT DID THE RECALL WORK. AFTER INSPECTION THEY ADMITTED TO US THAT THE RECALL WORK WAS PERFORMED, HOWEVER THE HEAT SHIELD WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY, WHICH CAUSED IT TO CATCH FIRE. THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS THEY WERE SUPPLIED BY VW WERE UNCLEAR. THEY ALSO ADMITTED THAT THEY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW MANY HEAT SHIELDS WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AT THEIR DEALERSHIP BEFORE THEY RECEIVED THE CORRECTED OR MORE CLEAR INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN MANY MORE DEALERSHIPS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IF NOTHING ELSE, THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP SHOULD BE ORDERED TO SEND OUT A LETTER NOTIFYING THEIR RECALL CUSTOMERS OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. *TR

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10275878
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown