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2004 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

fire · 841140 · 2011-02-09

Vehicle

Make
VOLKSWAGEN
Model
PASSAT
Year
2004
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Component
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
Miles at failure
94,109
Speed
15 mph

Severity

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

Narrative

1. ON THE EVENING OF FRIDAY OCTOBER 24, 2008 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING AND THE CAR STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. 2. ON THE MORNING OF SATURDAY OCTOBER 25, 2008 I BROUGHT THE CAR TO SOUTHPOINT VOLKSWAGEN IN BATON ROUGE, LA. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY #4 ENGINE COIL. THEY REPLACED THE COIL, TESTED THE CAR AND RETURNED IT TO ME. THE CAR SEEMED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED OFF. 3. THE NEXT DAY, SUNDAY OCTOBER 26, 2008, AFTER DRIVING ONLY 28 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND THE CAR BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AGAIN. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD INTO A GAS STATION. AT THIS TIME I NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND A FIRE NEAR THE LOWER PART ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WE EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO SOUTHPOINT VOLKSWAGEN. 4. SOUTHPOINT REPLACED THE OTHER 3 COILS AND OTHER PARTS THAT WERE DAMAGED BY THE FIRE. 5. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2008 SOUTHPOINT VW MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO MEET IN ORANGE, TX, TO RETURN MY PASSAT AND PICK UP THE RENTAL CAR. AFTER THIS EXCHANGE, AND APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES OF DRIVING TIME, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS STEADY. 6. I THEN LEARNED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS CAUSED BY AN ISSUE WITH THE EMISSION SYSTEM. THE COIL FAILURE ALLOWED UNBURNED GAS TO GO INTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM DAMAGING THE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. VW HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED BUT HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE TO MY

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10382188
Machine
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