Defective ignition coils

- Pasadena, MD, USA

Igintion coil pack failed causing a sudden decease in power as one the cylinders was not firing. This problem is extremely common and requires all four coils to be replaced. VW is only replacing the failed coil because of a shortage of parts. There should be a recall where all four coils are replaced as the sudden loss of power may cause accidents and fatalities.

- Norton, MA, USA

The ignition coils in 2001/2002 1.8L VW Passat are defective. VW is well aware of the problem, but refuses to replace any unless they actually break. This is dangerous beyond belief, especially if they malfunction while on a highway, which has happened to many people (see carreview.com). My 2002 car has been towed twice in the last month and a half. I spent $24,500 for this car, it is brand new, and I cannot drive it for fear of causing an accident. VW must be forced to recall this car before someone is injured. They'll be no stopping the class-action law suits then!

- Andover, NJ, USA

2002 Passat 1.8. started okay. As I drove, horrible sound & ran very rough-sputttered & rumbled. Engine light blinking on & off. As I gave it gas, the worse it got. Turned around, went home, called dealership. Was told "not to drive it & to get it towed, as there has been a problem with the 1.8S and the coils that they are aware of." Was there a month ago for another engine problem-not sure what they did because the service advisor could not explain it to me! have rental car-thankfully Passat is still under warranty-11,416 miles, and was bought on January 5, 2002! the dealership called me today, car is ready, and they "replaced a bad ignition coil." Not understanding how a car with 11,000 miles on it could have something bad on it, I did some research on the web. It appears that this is a common occurence, and it will happen again, as dealerships are only placing one coil at a time. Another coil may go at any time! I should have stuck with Toyota.......

- Branchburg, NJ, USA

While driving the check engine warning light came on, then the vehicle lost power. This almost caused an accident. The dealership indicated that one of the ignition coils had cracked and shorted out. The parts are on back order, cause this is a common problem.

- Cleveland, OH, USA

I started leasing a 2002 VW Passat 1.8 in October of 2001, the engine malfunction light came on(flashing) in September of 2002, and the vehicle lost power. It was towed to the dealership. The car had approximately 11,000 miles on it. I was advised ignition coil #3 was bad. Three months later, it happened again. At that time I was advised coil #2 & 3 had to be replaced. Two weeks later, it happened a third time. I contacted VW directly who assigned me a care # & advised that all 4 coils would be replaced and that should solve the problem. The dealership had my car for 2 weeks and I was told all 4 coils were replaced. 3 weeks passed after all 4 coils were replaced and the malfunction light came on again. This is the 4th incident. The car is set to go back in the shop this week. I'm very displeased at the way VW has handled this situation. I have not received any type of reassurance from VW that this matter will be taken care of appropriately. I will not take my 2002 vehicle on long trips as I fear I will be stranded. I bought a new vehicle to avoid these types of situations.

- N. Grosvenordale, CT, USA

Coil pack failure - ignition coil failure. Vehicle began running extremely rough (lost 1 of 4 cylinders) could be a significant safety concern.

- Plymouth, MN, USA

Engine ignition--coil pack failure. Cold start, coil pack failed within 20 seconds of commencement of driving, nearly onto a major arterial route with morning commuter traffic. Instant loss of power, flashing mil ensued seconds later. Returned to house and called for wrecker to tow to dealer. Presently at dealer for repair. Told part would take between 2-10 days to acquire.

- Marietta, GA, USA

2002 VW Passat - engine problems for a brand new car. Engine light came on twice in less than 2 months. Ignition coil problem that all Passat owners seem to be experiencing. This problem is too dangerous for Passat drivers. We should not have to be afraid of driving a brand new car. This is a recall situation for VW.

- Amherst, NY, USA

Sudden rough idling and loss of power. Check engine light turns on. Dealer guesses the problem without looking at the car. Later confirms an ignition coil pack failure. Common problem with VW Passat, jetta, Audi. Will take over two weeks to replace since parts are on back order. Dealer has approximately 15 cars waiting for the same part. They will not replace all of them, though all of them are likely to fail soon. Potential danger of sudden loss of power on highway. Please get VW to issue a recall on these *before* the part failure causes a crash.

- Ann Arbor, MI, USA

Ignition coils on 2002 VW Passat failed on two separate occassions (one at 8,000 miles and now another at 10,000miles. VW knows there are defective coils and refuses to replace any but the one that blew, leaving drivers stranded without the use of their cars. I have not been able to rent a car through their rental service either, since in both cases, the coils blew after the rental agent desk was closed for the weekend. A search on www.carreview.com/prd_299_1531crx.aspx revealed the ignition coil failure is a common problem, that VW knows about and they refuse to recall to fix their defective merchanidise. Both times, the dealer and manufacturer denied my request to replace all of the coils under warranty.

- Riverside, IL, USA

Within the first 1000 miles car was shaking heavily on startup. Had to have vehicle towed to dealership where it was not even looked at for 24hrs. Diagnosised as coil issue and was without the car for almost 1 week. 8 months later wife and daughter were driving on freeway when car shows same symptoms. Had to pull over and wait 90 min for tow truck. Diagnosised as coil #3 issue. Without the car for 10 days. Less than a month later, leaving work and going over a bridge, vehicle acted the same way again. Got the care home (barely) and then had tow truck come again. This time contacted vm customer care to try and get support for replacement of 4th coil to try and avoid a 4th bad experience. No luck, 3 representitives and 1 supervisor later, no progress. Even though 3 of the 4 have gone bad, they insist on only replacing the parts that have shown the defect. The problem with this is that it cannot be predicted and the 4th coil is of the same lot that has already gone bad. On top of all this, the first time we had this trouble, they had the nerve to put me and my family in a Geo metro as a loaner (no offense to Geo owners). With this last time, I am finally in a nicer, comparable vehicle. VW has acknowledged the problem to me but refuses to step up and do the right thing. This a $70 part...$70. I would think that is worth the expense to ensure the satisfaction and safety of their customers.

- Seattle, WA, USA

My car is in the shop for an ignition coil replacement. This is the second blown coil in 4 weeks. I am disappointed in this vehicle because of these unreliable failures. This is not acceptable and I hope this will be recalled and fixed!

- Greenwood, IN, USA

Two out of four ignition coils failed. Engine check light came on.ride wa sconstantly jerky.

- Plainsboro, NJ, USA

Ignition coil failed while traveling, causing engine to stall. Consumer was stranded. Manufacturer is aware of problem, but will not replace component until it fails.

- Seattle, WA, USA

While driving vehicle was jerking. A warning light illuminated for emission or catalytic converter. Towed to dealer, and dealer replaced ignition coil. Please replace all four coils.

- Amherst, NY, USA

While starting vehicle, consumer states there's a burning smell and vehicle started to shake. Next the engine light illuminated. Vehicle was towed to dealer and dealer replaced the ignition coil. Dealer states coils are on back order and will only be changed as they fail. Please provide any other information.

- North Hampton, MA, USA

You are sitting on more than 125 complaints from owners of certain 2002 Volkswagen and Audi models concerning failed ignition coils (also known as "coilpacks" or "coil packs"). this is a major safety issue as the failure occurs while driving and the car loses power. Drivers and passengers are at risk for accidents and serious injuries as a result of this defect. The car must be towed after this failure has occurred. I have taken the Liberty of compiling the complaints you currently have listed on your website which are scattered throughough various models of Audi and VW and are classified under various headings. Please note that the part in question is common to all three vehicles. (the code number for affected parts ends in "H') there are four of these parts per vehicle (one per cylinder) and they fail one at a time, two at a time or more. Thus, owners will face this problem more than once. Please take action on this dangerous defect immediately before someone gets killed or seriously injured. Thank you. NHTSA coilpack complaints by 2002 model year vehicle make/model 2002 VW Passat electrical system 22 electrical system: Ignition 17 electrical system: Ignition coil 5 engine 6 electrical: Wiring harness (fire reported) 4 total Passat 54 2002 VW jetta electrical system 9 electrical system: Alternator/regulator 1 electrical system: Ignition 7 engine 3 total jetta 20 2002 VW gti electrical: Alternator/regulator 1 total gti 1 total Volkswagen 75 2002 Audi A4 electrical system 21 electrical system: Ignition 20 electrical system: Ignition coil 8 total A4 49 2002 Audi A4 avant electrical: Ignition 2 total A4 avant 2 total Audi 51 total complaints 126

- Evanston, IL, USA

Ignition coil failure. First one failed, dealer replaced but informed us one failed coil would be replaced, not all 4 even though VW knows there is a problem with this type of coil. They will not issue a recall, but because so many are failing, there is a backorder on the parts. Due to the high demmand, they will only replace failed coils because they do not have enough coils to due the right thing, replace them all. Their response is to have the customer turn off the car, call roadside assistance, and wait for a tow. 18 miles after the first failure, a second failure occurred. We called roadside assistance, and were informed it is usually a 90 minute wait. We live in Massachusetts, it is winter, and the car is used to Transport an 8 week old and a 3 year old. VW wants them to wait without heat until a tow arrives. I contacted VW customer care and was given the company line. They fail to see the danger in having two children waiting in below-freezing temps for a tow. This incident has so changed how I view VW and has basically rendered a vehicle that is less than 1 year old useless. We are afraid to drive it, expecting another engine failure.

- Auburn, MA, USA

Engine coil failure in 2002 VW Passat wagon

- Columbus, OH, USA