10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
91,239 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2006 Volkswagen Passat:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #61

Sep 012022

Passat

  • miles
The contact owned a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while her husband was driving in traffic, he rear-ended a vehicle at approximately 25 MPH. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. While her husband was exchanging information with the other driver, the other driver alerted him that his vehicle had caught fire. As her husband attempted to retrieve a fire extinguisher from the truck, he was alerted that the fire had worsened and was instructed to move away from the vehicle. Within minutes, the vehicle became engulfed in flames and was incinerated. A police report was filed. No injuries were reported. The contact had the vehicle towed to her home where it remained in her possession. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was a total loss. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

- New Tripoli, PA, USA

problem #60

Dec 022020

Passat

  • 55,000 miles
We have 2006 3.6L VW Passat with 55K miles for my daughter. Just recently the oil light came on and the engine seized while driving under 30 mph. It had been running good and no oil was leaking. This seems to be related to an issue many other Passat owners experienced where the oil pump bolt becomes lose and causes a fatal failure.

- Roanoke, TX, USA

problem #59

Jun 152019

Passat 6-cyl

  • 211,742 miles
Have replaced numerous parts...the epx light keeps coming on which may reference to the oil pump bolt failing...crankshaft and cam shafts codes keep coming on even though they were replaced...transmission shifting slightly hard.. overheating even though new parts were installed...air bag light stays on..brakes have been bleed over 10 times and are still too soft cause me to brake at a further distance to avoid a wreck....I am on a fixed income and cant afford a massage bill to fix it and VW is aware over these years of the issues and wont recall to repair any of the issues...I have all receipts for the parts replaced...

- Ripley, WV, USA

problem #58

May 102019

Passat

  • miles
Started to sound likr a deisel engine and leak oil. Oil pump bolt backed out. Too expensive to fix.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #57

Feb 012018

Passat

  • miles
The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. While driving low speeds, the vehicle overheated and the engine stalled intermittently. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the coolant warning indicator illuminated. The water pump and thermostat were repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The dealer was not notified. The VIN and failure mileage were unknown.

- Vancouver, WA, USA

problem #56

Mar 212018

Passat

  • 109,000 miles
Out of the blue the low oil pressure light came on and said shut off car. Immediatly pulled over and shut car off. Oil was fine because I check it constantly. Come to find out that the high pressure fuel pump has a thimble called the cam follower. The cam follower blew off through the timing chain and housing. My motor is done. It has 109,000 miles on it. VW knows about this issue. I just bought this car less than a year ago. I don't have thousands of dollars to replace the engine. VW is well aware of this issue on my 2006 Passat 2.0T. This is not right. My car has now been sitting in my driveway since March because I dont have the funds to replace the motor.

- Moscow, PA, USA

problem #55

Jun 222017

Passat

  • 172,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. After fuel was added to the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start and would occasionally stall while driving at unknown speeds. In addition, the check engine indicator illuminated. The contact called a local dealer (molle Volkswagen, 808 w 103rd St, Kansas City, mo 64114, (816) 941-2400), but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to the local dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000. The VIN was not available.

- Grandview, MO, USA

problem #54

May 172017

Passat

  • 110,000 miles
Car has been running rough for a while and epc, traction control, and engine light keep popping up time to time, when lights appear car barely runs at all. Lately it has been shutting off completely while driving at any speed! (highway, street, or parking lot!) feel like I qualify for the recall that came out August 16, 2017 (NHTSA campaign number: 17V509000 fuel pump failure cause engine stall if the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.) do to my symptom but did not receive a notice!

- Bridgeport, CT, USA

problem #53

Sep 272016

Passat

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. While driving 30 mph, an abnormal noise was heard coming from the engine compartment and the engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

- Salina, KS, USA

problem #52

May 012018

Passat

  • 100,000 miles
It's common knowledge that the 2006 3.6L V6 engines have a terrible flaw. The oil pump bolt installed from the VW factory was either specified incorrectly, installed wrong, or has some other fatal defect. My wife drives less than 10 miles to and from work everyday conservatively. While driving 30 mph the engine lost power started smoking and leaking oil all over the ground. The check engine light came on. We got misfiring codes so we immediately parked and had it towed to a local VW dealer. The dealer said the loose bolt & chain rubbing was what caused an internal failure so we'd need a new engine @ $4,554! the car has driven perfectly and is serviced regularly but suddenly died due to no fault of my wife or myself. There's a running list of the people this has happened to @ www.passatworld.com/forums/Volkswagen-Passat-B6-discussion/327507-3-6-oil-bolt-failure-reference-material.html people have spoken up about this and I'm sure there are a many other folks that never spoke out. VW ignores the true scope of this issue and should rectify these failures with a legitimate recall. The real issue is the bolt. It comes loose or brakes. VW needs to recall this since it is a major factory issue. Although costly it would keep loyal VW drivers in VW's.

- Bristol, CT, USA

problem #51

Jun 272017

Passat

  • miles
Takata recall for air bag and faulty air bag system, faulty fuel pump recall still not activated and I have not been reimbursed for expensive repairs that are Volkswagen's fault.

- Coppell, TX, USA

problem #50

Nov 152017

Passat

  • 122,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. While driving 5 mph out of the driveway, the vehicle stalled and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart and operate with no further issues. Upon returning home and driving back into the driveway, the vehicle stalled again. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a malfunctioning throttle body that needed replacement. The contact stated that the throttle body was replaced. The vehicle was taken to mcdaniels Volkswagen, 440 killian rd, columbia, SC 29203, (803) 786-6408) for reprogramming. The dealer stated that they could not reprogram the throttle body due to it being a used part. The contact then purchased another throttle body online. Upon taking the vehicle back to the dealer, the contact was informed that the computer needed replacement. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic who then sent the vehicle to midlands Volkswagen of columbia (655 broad river rd, columbia, SC 29210 (803) 799-635) for the computer replacement. The contact stated that, after all the repairs, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 122,000.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #49

Jan 092018

Passat

  • 162,000 miles
"in relation to fuel pump recall"....since the year started my car has been hesitant to start and sometimes needs a second start. On January 9th I started my car up in the morning and about 3 symbols popped: The gas cap, engine check, and the warning symbols. I turned it off securing my gas cap and waited a few mins and turned it back on. Now the engine check is gone so I continue my morning commute. Eventually the gas cap symbol is off, warning is still on but now the engine check is back on so I went to get it checked out at advance auto parts with emission and leakage codes identified. So then I bring it to a local shop who specializes in VW and they tell me I have fuel, oil, and coolant leakage. They cant fix the fuel leak but the other two is fixable which only brings to me concern about this recent recall. I have read other drivers of my vehicle (2006 Passat) getting involved in fender benders, car stalls, engine problems etc. This will be a huge inconvenience if the car gives out on me and I need a quick resolution to this because I have a child who just turned 4 months and cant risk getting into a car wreck with her in the car. VW at least give us a time frame on this issue because you're putting our lives at risks

- Lithonia, GA, USA

problem #48

Dec 022017

Passat

  • 123,823 miles
Takata recall-fuel pump control module: My car won't start, my keys get stuck in the ignition this happens when its stationary. My battery keeps draining. The coolant and water pump are leaking. There are sensor issues. Defective lightbulbs. The vehicle shakes when driving on the highway or street. The steering wheel loses power when turning causing the car to almost spin out of control. The brakes wont stop immediately when coming to a stop.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #47

Dec 102017

Passat

  • 140,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. While driving 40 mph, the vehicle stalled and crashed into a curb and the check engine indicator illuminated. The contact stated that the fender wheel and grill were cracked. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

- Valdosta, GA, USA

problem #46

Oct 312017

Passat

  • 108,455 miles
My car completly stalled on my on the road and I got stranded in the middle of the traffic called the tow truck andh took it to a local shop and they did dignostics and said the famous problem this car has is the engine oil pump bolt came off the timing chain pulley this should be a recall, the 07 VW Passat 3.6L have a recall on the particular problem but the 06 VW Passat 3.6L doesnt car is just parked at my house.

- Kihei, HI, USA

problem #45

Oct 162017

Passat

  • 80,000 miles
Have been getting steering lock malfunctions when trying to start the car for about two weeks. Today, the steering wheel locked while driving. Unable to steer the vehicle at all. Was able to stop and turn the vehicle off. Seems this is/ was a common problem for this model Volkswagen and a voluntary recall was available until 2013. Unfortunately, the previous owners of the car never did any recalls or even remembers ever being notified of any recalls. This problem is one of many for this model. I called Volkswagen and they were no help. This is a major safety issue. My 17 year old son drives this car. I cant allow him to drive it now after this. How can Volkswagen allow this" they basically dont care if we crashed and hurt others because of this issue. A voluntary recall for a steering issue?? does that sound safe?"

- Wallkill, NY, USA

problem #44

Jun 222017

Passat

  • 146,000 miles
Without warning my car just shut down and when I take it to the shop they tell me it has a blow head gasket.

- Bowdon, GA, USA

problem #43

Feb 092017

Passat

  • miles
Car will not start after flashing sign or it could stop anywhere which could cause crash: Steering - inspect for steering concern - comfort control module need to be replaced at no cost to the owner of the car - steering column control module: Electronic steering column lock, hardware need to be replaced and program correctly at no cost to the owner of vehicle as it is VW programing is defaulted.

- Mason, OH, USA

problem #42

Oct 182016

Passat 6-cyl

  • 146,000 miles
2006 VR6 Passat. Maintained at local garage with oil and filter changes (synthetic oil) every 5,000 miles. Low oil pressure light came on while driving and took to a VW dealer. Timing chain rubbed on cover due to loose gear and caused plastic parts to fall into oil pan. Sucked up by oil pump causing failure. Engine did not fail, but the repair is more than 3X the value of the car.

- West Milford, NJ, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »