Three problems related to engine belts and pulleys have been reported for the 2002 Volkswagen Passat. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2002 Volkswagen Passat based on all problems reported for the 2002 Passat.
I have a 2002 Volkswagen Passat with 79000 miles, in may of 2008 while my daughter was away at school the stop engine light came on. After she took it to a local shop and I spent over $300 in diagnostic services I was advised of vw's TSB 10 07 13, 2013233, published Aug 17, 2007which acknowledged the oil sludge issue and the "magic flush". Had the car towed at my expense from MD to NJ. Vw agreed with the diagnostics and performed the flush. Since that time (<8 months) the car has been in the garage numerous times for additional related oil issues. The latest >6k due to the turbo filling up with oil, can and crank seals leaking, valve covers leaking, premature cracking caused by the oil in the timing belt, etc. Independent mechanics as well as the dealers mechanics agree that this can be a residual effect from the oil sludge. Vw of America would not listen to the facts and have left me holding the bag. Oil changes have been done every 3500 miles, with receipts. Vw should be stepping up to the plate, they know that there is a design issue with the 1. 8t in the Passat. I think that they intentionally make it difficult on the consumer so that they give up. Any advice?.
2002 Volkswagen Passat with fuel odor. Consumer states that she noticed a strong fuel smell filling her garage. Mechanic stated that there was a crack in the fuel tank. Mechanic stated that the consumer hit the bottom of the fuel tank on something. The consumer stated a few months after the fuel tank was replaced, the timing belt failed.
My wife purchased a 2002 Passat with a 1. 8t engine. All was well (except for the very expensive maintenance on this vehicle) up until a couple of weeks ago. My check engine light came on so I took it to the dealer. They told me they were going to clean the throttle body and replace an axle boot. This was a Friday morning and I had my car Friday night, $512 later. Saturday I took the car for inspection and it failed due to emissions. On Monday (2 days later) the check engine light came on again. I took it back to the dealer Tuesday morning. Wednesday I picked it up. Belts were changed, including the timing belt, the water pump was changed, and various other repairs not properly explained to me. This time it cost me an additional $1,087. 00. So far in less than a week I had spent $1,600. 00. Thursday morning I drove to work and I called the dealer to report that I still felt a "twitch" in the engine. He said that was "strange" and asked me to bring it in. On Thursday I was driving to a lunch meeting with a colleague when all of a sudden a loud rattling noise was heard coming from the engine. I immediately pulled over and discovered engine oil all over the ground. I called the dealer who was "shocked" and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. Turns out the engine threw a rod right threw the block and oil pan. Basically my engine is toast. Coincidence? I have a hard time swallowing that. This is less than one week after I originally took the car in and they worked on it. Now I have to spend upwards of $4,000. 00 to fix this and no one, not the dealer and certainly now vw, is willing to help me with this. Vw totally dismissed me because while the car is only 4 years old it has 91,000 miles. I have kept up with the maintenance and an engine should not throw a rod after 90,000. This is obviously a defect of some kind or something the mechanic at the dealership did to it.