Engine Exhaust System problems of the 2003 Volkswagen Passat

Owner drove the 2003 Volkswagen Passat (2. 8 v6 engine) home and parked it. He came back out to the driveway approximately 2 hours later and found the vehicle smoking. Small fire at right front floor pan/minor melting of dash plastics caused by heat from right side exhaust pipe/catalytic converter. Heat shield melted, rubber body plug ignited and consumed, carpet just above body plug was charred. Car just had right side catalytic converter and pipe replaced.

Catalytic converter heat caused fabric material behind silver reflective liner on passenger side to catch and hold a smolder and flame causing damage to the structural body panels and melting some plastic components. Fire was extinguished by using a chemical fire extinguisher and remaining smoldering components had to be extinguished as exposed manually. Caused grass to catch fire and left smoky residue.

Vw issued a voluntary safety recall for replacement of the underbody heat shield on my 2003 Passat wagon. (open campaign: 26e5/r5). I took the car to the local dealer to address the recall but was told my car could not be serviced without potential damage to the flexible joints behind the catalytic converter. Both joints were said to have small fractures in the metal and braided steel. I was told that the heat shield replacement required the exhaust line to be dropped via the flexible joints and that they could be broken in the process. If damage to the joints occurred, the charge for the parts (excluding labor) would be $1500 and that the full bill for parts/labor would be my responsibility. Because of the excessive cost, I was not able to have the heat shields replaced. I am concerned about the potential safety hazard for continued use of the vehicle without addressing the recall. I would like Volkswagen to be responsible for the full cost of replacing the heat shield up to and including the replacement of the flexible joints, should that be necessary.

Dealer refuses to fix recall unless I accept responsibility for any damage to aftermarket parts occurring while replacing heat shield on exhaust system. There is a potential for fire if original heat shield is not replaced. Recall r5, criteria 1.

Car missing a getting bad milage . . . Same car does not run well and caught fire by turbo 2003 Passat vw 1. 8 liter turbo.

The heater core tubing in the car disintegrated at about 18,000 miles. This resulted in the check engine light appearing, coolant leaking into other parts of the engine department,and the fumes from the coolant in the passenger compartment. At this time the vehicle was under warranty, so I took it to the Volkswagen dealership. They replaced the purge valve (about an hours work) and returned the car to me. I took the car back two more times for the same problem before the warranty ran out and the dealership performed the same service. The coolant leak became significantly worse (I began adding coolant every 3-4 days) at around 82,000 miles and the fumes from the coolant in the passenger compartment became very strong. I took the car to another repair shop and the mechanic discovered that the tubing from the heater core had completely disintegrated and the heater core needed to be replaced altogether. I have seasonal asthma associated with allergies and inhaling the fumes from the coolant has made the condition worse. I am currently having the vehicle repaired at a cost of approximately $1200.

I was driving about 55 on the highway when I saw smoke coming out of my vents I stop and open the hood and notice my car had caught on fire from the left bottom side.

I was pulling out of my apartments when my car lost all horse power and pretty much sputtered then died; I was left exposed to traffic on a busy road. Then, I was towed to the vw dealership where I was told that my ignition coils failed and that in turn ruined my oxygen sensor and catalytic converter. All these had to be replaced by vw at my cost. The mechanic told me when I was being towed there he already knew what it was because they go out all the time. Doing further research it seems many people have the same problem.

My 2003 vw Passat gl sedan sputtered, stalled and subsequently caught fire in the engine compartment around 6:30 pm, Jan 26th, 2007, in holmdel NJ, police report # 07-1914 holmdel police dept. The car has been maintained well by a local vw dealer since purchase and there has been no modifications made, nor any signs of trouble prior to the incident. The fire was very extensive and put out by holmdel NJ fire dept and the car is totaled. The symptom just prior to stalling is consistent with ignition coil failure which was recalled by vw until 2002 model year, I. E. , engine warning lights, sputtering, smokes under hood and though exhaust and final stall. The engine stall nearly caused collision due to the loss of steering boost and the fire was rapid and large. Thus, I fear a less fortunate combination of circumstance may lead to injury or worse to other passengers of cars with vw/Audi 1. 8t engines such as Passat, zeta, a4, golf, etc. .

Vehicle started feeling sluggish, repair facility changed spark plugs, an ignition coil, and a hall sensor. Facility admitted they could not repair vehicle so it was driven to a dealer for diagnosis. While being driven to the dealer, the vehicle started smoking. Continued driving, arrived at dealer, and there was a fire under hood. Exhaust system overheated, burning materials on the right front floorboard.

Owner drove vehicle to work and noticed it started smoking. Drove back home and went inside to call and have vehicle towed. He did not go back out to the vehicle until later in the evening, when he found the windows gray from smoke and the inside of the vehicle was partially melted because it caught fire. Catalytic converter light came on several days prior to the fire. Fire damage limited to floor below center front of dash, above catalytic converter and exhaust system.

Owner was driving when someone on the side of the road pointed and indicated there was something coming out of her vehicle that looked like fog. Smoke was then noticed and her husband got out of the vehicle, looked underneath, and saw fire. He began throwing snow on the vehicle. Fd extinguished fire. Subsequent examination revealed the exhaust system overheated and ignited the fire due to an engine management problem - spark plugs showed overly rich fuel/air mixture.

Owner was driving the Volkswagen and smelled a weird odor, so he pulled over to the side of the road. He opened the hood and looked toward the back of the engine and observed smoke and smelled something burning. He stated he observed fire from the bottom part of a wire harness. A subsequent examination revealed the spark plugs showed a slightly rich fuel/air mixture in the cylinders, resulting in possible overheated exhaust components. Cause of fire undetermined.