Oil Pump problems of the 2004 Volkswagen Passat

Excessive noise from engine - chain driven oil pump. This noise has gotten progressively worse and will lead to catastrophic failure while driving. Oil will cease being fed to the engine and seizure will occur. At 70 mph this will likely lead to death of occupants and possibly others in vehicles behind mine. This has been reported to dealer as well.

I own a 2004 vw Passat tdi (diesel) with 64, 500 miles on it. I did not have a failure but I was so concerned about it, that I had it pre- fixed. The problem is that the balance shafts in this engine are driven by a chain off the motor which also drives the oll pump. This unfortunate design subjects the chain to stresses it can't withstand. On various tdi forums, especially tdiclub. Com, there have been a significant number of chain failures reported. When the chain driving the oil pump fails,the engine is starved of essential lubrication and if it fails it can cause catastrophic engine damage and the engine could seize up which would be life-threatening. Recently, vw in europe recognized the problem and designed a repair, which changes the chain driven oil pump to a gear driven oil pump. This appears to be a permanent fix to the original design defect. Since, unlike vw of America, I am unwilling to put my and my child's life at risk, I recently paid almost $3000 to have the balance shaft module replaced with the gear driven one. Most of the people having this problem are experiencing it after the car is out of warranty and vw done nothing to notify the nearly 12, 000 owners of these vehicles. Most of the people driving these vehicles have no idea that their car is a potential time bomb. It is not a matter of if, but when, because of the poor design, they all will fail. I was fortunate that the parts were available; there has been a shortage and people have had to wait several weeks just for the parts to come in. If the part fails and destroys the engine, the cost for that repair is $8-10,000. This is a safety issue that needs to be addressed by vw of America and we need your help. Thank you for your consideration. The mechanic informed the consumer the module and chain drive had not failed, but they were showing signs of fatigue. Updated 04/15/09.

A potential issue has come to my attention that some engine parts related to the balance shaft assembly and the engine oil pump system drive can fail as early as 45,000 miles. And if the failure of said components do fail, severe engine damage can easily occur forcing the driver, at minimum, to pay an unreasonable and very costly service bill. If a driver experiences a sudden loss of power from the engine during a typical highway pass or merging on a roadway, the cost would be unfathomable pertaining to the loss of life, far surpassing the cost of a new engine and the labor to install the engine. Volkswagen has come up with a fix by changing the chain to a gear. They have not acknowledged this problem as yet, even with many of these vehicles having failed. It is just a matter of when not if this will happen to every 2004 Passat with the bhw engines. I would like to know what steps Volkswagen of America is taking to inform 2004 and 2005 Passat tdi owners of this problem. Good corporate citizenship would dictate a problem of this severity should be communicated to the owners as soon as possible. These engine failures could leave motorists stranded under dire circumstances.

The balance shaft chain drive in the bottom end of our 2004 Passat tdi has started to make noise. They will all fail. I am a car enthusiast and from what I understand through the pains of many that have already replaced their failed or failing chain driven balance assembly, many break apart completely, and cause the oil pump to quit turning and the engine to lock up suddenly. Vw has come up with a fix for this, to retrofit a gear driven unit, but as of yet has not even acknowledged this very serious problem that more times than not manifests itself in the 60 to 80k mile range. The cost to repair proactive is about $2500, but if the engine is damaged, the cost is about $9000. This is a very serious safety issue, and can cause the engine to suddenly seize while underway! currently there is not even a warning of any kind from vw to owners of these vehicles to be aware of this issue. If not for an internet forum, fred's tdi club. Com, I like many others who still are, would be completely oblivious to this serious and potentially catastrophic failure.

The balance shaft assembly and the engine oil pump system drive will fail. Failure of balance shaft assembly and the engine oil pump system drive can lead to catastrophic engine failure with loss of oil pressure, broken oil pan, broken front engine seal flange, and damaged crankshaft. This can result in damage to the extent that the engine must be replaced. If this occurs while the vehicle is in traffic, it can lead to a collision with injuries or deaths.

The balance shaft chain drive in the bottom end of our 2004 Passat started to make noise. They will all fail. I am a mechanic specializing in these cars, and have currently had to repair 27 of these, including my own. Many break apart completely, and cause the oil pump to quit turning and the engine to lock up suddenly. I have one such car here right now. Vw has come up with a fix for this, to retrofit a gear driven unit, but as of yet has not even acknowledged this very serious problem that more times than not manifests itself in the 60 to 80k mile range. The cost to repair proactively is about $2500, but of the engine is damaged, the cost is about $9000. This is a very serious safety issue, and can cause the engine to suddenly seize while underway!.

The chain on the oil pump, balance shaft assembly failed at 96,000 miles. It was detected by a mechanic before the engine seized. The entire oil pump and balance shaft assembly was replaced. Had the problem not been detected, and the chain broke, the engine would have been starved of lubrication and failed. This is the diesel Passat with the bhw engine.

It has come to my attention through the b5 forums at. . Read more...