Ignition problems of the 2006 Volkswagen Passat

I am filing a complaint regarding the stalling issues I've experienced on my 2006 Volkswagen Passat 3. 6l model. The description below is a historical account of the problem and how it progressed to the current state. I first noticed the issue around 8000 miles or so where the key fob would get stuck in the ignition. After reading some posts on vwforum, I worked around the intermittent issue by clicking the gear shift 3 times to disengage the key fob from the ignition. Around 24k mile or so, I noticed the stalling issue immediately after the car was started. This problem was intermittent as well and seemed to occur during extreme weather conditions - cold or hot. At this time, the error 'steering column failure' would register intermittently. Around 60k the problem progressed and the frequency of occurrence increased. I reported the issue to the dealership and they were not able to reproduce the issue. Looking back at the multiple blogs and forums on this topic, I believe the dealership should have been familiar enough with the issue that further research into the problem would have been warranted. I was not aware of the widespread issue at the time and did not insist on having the dealer research the issue while the car was still in warranty. The inspection fee was enough to deter me from pushing further specially if the problem could not be reproduced. Currently, at 88k miles, the problem of stalling when starting can be reproduced at will. There is a workaround posted on the same vw forums of specific steps to start the car that I'm currently using. Otherwise, the car does not start and the errors 'steering column failure 'immobilzer defective' is displayed consistently. We also experienced two instances of the car stalling while driving on the freeway. I believe this is caused by the same immobilizer error caused by the steering column failure as the two errors displayed when trying to restart. This is a serious and life threatening issue.

The contact owns a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. While driving approximately 30 to 35 mph on normal road conditions; proceeding from a traffic signal with pressure applied to the accelerator pedal there was no power. There were several attempts before the vehicle was able to resume normal operation. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 8,742. Updated 3/8/10 the consumer stated the vehicle would hesitate and then stall. The ignition was replaced as well.