1996 Volkswagen Passat electrical problems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STARTED THE IGNITION AND THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHILE THE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, THE AIR CONDITIONER UNIT, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, AND HEADLIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS DISPLEASED TO KNOW THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA complaint #10236875 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

THE IGNITION SWITCH ON MY 1996 VW PASSAT WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, WHICH SHUT DOWN THE HEADLIGHTS. THIS IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS DESCRIBED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 02V256000 I WAS INFORMED BY VW CUSTOMER SERVICE THIS RECALL DIDN'T APPLY TO MY VIN#, DESPITE IT BEING A 1996 PASSAT. I THINK IT SHOULD.

NHTSA complaint #10210117 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START SOMETIMES AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE FINALLY STARTED AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 02V256000, REGARDING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: IGNITION: SWITCH. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT PREVIOUS RECALL REPAIR INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEALER. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT CONTACTED.

NHTSA complaint #10165211 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I HAVE HAD ONGOING ISSUES WITH ELECTRONIC AND EMISSIONS SENSORS FOR THIS VEHICLE AND RECENTLY SPENT $756.54 TO (AGAIN!) REPLACE SENSORS SO THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD PASS ITS ANNUAL EMISSIONS TEST (AS MANDATED BY THE EPA). I WROTE TO VW CUSTOMER CARE TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT OF THIS (AND PAST) CHARGES AND WAS TOLD TODAY (7/13/06) THAT NO RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS WERE ISSUED, SO NO REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE MADE. I TOLD THEM THAT NHTSA ISSUED RECALL 99V131 (WHICH ADDRESSES SOME OF THE AREAS) BUT VW TOLD ME THAT IT DID NOT APPLY, AS ALL REIMBURSEMENTS ARE VIN-SPECIFIC. CAN ANYONE PLEASE HELP? THANK YOU.

NHTSA complaint #10162287 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHTS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAME INOPERABLE, THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A MECHANIC. THE RECALL, #02V256000 CONCERNING THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE IN AUGUST 2002. THE VEHICLE IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED.

NHTSA complaint #10152844 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

CONSUMER HAD 1996 VW PASSAT IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED. AFTER ABOUT A YEAR SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *TS THE FIRST TIME THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED IT WAS FREE OF CHARGE AND NOW THAT IT HAS FAILED AGAIN THE DEALER DOESN'T WANT TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH UNDER THE RECALL AGAIN BECAUSE THEY STATED THE VEHICLE WAS MORE THAN 8 YEARS OLD.

NHTSA complaint #10145318 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY 1996 VW PASSAT HAS LOST ITS ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, VERY UNSAFE WITH NO BACKING FROM VW.

NHTSA complaint #10132058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

MY 1996 VW PASSAT HAS AN IGNITION SWITCH IS FAULTY. MY FIRST TIME WAS AT NIGHT AND MY LIGHTS WENT OUT. I PULLED OF THE ROAD AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE LIGHTS CAME ON. THE NEXT TIME THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AND THE WIPERS STOP. I HIT EVERY SWITCH AND WHEN I HIT THE IGNITION SWITCH EVERYTHING CARE ON. I CALLED DEALER AND HE SAID MY VIN WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. IF MY CAR IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS THE RECALL WHY CAN'T THIS BE COVERED BY THE SAFETY RECALL?

NHTSA complaint #10119386 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED IN A 1996 PASSAT VR6. WAS A RECALL ON SWITCH. I WOULD LIKE A REFUND ON PARTS AND LABOR.

NHTSA complaint #10102658 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS AS STATED IN NHTSA RECALL 02V256000. ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE ELECTRICAL PORTION OF THE IGNITION SWITCH ASSEMBLY CAN FAIL, CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. DEARSHIP INDICATED TO CONSUMER SORRY THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

NHTSA complaint #10092792 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE HAD THE VERY SAME PROBLEM AS MENTIONED IN RECALL 02V256000 CONCERNING IGNITION SWITCH. ALSO, THE ELECTRICAL PART OF THE SWITCH SHORTED OUT THE LIGHTS, AIR CONDITIONING, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, AND RADIO. TOOK VEHICLE DEALER, AND CONSUMER WAS GRANTED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.

NHTSA complaint #10055343 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

HEADLIGHTS CONTINUALLY GO OUT. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP SUPPOSEDLY DID ELECTRICAL PART OF IGNITION SWITCH REPLACEMENT, BUT HEADLIGHTS STILL DID NOT WORK. FURTHER REAIRS BY AN INDEPENDANT MECHANIC WORKED FOR A SHORT TIME, THEN ONE OF THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR OVER A YEAR. DEALERSHIP COMPLETELY UNINTERESTED.

NHTSA complaint #10036873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, THE CAME ON AND WENT OFF INTERMITTENTLY. *AK WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECTS AS STATED IN THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL. *PH. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED UNDER THE RECALL REGARDING THE IGNITION SWITCH.

NHTSA complaint #10026984 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

1. MY CAR HAD IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. THERE IS A RECALL ON IGNITION SWITCH FAILURES FOR THE YEAR/MAKE/MODEL OF MY CAR. WHEN I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER THEY SAID THE RECALL DOESN'T APPLY TO MY VIN. 2. DRIVERS DOOR WINDOW REGISTER HAS FAILED. MANY OWNERS OF SIMILAR VEHICLES HAVE REPORTED SAME.

NHTSA complaint #10020684 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.