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VW - Engine Sludge

Volkswagen • Beetle • Cabrio • Jetta • Jetta Windows • Passat • Toureg • Windows - All Models --- • Engine Sludge • Ignition Coils • Oil Burning • Engine Fires • Paint • Automan's Advice --- News • VW Rabbit Tops Affordable Hatchback Tests • VW Fined $1.1 Million for Clean Air Violations • VW Admits Sludge Problems

Mikhail of Branson MO (6/13/05):
VW Passat with 1.8 Turbo engine. Oil pressure light came on at 60k miles, with the STOP ENGINE sign. It was VW's famous engine sludge problem. Local VW dealership "fixed" the problem for $2,450.00 Meanwhile I learned that VW issued an extended warranty for exactly this problem. They agree to pay for the repairs in full, but only if you can provide the proof of oil change (with receipts) for the life of the vehicle.

I am the second owner, and have purchased the vehicle from a dealership when it had 30k miles. It didn't have any maintenance record with it, as any other used vehicle if you buy it from a dealer. Obviously, warranty does not apply in my case. VW rejected my request based on these grounds.

Tim of Grand Blanc MI (3/23/04):
At just under 36k miles my oil pump blew and the car went crazy. I stopped the car almost immediately and called for service. They towed my car to Mike Fox Volkswagen in Rochester, MI for repair. The warranty center demanded that I produce receipts for every oil change that I had done at exactly the recommended mileage for an oil change.

I was very honest with the customer service rep when I told her that I did not think I saved all of my receipts. I certainly did not want to fake receipts as I considered that unethical. (If only I had that conversation to do over again). Needless to say, they refused to cover the repairs under warranty.

The oil pump was full of sludge (so they told me) which caused blockage and massive heat build-up, which blew out the turbo. $5000 later I received a call from the service manager who told me that it was ready to be picked up. 30 minutes later I received a message from him telling me that it was burning oil and needed a new engine! I picked it up that day and it has been running fine ever since.

However... After cancelling our vacation and trimming our Christmas way back, I realized that I am missing TWO bolts to the door clasp brackets and my brake lights won't go off. The Passat was a great car for about 3 weeks.

Greg of Greenwood IN (12/30/03):
While driving the 1999 VW Beetle the check oil light came on and immediately following the engine locked up and was shot. I blamed my 21-year-old daughter for not checking the oil, as the dip stick showed little if any oil in the motor.

I later found out from the Certified mechanic that specializes in imports that in fact there was plenty of oil in the oil pan under the car. The filter on the oil sender that sends the oil from the pan to the engine has a screen that is just in front of the filter. The screen was completely blocked by sludge and no oil could pass into the engine from the sender.

When my mechanic phoned a major dealer in the area he was told by a senior mechanic that they are seeing on average of about one of these motor replacements per week. I phoned VW and they told me that they were sorry, they would file the complaint, and no one would be contacting me in any futher regards to the matter. I have purchased a newer motor from the salvage yard and have paid to have it installed. The old motor had 78,000 miles on it and when I purchased it used it had 54,000 on it. I have kept the oil changed regular and maintained as scheduled. The new motor from the salvage yard has 37,000 on it.

My reason for this post is that if anyone has similar issue and more speak out maybe they will recall this issue and put a sensor on that oil sender. WARNING if you light comes on shut it off ASAP it only took about 5 seconds between light and lock-up.

I found a newer motor for $900 and installation for around $900 but believe a simple $5.00 sensor or redesigned filter system could have prevented this incident. VW does not seem concerned. I asked the dealer to give me the area rep phone number and he told me that if I could get the area VW rep to phone me in less than 3 weeks time that I would be doing better than he can, and he is a large dealer?

I guess when you get a German company that makes its cars in Mexico and Brazil and ships them through Canada I should expect a runaround.

Susan of Bayshore NY (2/22/03):
Our 2000 Passat seized with 28000 miles. The dealership told us that they would need $5000 up front just to look at it and that they could not guarantee that it would be under warranty. We then moved the car to a different Volkswagen dealership where a family friend works. In between, we had a licensed mechanic take a look and it was his opinion that the seizure was due to engine malfunction. The oil was total sludge.

Over the next three months we were sometimes told that the car was covered and being fixed, sometimes told that it was not -- due to a two-year warranty covering a three-year lease -- and we were finally given the number of Volkswagon's field rep John Moutopolis. He screened out our attempts to speak with him until we finally called him (accidentally) at home. At this point he told us that our oil change receipts were insufficient and that he would not cover the vehicle, but that we could appeal to V of A.

Volkswagen, however, assured us that it was the autonomous decisicion of Mr. Moutopolis. We felt as though the dealership was caught in the middle and affraid to cross Moutopolis, and the best advice they finally gave us was to "have the car stolen".

We trusted, however, that with persistence we could find the ear of someone reasonable at Volkswagen who would allow us to continue our lease agreement with a functioning car. We were mistaken.

Jim of Eastpointe MI (9/24/02):
I took my vehicle in to Vyletel Volkswagen for service because the "check engine" and the Oil light had come on for a few minutes and then gone off. Having the "better safe than sorry" mentality I took it in to have it looked at. The dealership called me back that afternoon and told me they needed copies of my oil change receipts which I promptly faxed to them. They said they had to send this information to a VW rep, but would not tell me why.

I called everyday to check the status of my car to which they would respond, "we haven't heard anything yet, we'll call when we do". On Friday 9/20/02 I had had enough of that answer and asked for the VW number so I could find out why they were taking so long. VW customer service told me the dealer had already recommended that my Power Train Warranty be cancelled due to sludge buildup caused by improper maintenance.

I then called the dealership back and spoke with the Service Manager Brian S who informed me that they did not do that, VW did. Yet Vyletel kept telling me all week that they knew nothing. He stated at the beginning of the conversation that he viewed the vehicle himself and he found sludge. By the end of the conversation he had changed his tune when I told him there was never authorization given from me to look at the vehicle. I gave authorization to do diagnostics on why the lights came on. After that he said he assumed that was what was wrong based on past experiences with "those vehicles".

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