2002 Passate “”oil sludge”" problem
Bought 2002 1.8L Turbo 4cyl., front wheel/drive used last October at approx. 18,000 miles from CarSense. When car hit 35,000 after a little over 1 year of ownership, we encountered severe engine problems. Trouble starting and after warming up, engine warning lights would come on and stay on. We took it to our local VW dealer and found out about an apparent “”oil sludge”" recall issue we were not made aware of due to second hand ownership.
The problem was that the 1.8L turbo engine runs so hot, it breaks down the motor oil faster than normal, leaving clumps of oil residue in the engine, clogging the filters, wearing out the pump and seals, etc. VW told us that these engines require higher maintenence and require the use of synthetic oil only, and MUST be changed at least every 5,000 miles or 6 months, whichever is first. VW apparently issued a notice of the issue to owners and offered an extended warranty to cover associated costs.
Anyway, in order to be covered under the extended warranty, they want you to provide receipts showing oil changes every 5,000 miles. Luckily, we were able to provide these receipts, however, since we were not the original owners, and CarSense could not provide us with the car’s history from the previous owner, VW would only pay 2/3 of the cost of the repairs (better than nothing).
The remedy for the sludge problem was to flush the engine, change the oil, replace the filters, seals and fuel pump – total of $1,600 altogether; $500 of which we are responsible for.
Moral of the story: change your oil often and keep your receipts! After some research, we found that this is a widespread issue with other owners and has in some cases fallen under state Lemon Laws. Our local dealer has told us they have actually replaced engines entirely in some cases, costing $8,000!
Personally, I feel this is a case of VW recognizing a problem, but not admiting any wrong-doing. The problem was apparently there regardless whether the previous owner changed the oil or not, and since we had anyway, why should we have to pay anything? This was the first and LAST VW I will ever own. I’ve owned many vehicles, and never had issues like this before. After speaking with several garage owners, they have all told me similar stories and in their opinion, VW quality has tanked since 2000. I don’t know what happened over there, since I’ve seen 20 year old VW’s running quite well all over, but something is definitely up.
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297 Said,
January 3, 2005 @ 10:52 am
2002 Passate – Did you purchase it used from the dealership? That makes the vehicle pre-owned certified, meaning they checked the engine and the turbo first and guaranteed their working condition.
As for changing the oil every 5k/56mos. — that IS the regular service period.
The synthetic oil bit is news to me. It really isn’t necessary, but it is recommended.
boobietoo Said,
January 5, 2005 @ 1:30 am
2002 Passate – I have jeard of alot of things, but oil sludge, that’s new. A vehicle must certified by the dealer and sold as a “certified” VW. Just because you buy it at a dealer does not make it certified. Also, you may want to requesta recall or campaign list from VWOA I believe the 2002 1.8t has ignition coil issues. Check it out. VWOA will tell you what recalls or campaigns are out there for your specific vehicle. Have your VIN number handy. Good luck. Yes, change your oil every 5,000 miles.
297 Said,
January 7, 2005 @ 1:32 am
2002 Passate – It isn’t necessary. If you change your oil at the recommended service interval, your oil will not break down to the point where it will endanger your car.
This does not mean synthetic is worthless — it is obviously better for your car, but now you’re talking about something akin to hammering a nail with a cheap $5 hammer versus a $100 NASA hammer, where the nail isn’t going that deep, nor is the board all that strong.
Thinking you need to change your oil every 3000 miles is a throwback to older engine and oil technology. Regular oil has come a long way from those days, and so has engine technology. Many tests have shown regular oil can be used in a daily driver at moderate stress for as much as 10,000 miles, but no one wants to risk it, so 5,000 is fine.
FYI, the new MkV VWs have an oil change interval of 19,000 miles.
That’s higher than even most people on SYNTHETIC would like.
LuvMyPassat Said,
January 7, 2005 @ 7:16 am
2002 Passate – “”The synthetic oil bit is news to me. It really isn’t necessary, but it is recommended”"
It really is necessary. Synthetic oils are much less likely to break down within the 5000 mi / 6 mo. (NOTE: if you do a lot of city driving, I’d recommend changing oil every 3000 miles / 3 months. An additional $60/year is a GREAT investment to avoid costly fixes in the future.
j Hober Said,
January 10, 2005 @ 2:12 am
2002 Passate – We have a 2003 Passat 1.8T and recently received notice about the oil sludge issue. VW now Requires use of synthetic oil and 5k changes to qualify for warranty engine repairs! The dealers want $65 for an oil change now! VW should be footing the increased cost because of their engineering mistake!
YupOldBull Said,
January 10, 2005 @ 5:11 am
2002 Passate – If you have a 2002 or 2003 you can relax. Your engine problems have already happened!
It has been brought to you compliments of the VW design team!
Who cares about the new MkV VWs that can go 17,000 in between oil changes! And besides, that may be what they are telling us now! You know about those rolling changes that leave us VW owners without help. Two years down the road, the rules have been rewritten!
This will be a high dollar replacement item. High dollar items attract lawyers.
I predict that those that are denied refunds or repairs, will file a class action suit against VW and win!
I saw a post that referenced an invoice for replacing a 1.8t. It was $11,400.
JCD Said,
January 10, 2005 @ 9:07 am
2002 Passate – I completely agree with you on all terms. My 2003 Passat, purchased during 9/2002 just hit 35,000 miles and has suffered the same problem as yours, I am finding this to be a common problem with the 1.8, 4 cyl, turbo engine. I used my car on the evening of 1/5/05 and all was well, no light, nothing, not a hint of a problem. On the morning of the 6th while half way down the block all hell broke loose. The engine began to tick loudly and the dash lit up with a STOP Engine Now message, I immediately shut the car off. I restarted the car and all I got was a low oil pressure warning, turned the car around and parked it in the driveway. Checked the oil, the oil level was satisfactory. I had change the oil about 7,000 mile prior to the problem and the engine was flushed out as well. I phone VW towing service and they picked up the car on Monday morning and took it to the dealer from which it was purchased. I phoned the dealer and informed them to what had happened and that the car was on its way to their location. They did not return my inquiry calls until late Tuesday. All I could get out of them was that they didnt know what was wrong with the vehicle but it would cost $1,600 to repair, sound familiar? I asked a logical question if you dont know whats wrong with the car how can you tell me the cost of the repair, I got the runaround from there on. Even before the Service rep looked up my information he asked if it was a 2002 model, I informed him that it was purchased in 2002 but was registered as a 2003, his response made me very suspicious with his immediate silence, I asked why he needed to know and all he said was Oh nothing, this made me very suspicious at this point. The following day the Service rep phoned me as asked that I submit all receipts for oil changes, all I had was the last one done in May which detailed the oil change and the engine flush. It turns out that they wanted a receipt for each and every oil change. I asked why, if the cars oil was changed and the engine flushed what was the problem. He told me that without complete proof provided for each change there was nothing they could do, incredible suspicion. So we got into it, he would still not tell me what the problem with the car was, I had already purchased 6 VWs from this same dealer and never had a problem with service or the auto with exception to some nuisances from time to time like windows falling into the doors and such. At this point I was really suspicious. On Thursday I finally got someone on the phone other than the Service Rep with whom I had been speaking and was told that this engine is prone to massive sludge buildup no matter what you do. I immediately got on the internet and found your correspondence. I phone VWOA and it was confirmed that this is an inherent problem with this engine and that VW had issued a bulletin to dealers about this problem but never advised owners of it. They also confirmed that they had never sent me, as the original owner, a bulleting regarding using Synthetic Oil rather than standard oil as detailed in the service manual. All the oil changes that I received were with Synthetic Oil. On Friday I phoned the dealer and spoke with the Service Manager to no avail, got the same runaround but this time it was more detailed. He informed that when cars come in with this specific engine even on 5,000 mile intervals they have sludge build-up, the ones that have the mass problem are those that dont bring their cars to the dealer, he implied that it was possible that the oil that was used was inferior. I immediately jumped on him by telling him youre implying that somehow VW oil is some type of magic oil, even though he confirmed that sludge still builds up during each oil change, and that the oil used on my car was inferior to VW oil, he said that is not what he meant, right! I contacted some acquaintances that are educational experts in this field and they confirmed that VWs run extremely hot and have, not by chance but by design, a sludge problem, they all agreed that this is a design flaw not an oil problem. There are more technical issues that lead to the sludge build-up but I wont get into that now. The outcome with the dealer was that I could not find all the receipts therefore they would not repair the car under warranty. I questioned the Service Manager further and asked if I had brought my car to you every 6.000 miles rather than the newly suggested 5,000 would I be under warranty, he said no, if the oil is not changed approximately every 5,000 it would not be covered. After researching further and finding many site detailing this same problem as both of us have detailed my conclusion is the following this is a manufacturing defect and should be corrected as a warranty issue, VW is keeping it quite and using a technicality to get them out of the hole but not with this one. During my last conversation with the Service Manager he told me that I was lucky the engine did not lock up and seize on me, this happen. My response to this was the following not only have you and VWOA acknowledged a major problem with this model and are not making it common knowledge to its owners, do you understand what you have just said, of course he did not, if I am on the highway keeping up with traffic and I have a complete engine lock up I can become a human catapult, not only have you kept vital information from me as a consumer but you have also put me in harms way, adding up to nothing less than fraud and premeditated negligence. I took my car to you for the 5,000 and 10,000 mile oil change and with full knowledge of this problem you never informed me of what could happen if I did not bring the car to you every 5,000 miles, not only that but every individual that purchases a used VW is going to get screwed as well. VW has been covering up this problem, most likely to their low sales, increasingly poor service and the financial position of their company. Monday I reclaimed my car and took it to a trustworthy professional to have it repaired, it may only require a complete engine flush, hopefully that is all it will need. During this problem the oil light never can on until the engine suffered this problem by then it was too late, and this is my fault according to VW. I dont take this type of business practice lightly, I have contacted the attorney general of my state had have supplied them with all the information I have gathered to push a complete investigation on this matter. I recommend you do the same in your state, youve been screwed as probably have thousands more, we are all paying for the defective design ourselves, not me.
sarah Said,
January 11, 2005 @ 6:34 am
2002 Passate – Pollock158,
I am in the exact same situation with my 2001 VW Passat. I went over the “”recommended”" oil change intervals at 15,000 miles by 26 miles and at like 43,000 miles by 290 miles and my claim was denied. Also I had four oil changes done by a different mechanic who didn’t put all of the info on the receipts and they said those receipts were “”suspicious”"… I have filed complaints all over the place this week and am now going to contact a lawyer.
adam48067 Said,
January 12, 2005 @ 1:06 am
2002 Passate – does anyone know if there is a recall coming on the passats? i am currently sitting with a 9k bill(at least 9k!). i am currently filing a complaint with the MI attorney general
if anyone has info, please contact me aphillip@kmart.com
adam48067 Said,
January 12, 2005 @ 1:32 am
2002 Passate – another note – i had an oil change done at the dealer back in 2003. one interesting thing was they used standard oil, not the synthetic oil that they now reccomend to use(in the letter on 8/1/2004)
interesting that they acknowledge the problem, and i have proof that even the dealer used the incorrect oil – but when it comes time to take responsibilty they take a step back.
LuvMyPassat Said,
January 12, 2005 @ 6:53 am
2002 Passate – This is bogus. The dealer that you’re working with is screwing you. Don’t call a lawyer yet though, ‘cuz they’re only a half step above used-car salesmen anyway.
Call your state’s attorney general and also call the next closest dealer.
The difference between changing your oil at 5000 and 5500 is negligible. It is a KNOWN design flaw and if there was less than 6000 mi between oil changes, then you were going to have the problem anyway.
Don’t back down, whatever you do.
adam48067 Said,
January 12, 2005 @ 8:33 am
2002 Passate – I am currently having the same issue with a 2003 VW Passat. After 27,000 miles, the engine and possibly the turbo has gone and the dealer is saying that the repairs will cost 9,000 dollars. Volkswagen has had an oil sludge problem with this year of Passats that typically results in this problem, even after suggested maintenance. Volkswagen issued a notice to their customers of this problem about 3 months ago, and also recommended that their drivers change the oil to a synthetic oil. I have been changing my oil at the recommended 5,000 mile increments, although using a non-synthetic brand of oil. I am now having a very hard time coming up with my oil change receipts. I can prove that I changed the oil 3 times although I need to prove I changed it 5 times for the warranty to kick in. Even after changing the oil at the required increments my engine is gone due to a known problem that VW is not taking responsibility for. I am extremely frustrated and angry at the service that I am currently receiving and would like to take action on this matter as I am currently sitting with a 9,000 bill for a problem that VW has admitted to, although will not take responsibility for.
YupOldBull Said,
January 12, 2005 @ 10:06 am
2002 Passate – The recall isnt because of engine abuse.
The recall is because.. normal people, with normal VW engines, with normal oil filters, with normal oil change intervals, with normal oil brands, with normal oil viscosities, with normal missing oil receipts, with a variety of normal repair shops, with normal oil level checks, with normal engine maintenance knowledgeare having a problem with defectively designed and overheating engines.
VW isnt doing this for the abusers. It is being forced to do this because it has been proven to them that it occurs with properly maintained vehicles. Naturally, they will try to duck all the ones that are marginal.
Thousands of people will be contacting their state attorney general’s office.
sarah Said,
January 12, 2005 @ 10:11 am
2002 Passate – I have taken it to two dealers- they are saying that VWoA will not honor the warranty and that I can’t do anything about it. I have been on the phone with VWoA to see if I can get the documents reviewed again and they say that the Field Rep is the end of the line which is insane… I know he has to have a boss and it is taking me forever, but I am going to keep working my way up the chain until I can find someone to take accountability for this… I am not going to pay 9k for a mechanical default that is clearly not my fault!
LuvMyPassat Said,
January 12, 2005 @ 10:16 am
2002 Passate – For anyone who’s been unable to produce receipts for every oil change…
Do the receipts that you DO have indicate mileage? Is there a detectable pattern?
For example:
O/C #1 – 5050 mi
O/C #2 – no receipt
O/C #3 – 14,922 mi
O/C #4 – 20,302 mi
O/C #5 – no receipt
A pattern like this indicates a responsible owner who changes the oil every 5,000 mi. Failure to produce the other receipts should not necessarily void the warrantee, especially considering that the 1.8T has a documented history of sludge problems, even when treated properly.
Call the attorney general if they continue to buck you.
LuvMyPassat Said,
January 12, 2005 @ 10:45 am
2002 Passate – Has anyone ever used Auto-RX?
http://www.auto-rx.com
YupOldBull Said,
January 19, 2005 @ 7:35 am
2002 Passate – Here are some additional thoughts on the 1.8t oil sludge problem.
?hink about it for a minute and try to explain why a company would deliberately create a faulty engine and then sell it to the masses.?They didn? deliberately design and produce a faulty engine. (e.g. turbo that runs hot, wrong initial oil recommendations (?n print?in their new car manuals), and undersized pan?) Incidentally, if they had only done any 2 (of the 3) of these, we probably wouldn? be talking here. Because of the failures they felt the pressure (from the tech?, rep?, dealerships, and ?nformed customers? to ?ffer up?assistance to help offset the damages caused by this condition. Semi-goodwill?
You have to look at this entire issue in a ?unning change mode? It is not uncommon for
an OEM auto manufacturer to correct problems on a ?unning basis?based on field feedback and customer pressure. ?weaking?information is valuable. It is often passed from the tech?, to sales, to management, to design, to production, and so on, throughout the organization. But what ever happened to testing? And approvals?
They didn? inform the customer at the time of purchase of the correct maintenance procedure for their new vehicle. This wrong information was ?n print?and in the customers hands (via the new car manual). To make things worse, some of the cars were delivered with ?tandard oil?which was later superceded by the recommendation to use ?ynthetic oil? Looks to be a running change. Oil pans enlarged? Another running change? Want to bet the filter recommendation will also be changed to a larger one?
But, back to the OEM manufacturer. Every company expects to pay claims on product.
These claims (expenses for recalls, extended warranties, legal suits, etc.) are often ?orecasted? (or incorporated into a business plan) Let? ?ay?1.5% of gross sales is forecasted for claim issues and the number rises to 3.0% in a given year. Bonuses are often based on profitability and broken down by territory, by plant, by sales center?, by regional territories, nationally, etc. (even chemists and new product development)
It is really pretty easy. The more profitable your group is, the more money (you as a manager or individual) will make! If you or ?our group?deny a slew of marginal claims your ?rofit center?or “”region”" you might benefit more than others.
The dealerships are just “”brokers”".
Notice that the dealerships are gathering ?acts?and submitting to VWOA for evaluation. I have to laugh. People write in ?ere?with hope! There is no hope! This is the real world! The dealership meets the definition of a ?roker? It is a ?ass through?if the claim is approved, they get to do the work! If not, they may lose a customer. Oh well.
Please reference the press release at the bottom of this post. 1.8t oil sludge press release
A lot of this has to do with the wording of the 1.8t sludge recall.
See! You read through that and it looked OK! But it isn? a recall. It is a warranty extension?.big difference! With a warranty extension you have to meet certain criteria in order to be compensated. Make the criteria tough to limit your expenses. (?) The press blurb doesn? go into detail, just now are customers finding out how they are excluded!
The blurb makes everyone feel warm ?ll over? Exclusions will be very creative! I can? wait to see them all.
So you have people reviewing details of a claim that will affect their companies profitability picture. (Maybe their specific group and even maybe them personally)
I knew of a case where a Regional Sales Manager (Bonus driven) personally had to approve claims that exceeded $100.00. (He insisted) That was really ?etty?because he had ?igh dollar?District Sales Managers working for him. And the District Sales Managers had up to 30 men reporting to them!
?ure, if this is a one shot deal it might work.?This isn? a one time deal. But close! These Sales Managers live quarter by quarter. The pressure to meet financial objectives is fierce! The turn-over rate (like any business) is fairly high. Those that meet objectives stay. Those that don? move on. In good years (increased sales) the pressure is a little less than in poor years. (lagging sales) Those that have the best ?umbers?are rewarded! Forget about fairness to the customer or repeat sales. The best don? always stay with the company. It works in reverse, the poorest are often rewarded the most! VW has had several years of declining sales. Are things tight yet?
There use to be a 2, 3, or 5 year plan. Now you have just under a year ?o turn things around!??ut this is a repeated game. Seems to me you’d kill the company by perpetrating such a fraud. Why would the officers of the company want to destroy their source of income? It just doesn’t make sense as a fraud.?Short term they can perpetrate fraud without killing the company. But you are right, long term is a different story. Bad press is costly. These ? minute managers?that decline a claim?.could eventually ruin a company. When you make a bad product, you have to expect larger claims. Over time this will hurt any business. But they don’t really care, they have millions of dollars in sales!
(I purchased a Toyota (1993) T100 truck several years ago. I purchased it from the second owner. He showed me where Toyota had a problem (recall) and the first owner had the engine rebuilt N/C at 80k. To this day I have a good feeling about Toyota, and I am the 3rd owner of the darn truck! They helped the first owner. Whoever he was! That is good press! )
?ven if you are correct, it is still not fraud. You can call it stupidity, bad business, or faulty engineering, but not fraud.?You have to look a little deeper. Does the individual(s) making the decision profit directly from performance paid bonuses? Do the individuals participate in a 401k in which company ?atching funds are used? Do the individual(s) own company stock?
Would it meet your definition of fraud if one could prove ?irect personal or corporate?monetary gain? Wouldn’t they naturally try to protect the company from financial harm thus “”helping themselves”".
Less compensation in claims for customers, means more money for the company and it? employee?! If I cheated you out of $100 for a bad ?sed?washing machine, it wouldn? be fraud. It would be more like unfair or unethical, but it wouldn? be wholesale ?raud? There also wouldn? be much recourse.
If a company sells thousands of vehicles and routinely denies responsibility for claims of this nature, in my estimation, it moves up several notches from unfair or unethical, into the realm of fraud. Reneging on the new warranty! Maybe you have a different opinion. Hundreds of thousands of dollars is not petty theft.
(Think of it this way. If they approve a claim it costs them $11,400 prox. If they deny a claim they get to sell the parts to the dealership and it comes back to them as increased revenue. It is close to a $20,000 swing?and the dealership is quietly hoping to do the work or at least sell the parts to the independent shop!
Wonder what 12 of my peers would say? A truck driver looking at thousands of people that have been shortchanged for a variety of reasons. That would be the acid test!
If litigation has been brought (on the Jetta) concerning the front bumper ($1,000), oxygen sensors($150), and window regulators ($120), there will certainly be litigation brought on this engine sludge problem with the Passat. ($11,400 engine replacement cost!) This may surprise you, but people will get mad and persue the issue!
In recent years, each state attorney general has added depth to their office in the way of the ?onsumer Affairs Division? That is where some of the ?ifting?will be done. They deal with fraud all the time and they are very good ?eaders? They will ultimately decide the merits of the case.
I know of a former District Sales Manager, (bonus driven and greedy) that was sentenced to 30 months in a federal prison. He was never accused of fraud, but he cheated everyone. The company, the customers, his rep?., the dealers, the government, his lawyers, his ex-wife, and himself.
1.8t oil sludge press release
PassatNCRWWV Said,
January 20, 2005 @ 11:13 am
2002 Passate – My 2003 Passat 1.8L Turbo 4 Cyl. has 71,000 miles and broke down this morning. The Oil Press. and STOP warning indicators came on and then the car made a lot of grinding noise (did not sound good). I made it to the dealership and they just called and said that I need a new oil pump. I asked if this might be due to the gloppy oil problem and was told that it might, and that they would check to see what caused the pump to go out. I have changed my oil at regular intervals at the dealership, however this time I was over the 5,000 recommended – I have driven 7,000. Hopefully they will cover the replacement of the pump and any associated costs. I do not understand if they know what is causing the problem with the gloppy oil VW should take responsibility for it. This is the first VW that I have owned and I do like the car, however I am considering going back to a Honda. I also had to have a new fuel pump at 43,000 miles, which was covered under the warranty. Has anyone had any luck with VW paying for repairs due to gloppy oil if you did not change the oil as recommended at 5,000?
YupOldBull Said,
January 26, 2005 @ 8:53 am
2002 Passate – Add the Audi A4 to the list also…..
Some people are really getting mad!
“In late December, less than two weeks after the odometer reached 39,000 miles, the car completely broke down and the engine seized up. I had the car towed back to the dealership where I bought it, where I was told that I needed to produce oil change receipts for the vehicle. I did provide these receipts to the dealership and I was told that the receipts were not going to be enough and that I would need signed affidavits from the service centers that performed the oil changes. I was then presented with a bill for over $9000 for the cost of the repair!”
Click Here to visit this guy’s website
vr6speedster Said,
February 9, 2005 @ 10:49 am
2002 Passate – You would have to be crazy not to change your oil at 5000 miles. I would change my oil every 5000 if i was using a synthetic. Regualar oil shouuld be changed every 3000 miles. Especially on a turbocharged engine. Some people need to learn how to take care of cars.
YupOldBull Said,
February 10, 2005 @ 4:39 am
2002 Passate – Sounds simple enough to me, only I can’t get over this one stumbling block.
I must be missing something!
If you run synthetic oil, and change your oil and filter every 5k, and can prove it..Then (according to VW) your engine will be Ok, and VW wont have to pay for anything.
If you dont run synthetic oil, and dont change your oil and filter every 5k, and cant prove it.Then (according to VW) your engine wont be Ok, and VW wont have to pay for anything.
Only common wording is, and VW wont have to pay for anything.
Why is there an extended warranty for sludge?
wrench_ry75 Said,
February 10, 2005 @ 12:36 pm
2002 Passate – If oil is changed every 5000 miles it wont break down and clog the oil pick-up tube so the car is starved for oil pressure. This has nothing to do with a design flaw or defect, turbo-charged engines require strict maintnence because they run hotter and have more moving parts. I am a mechanic who has been working on these cars for 10 years and any time I have encountered this problem it has always come down to an owner who has not been able to show proof of an oil and filter change every 5000 miles, it is just that simple. Change the oil on time and this wont happen. I own 2 vw’s with 1.8t engines one is an 02′ with about 65k on it the othe is a 99 with 120k and have NEVER had an issue with oil sludge but the oil is always changed every 5k with synthetic oil.
momof3c Said,
February 11, 2005 @ 12:33 pm
2002 Passate – volkswagen to work with dealers to improve guidelines for sludge repairs
RALPH KISIEL | Automotive News
Posted Date: 2/7/05
NEW ORLEANS – Volkswagen of America Inc. will work with dealers to develop less-stringent guidelines on free repairs for vehicles with oil-sludge problems.
Dealers have been asking VW for more lenient guidelines for owners who encounter problems with engine sludge even though they have maintained vehicles properly. The topic arose at VW’s make meeting.
“”I think we’ll see the restrictions relaxed,”" said Bob Grace, chairman of the VW National Dealer Council. “”The bottom line is we need to do the right thing.”"
In August, VW acknowledged oil sludge problems in some VW Passat and Audi A4 models. It has required customers to show proof that they followed factory recommendations on oil changes.
But sometimes VW owners who have been diligent about maintaining their vehicles don’t have all of their receipts, Grace said.
“”VW will work with the dealer council – a collaborative effort – to come up with something less restrictive,”" he said.
Len Hunt, vice president in charge of the VW brand in the United States, said the guidelines should be formulated by the end of February. Hunt said he and Grace will inform dealers then.
“”We’re going to find a happy medium,”" Hunt said. “”We’re not going to cover repairs for someone who drives 80,000 miles without ever servicing the car. But for the owner who has done the reasonable thing, maybe missing one oil change, we will address that owner.”"
297 Said,
February 11, 2005 @ 12:40 pm
2002 Passate – That’s nice to read.