The VW Passat under Fire from Federal Regulators

For the second time in three years, the 2002-2003 Volkswagen Passat is being investigated by federal safety regulators after more complaints of engine-compartment fires caused by the failure of the ignition coils.

Yesterday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it has begun an initial evaluation—the first step of a formal investigation—of 16 reports from owners affecting as many as 199,000 Passats.

A few complaints said the vehicle “hesitated or lost power” after the ignition coil failure, while others claimed the ignition coils failed and had to be replaced several times, NHTSA reported on its Website.

“While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle began shaking violently and shut down in the middle of an intersection,” one owner complained of his 2002 Passat. “The vehicle then skidded into an intersection and almost struck a child.”

A spokesperson for Volkswagen said the automaker is cooperating with the NHTSA.

“We take all of these investigations seriously, and we’re working with NHTSA on this matter,” Kerry Christopher, the company’s spokesman, said.

NHTSA also carried out an investigation in 2007 and 2008 of the VW Passat after complaints were filed about 78 collisions and engine compartment fires potentially tied to ignition coil failures, according to the agency’s records.

NHTSA closed the investigation after Volkswagen issued a recall of 412,000 Passats from 2000-2003.

“These vehicles may have an underbody heat shield that can become damaged,” NHTSA wrote in a posting in 2008. “A heat shield that may contact the exhaust system can result in a vehicle fire.”

Added Protection

Included in the recalled vehicles were a few that could have leaking fuel lines or fuel tank ventilation valves that might cause fires, according to the NHTSA.

Volkswagen dealerships put in additional underbody heat shields and were instructed to replace fuel tank ventilation and fuel line components when necessary, said the agency.

When asked about the previous complaints if ignition coil failures and engine fires, Christopher of Volkswagen said: “Each situation is unique. We take every investigation seriously.”

A spokesperson for the NHTSA did not respond immediately to an inquiry about whether the new probe would factor in the previous investigation to try to identify a possible pattern or connection.

Volkswagen has had issues with the Passat ignition coils since as far back as January 2003, according to the records of the NHTSA.

The automaker told dealerships at the time to inspect the sedans for faulty ignition coil packs and replace them for free. Later that year, Volkswagen recanted its instructions and told dealers to replace all Passat ignition coil packs regardless of their performance, says the NHTSA.