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VW Ignition Coil Problems? - READ ONLY

243 messages,  Last post on Aug 11, 2003 at 7:24 PM

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What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Passat, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Jetta, Audi A4, Audi TT, Volkswagen New Beetle, Electrical, Engine, Sedan

#57 of 243 by ncvol Jan 23, 2003 (3:34 pm)
This is just terrible. I've been on the fence between a Passat Wagon and a Subaru Outback, and although I really like the way the Passats look, I just can't in good conscience buy one after reading all this.   NHTSA has about 65 similar complaints for 2002 MY's, and 7 so far for the 2003's. Carreview.com has about 200. How the hell has this slipped under the radar for Consumer Reports, who considers the reliability of the Passat to be above average? I'll be interested to see how they rated it in their car issue for this year.
#58 of 243 Ncvol... by wagonmeister Jan 23, 2003 (4:40 pm)
Ease up on your conscience a little, don't forget we are talking about a 2001-2002 model issue here. Sure, the way VW is dealing with their customers on coilpack failures is subpar especially for a brand that is supposed to go "upscale" this year but I still put faith in that the problem has not reached the 2003 model year. I also expect that when the coilpack supplier/distribution issue is worked out, the majority of the complaints will disappear. Im not saying '01-'02 coilpack issues won't continue to appear for current owners, I just don't think the issue will be getting the exponential attention that its getting right now because dealers can't fill the demand for replacement packs. The latest I've heard however is that dealers are going ahead to replace all 4 coilpacks after the 2nd visit. Its still not good that an owner has to visit twice with the same problem before all coilpacks get replaced but its a better message than what we were hearing two weeks ago.   Tell ya what, I'm taking delivery of my '03 Passat Wagon 1.8T from the dealer this Saturday. If I report back to the board on quality issues up until you decide to purchase, will that help you decide on the Passat? I just wouldn't want you to settle on a Subie because of perceived issues with coilpacks. Remember that we have yet to see coilpack failures on 2003 model Passats with the newer "J" series coilpacks installed. Informal polling on the Vortex board has yet to uncover any sign of "J" series failures.
#59 of 243 by Mr_Shiftright HOST Jan 23, 2003 (10:01 pm)
Just look at pictures of the two cars, that might help you to decide.
#60 of 243 2001.5 Passat No Coil Failure - Yet by pkradd Jan 24, 2003 (4:23 am)
I have 16,000 miles on my 1.8T tiptronic Passat and no coil pack problems. I was under the impression it was the cars manufactured in 2002 that had the problem?
#61 of 243 wagonmeister...'03's and Coil Packs by altair4 Jan 24, 2003 (8:04 am)
The coil pack thing has reached into the 2003 model year. It depends on the build date, however. According to an ongoing thread on Clubb5, the change over from H coils to J coils appears to have been sometime in July/August 2002. Simply check the build date on the steel plate located on the driver's door frame. This should give prospective buyers some peace of mind. I bought my '03 wagon in November, but the build date is June. As the weather here has been frigid, I haven't visually confirmed that the H pack is used on my 1.8T, but I suspect it is. Honestly, it's not that upsetting to me. If/when a coil goes, it'll be replaced and onward we go.
#62 of 243 by ncvol Jan 24, 2003 (8:31 am)
Sorry to come off a little harsh, but reading all those stories of Passat owners stranded by the side of the road got me a little worked up. The NHTSA site does have about 7 complaints for 2003 MY Passats, although I understand there is an issue about when they were manufactured (something like before 8/02) that could make a difference. I've been looking at the GLX Wagon with the V6, so it may not even be a problem on those.   And if I ultimately go with the Subie, it won't be because I "settled." I'm looking at the H6-3.0 VDC, which I think is very comparable to a Passat GLX 4Motion. I will admit that, even though I haven't test driven either yet, I think the Passat is more aesthetically pleasing, but I do like the looks of the VDC as well.   My biggest concern about the Passat has always been the long term reliability - how will it hold up in it's 4th, 5th and 6th year and beyond? Then I saw this short term nightmare of the ignition coils and it kinda freaked me out.   If MY 2003 comes and goes and the problem seems to be resolved, I'll approach the Passat with a more open mind again. I really do like the car, but there's just no car in existence that I like enough to put up with it stranding me on multiple occassions (under warranty or not).
#63 of 243 Reliability ... for ncvol by cmann Jan 24, 2003 (9:05 am)
Just thought I'd chime in. I have been a Subie owner for 10 years ('91 Legacy Wagon then '97 Outback Wagon) and have generally been very pleased. I am currently waiting though for my 2003 GLX 4-mo Wagon to arrive. Why the switch? Asthetics, feel and side-curtain airbags mostly. Also, drove the H6 VDC and could not get comfortable at all in the seat .. mostly a height issue. I'm only 6'0" but felt that I was looking under the roofline all the time. Anyway, I came to the conclusion that the reliability wasn't all that different between the two in my research. Final thought: Subie head gasket blew 1 month after I placed the Passat order at 145000km (about 90000 mi) after really great reliability and impeccable maintenance. FWIW ....
#64 of 243 Ncvol... by wagonmeister Jan 24, 2003 (9:13 am)
I understand your perspective on the overall reliability of the car. Didn't mean to offend with the "settle" remark. Subaru makes a great car and you're smart to keep an open mind about what's best for you. I've been a VW owner for 20 years and have learned to put up with the glitches that seem inherent in German designed cars. Obviously Im a more than just a little biased towards the Passat.   Personally, if I didn't need the car so soon, I would have waited for the 130hp 1.9TDI Passat Wagon slated for MY 2004, and avoided the coilpack issue completely.   Regarding the coilpacks, I've heard that the problem could be on 2003 models but as Altair stated, it appears to be manifested in the H packs. I've yet to hear that its affecting the J packs.
#65 of 243 wagonmeister...Bad news re J's by altair4 Jan 24, 2003 (10:24 am)
Check on Clubb5 and Vwvortex...apparently a couple of people are now reporting J pack failure. I'm not sure, at this point, how much credence to give a couple of failures (did the owners actually see that they were J's, etc), but it's worth watching.   Additionally, there's been some indications that VW will be superceding the J packs with a new version (tentatively called the "K" packs, for lack of an official designation) causing some to speculate that a recall will/may be announced upon build-up of an adequate supply. But it's all speculative at this point, and honestly, that's probably the biggest problem with how this whole thing is being handled - inadequate communications from VWoA or VWAG. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.   VW could learn a lesson from the Toyota engine/oil sludge debacle. After all, this really isn't as bad as the Toyota situation; consumers were losing engines to the tune of $3,000 or more, not just a small easily replaced electrical component costing, I believe, $28US over the counter (if you can find one). VW should grab this by the horns and protect the gains that they've made in product reliability in the public's eye.
#66 of 243 by ncvol Jan 24, 2003 (11:06 am)
cmann   The size/height is an issue that may ultimately exclude the Subie for me. I'm 6'3", and I'm worried the fit may be a problem. I typically recline my seat back a little more than normal anyway, so we'll see.   wagonmeister   No problem, and again, I realize I came off a little harsh with my first post. As I said, I think the Passat is a great looking car and I've heard nothing but good things about the way it drives. I've just got a Ford Explorer right now with 135k miles on it that comes up with a new noise about every other month (requiring about $500 in the shop every time), so reliability is a touchy subject for me.   It really does sound like this should be tailor-made for a recall. The coil pack seems like a very easy thing to just replace.

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