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Passat Fire
User: tan
Date: 12/20/2005 7:38 pm
Views: 6870
Rating: 17
Hi,
    Just had a 2002 Passat catch fire in its engine compartment 2 days ago.  Engine burnt to a crisp and tires melted away. Fire services said that it was a electrical problem. Thing was that car was parked with engine off!! Do you know of any such other cases or what the problem might be?
    Thanks.

Meng.
tan_m@pacific.net.sg
Re: Passat Fire
User: Admin
Date: 12/20/2005 7:38 pm
Views: 713
Rating: 1

Meng -

I have not ever heard of the car catching on fire while the engine was off.  Did it happen right after the engine was turned off?  I know that my car used to make a funny sound like it was still turned on even when the car was off.  It has not done it that I've noticed since the auto start was removed.  But I always thought it was strange like the car was still running even though the engine was turned off.  I can understand why you are questioning the "mystery" at hand.  From my experience when my first Jetta caught on fire it had awakened me that this could happen to anyone.  I used to think that car fires were a fluke thing and the chances of having that happen are like getting hit by lightning.  My viewpoint has definately changed.

Good luck to you!  Hopefully more users from the site will post some answers for you.

Best Regards, Tiffany Patterson

Re: Passat Fire
User: LemonGroveTDI
Date: 12/20/2005 7:38 pm
Views: 657
Rating: 8

If there was a V and a W on the grill and trunk lid, your root-cause is found!!!

Re: Passat Fire
User: dougvk
Date: 12/20/2005 7:38 pm
Views: 687
Rating: 5

I had a similar experience. My 2000 Passat V6 caught fire in the middle of the night - about 3 hours after it had been driven last. The fire started in the engine compartment, on the right side, near the hood. The damage was so severe that the cause could not be conclusively determined, but an independent investigator hired by my insurance company believes it was an electrical problem. The car had been serviced recently for a malfunctioning radiator fan controller and had numerous electrical problems throughout its brief existence.

Needless to say, I didn't replace it with another VW.

If you are the victim of a Passat fire, please file a report with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/complaintsearch.cfm

 

Re: Passat Fire
User: Admin
Date: 12/20/2005 7:38 pm
Views: 2442
Rating: 7
I am sorry that you have to go through this. Thank you for telling other people of your story.
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