At last! A uk recall for the passat brake failure water leaks plenum chamber

**snapdragon** · 31-03-2009,03:03 PM

I received a letter from VW today.
They got my details from DVLA, as my name has DVLA's spelling mistake.
It is about a recall for my 2002 MY Passat.
A bit late, but may help me get a refund or partial refund for the damage this caused, rather than the denial.
Has anyone else got one?
I have posted it as text rather than a scan so that it come up in searches.

Volkswagen (UK) . Yeomans Drive· Blakelands . Milton Keynes MK14 SAN
27 March 2009
VGS151 88/1/001 (edited - scanner software made a mistake - thanks westie)
Registration no XXXXXXXX
Chassis no 38XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
SERVICE ACTION - VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
Possible water ingress
Dear Sir or Madam
We have identified that some Passats could have clogged plenum chamber
water drains, which may cause water to leak into the passenger compartment
and the brake servo unit. To ensure your car's plenum chamber drain is clear,
we recommend that you visit a Volkswagen Retailer to have it checked. This
check will be completed free of charge.
We strongly advise that you take up this offer to avoid possible water ingress.
We have identified that some Passats could have clogged plenum chamber
water drains, which may cause water to leak into the passenger compartment
and the brake servo unit. To ensure your car's plenum chamber drain is clear,
we recommend that you visit a Volkswagen Retailer to have it checked. This
check will be completed free of charge.
We strongly advise that you take up this offer to avoid possible water ingress
and consequential damage to your vehicle. The Retailer will inspect, clean
and, if necessary, modify the plenum chamber on your car.
Once your Passat has been checked, you should continue to have it serviced at
the intervals recommended by the manufacturer. The plenum chamber drains
are checked for blockages caused by debris (eg fallen leaves from trees} as
part of the Volkswagen service schedule.
Your nearest Volkswagen Retailer can be found online at
www.volkswagen.co.uk or by contacting 0800333666. The check will take
approximately half an hour, depending on circumstances. The Retailer will be
prepared for your visit and able to answer any questions you have about the
service check.
Telephone 01908 601601
Fax 01908 663936
Customer Services 0800 0833914
www.volkswagen .co .uk
Volkswogen (UK) is a division
of Volkswagen Group United
Kingdom Limited
A wholly owned subsidiary of
Volkswagen AG
Registered Offic e , As above
www.volkswagen.co.uk

**Sam** · 31-03-2009,03:04 PM

So I drive along to a VW dealership and they'll do this for me, no questions?

**Hex69** · 31-03-2009,04:20 PM

Originally Posted by snapdragon

We have identified that some Passats could have clogged plenum chamber
water drains, which may cause water to leak into the passenger compartmentand the brake servo unit.

Originally Posted by mycarsavw

So I drive along to a VW dealership and they'll do this for me, no questions?

Some Passats, not all 3B Passats??

Yes, and they're really going to know about an 8 1/2 yo car......

**Hex69** · 31-03-2009,04:22 PM

Oh, and of course Audi and Skoda are going to follow for the A4s, A6s and Superbs which are also affected.....Emoticon.jpg

**Sam** · 31-03-2009,04:54 PM

Originally Posted by Hex69

Some Passats, not all 3B Passats??

Yes, and they're really going to know about an 8 1/2 yo car......

There goes my bubble :lol:

Me, 3BG, 2001 - 8 years old too. Oh well <sigh>

**MalcQV** · 31-03-2009,05:07 PM

Originally Posted by volkswagen

We strongly advise that you take up this offer to avoid possible water ingress
and consequential damage to your vehicle. The Retailer will inspect, clean
and, if necessary, modify the plenum chamber on your car.
Once your Passat has been checked, you should continue to have it serviced at
the intervals recommended by the manufacturer. The plenum chamber drains
are checked for blockages caused by debris (eg fallen leaves from trees} as
part of the Volkswagen service schedule.

S'pose a one off check is better than a kick in the teeth. Mine needs a service and as part of it I was going to check the plenum. Maybe I should just take it to VW

**Hex69** · 31-03-2009,05:11 PM

Originally Posted by MalcQV

S'pose a one off check is better than a kick in the teeth. Mine needs a service and as part of it I was going to check the plenum. Maybe I should just take it to VW

"Thank you, Sir, we've checked your plenum chamber and that's all ok, however we've found x, y, and z and this will cost you £££££'s to recify. Please hand over your wallet and all your worldly goods....".

**snapdragon** · 31-03-2009,05:22 PM

Mine is October 2001 (2002MY) and hasn't been to the dealer for a few years.
It looks as though they got my details from DVLA/Capita as their Indian data inputters misspelled my surname for a random array of letters when I registered myself as a new owner. This means they must have asked DVLA for details of all cars' owners between certain VIN numbers or years.
I hope you all get one, it sounds as though they modify the drains.

**Sam** · 31-03-2009,07:12 PM

Originally Posted by snapdragon

I hope you all get one, it sounds as though they modify the drains.

The modification is to poke out the rubber bung - same thing I did about two years ago

westie383 · 02-04-2009,08:05 PM

Hi,
I've just had my 2001 Passat in for the plenum chamber recall today, and to be honest it was a waste of time in my opinion. I did ask the girl on reception if they would put something in the service book to record the inspection being done, but as you never get to see the guy who does the inspection, I might as well of been talking to the wall. It would be interesting to know what they would do if damage had been done and discovered - as in the many posts on this forum, and how much VW would spend on repairs? Thanks to the VWAUDI forum, and others people's experiences, I've made it a point to clean out the plenum chamber twice a year with warm soapy water and an old tooth brush. Might seem a bit OTT, but better safe than sorry..