2002 Volkswagen Passat Cruise Control Problems

WHILE ACCELERATING TO PASS ANOTHER CAR, I FULLY DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL AND UPON RELEASING IT, NOTICED IT WAS STUCK IN THE FULLY DEPRESSED POSITION. UPON PUTTING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND HITTING THE GAS PEDAL WHILE IT WAS IT THE STUCK POSITION, IT BECAME DISLODGED AND WAS FUNCTIONAL AGAIN. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY CAR WHILE DRIVING IT, THE FIRST TIME BEING IN MID-NOVEMBER 2011. WHEN THE CAR IS OFF AND IN PARK I AM NOW ABLE TO RECREATE THE PEDAL GETTING STUCK, AS IT GETS STUCK ABOUT 25% OF THE TIME WHEN FULLY DEPRESSED. I HAVE NOT YET HAD A MECHANIC LOOK AT THE PEDAL. *TR

MY 2002 W-8 PASSAT FOUR TIMES THIS WEEKEND WOULD NOT DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN STEPPING ON THE BRAKE. THE BRAKE FEELS VERY SOLID AND CANNOT BE DEPRESSED UNTIL A VERY QUICK & HARD QUICK PRESSURE IS PUT ON IT ABOUT 3-4 TIMES. I NOTICED AFTER THAT INCIDENT (FRIGHTENING) THAT IT DOES NOT HAPPEN GOING DOWN HILL, ONLY UPHILL OR EVEN A SLIGHT INCLINE. *TR

MY WIFE TOLD ME LAST NIGHT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 2 CASES OVER THE YEARS WITH HER 2002.5 VW PASSAT WHERE HER GAS PEDAL ALSO STUCK AND HER CAR ACCELERATED TO 80MPH+ ON NJ RT 1 BEFORE SHE PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL. SHE REMEMBERS THAT IT HAPPENED ON VERY COLD MORNINGS. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT VW USES A SIMILAR DESIGN TO TOYOTA IN THESE CARS? *TR

APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS AGO, OR SLIGHTLY LESS, I WAS DRIVING MY WIFE'S 2002 VW PASSAT WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT APPARENT CAUSE AND WE COULD NOT STOP THE ACCELERATION. I TURNED THE IGNITION KEY OFF, AND LEAVING THE CAR IN PARK, RE-STARTED IT, ONLY TO OBSERVE THE ENGINE AGAIN RACING. WE EVENTUALLY FIGURED OUT THAT THE FLOOR MAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND REMOVED IT. MY WIFE SOMETIME LATER REPLACED THE MAT AND HAD NO RECURRENCE, BUT WHEN I DROVE THE CAR, IT HAPPENED TWICE MORE BEFORE WE PERMANENTLY REMOVED THE MAT. AS WE HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEM, WE THOUGHT NO MORE OF THE ISSUE, BUT WITH THE RECENT PUBLICITY OVER SIMILAR SITUATIONS WHICH RESULTED IN SERIOUS CRASHES AND LOSS OF LIFE, WE DECIDED IT WAS BEST TO REPORT THIS SERIES OF EVENTS. *TR

WHEN ACCERATING FROM A DEAD STOP THE VEHICLE HAS A DELAY BEFORE TAKING OFF. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT HE WILL BE REAR ENDED BECAUSE OF THIS. *AK

MANUFACTURER'S FASTENED CAR MAT ENDS EXACTLY WHERE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MEETS THE FLOOR WHEN FULLY DEPRESSED AND CAUGHT THE PEDAL. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AUTOMOBILE ACCELERATED TO 7000RPM AND TO 50 MPH FROM 35 MPH. FOOT WAS NOT ON ACCELERATOR. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PLACED THE AUTO INTO PARK. AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE ENGINE AGAIN RACED TO 7000 RPM WIITHOUT HAVING ME PLACE MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS.*AK

I HAVE OWNED A VW PASSAT V6 4MOTION SINCE MARCH OF 2002. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MINOR DEFECTS INCLUDING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND PAINT. THE ONE DEFECT OF IMPORTANCE IS A THROTTLE DELAY. WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, THERE IS A DELAY IN RESPONSE, ESPECIALLY WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN. THIS PROBLEM HAS DEVELOPED OVER TIME AND WORSENED AND NOW THE STEERING ALSO WHINES WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. IT FEELS LIKE THE PEDAL IS HARD TO PUSH, BUT THEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATES.. AT "MID RANGE," THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ATTEMPTED TO REMEDY THE THROTTLE PROBLEM. THERE WAS SOME IMPROVEMENT AFTER REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY IN 1/03, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS WORSENED AGAIN. DURING A TEST DRIVE IN 4/03 THE SERVICE MANAGER ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM, STATING THAT IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. LAST WORD FROM THE DEALERSHIP WAS THE PASSAT NATURALLY HAS A THROTTLE DELAY- IN OTHER WORDS THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. 4/03, I SENT PAPERWORK INITIATING A LEMON LAW BUY BACK. *NLM

ONLY 1 MONTH AFTER FIXING THE SAME PROBLEM, THE SYSTEM SHORTED OUT AGAIN, LEAVING THE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM, THE CRUISE CONTROL, GARAGE DOOR OPENER, AND OTHER ITEMS INOPERATIVE.*AK

AFTER STARTING CAR, THE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE. IT WAS A HOT SUMMER DAY. NO AIR CONDITIONING OR FAN. ALSO FOUND THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT "SET". DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO DEALER WHO WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE 8 MONTH OLD CAR FOR 2 WEEKS.*AK