I’ve got a 2003 VW Passat. In '03, VW issued a service bulletin to have the ignition coils replaced (up to level “K”). In '05, I had a CEL diagnosed as a single (replaced) coil. The vehicle was under warranty, and that one coil was replace with an “L” model.
Now it’s '08 (~54K miles total and no more warranty) and the CEL is on again. I need new coils again (this time, with version “R”)
Is this really coils going bad on their own, or is it likely to be something in this car that is damaging them?
Also, has anyone else with a Passat had problems with coils after the recall? What are the chances that VW would create another bulletin for these coils again (and is there anyone I should contact/complain to improve those odds)?
You can try contacting the regional office and politely ask about a good-will warranty.
I’m of the opinion that coil failures are often attributable to other factors; spark plug misfire due to age, driving habits, gap too wide, other things in the engine controls leading to misfires, etc.
Slight misfires can occur and may not be noticeable to the driver or the engine management system. Since this causes the coils to work harder they may fail if this continues over an extended time frame.
This is one reason why I never buy into the argument about leaving spark plugs in place for 100k miles; or even 60k miles.
JMHO for what it’s worth.
VW has had a problem with poor supplier QC . Worth while to contact them !