My 2003 Passat with 46,000 miles and regular 5,000 miles service visits recently had two major problems. The alternator went bad and was producing nearly twice the voltage. There were no service bulletins or recalls on this item and was fixed at a significant cost to me. Next was the fuel tank. I first experienced an odor which turned out to be a leak in the gas tank. I am working with an excellent Volkswagen service business which is not a dealership. VW America will only take the word of a licensed dealer. The defective tank is currently being replaced at a very significant cost to me. There are no service bulletins or recalls on my VIN. I understand that a local dealership has had to replace a few of these. This is a very nice car developing a bad reputation. I have safety concerns with this car and wonder what will happen next.

- Morgantown, WV, USA