Flashing CEL and Misfires Plague Passat Hybrid

Had similar symptoms with a 2019 VW Arteon Hybrid. The rough idle and engine misfiring turned out to be a defective fuel injector. The check engine light flashing typically indicates a combustion misfire, which in hybrid systems can be quite serious if not addressed promptly. The symptoms were identical, jerky acceleration, power loss, and inconsistent engine performance. The diagnosis revealed one faulty injector not delivering fuel properly, causing incomplete combustion. The repair involved replacing the problematic fuel injector and running a complete fuel system cleaning. This is definitely not something to postpone, as continuous misfiring can damage the catalytic converter and other engine components. The engine control unit triggers the flashing light specifically to warn about potential catalyst damage. Based on the symptoms, recommend having the fuel injectors and spark plugs tested. A professional diagnostic scan will show exactly which cylinder is misfiring. For hybrid vehicles, its crucial to have this checked at a shop with hybrid certification since the powertrain system is more complex than conventional engines.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I had the exact same symptoms with my Passat, turns out I had a bad ignition coil and one faulty spark plug causing cylinder misfire. Really interesting that yours was the fuel injector though. Just wondering how much the repair ended up costing you? And has everything been running smoothly since the fix? No new issues with the combustion or electrical system?

After getting the fuel injector replaced by a certified shop, the car has been running perfectly with no more cylinder misfire issues. The repair bill came to 515€ for the defective injector replacement, which included both parts and labor. The rough idle completely disappeared, and the engine performance returned to normal. The diagnostic system no longer detects any combustion misfires, and the check engine light hasnt returned. The fuel efficiency actually improved slightly after the repair, which makes sense since the new injector is delivering fuel more precisely. Its been 8 months since the fix, and the hybrid system continues working flawlessly with no electrical issues. Its interesting that your issue was related to the ignition coil rather than the fuel injector, but both problems can cause similar symptoms. The fuel pump and injection system in these hybrids are quite sophisticated, so when one component fails, it can really affect the overall performance.

Thanks everyone for the helpful replies. I finally took my Passat to a certified hybrid specialist last week. The throttle response issues were driving me crazy, so I bit the bullet and went in. The mechanic found the bad ignition coil right away during testing. They also discovered one spark plug was completely worn out, causing the engine misfiring. Total repair came to 290€ including parts and labor. Pretty reasonable considering I was worried it might be something major. The car runs like new now, no more jerking or power loss. Really glad I got it sorted before any serious damage happened to the engine. The whole experience was actually quite positive. The mechanic took time explaining everything and even showed me the old parts. Much better than my previous repair experiences. Really relieved its all sorted now and no more check engine lights to worry about.