Now that you mention it, the dealer did say something about a leaky water pump. I do quite a bit of work on my car and I hadn't noticed a coolant leak so when I got the call from the dealer saying I needed a new water pump I thought they were just trying to upsell me on a part I really didn't need. Perhaps I was wrong. Anyways, it was already my plan to have the water pump and timing belt replaced since I was at 89,000 miles and it wouldn't cost me any labor since the engine was already out of the car.
Background: I was driving my wife to work one more and was at a red light. Light turns green and I accelerate (not hard, just a regular acceleration). I shifted into second when I let out the clutch I heard a pop followed by increased exhaust noise and a loss of power. I thought maybe the turbo had become disconnected or failed. I was able to drive the car 1 mile back home but it was not able to go above 30 mph. After that I wasn't able to move the car anymore. I kept losing power and didn't have enough torque to go up the small incline of my residential driveway. I had the car towed to a dealership who has had it for 7 months. I've been in a loaner car since then, a 2023 Taos. Yeah, 7 months seems to be outrageous on repair time, but to best honest, I like everything about the Taos except for the seat material. It's not leather and not exactly cloth, something weird that makes my back sweat when it's warm outside. I also like the driver seating position. I feel like I'm sitting up higher vs my Passat. I view this entire drama as a win for me. I upgraded from a 2015 to a 2023 at no cost. The Taos is 100% covered for any repair it might need because hey, I'm not the owner. It's gone from 7000 to 15,000 miles and counting. My family is taking bets on how long it will take for the Passat to be repaired. over/under 1 year.
UPDATE: Dealer called and said car was ready to go. I drove the car around the block and said "I need someone to come ride with me and listen to this". Mechanic rode with me and said the noise was from the high pressure fuel pump. Said that VW wouldn't replace it until it failed completely and currently it was working albeit making noise. I told the mechanic "I understand what you're telling me and that this car is perfectly drivable, but it is also unsellable. The HPFP wasn't making this noise before I brought the car in and no one will buy it from me making this sound". After a brief consultation with management, I am getting a new HPFP. If they don't have the Passat repaired by July, I'm going to need updated registration for the Taos. hahaha