2004 Volkswagen Passat Visibility Problems

THE PLASTIC CLIPS HOLDING THE WINDOW IN PLACE BROKE AND WINDOW FALLS DOWN. IT COSTS $350 TO REPLACE THE $1.50 CHEAP PLASTIC PART. *TR

NHTSA ID

10557528

Incident

Jan 2, 2012

THE DRAIN COMING DOWN FROM THE SUNROOF APPARENTLY BECAME CLOGGED CAUSING THIS VEHICLE TO SHORT OUT...HORN BLOWING, ALARM SYSTEM GOING OFF, ETC. THE WATERPROOF BLACK BOX, WHICH IS UNDERNEATH THE DRIVERS SEAT, WAS FULL OF WATER AND THE COMFORT CONTROL BOX WAS ALL BURNED. THE DRIVERS SIDE FLOOR IS SOAKING WET AND WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DRY IT OUT FOR 6 DAYS NOW. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE WHILE OUR DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING HER CAR. PLEASE ADVISE..... *TR

NHTSA ID

10459849

Incident

May 24, 2012

Mileage

68,000 mi

ON 1/28 12:30PM, AFTER AROUND 5 MINUTES AFTER DRIVING OUTSIDE MY GARAGE ONTO HIGHWAY WA-202, THE WINDOWS TURN VERY STEAMY. IN THE NEXT 10 MINUTES, WE TRIED HOT, AIR, AND AC. RECYCLED AND NOT. IT JUST BECAME WORSE AND WARM STEAM COMES OUT OF VENTS AND COMPLETELY BLOCKS SEEING INTO FRONT. AND MY WIFE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND YOUNG DAUGHTERS FROM THE CAR SEAT IN THE BACK SEE STEAM ALL AROUND AND CANNOT SEE THROUGH WINDOWS EITHER. THIS DAMAGE ALMOST TURNS INTO A DISASTER ACCIDENT FOR MY ENTIRE FAMILY ON THE STATE HIGH WAY. MY PASSAT GLS HAS BEEN CAREFULLY MAINTAINED AND PROTECTED IN THE FULL GATED GARAGE. NEVER WATER DAMAGE WITH IT. WE ARE GENUINELY LOOKING FORWARD A FAIR SOLUTION OR TREATMENT FROM VW. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US FOR ANY DOCUMENT YOU WANT. *TT

NHTSA ID

10445769

Incident

Jan 28, 2012

Mileage

43,400 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE DISCOVERED WATER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE SUNROOF WAS DISENGAGED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS AN OPEN RECALL ON THE VEHICLE UNDER AN UNKNOWN RECALL CAMPAIGN AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS EXHIBITING AN ABNORMAL JERKING SENSATION WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SOILED CARPETING AND NOTICED EXTENSIVE WATER DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION MODULE, WHICH WAS ALSO REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE JERKING PERSISTED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SWITCH GEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE WITHIN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 95,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 102,000. UPDATED 1/19/2010 *CN UPDATED 01/27/11

NHTSA ID

10357896

Incident

Jan 11, 2010

Mileage

95,000 mi

I OWN A 2004 VW PASSAT. THE WINDOW REGULATOR WENT OUT IN THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. THE WINDOW DOES NOT GO DOWN WHEN THE BUTTON IS PUSHED. I HAVE A FRIEND WHO OWNS A 2002 PASSAT AND HER PASSENGER WINDOW REGULATORS KEEP BREAKING ALSO. SHE HAS HAD THEM FIXED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I HAVE NOT YET FIXED MINE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10311376

Incident

Jan 31, 2010

Mileage

44,000 mi

SPORADICALLY THE REAR WINDOWS WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE WINDOW UP/DOWN SWITCH, THEN LATER WITHOUT TOUCHING THE SWITCH THE WINDOWS WOULD OPEN OR CLOSE. THE DEALER FOUND A CHEAP PLASTIC COTTER PIN TYPE INSTRUMENT CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO CHECK OUT THE REPAIR SINCE THE DEALER HAS MY CAR GOING ON 3 WEEKS FOR TWO OTHER ISSUES (TRANSMISSION SURGE AND ENGINE LIGHT/P0101) FOR WHICH THEY ARE HAVING PROBLEMS DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10288796

Incident

Sep 14, 2009

Mileage

116,153 mi

IN APRIL 2008 MY 2004 VW PASSAT SPONTANEOUSLY DEVELOPED A CRACK, GRADUALLY LENGTHENING, IN THE WINDSHIELD. I REPLACED IT WITH AN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WINDSHIELD, AND NOW, IN MARCH 2009, THE WINDSHIELD HAS AGAIN SPONTANEOUSLY DEVELOPED A LENGTHENING CRACK. IN NEITHER CASE WAS THERE ANY CHIP OR "DING" OR ANYTHING SUGGESTING ANY IMPACT OF ANYTHING INTO THE WINDSHIELD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10261759

Incident

Apr 18, 2008

Mileage

48,000 mi

MY LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT LIGHT KEPT CHIMING IN MY CAR EVEN THOUGH THE DOOR WAS SHUT. I RECENTLY TOOK MY VW PASSAT TO A DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A $400 COST. THE WIPER MOTOR THAT BROKE, WAS LEAKING FLUID INTO THE LOCK, WHICH I HAD TO REPLACE 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. I NOTICED RECALLS FOR THE SAME PART IN NEWER MODELS. MY CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10251443

Incident

Dec 9, 2008

Mileage

60,000 mi

MY A/C BLOWER MOTOR WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TO AND MOST OF THE TIME WHEN IT'S HOT IT DOES NOT BLOW. THE BLOWER MOTOR WILL START ON IT'S OWN SOMETIMES DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. OR IF I GO THROUGH A CAR WASH (DRYING CYCLE WITH THE BLOWER) IT WILL START UP. I HAD IT AT 2 VW SHOPS AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10246294

Incident

Jun 17, 2008

Mileage

97,000 mi

REAR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW DROPPED INTO DOOR PANEL WITHOUT WARNING APPROX 11/2 YEARS AGO - WINDOW REGULATOR BROKEN. NO PREVIOUS DAMAGE TO DOOR OR WINDOW SUGGESTING A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. SIX MONTHS AGO CAR WAS TAKEN FOR SERVICE BECAUSE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW WAS NOT OPENING OR CLOSING COMPLETELY. PRIOR TO CHECKING TECHNICIAN SUGGESTED WINDOW REGULATOR WAS GOING BAD BUT CLAIMED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH WINDOW UPON INSPECTION. OCT 17, 2008 SAME FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW DROPPED INTO DOOR PANEL. WINDOW REGULATOR BROKEN JUST LIKE OTHER. $450 MIN SERVICE. VOLKSWAGEN CLAIMS ITS BAD LUCK NOT A RECURRING PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10245829

Incident

Oct 17, 2008

Mileage

78,500 mi

REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES HAVE A SPECIALIZED ATTACHMENT AND ARE ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH VOLKSWAGEN NEW CAR DEALERS. THE BLADES ARE ALSO EASILY BENT BY SNOW BRUSHES, SCRAPERS AND THE LIKE. THE DIFFICULTY AND INCONVENIENCE OF OBTAINING REPLACEMENTS OF THIS CRITICAL SAFETY PART CAUSES VISIBILITY PROBLEMS AND AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF WRECKS. THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT IS THE APPROXIMATE DATE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW FROM VOLKSWAGEN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10206934

Incident

Apr 10, 2004

2004 VW PASSAT. I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE FREEWAY AT 75 MPH WHEN I HEARD A SUDDEN LOUD CRASH AND BREAKING GLASS, SOME OF WHICH FELL INTO THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND IDENTIFIED THAT THE SUNROOF HAD JUST SHATTERED. GLASS FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE SUNROOF WAS IN LITTLE PIECES ON TOP OF THE HEADLINER. THE REMAINING RIM OF GLASS IS PRESENT, BOWED SLIGHTLY UPWARD BUT ALSO FULL OF LITTLE CRACKS. WAS IN A REMOTE AREA OF HIGHWAY, NO HOMES, BUSINESSES, OVERPASSES PRESENT. NO TRUCK TRAFFIC ALTHOUGH THERE WAS ONE CAR 300 FEET IN FRONT OF ME. I SAW NOTHING IN THE ROADWAY OR IN THE AIR. WHEN I GOT HOME I CAREFULLY EXAMINED THE ROOF (FINE LAYER OF DUST) AND THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO MARKS. THE PLASTIC SURFACE OF THE TOP OF THE HEADLINER PANEL ALSO HAS ABSOLUTELY NO MARKS ON IT. THIS APPEARS TO HAVE SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED AND DOES POSE A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD AS GLASS FRAGMENTS FELL INTO THE CAR EVEN WITH THE HEADLINER CLOSED. THE DEAL HAS ADVISED I WILL NEED TO BRING THE CAR BACK ON MONDAY FOR THE MANAGER TO EXAMINE ALONG WITH POSSIBLY A REPRESENTATIVE. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN. IN BUSIER TRAFFIC OR IF HEADLINER HAD BEEN OPEN THIS COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT OR PASSENGER INJURY DUE TO FLYING GLASS. *NM

NHTSA ID

10170827

Incident

Oct 14, 2006

VOLKSWAGEN PASSATT 2004. VEHICLE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE DESIGNED WITH A GROOVE IN THE RUBBER THAT HOLDS SNOW AND ICE AND CAUSES ICE BUILDUP ON THE WIPER. IN SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN THE WIPER SURFACE CANNOT CONTACT THE WINDSHIELD RESULTING IN AN OBSTRUCTED WINDSHIELD. THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND HAPPENS CONSISTENTLY. VOLKSWAGEN WAS CONTACTED AND DENIES THIS DESIGN FLAW EXISTS. *LA

NHTSA ID

10052651

Incident

Jan 7, 2004