Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Volkswagen Passat submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I STARTED THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON MY DRIVER'S HEATED SEAT. WITHIN 2 MINS, SMOKE STARTED APPEARING ON MY LEFT SIDE. I REALIZED MY SEAT WAS STARTING TO CATCH FIRE, SO I QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. LUCKILY, MY CLOTHES DID NOT CATCH FIRE. HOWEVER, MY HEATED SEAT BURNED A HOLE COMPLETE THROUGH THE LEATHER. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THE THAT FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE HEATED SEAT WAS ACTIVATED WHEN A HIGH VOLTAGE OF HEAT PENETRATED THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT CUSHION UNEXPECTEDLY. THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER SUFFERED FROM A BURN TO THE RIGHT LEG. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
ON 10/20/11, I STARTED MY CAR AND TURNED ON THE DRIVER SEAT HEATER TO 2, TO WARM THE SEAT. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE TO A 9 AM APPOINTMENT WITHIN 2 MILES FROM MY HOME. AFTER DRIVING JUST A COUPLE BLOCKS, I SMELLED A SLIGHT BURNING SMELL, BUT THOUGHT IT NORMAL SINCE I HAD NOT USED THE SEAT HEATER IN QUITE SOME TIME; IT WAS JUST LIKE TURNING THE HEAT ON IN A HOME AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF NON-USE. WITHIN A FEW SHORT BLOCKS, I FELT A STING IN MY LEFT LEG AND THOUGHT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A PINE NEEDLE, SO I SHIFTED MY BODY POSITION TO ALLEVIATE THE ISSUE. AFTER A COUPLE MORE SHORT BLOCKS, ANOTHER STINGING SENSATION. AT THE NEXT STOP SIGN, I REACHED DOWN WITH MY HAND TO FEEL WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THE STINGING OF MY LEG. I FELT A HOT SPOT IN THE LEFT SIDE OF MY SEAT AND TURNED OFF THE SEAT HEATER SINCE MY SEAT HAD WARMED ENOUGH TO BE COMFORTABLE, BUT I DID NOT THINK MY SEAT WAS BURNING, SO I CONTINUED ON TO MY APPOINTMENT. I WENT IN TO MY APPOINTMENT AND CAME OUT TO MY CAR AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER. I NOTICED WHAT LOOKED LIKE A SMALL CIGARETTE BURN IN THE SEAT AND A HORRIBLE SMELL IN THE CAR. I RETURNED HOME AND TOLD MY BOYFRIEND ABOUT THE INCIDENT. *TR
SMALL HOLE HAS BURNED INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT WHEN HEATED SEATS ACTIVATED. WHEN THE SEAT IS ACTIVATED, IT BURNS THROUGH TO MY SKIN, MAKING HEAT FEATURE NOT USABLE. *TR
I OWN A 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GLS. THE FACTORY INSTALLED SEAT HEATER MALFUNCTIONED THE OTHER DAY PRODUCING SMOKE, BURNING MY BUTTOCK (AND FINGER WHEN I REACHED DOWN) AND BURNING TWO PEA SIZED HOLES ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THE LOCAL VW DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE. I ALSO CALLED THE DISTRICT VW OFFICE AT 1-800-822-8987 AND NOTIFIED THEM OF THE PROBLEM. APPARENTLY VW IS COVERING THE COST OF REPAIR ON SOME BUT NOT ALL VWS. I WAS TOLD THE 2005 PASSAT IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY KIND OF EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THE DISTRICT OFFICE IS INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE AND PROMISED TO GET BACK TO ME BY DAY'S END TOMORROW. TO ME THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. OTHER THEN MINOR BURNS TO MY BUTTOCKS AND FINGERS, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER AND TURN OFF THE SEAT HEATER. THE HEAT AND SMOKE WENT RIGHT AWAY. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE SAFETY, THE VW DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT SUGGESTED I NOT USE THE HEATERS UNTIL THEY ARE REPAIRED. I ASKED ABOUT DISABLING THEM VIA A FUSE OF SOMETHING BUT THEY SAID UNFORTUNATE THE FUSE CONTROLLED OTHER FUNCTIONS IN THE CAR. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE 2005 PASSAT GLS. I'M OKAY BUT OTHERS MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY. ALSO, I'M CONCERNED HOW THE VW DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT SUGGESTED I JUST NOT USE IT AGAIN. WHAT IF SOMEONE ELSE USES THE CAR AND I FORGET TO TELL THEM? THE REPAIR BILL WAS ESTIMATED AT $900+ FOR THE DRIVER'S SEAT ONLY. *TR
SEAT HEATER REMAINED ON AFTER SWITCHED TO THE OFF POSITION. HEAT INCREASED TO UNCOMFORTABLE LEVEL, IN-DASH SWITCH BECAME TOO HOT TO TOUCH, AND SMELL OF BURNING PLASTIC FILLED COCKPIT (NO SMOKE THOUGH). *TR
I HAD A 2005 VW PASSAT HEATED LEATHER SEAT BURN MY LEG AND SEAT. CAUSED BY FAULTY SEAT HEATER. *TR
SEE COMPLAINT # 10195352. DOOR CONTINUES TO POP OPEN, EVEN WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT. IT HAS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING AND WITHOUT PRECEEDING FAILURE TO CLOSE OR LATCH PROPERLY. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP NEAREST TO MY HOME, AND THEY TOLD ME, "IT IS PROBABLY THE LOCK BOX. I HAVE HEARD OF THIS BEFORE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BRING IT IN. WE CAN'T REPLACE IT UNLESS IT IS IN ITS FAILED STATE." *TR
DOOR OPENED UNEXPECTEDLY THREE TIMES WHILE VEHICLE UNDER WAY. WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS WITH TEMPERATURE SWINGS. TWICE HAD UNRELATED FAILURE TO LATCH, BUT THOSE CASES WERE OBVIOUS. IN THESE THREE CASES, THE DOOR CLOSED AND LATCHED, BUT WOULD NOT LOCK MANUALLY OR BY ELECTRIC CONTROLS OR BY AUTOMATIC SPEED-RELATED LOCKING PROGRAM. THE AUTOMATIC LOCKING FEATURE WAS ATTEMPTING TO LOCK THE CAR REPEATEDLY. THE DOOR WAS CLOSED SECURELY AND TESTED PRIOR TO DEPARTURE DURING EPISODES TWO AND THREE. DURING TURNS, THE DOOR POPPED OPEN FULLY, WITH FORCE, WITHOUT WARNING. NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. *TR
THE FIRST PROBLEM I NOTICED WAS WHEN I EXITEDTHE VEHICLE WAS THAT THE REMOTE CONTROL WOULD NOT LOCK THE DOORS. I THOUGHT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD SO I MANUALLY LOCKED THEM. I WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK THE DOORS TO THE VEHICLE WITH THE REMOTE AS WELL, SO I MANUALLY UNLOCKED THEM, STARTED THE CAR AND PROCEEDED ON. I STOPPED FOR FUEL, TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, REMOVED THE KEY AND REALIZED THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. *AK I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF BUT IT WOULD NOT. I CONTINUED ON TO MY RESIDENCE WHERE AGAIN THE ENGINE FAILED TO STOP RUNNING WITH THE KEY OFF AND OUT OF THE IGNITION. I CALLED VW ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WHO PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH A DEALER WHO TALKED ME THROUGH STALLING THE ENGINE BY CUTTING OFF THE AIR SUPPLY. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL DEALER THE NEXT DAY WHICH WAS A SATURDAY. THERE THE ENGINE WOULD AGAIN NOT STOP RUNNING, AND I SHOWED THE TECHNICIAN HOW I HAD CHOCKED IT PREVIOUSLY. FOLLOWING SEVERAL HOURS OF TROUBLESHOOTING, THE DEALER TRACED THE PROBLEM BACK TO THE SUN VISOR. THEY BELIEVED THAT THE HOME LINK SYSTEM BUILT INTO THE VISOR WAS CREATING A REVERSE CURRENT FLOW WHICH WAS ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING EVEN WITH THE KEY OFF AND REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. WITH THE VISOR DISCONNECTED, THE PROBLEM HAS NOT REPEATED. I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ONE ADDITIONAL PERSON WITH THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR OF VEHICLE THAT HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM.
CUSTOMER NOTICES A METAL ON METAL SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SEATS. NOTICEABLE WHEN THERE IS ANY WEIGHT SHIFT OF THE OCCUPANT IN THE SEAT SUCH AS DURING ACCELERATION, BUMPS, CORNERS, ETC. CUSTOMER UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE METAL ON METAL NOISE IS FROM SEAT BACK, SEAT SPRINGS OR SEAT MOUNTING. CUSTOMER IS CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL LEAD TO A WEAKENING OF THE METAL COMPONENTS AND THE SEAT WILL FAIL DURING AN ACCIDENT. *NM
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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