2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT HEATING DEVISE MALFUNCTIONED. THE HEATER BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE SEAT, AND THROUGH MY SHIRT. AFTER 8 WEEKS, THE SEAT WAS REPLACED AND A "FIX" WAS DONE TO THE PASSENGERS SIDE SEAT. THE NEW SEAT DOES NOT HEAT WELL.*AK

VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH EXCESSIVE WEAR OF FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS. BOTH THE ROTORS AND THE PADS HAD TO BE REPLACED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME AT 9,000 MILES, AND NOW AT 17,000 MILES. THE PROBLEMS WAS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AND MAKE A ROARING NOISE WHEN BRAKING. CONSUMER ANTICIPATES THE PROBLEM MAY RECUR AGAIN.*AK

WINDSHIELD CRAKED REPEATEDLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. ORIGINAL WINDSHIELD CRACKED ON THE LOWER LEFT NEXT TO PASSENGER SIDE PILLAR, NEXT WINDSHIELD CRACKED ALMOST IDENTICALLY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. NO EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY STONE, ETC.*AK

A HOLE WAS BURT INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT WHEN THE SEAT HEATER WAS LEFT ON. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

2003 VW PASSAT 1.8T WAGON HAS FAILED DUE TO SLUDGE. I DO NOT HAVE ALL OF THE SERVICE RECORDS FOR THE CAR AND WARRANTY COVERAGE IS DENIED TO THE TUNE OF $10,217.00. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM, AND FEEL THAT THE DEFECT IS WITH THE ENGINE, NOT WITH MY TREATMENT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE WITH NO NOISE WHEN THE "OIL PRESSURE! STOP!" LIGHT CAME ON, AND RAN FINE WHEN I DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, ONLY NOW THEY TELL ME THE ENGINE IS 'LOCKED UP' AND WIL HAVE TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE OIL PUMP, THE TURBO UNIT, ETC ETC. SINCE THE CAR WAS ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE LIGHT POPPED ON, AND PRESUMABLY COULD HAVE 'LOCKED UP' AT 70 MPH, THIS IS, INDEED, A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

MY WIFE AND I HAD MADE 2 SHORT DRIVES WITHIN THE SPAN OF ABOUT 1/2 HOUR WITH THE PASSENGER SEAT HEATER SET AT VARIOUS INTERVALS FROM 5 (HIGH) TO 3 (MEDIUM) AND THEN WE STOPPED TO EAT (~45 MINUTES). ON THE TRIP HOME, WITHIN 2 MINUTES WITH THE SEAT HEATER SET TO 5, MY WIFE FELT A BURNING SENSATION ON HER LEG AND WE SMELLED SOME KIND OF ODD ODOR. SHE SHUT THE SEAT HEATER OFF AND MOVED OFF THE HOT SPOT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CLOTH SEAT HAD BEEN BURNED THROUGH. MY WIFE ALSO HAD A BURN ON HER LEG. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT VW HAS CHANGED MANUFACTURERS AND WILL REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE SEAT AS THE CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY. I ASKED ABOUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE BUT BECAUSE THERE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL RECALL, THEY CANNOT REPLACE IT. I'M SURE A DRIVER'S SEAT GOING AMOK COULD CAUSE A CRASH. CONSEQUENTLY, EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS AN EXTRA CHARGE ITEM ON THE CAR, WE'LL BE AFRAID TO USE THE SEAT WARMER FOR FEAR IT TOO WILL OVERHEAT AND BURN US. NOTE: NOT SURE IF "WAS THERE A FIRE" SHOULD BE YES. THERE WAS NO FLAME BUT THERE SURE WAS A BURN.*AK

DRIVING MY 2003 VW PASSAT I HAD THE SEAT WARMER ON. I SIMULTANEOUSLY SMELLED BURNING AND FELT BURNING IN MY BUTT. I TURNED OFF THE SEAT WARMER IMMEDIATELY. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY WIFE AND 7 YEAR OLD SON. WE WERE NEAR AN EXIT AND EXITED THE HIGHWAY. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE EXIT RAMP AND DISCOVERED THAT THE HEATING ELEMENT HAD BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT. THE HOLE WAS A BIT SMALLER THAN A DIME. THE SMELL WAS PUNGENT BUT CLEARED OUT WHEN WE OPENED THE WINDOW.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 25-30 MPH THE HEATER IN THE DRIVER SEAT OVER HEATED AND BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE SEAT AND THE CONSUMERS WOOL COAT. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE BOTH NOTIFIED. *JB SEAT COVER AND ELEMENT HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TT

WHILE DRIVING WITH THE SEAT HEATER TURNED ON, NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BECAME VERY HOT, AND IT STARTING FEELING LIKE IT WAS BURNING MY LEGS. SMELLED SMOKE, AND REALIZED THE SEAT WAS BURNING; THE SEAT HEATER HAD BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE FABRIC OF THE SEAT UNDER MY LEGS AND WAS FILLING THE CAR WITH SMOKE. I MANAGED TO TURN THE SEAT HEATER OFF, WHICH STOPPED THE SEAT FROM FURTHER BURNING. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE SEAT REPLACED.

I HAVE A 2003 VW PASSAT SW. ABOUT A YEAR AFTER I BOUGHT IT I NOTICED WHEN IT STARTED TO GET COLD IN THE WINTER THE RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION WOULD MAKE NOISES AS IF SOMETHING WAS GRINDING OR BROKE IN THE SUSPENSION. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO VICTORY VW IN HARRISBURG, PA IN THE LATE FALL/EARLY WINTER OF 03'. THEY ENDED UP CHANGING THE CONTROL ARMS THAT TIME I BELIEVE. WELL, THIS YEAR WHEN IT STARTED GETTING COLD THE NOISES CAME BACK. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN THE SAME DEALERSHIP TWICE TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CHECKED OUT. BOTH TIMES THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP THE AIR TEMP HAS BEEN TOO WARM FOR THE NOISES TO BE REPRODUCED. I'VE LOOKED AROUND THE INTERNET ON VARIOUS VW BLOGS AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE OTHERS ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION AS I AM. I ALSO FOUND THAT SOME ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH FRONT SUSPENSION IN GENERAL. MY DILEMMA IS THAT THIS CAR IS GETTING READY TO GO OUT OF WARRANTY IN ABOUT A THOUSAND MILES AND I DON'T FEEL IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WHEN IT HAS BEEN FIXED BY VW IN THE PAST AND WILL PROBABLY NEED TO BE FIXED AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE ON THIS ISSUE IS APPRECIATED.