2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

IN LOW TEMPERATURES, DOORS OFTEN WILL NOT UNLOCK. IT HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES WHILE BEING INSIDE THE CAR. POSSIBLE SERIOUS HAZARD AFTER AN ACCIDENT.

I'VE FOUND THAT THE DOORS ON MY 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT [TDI] HAVE ELECTRICAL/MECHANICAL ISSUES WHEN THEY ARE EXPOSED TO RAIN WATER OR EXTREME HUMIDITY. DURING THESE EXPOSURES THEY WILL NOT STAY LOCKED [THEY WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK]. TWO SPECIFIC PERIODS OF TIME REALLY STAND OUT WHERE THE DOORS HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY TROUBLESOME. THE FIRST WAS AFTER A RAIN STORM WHILE VISITING FAMILY IN MT. I WENT TO MY CAR AND FOUND THAT I COULD NOT CLOSE MY PASSENGER DOOR AFTER I OPENED IT. IT WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME. I LITERALLY HAD TO WRAP MY SEATBELT AROUND THE DOOR HANDLE TO KEEP THE DOOR FROM FLYING OPEN AS I TOOK IT IN FOR EVALUATION. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM. WITHIN ONE WEEK IT HAPPENED AGAIN DURING ANOTHER RAIN SHOWER, THIS TIME I WAS DRIVING AND MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT! THANKFULLY WE WERE DRIVING SLOW, IN TOWN, AND NO HARM CAME TO ANYONE. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD THEM REPLACE THE MECHANICAL PART OF THE LOCKING MECHANISM THIS SEEMED TO SOLVE THE 'STAYING CLOSED' ISSUE. THE SECOND PERIOD OF TIME I WAS IN FL IN LATE AUGUST. I WAS THERE FOR THREE WEEKS AND THE ENTIRE TIME THE HUMIDITY WAS SUCH THAT EVERYTHING WAS SOAKING WET. ONCE AGAIN I HAD ISSUES WITH MY DOORS. THIS TIME IT WAS MORE ELECTRICAL THAN MECHANICAL. MY KEY FOB STOPPED ALLOWING ME TO LOCK/UNLOCK MY DOORS AND THE LOCKS SEEMED TO BE POSSESSED. I HAD TO PULL THE COVER OFF MY 'TOUCH' LOCK TO USE THE KEY TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOORS. I ALSO EXPERIENCED MILE AFTER MILE OF MY DOORS LOCKING AND UNLOCKING WHILE DRIVING. THIS LASTED THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS THERE. WHEN I CAME BACK TO A DRYER CLIMATE THE PROBLEM STOPPED. OF THE TWO SERIES OF ISSUES I EXPERIENCED THE ONE THAT PUT MY CHILD'S LIFE IN DANGER IS THE MOST CONCERNING. THE REPAIRS COST ME NEARLY $1K AND THE PEACE-OF-MIND I LOST IS IMMEASURABLE.

I LEARNED OF THE RECALL WHILE ONLINE (RECALL IS DATED 2/9/16), AND WE STILL HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED BY VOLKSWAGEN OF THE RECALL. I CAME ACROSS THE INFORMATION ON MY OWN. I ASKED ABOUT THIS AT THE VW SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AND THE STAFF HAD NO ANSWERS. IS VW OBLIGATED TO GIVE US NOTICE OF THE RECALL AND TO OFFER A FIX IN AN EXPEDITED MANNER?

THE GAS PEDAL RANDOMLY GETS STUCK...REPORTED THE ISSUE TO VW...NOT THEIR ISSUE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SEEM TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE!!! I HAVE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 2 MONTHS...YES IT'S A 2013...BUT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED!!! THIS ISSUE OCCURRED TYPICALLY WHILE IN MOTION...IT WOULD JUST REV UP ON IT'S OWN, BUT THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED WHILE IN PARK!

"510" NAV SYSTEM BACK UP CAMERA IS USELESS. PUT CAR IN REVERSE, BACK OUT OF GARAGE -STILL NO CAMERA, IT TURNS ON WHEN ALREADY DOWN DRIVEWAY. THIS IS A COMMOM COMPLAINT (SEE INTERNET) THE COMPANY WILL DO NOTHING TO ADDRESS THIS EXPENSIVE BUT USELESS TOY AS THE NAV SYSTEM IS ALSO USELESS BECAUSE OF COMPLEXITY. CELL PHONE IS MY NAVIGATOR OF CHOICE. KNOWING NOW WHAT I KNOW I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THIS MODEL. THIS SYSTEM IS BASICALLY A USELESS ADD ON AND AN EMBARRASSMENT TO VW.

1. ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR ON THE VEHICLE AFTER A COLD NIGHT WITH BELOW-FREEZING TEMPERATURES. THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN, AND ATTEMPTING TO OPEN IT FROM THE INSIDE AFTER GAINING ACCESS TO THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR LEFT THE DOOR UNABLE TO LATCH SHUT. 2. THE FAILURE IS WITH THE LOCKING MECHANISM AND LATCH ON THE DOOR. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED. 3. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DOOR LATCH WAS REPLACED IN TOTAL WITH A NEW PART AND THE WINDOW REGULATOR WAS ADJUSTED.

THE DEFROST IS ONLY WORKING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND IT ONLY BLOWS COLD AIR ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF CAR. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD FROSTS UP WHILE DRIVING IN COLD WEATHER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY FOB FAILED TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR IN COLD TEMPERATURES WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ENTER OR EXIT THE VEHICLE THROUGHOUT OUT THE WINTER MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,618.

ON FEBRUARY 27TH, 2016 NIGHT, AFTER GETTING INTO THE CAR, I COULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR FROM INSIDE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT OR FIRE IN THE CAR, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2013, AND IT IS ONLY 24,000 MILES NOW. THE COMPANY SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS SAFETY ISSUE SERIOUSLY.

THE HEATER CORE IN MY CAR HAS BECOME CLOGGED AND IS NOW FAILING TO PRODUCE HEAT FOR INSIDE THE CAR AND IN TURN IS FAILING TO DEFROST THE WINDOWS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS AND IT IS RAINING. I HAVE READ MANY CASES FROM ONLINE FORUMS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE HEATER CORES IN THESE CARS SHOULD NOT BE FAILING ALREADY.