Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 12/15/2010 | 120000 | ||
| Same turn signal issue as 04v584000 recall - turn signals and hazards worked periodically. now they have stopped working all together.. nhtsa recall 04v584000 for other vw models of this year, but not passat. is common for this year of vw passat also per my internet research. vw passat needs to be added to this recall. | |||
| 03/31/2011 | 155000 | ||
| Wiring and connectors for both headlights have melted under normal usage. | |||
| 03/01/2009 | 100000 | ||
| The interior and exterior of the lenses of both headlight assemblies of my 2001 vw passat station wagon have become very clouded. the result is that the brightness of the headlight is greatly diminished leading to unsafe driving conditions at night. i have cleaned and polished the exterior of the lenses and that helped somewhat but cannot do anything about the interior. the only solution is to replace the whole headlight assembly. it has gotten progressively worse over the last 18 months. | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 90000 | 1 | |
| I am the original owner of a 2001 volkswagen new passat. the headlight lenses that came with the car have clouded so much that the headlights barely illuminate the road. this is a dangerous situation and they need to be replaced. i have spoken with other passat owners from the similar years and they have experienced the same issue. i believe vw should be forced to issue a recall on the headlight lenses, and offer to replace them for free. who knows how many accidents have occurred because the owners of these vehicles are not seeing the road well at night. the date below reflects when i first noticed the clouding in the lenses. *tr | |||
| 05/07/2007 | 30000 | 1 | |
| When attempting to adjust headlights, the plastic gears break easily rendering the headlights non-adjustable. the headlight lens also discolors easily reducing transmitted light level. the electrical supply also appears inferior as bulbs blow very quickly. the bulbs last less time than any other vehicle known in 30 years. *tr | |||
| 09/23/2005 | 0 | 03/30/2001 | |
| My vw passat is only 4 years old and i have already replace my exterior headlights/tailights replaced 9 times. this is unacceptable and the dealer along with the vw customer care says there is nothing they can do about it. basically, i have to keep paying to get new headlights that only last about a year. *nm | |||
| 5000 | 9 | ||
| Rear lights simultaneously go out, they include tail/brake/ reverse, and stop lights. the cause of the failure is undetermined, although the vehicle has been serviced 9 times for this problem. *ak | |||
| 01/20/2003 | 16000 | 09/20/2000 | |
| Multiple problems with the 2001 vw passat. problems began at 16000 miles and have continued up to the current date and mileage of 33000 miles. car has been seen in vw service department 11 times since november 2001. lawsuit has been filed against vw america. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS | |||
| 5000 | 9 | ||
| Rear lights simultaneously go out, they include tail/brake/ reverse, and stop lights. the cause of the failure is undetermined, although the vehicle has been serviced 9 times for this problem. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 11/25/2007 | 1 | ||
| Flasher switch is failing. turn signals blink once or twice and then stop. same with hazard lights. *tr | |||
| 01/07/2006 | 90135 | 1 | 03/22/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact states there is nhtsa recall 04v584000 regarding the hazard flashing warning light switch. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however, it is not included in the recall due to the vin. the vehicle was seen by a dealer and repaired as instructed in the recall. *ak updated 2/24/2005 - the turn signal made a ticking noise although it wasnt activated. *nm | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS - UNIT | |||
| 07/25/2005 | 39500 | 1 | |
| Function of turn signals and hazard lights on my 2001 passat (40,000 miles) has been degrading over time. both systems are now completely inoperable. vw (800-822-8987) claims they have never heard of this problem, although there is an active vw recall for this problem on 2000-2002 golf, gti and jetta, and the nhtsa representative to whom i spoke has told me there are many reports of this problem on 2001 passats (but no current recall). obviously, we will be getting this fixed asap. however, i would request that 1) a recall be initiated and 2) vw provide reimbursement to all owners such as myself who will have paid for this repair out of their pockets. this is a very dangerous problem that is clearly widespread on 2000-2002 vw vehicles of all models. *nm | |||
| 02/08/2005 | 75270 | 1 | 06/08/2001 |
| Failure occurred spontaneously. after turn signal (left or right) was deactivated (whether manually or automatically after completing turn, prominent scratching or shorting noise could be heard and vibration felt underneath the flasher switch for varying periods of time. dealer replaced switch, however, a noise continued from behind the flasher switch at irregular intervals. dealer said that this was caused by defect in turn signal mechanism in steering column. that repair is pending. concern is for failure of either the flashers or turn signals and/or electrical short in the system which could lead to other problems. the situation bears similarity to the existing nhtsa campaign id number: 04v584000 involving some of the same components in vw jettas of the same manufacturing year.*ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 04/06/2008 | 4 | 06/01/2001 | |
| I have suffered the same issues as others concerning the headlights for my 2001.5 volkswagen passat gls. i have replaced the drivers side light on 3 occasions. i have replaced it myself on all occasions. the driver side headlight assembly has completely melted and needs to be replaced. when the bulb is replaced, it usually lasts a week before going out again. my passenger side headlight went out last night. when i went to replace the bulb, i again found a melted headlight assembly. this one is not as severe as the driver side but also poses a safety issue. this will result in the neighborhood of $1,000 in repairs. volkswagen needs to step up and correct this problem. *tr | |||
| 06/23/2006 | 7 | 06/16/2002 | |
| Headlights burn out and constantly need replacing, only problem is it must be completed at the dealership. have replaced at least 7 lights since purchase of car. *jb | |||
| 09/19/2005 | 92750 | 2 | 09/27/2004 |
| Dt: 2001 volkswagen passat. the plug in the bulb failed. the only way to fix it was to buy a headlight assembly for the driver's side and the passenger's side. all connectors don't resist heat. called dealer, consumer did not want to pay for the repairs. *ak *jb | |||
| 02/04/2005 | 60000 | 1 | 01/01/2001 |
| The consumer experienced a problem with the headlights. the owner stated that while trying to take the vehicle through state inspection the vehicle failed because the headlights would not adjust. the adjustments were done from the reflector. the adjustment screw vibrated, and eventually fell off, making this very difficult to maintain. *ak the consumer stated that the plastic gear vibrated. the light fell out of the adjustment. the plastic gear fell off and the lights went out of alignment. on feb 4 the vehicle failed a state inspection because the lights were out of alignment and could not be corrected. *tc both head lamps were defective due to a small adjustment screw on the lamp assembly. *sc *jb | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 10000 | 6 | 09/01/2001 |
| The headlights of my 2001.5 passat have burned out at a rate that is much higher than normal. i have had to replace one headlight twice and the other four times since i have owned my car. because the manufacturer recommends that only a dealer replace the headlight there are many times when i have to drive with one or the other lamp out. fortunately they have not failed at the same time. during a visit to my local dealer when the car was under warranty they stated that there was no electrical problem at that it is normal for headlights to be replaced this frequently. since that visit, and several more light replacements, they have determined that the wiring to the passenger side headlight assembly was faulty and have since replaced it, although they charged me for the repair. given the number of passats that i see with one headlight out, i suspect that there is a manufacturing problem and this problem is causing a safety issue.*ak | |||
| 09/23/2004 | 85000 | 1 | 05/28/2003 |
| Driver's side low beam headlamp (projector type) failed within 2 weeks of replacement. asked dealer to find source of problem. dealer found lamp socket melted and wiring burned. replaced wire harness and socket and bulb. vw technical service bulletin 9404-01, headlamp electrical connection repair, issued 3/11/04, suggests this is a recognized defect in affected cars. this also suggests that replacement harnesses may be a redesigned part (e.g. heavier wire, improved materials, etc.). it is not clear whether the harness used resolves the problem for both sides of car or not. charged $54.45 for harness, $188.30 for entire job. this was partially covered by extended warranty. requested reimbursement from both dealer and vwoa for out-of-pocket expenses for repairs to apparent defective component, but was denied based on age / mileage (86,485) of vehicle. consequences of defect: potential underhood fire hazard. loss of visibility for driver/oncoming vehicles.*ak | |||
| 12/11/2003 | 37000 | 4 | 07/01/2001 |
| Vehicle was purchused in july 2001. since then, a headlight has burned out 4 times on the vehicle, with the last headlight going dec 2003, for an average headlight lifetime of 15 months. the problem is not on one side; the headlight on each side has been lost at least once. the previous headlight loss (the 3rd), i was told by a mechanic at the dealer (casey vw, in newport news, va) that they knew there was a problem, but they were not authorized to fix it. the argument (which i did not understand and cannot replicate here) was something like because the car was under warrenty, they couldn't use their non-standard fix. i was not charged for the first three headlight replacements, which goes at least part of the way to making up for the fact that none was accomplished in less than one hour. on my most recent trip to the dealer to have my headlight repaired, i was informed that the rate of headlight failure was normal. there was no offer to cover the cost of replacement. the car is now off the comprehensive standard warrenty, but covered through the vw optional extended warrenty program. this warrenty doesn't do a lot of good if vw claims that there is no problem for them to fix (beyond a burned-out bulb).*ak | |||
| 08/21/2003 | 6 | ||
| Headlight failure on several occasions | |||
| 09/12/2003 | 56359 | 5 | 07/06/2001 |
| The right headlamp assembly has defective wiring according to the dealers service department. this is the fifth time the same headlight has gone out since the car was purchased un july 2001. the dealer indicates that the last time it went out in june 2003 they repaired some exposed wiring in the headlamp assembly. now the wiring cannot be repaired any further. it will cost over $300 to replace the unit. the manufacturer was notified twice about the problem. my main concern is the safety issue. when a headlamp goes out you loose the illumination on the roadway that it serves. not having the proper illumination at night can cause an accident. also it helps motorists coming in the other direction see your car. the other obvious safety hazard is the fire that be caused by exposed wiring (see odi id # 10016924). *ph *cb | |||
| 01/22/2003 | 30000 | 10 | 02/10/2001 |
| I have vw passat, 2001. it has around 30 000 miles on it. the clutch has gone down on this car and it needs to be replaced. parts and labor for this repair are more than $2200. this car has electrical problems also. the warranty is gone after 24000k or 2 years. i have extended warranty on this car, but they don't cover anything from the long list of repair. i called to vw customer care and ask to reimburse me for clutch repair, since it must be after 10 years/100 000 miles power train warranty. they refused to participate. i complain about vw quality ( i have friends having trouble with vw as well). i believe that manufacture has to take care of bad product and cover the repair cost. i purchased this car brand new and i expect to have a quality item, not the junk for more than $25k. i also completely dissatisfied with vw service!!!! | |||
| 01/20/2003 | 16000 | 09/20/2000 | |
| Multiple problems with the 2001 vw passat. problems began at 16000 miles and have continued up to the current date and mileage of 33000 miles. car has been seen in vw service department 11 times since november 2001. lawsuit has been filed against vw america. | |||
| Consumer states of that the head lights keep on burning out. dealer was contacted. mr | |||
| 01/05/2001 | 1 | 12/01/2000 | |
| Consumer stated the rear brake light was out, dealer replaced a bad bulb, also the headlights were shining low, dealer stated the headlights were out of range.*jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - CONCEALMENT DEVICES | |||
| 02/04/2005 | 60000 | 1 | 01/01/2001 |
| The consumer experienced a problem with the headlights. the owner stated that while trying to take the vehicle through state inspection the vehicle failed because the headlights would not adjust. the adjustments were done from the reflector. the adjustment screw vibrated, and eventually fell off, making this very difficult to maintain. *ak the consumer stated that the plastic gear vibrated. the light fell out of the adjustment. the plastic gear fell off and the lights went out of alignment. on feb 4 the vehicle failed a state inspection because the lights were out of alignment and could not be corrected. *tc both head lamps were defective due to a small adjustment screw on the lamp assembly. *sc *jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 04/11/2007 | 82095 | 2 | 03/22/2001 |
| On two separate occasions the connector and wiring harness providing power to the driver's side and passenger's side headlights on the 2001 volkswagen passat gls melted and the headlights failed. if i did not take immediate action the electrical short in these connectors may have triggered a fire. the driver's side socket/wiring harness melted and the wiring harness was replaced in october of 2004. the passenger's side socket/wiring harness melted and the wiring harness was replaced in april of 2007. while at the volkswagen dealership to have passenger side wiring harness replaced i observed another passat owner complaining of the same problem. a google search on the internet resulted in finding many other people that had this potentially dangerous problem as well. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS | |||
| 5000 | 9 | ||
| Rear lights simultaneously go out, they include tail/brake/ reverse, and stop lights. the cause of the failure is undetermined, although the vehicle has been serviced 9 times for this problem. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | |||
| 11/25/2007 | 1 | ||
| Flasher switch is failing. turn signals blink once or twice and then stop. same with hazard lights. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - FLASHER UNIT | |||
| 08/21/2006 | 76000 | 1000 | 07/11/2006 |
| Turn signals and hazards worked periodically. now they have stopped working all together. went to vw but was told that nhtsa recall 04v584000 doesn't cover my car because of the vin number and they couldn't tell me for sure what the problem is with out my paying the 150.00 diagnosis fee first, then i would have to pay almost 100.00 an hour for them to repair the problem. *tr | |||
| 07/25/2005 | 39500 | 1 | |
| Function of turn signals and hazard lights on my 2001 passat (40,000 miles) has been degrading over time. both systems are now completely inoperable. vw (800-822-8987) claims they have never heard of this problem, although there is an active vw recall for this problem on 2000-2002 golf, gti and jetta, and the nhtsa representative to whom i spoke has told me there are many reports of this problem on 2001 passats (but no current recall). obviously, we will be getting this fixed asap. however, i would request that 1) a recall be initiated and 2) vw provide reimbursement to all owners such as myself who will have paid for this repair out of their pockets. this is a very dangerous problem that is clearly widespread on 2000-2002 vw vehicles of all models. *nm | |||
| 04/10/2005 | 69500 | 6 | 02/15/2001 |
| Contact states: turn signal/ hazard switch malfunctioned. had problem for two weeks. dealer told consumer to call volkswagen. there were recalls on other models with the same problem. safety recall 15.*ak | |||
| 11/22/2003 | 29000 | 2 | 03/07/2001 |
| The turn signal /hazard switch relay failed on my 2001 passat glx 4motion twice on 11/20/2003 (replaced on 11/23/2004) and 12/19/2004. it caused turn signal to malfunction.*ak | |||