2002 Volkswagen Passat Lighting Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INDICATOR NOISE THAT ENGAGED WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS WERE ACTIVATED WOULD INTERMITTENTLY ENGAGE INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TWICE WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. FOR SEVERAL MONTHS HE NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATING PROPERLY. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HE WAS NOT EXPERIENCING A FAILURE; THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PLASTIC COVER ON THE HEADLIGHT WAS DEFECTED AND THAT THE SUN'S RAYS CAUSED IT TO DISCOLOR AND DISTORT THE BULB. THE ESTIMATED COST FOR REPAIR WAS $200.00. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

ALL HEADLIGHT BULBS ON VEHICLE DO NOT LAST LONG AND OR DO NOT WORK CORRECTLY DIRECTLY FOLLOWING INSTALLATION OF NEW BULBS. HEADLIGHT BULBS REQUIRE REPLACEMENT WEEKS AND SOMETIMES DAYS FOLLOWING NEW INSTALLATION. THERE IS A DEFECT IN WIRING. CERTAIN TIMES A HEADLIGHT BULB WILL WORK WHILE THE CAR IS COLD, BUT GO OFF WHEN THE CAR BECOMES WARM OR HOT. DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR DRIVER OF CAR WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. ROADS ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE, ROAD SIGNS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO READ. OTHER DRIVERS DO NOT SEE VEHICLE WELL IN THE DARK. THIS DEFECT IS WITH ALL HEADLIGHTS - DAYTIME RUNNING AND NIGHT DRIVING HEADLIGHTS. THIS IS AN ONGOING INCIDENT CONCERNING EACH OF THE HEADLIGHTS AND THEREFORE DATES DO NOT APPLY TO THIS DEFECT IN WIRING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED HER THAT THE BULBS WERE BURNED OUT AND THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT HARNESS MELTED. SHE SEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THAT THIS WAS A COMMON MANUFACTURER DEFECT ON OLDER MODELS OF HER VEHICLE MAKE, BUT NOT FOR HER YEAR. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFECT. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 35,000.

THE HEADLIGHT LENS ON MY PASSAT HAVE BECOME "CLOUDED" OVER TIME RESULTING IN REDUCED BRIGHTNESS FROM THE HEADLAMPS AND CREATING AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION AT NIGHT. IN DISCUSSING THE ISSUE WITH OTHER PASSAT OWNERS, IT'S CLEAR THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE REDUCED BRIGHTNESS HAS BECOME A TRUE SAFETY HAZARD OVER TIME AS VISIBILITY AT NIGHT IS SEVERELY AFFECTED. THE LENS IS ACTUALLY OPAQUE AT THIS POINT. VOLKSWAGEN DENIES RESPONSIBILITY AS THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT NOTICED A HAZE AND/OR A FROSTED GLAZE OVER HIS HEADLIGHTS. OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, THE HEADLIGHT ISSUE PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED AND AFFECTED THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY AT NIGHT. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE COULD BE REPAIRED FOR APPROXIMATELY $700. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. UPDATED 07/29/08. *LJ UPDATED 08/05/08

BRAKE SWITCH LIGHT FAILURE. MY FIRST INDICATION OF FAILURE WAS THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ON AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE CAR. I PUMPED THE PEDAL AND THIS EXTINGUISHED THE LIGHT. THE CAR CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY FOR ANOTHER 500 MILES UNTIL I NOTICED THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS OUT. I THEN NOTICED THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT OPERATING AT ALL. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM I FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH VW'S. TO MY SURPRISE THOUGH THE PASSAT WHICH USES THE SAME SWITCH OTHER VWS HAVE BEEN RECALLED ON HAS NO RECALL YET. THIS SWITCH IS A VERY DANGEROUS SWITCH AS IT DISABLES THE BRAKE LIGHTS PROVIDING NO WARNING TO ANOTHER DRIVER BEHIND THE CAR. *TR

REAR TAIL LIGHT ON 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 4 MOTION REMAINED ON EVEN WHEN CAR WAS SHUT OFF OR LOCKED. DEALERSHIP REPLACED COMFORT CONTROL MODEL FOR $500.00. SINCE THE REPLACEMENT, INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON PERIODICALLY CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DRAIN AND THE PASSENGER DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH THE KEY FOB. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 VW PASSAT. IN OCTOBER 2006, WITH APPROXIMATELY 50000 MILES ON THE CAR, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS SUDDENLY STOPPED LIGHTING UP AT ALL. MY MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, AND NOW MY LIGHTS OPERATE NORMALLY. VW HAS A RECALL ON THIS EXACT ISSUE FOR OTHER MODELS, BUT NOT ON THE PASSAT. IN MY CASE, IT SEEMS OBVIOUS THAT MY 2002 PASSAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED AS PART OF THIS RECALL AS WELL. IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH VW MODELS IN THIS YEAR, I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT I HAD TO DRIVE WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS (WHEN THE SWITCH FIRST FAILED), THEN PAY OUT-OF-POCKET TO FIX A KNOWN FAILURE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHT LENSES ARE FOGGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE LENSES NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE FOGGING OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER THE FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 08/03/06. *JB

MY TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING SUDDENLY AT 50058 MILES, DEALER WOULD NOT DO WORK UNDER WARRANTY (50K). FOUND THAT THIS PART (HAZARD FLASHER SWITCH/RELAY) WAS RECALLED ON 2000-2002 VW GOLF, GTI, AND JETTA. I HAVE HEARD FROM OTHER PASSAT OWNERS ONLINE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM FOR PASSAT'S TOO. VW NEEDS TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO INCLUDE. DRIVING THE 45 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED ON MAJOR INTERSTATES WITHOUT BLINKERS DROVE HOME THE DANGER INVOLVED WITH THIS DEFECTIVE PART!*JB

DT: CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES, BUT CONTINUE TO BLOW OUT. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THE HEADLIGHTS INSTALLED WERE NOT A QUALITY LINE HEADLIGHTS.*AK

HEADLIGHT FAILURES. PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE LIGHTS HAVE FAILED 5 TIMES IN 18 MONTHS. (SERVICE DATES: 11/23/02, 1/28/03, 8/1/03, 10/7/03, 1/27/04) DEALERSHIP INSISTS THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION BECAUSE HEADLIGHTS ARE CONSTANLY ON. WIRING HARNESS CHECKED ON 8/1/03. NO PROBLEM FOUND. WIRING HARNESS AND HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY CHECKED AND FAILED ON 1/27/04 CHECKED BY "MASTER TECHNICIAN". HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY REPLACED. THE SERVICE TECHNICIANS CONTINUALLY REFER TO THE 'DUAL ELEMENT' OF THE HEADLIGHTS CAUSING THE FAILURES. I SUSPECT EITHER A DESIGN FLAW WITH THE HEADLIGHTS OR AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.*AK

ONE OF THE VEHICLES HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT SOON AFTER THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPLACED IT WITH A DIFFERENT KIND BUT NOW THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH TWO DIFFERENT HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A CITATION FROM THE POLICE BECAUSE IT APPEARED THAT ONE OF THE HEADLIGHTS WERE OUT, BUT IT WAS NOT. THE HEADLIGHTS DID NOT SHINE THE SAME, ONE WAS DULL AND ONE WAS BRIGHT. *NLM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS THE HEAD LIGHTS FAILED. NO WARNING LIGHT ALERTED THE CONTACT OF AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPLACED THE BULBS AND CONNECTORS BUT DID NOT REPAIR ANY WIRING DUE TO HEATING. THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED ON TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS BUT THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT IDENTIFIED THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM TO BE WIRING OVER HEATING. THE HEAD LIGHT FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED BETWEEN THE REPAIRS INTERMITTENTLY CREATING A SAFETY RISK DURING NIGHT DRIVING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO OPENED A CASE BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO RESOLUTION YET.

BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT HEADLIGHT BULBS KEEPS BURNING OUT

THE DEFECTIVE FRONT RIGHT DAYTIME RUNNING LAMP ON CONSUMER'S 2002 VW PASSAT.*MR *NM

THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT THE FRONT RIGHT DAYTIME RUNNING LAMP WAS CONSTANTLY FAILING ON HIS 2002 VW PASSAT.*MR THE DEALER EXPLAINED THAT THE LIGHTS A PRONE TO BURN OUT BECAUSE THE ARE ON WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS ON. *NM

TOO MARKED A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIT AND UNLIT AREAS WHEN LIGHTS ARE ON ON DARK ROAD WITH NO OTHER TRAFFIC OR LIGHTING. IT IS LIKE THERE IS A BLACK CURTAIN ABOVE THE LIT AREA. WHEN I HIT A BUMP OR DIP IN THE ROAD OR THE CAR IS AT CERTAIN SHARPER ANGLES TO THE ROAD, THE BLACK CURTAIN COMES DOWN TO WITHIN 2 CAR LENGTHS. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE ANYTHING IN THE BLACK AREA, EVEN WHITE ROAD MARKINGS. OF COURSE, YOU CAN SWITCH ON YOUR BRIGHTS QUICKLY, BUT THAT TAKES ANOTHER SECOND AND BY THAT TIME YOU COULD BE OFF THE ROAD OR HIT SOMETHING. TRAVELING ON DARK UNEVEN CURVING ROADS IS UNNERVING. IF I HAD IT DO OVER I WOULD NOT BUY ANY CAR WITH THIS TYPE OF HEADLIGHTS. I FEEL NOW THAT I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY AND CAN'T DRIVE SAFELY ON DARK ROADS AT NIGHT.*AK