There are 13 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2006 Volkswagen Passatin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING DURING RAIN WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V470000 (WIPERS/ VISIBILITY) BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY WHEN THERE WAS NO RAIN WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA RECALL NUMBER: 06V470000 (VISIBILITY); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
DRIVING SOUTH ON THE 57 FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 2:45 P.M. WITH MY GRANDDAUGHTER WHEN SUDDENLY FOR NO REASON THE SUNROOF POPPED OFF ONTO THE FREEWAY, WE DID NOT HAVE THE SUNROOF OPEN. WE ARE LUCKY IT DID HIT ANYONE AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. WE CALLED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA & WAS TOLD TO TAKE CAR TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALER, THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. SPOKE WITH [XXX] THE REGIONAL CARE MANAGER AND HE SAID THAT HE COULD ONLY OFFER $2000.00 TOWARDS A NEW CAR AND WOULD NOT OFFER ANYTHING TOWARDS A REPAIR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE SUN ROOF DETACHED COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO INFORMED THAT THE MALFUNCTION WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,302.
WINDOWS CONTINUE TO COMPLETELY FOG UP CAUSING VERY LITTLE VISIBILITY. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I HAVE A YOUNG CHILD AND AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY. THERE IS ALSO A STRONG ODOR. *TR
MY VW 2006 PASSAT SEDAN HAS ALWAYS HAD A WINDSHIELD FOGGING PROBLEM WHEN THE DE-FOGGER IS TURNED ON, THE WINDSHIELD FOGGS UP COMPLETELY, THEN TAKES 30 TO 45 SECONDS TO CLEAR. I'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SITUATION TO TREND MOTORS OF ROCKAWAY NJ SEVERAL TIMES AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS NORMAL.AND I SHOULD PUT THE AIR CONDITIONER ON AND THAT WILL CLEAR UP THE PROBLEM. EVENTUALLY THE WINDSHIELD DOES CLEAR BUT, I CANNOT SEE THRU THE WINDSHIELD FOR 30 TO 45 SECONDS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DANGEROUS HAZARD. *TR
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE A/C OF MY 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.0. THE TECHNICIAN TELLS ME THAT BASICALLY ALL THE COMPONENTS OF MY A/C SYSTEM IS DAMAGED AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER I SEARCH THE INTERNET, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS SINCE 2007 AND IT'S FOR MODELS FROM 2001 TO 2007 (AS FAR AS I CAN FIND NOW). PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT'S A DESIGN PROBLEM INSTEAD OF A WEAR AND TEAR PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY WE AS CONSUMERS CAN RELY ON YOU TO HELP US FIGHT FOR JUSTICE. *TR
HUMID DAY, BEGAN RAINING. WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT FUNCTION IN 2006 VW PASSAT. CAR HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY RECALLED ON THIS ISSUE AND A MOISTURE KIT INSTALLED BY DEALER. NOW THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WILL BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REPAIR FOR RECALL 06V470000 (VISIBILITY: WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER: MOTOR) WAS PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS MALFUNCTIONED DURING A HEAVY RAINSTORM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOVED VERY SLOWLY AND MADE THE VEHICLE INCAPABLE OF BEING DRIVEN IN THE RAIN. THE CONTACT HAD TO PULL OVER AND WAIT FOR THE RAIN TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE CAUSE FOR FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000. UPDATED 01/18/11 *BF THE DEALER AGREED TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. UPDATED 04/04/11
IN NOVEMBER 2006, ON ONE OCCASION THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON WITHOUT ME TURNING THEM ON AND I HAD NO CONTROL OVER CHANGING THEIR SPEED OR TURNING THEM OFF. FOR MY DRIVE FROM HOME TO THE DEALERSHIP (APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES), THE WIPERS RANDOMLY TURNED ON HIGH SPEED, LOW SPEED, AND INTERMITTENT, AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO CONTROL THEIR FUNCTION. AT DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD BY SERVICE THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, PROBABLY BECAUSE I HAD TURNED THE CAR OFF, AND THE COMPUTER SYSTEM SHOWED NO SIGN OF A PROBLEM WITH THE WIPER SYSTEM. SERVICE MADE NO REPAIRS AND THEIR ONLY RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN, I SHOULD TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT. IN JANUARY 2007, THE WIPERS BECAME COMPLETELY INOPERABLE AND THE WIPER MOTOR WAS REPLACED. *JB
WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM WORKS ONLY INTERMITTENTLY ON LOW, HIGH SETTINGS NO MATTER WHAT SPEED I'M DRIVING. CAR DOES NOT HAVE A RAIN SENSOR SYSTEM. DEALER DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER CALLED VW TECH CENTER AND WAS TOLD THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER SAID " WE DID A WATER TEST ON YOUR WINDSHIELD WITH A GARDEN HOSE AND AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE WIPERS PICKUP SPEED , EVERYTHING IS FIND." I DROVE THE CAR HOME IMMEDIATELY AND DID MY OWN GARDEN HOSE TEST, STILL INTERMITTENT OPERATION. DROVE BACK TO DEALER HAD THEM WRITE UP ANOTHER SERVICE ORDER AND HAD SERVICE WRITER AND TECH PERFORM THE WATER TEST IN FRONT OF ME. THE WIPER SYSTEM FAILED THE TEST AND WORKED ONLY INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER CALLED VW TECH CENTER AND THEY WERE STILL CLUELESS AND TOLD THE TECH TO CHANGE OUT THE WIPER SYSTEM CONTROL MODULE FOR LACK OF KNOWING ANYTHING ELSE TO DO. JUST READING YOUR FIRST COMPLAINT ON THIS VEHICLE I'M IN THE SAME MANUFACTURING RUN. THE DEALER IS GIVING OUT A LOT OF BAD INFORMATION DUE TO THE LACK OF FACTORY TECH. SUPPORT. ONE WEEK OUT AND CAR AND STILL AWAITING MODULE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *JB
DECEMBER 23 - LEASED A BRAND NEW 2006 PASSAT. DROVE OFF THE LOT AND ON TO THE HIGHWAY. TRIED TO WASH WINDOWS, WINDOW SPRAY WORKED, WIPERS DID NOT. STOPPED TO CHECK OWNERS MANUAL, I WAS USING THE EQUIPMENT PROPERLY. THE WIPERS WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL, ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY CAME ON AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF, BASICALLY WORKING AT WILL. DECEMBER 24 - DEALERSHIP CLOSED, DECEMBER 25 DEALERSHIP CLOSED AND I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE CAR, FEARING FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY WITH REGARD TO THE WIPERS. DECEMBER 26 - TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY PUT THE CAR ON THE "MONITOR", SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT, THEY WERE UNABLE TO EXPLAIN WHY THE WIPERS. MECHANIC WHO LOOKED AT THE CAR TOLD US TO GET ANOTHER CAR, DON'T KEEP THAT ONE. DECEMBER 26- LEFT RELATIVES HOUSE, WIPERS TURNED ON AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF UNTIL AFTER THE CAR WARMED UP. DECEMBER 27 - NO ISSUES. DECEMBER 28 - LEFT HOME FOR WORK, WIPERS TURNED ON AND DID NOT SHUT OFF, AGAIN ONLY ONCE THE CAR WARMED UP AND I REACHED THE DEALERSHIP. KEPT THE CAR FOR TWO DAYS, CALLED TO SAY THEY WERE REPLACING THE MOTOR AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, EVEN THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. CRAZY EXCUSES. LUCKILY SINCE THEY REPLACED THE PART THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE WIPERS ARE WORKING. *NM
DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT A WINDSHIELD WIPER PROBLEM. AFTER ENGAGING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS INTO THE ON POSITION THEY B WORKED INTERMEDIATELY BASED ON SPEED AT WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING. THIS ONLY OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT LESS THAN 5 MPH. ONCE THE VEHICLE REACHED A SPEED OF MORE THAN 5 MPH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORKED PROPERLY. THE CONTACT FELT THERE MAY BE A COMPUTER PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE DESIGNED TO WORK IN THIS MANOR. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE.*AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026