There are 12 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2014 Volkswagen Passatin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
POORLY DESIGNED HEATER CORE CLOGS PREMATURELY REGARDLESS OF MAINTENANCE RESULTING IN INABILITY TO DEFROST WINDSHIELD BEFORE OR WHILE DRIVING, ESPECIALLY IN COLDER CLIMATES. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD COOLING SYSTEM FLUSHED AT 3 YEARS OF AGE, WELL IN ADVANCE OF RECOMMENDED INTERVAL AND, YET AS SEEN IN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON COMPUTER SEARCH STILL HAS CLOGGED. 54,750 MILES ON A VEHICLE LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD THAT WE CANNOT FEEL SAFE OPERATING DURING TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING DUE TO LIKELIHOOD OF CONDENSATION FROM OUR BREATHING FREEZING ON INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD.
HEATER BLOWS COLD AIR. DOES NOT ALLOW FOR DEFROSTING WHILE DRIVING.
VEHICLE STOPPED BLOWING AIR THROUGH OUTLETS CAUSING FOGGING OF WNDOWS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY AIR BLOCKAGE OCCURS WHILE STATIONARY AND MOVING
THE HEATER CORE BECOMES CLOGGED DUE TO EXCESSIVE FLUX USE IN THE HEATER CORE CONSTRUCTION. CAUSING NO HEAT OUTPUT ON DEFROST OR THROUGH VENTS. VWOFA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AS AN ISSUE AND OFFERS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE HEATER CORE, HOWEVER, THERE IS A 4-6 BACKORDER ON THE REPLACEMENT HEATER CORES. THIS IS DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING IN WINTER CONDITIONS AND COMING UPON FREEZING RAIN/SLEET OR SNOW THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO BECOME UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND POTENTIALLY LEAVING YOU STRANDED IN BAD WEATHER. CURRENTLY, VWOFA IS NOT OFFERING ANY LOANER VEHICLE WHILE THEY WAIT FOR PARTS, MAKING MY PASSAT UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN ANY POSSIBLE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD IS SEPARATING FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HANLEES HILL TOP VOLKSWAGEN (3255 AUTO PLAZA, RICHMOND, CA 94806, (510) 283-6300) AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE GLUE USED TO SEAL THE WINDSHIELD WAS DEFECTIVE. THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000.*PM*JB
2014 CAR. DEC 2017 HEAT HAS FAILED BECAUSE OF PROBLEM WITH HEATER CORE WHICH FOLLOWED FAILURE OF RADIATOR IN 2/2017. REPLACED RADIATOR IN 2/2017 AND HEATER CORE IN 12/2017. 10/2019 HEAT FAILED AGAIN. HEAT IS INSUFFICIENT TO KEEP WINDSHIELD CLEAR IN COLD ICY WEATHER IN NORTHEAST. WINTER IS HEAR AGAIN AND HEAT IS INADEQUATE TO KEEP WINDSHIELD CLEAR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE HEATER STOPPED AND THE WINDOWS FOGGED UP. THE CONTACT CONTINUED DRIVING AND THE HEATER STARTED NORMALLY AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED EVERY TIME THE HEATER WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.
MY CAR SUFFERED A CLOGGED HEATER CORE WITH 25K MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THE RESULT WAS LOW CABIN HEAT AND AN INABILITY TO MAINTAIN WINDSHIELD VISIBILITY USING THE DEFROSTER SETTING WHEN OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES DROPPED DURING WINTER. SYMPTOMS OCCUR WHEN STATIONARY OR MOVING.
HEATER CORE CLOGGED, REDUCED DEFROSTER PERFORMANCE DUE TO DECREASED DEFROST AIR TEMPERATURE CAUSES DECREASE IN VISIBILITY.
THE SUNROOF SHATTERED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. NOTHING HIT THE VEHICLE YET VW REFUSED TO REPAIR THE DAMAGED SUNROOF. THREE PASSENGERS CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT NOTHING HIT THE VEHICLE AND NOTHING ENTERED THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE SUNROOF. IT SIMPLY SHATTERED. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY MY SUNROOF EXPLODED. IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT THAT SCARED THAT[XXX] OUT MY FAMILY AND ME. VOLKSWAGEN DOES NOT WANT TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE AN OUTSIDE SOURCE HIT IT. FIRST THERE WAS NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME AT LEAST FOR 200 METERS. SECOND IT LOOKS LIKE THE GLASS PUSHED OUT FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I ASKED IF THEY HAD ANY PROOF AND TOLD ME THAT THE GLASS WAS PUSHED OUT AND THAT SOMETHING HAD TO HIT IT. THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY HALF THE COST BUT I BELIEVE THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY THE FULL COST BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT ADMIT TO FAULT. IF A SUNROOF JUST DOES NOT EXPLODE, WHY ON YOU TUBE A CAMERA CAUGHT VOLKSWAGEN EXPLODING SUNROOF. VW JUST DOES NOT WANT TO REPORT PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF RECALLS. I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE FROM YOUR AGENCY INVESTIGATE, I HAVE NOT YET ORDERED THEM TIP FIX THE SUNROOF. IT'S AT THE DEALER IN UNION, NJ IF ARE WILLING TO INSPECT. THERE IS NO SCUFF MARK FROM AN OBJECT HITTING IT. I AM 99.9 SURE NOTHING HIT THE SUNROOF. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE GLASS ON THE SUNROOF SHATTERED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES AROUND AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,300. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
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