2002 Volkswagen Passat Electrical System Problems

WHILE DRIVING AT 75MPH OR IN CITY TRAFFIC I GET AN ALARM WARNING THAT MY DRIVER'S DOOR IS OPEN. TO SHUT THE LOUD WARNING OFF, I MUST OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR WHILE GOING 75MPH OR IN TRAFFIC. EITHER I OPEN THE DOOR WHILE DRIVING OR PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WITH TRAFFIC, I FIND THIS VERY DANGEROUS!!! THIS HAPPENS DAILY THIS IS MY SECOND VW PASSAT THAT THE DOOR LATCH HAS FAILED AND WAS TOLD THIS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH VOLKSWAGENS THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE OF THE DANGERS OF HAVING TO OPEN THE DOOR TO RESET THE LATCH ELECTRICAL SWITCHES THAT ARE DEFECTIVE!!!

CAR BEEPS AND DISPLAYS THE ABS LIGHT AND THE BRAKE LIGHT. AT FIRST THEY APPEAR AND THEN DISAPPEAR. ON 6/12/2014 THE ABS IS ON EACH TIME I START THE VEHICLE PLUS THE BRAKE LIGHT FLASHES THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE DRIVE. ON TWO OCCURRENCES THE TRACTION CONTROL OFF LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON. THE FEAR IS THAT I HAVE LOST ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL, AND ALSO THAT THE E-BRAKE OR BRAKES WILL ENGAGE WHILE IN MOTION. MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES OF THIS HAVE OCCURRED IN VW PASSAT FORUMS AND MOST SUGGEST TAKING OUT THE ABS MODULE AND HAVING IT REFURBISHED DUE TO A HAIR SENSOR THAT GOES FAULTY ON THE PASSAT. MANY REQUESTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO HAVE THIS PART RECALLED AND FIXED, I AM ADDING MY REQUEST TO THE OTHER PARTIES INVOLVED. *TR

TRAVELING DOWN THE STREET AND SMELLED SMOKE. SMOKE BEGAN EMITTING FROM UNDER THE DASH AND VEHICLE CUT OFF. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2002 VW PASSAT 1.8T/AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH 97,500 MILES WHICH HAD UNDERDASH ELECTRICAL FIRE WHILE RUNNING THE CAR AND NOW IS A TOTAL LOSS. THE CAR WAS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION PRIOR TO THE EVENTS. ELECTRICAL UNDERDASH FIRE STARTED VERY FAST WITH SMOKE COMING FROM DRIVER VENT. AFTER SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET APPEARS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AN NOT MANY PEOPLE REALLY REPORT THE CAR FIRE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND PULLED OVER BECAUSE MY CAR HAD NO OPERATING TAIL LIGHTS (THE HEADLIGHTS AND OTHER FRONT LIGHTS WERE WORKING PROPERLY). TURNING THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON SOLVED THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY, BUT FURTHER TESTING WHEN I RETURNED HOME REVEALED THAT THE TAIL LIGHTS WERE NOT ALWAYS TURNING ON WITH THE REST OF THE LIGHTS. AN INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED THIS IS A RELATIVELY COMMON PROBLEM FOR THESE CARS AND THAT A FAILED HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS THE CULPRIT. REPLACING THE SWITCH SOLVED THE PROBLEM. *TR

2002 VW PASSAT 2.8 V6 . IGNITION COIL PACK SHORTING OUT( CAN SEE STREAKS OF ELECTRICITY ON ALL THREE COILS AT NIGHT ALONG SIDES OF COILS - - WHEN LOOKING INTO DARK ENGINE COMPARTMENT ) . CAR MISFIRES UPON ACCELERATION AND AT IDLE . IT HAS STALLED TWICE AND SEEMS TO BE VERY UNRELIABLE . I HAVE ORDERED A NEW COIL PACK AND WILL NOT DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL I REPLACE THIS COIL PACK . I CALLED THE LOCAL V.W. DEALER AND THEY SAID NO RECALL FOR THE 2.8 V6 30 VALVE ENGINE - CALLED V.W. OF AMERICA AND I WAS TOLD THE SAME THING . I WILL KEEP THE OLD COIL PACK IN HOPE THAT V.W. WILL RE-IMBURSE ME THE PRICE OF MY NEW COIL PACK - IT IS VERY EASY TO CHANGE . *TR

2002 VW PASSAT ENGINE FIRE WHILE DRIVING. SHOP SAID IT LOOKS LIKE IT STARTED IN THE WIRING HARNESS. NO INJURIES, VEHICLE TOTAL LOSS. ONE OWNER, WELL CARED FOR. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW, INTENDING TO DRIVE IT A LONG TIME. NOT A GOOD INVESTMENT. *TR

TURN SIGNAL PRODUCES CONTINUOUS TURN SIGNAL NOISE AFTER USE OF THE TURN SIGNAL. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT DISTRACTION WHILE DRIVING AND DISCOURAGES USE OF THE TURN SIGNAL. THIS HAS BEEN A PERSISTENT PROBLEM. *TR

WE OWN A 2002 VW PASSAT WAGON AND ARE SO HAPPY WITH IT WE BOUGHT ANOTHER ONE WITH LOWER MILEAGE. SHORTLY AFTER BUYING THE SECOND VW THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE FIRST VEHICLE. OUR MECHANIC SAID IT WAS THE IGNITION COIL PACK - $600 TO REPLACE. CAR HAD OVER 120,000 MILES SO WE WEREN'T UNDULY ALARMED, AND PAID IT. THREE WEEKS LATER ENGINE WARNING CAME ON AGAIN. TOOK IT TO A DIFFERENT GARAGE - ONE THAT USED TO BE THE LOCAL VW DEALER - AND THEY SAID THE IGNITION COIL WAS BAD AGAIN. WE ASSUMED THE REPLACEMENT PART HAD TURNED OUT TO BE BAD SO PAID ANOTHER $600 TO HAVE IT FIXED. TOOK THE OLD PART BACK TO THE ORIGINAL GARAGE BUT THE MECHANIC DID NOTHING ABOUT IT. 'CHALKED IT UP TO EXPERIENCE. THREE MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE SECOND VW. TOOK IT TO THE SECOND MECHANIC AND HE SAID - VOILA! - IGNITION COIL BAD AGAIN! PAID ANOTHER $600 TO GET IT REPLACED, AND THEN WENT HOME TO RESEARCH IT ONLINE. WAS STUNNED TO SEE ALL THE PROBLEMS LISTED ABOUT THE IGNITION COIL PACK. CALLED VW AND ASKED FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR TWO OF THE THREE IGNITION PACKS BUT WAS TOLD OUR VWS WERE NOT LISTED IN THE CORRECTION BULLETINS. THEY ALSO DENIED THERE WAS A RECALL EVEN THOUGH THEIR OWN PR DEPARTMENT HAD SENT OUT A PRESS RELEASE SAYING ALL 2002 V6 PASSATS HAD BEEN RECALLED DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CALLED VW SEVERAL TIMES AND FOUND THEIR 'CUSTOMER ADVOCATES' TO BE VERY COURTEOUS AND POLITE BUT ABSOLUTELY STONEWALLING ANY REIMBURSEMENT. WHEN PRESSED WAS FINALLY TOLD I NEEDED THE OLD IGNITION PACKS, THE REPAIR BILLS (ORIGINAL ONLY, NO COPIES) AND COULD SEND ALL TO THEM AND THEY WOULD CONSIDER IT BUT WOULD PROBABLY NOT MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT! *TR

2002 PASSAT WAGON, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK WHILE GETTING ON HIGHWAY DURING A COLD MORNING. BRAKES WERE NON-RESPONSIVE EVEN WHEN CAR WAS PUT INTO NEUTRAL. CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, DRIVER PUT CAR INTO A LOWER GEAR WHICH SLOWED DOWN THE CAR A BIT AND FINALLY PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN "PARK". THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO EVENTUALLY STOP. TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY, DRIVER SLOWLY DROVE OFF ONTO THE EXIT RAMP AFTER CALLING 911 AND BEING ADVISED TO GET OFF THE HIGHWAY WHICH HAD NO SHOULDER. AFTER THAT THE CAR AND BRAKES APPEARED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE NEXT MORNING CAR WOULD NOT START DUE TO THE BATTERY BEING DRAINED AND WAS TOWED TO VW MECHANIC. AFTER BEING INSPECTED FOR 2 DAYS THE MECHANIC DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ACCELERATOR OR THE BREAKS AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE PEDAL GOT STUCK ON THE FLOOR MAT. NO ERROR CODES WERE FOUND ON CAR'S COMPUTER. WE HAD HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR OTHER THAN A DASH MESSAGE INDICATING A BREAK FAULT WOULD OCCASIONALLY LIGHT UP ON COLD WET DAYS. THE VW MECHANIC COULD NEVER FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BREAKS AFTER REPEATED VISITS AND ATTRIBUTED THE MESSAGE TO A COMPUTER GLITCH. AFTER THE INCIDENT WITH THE ACCELERATOR WE TRADED THE CAR IN FOR A NEW ONE OF A DIFFERENT MAKE SINCE WE DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT, DESPITE ASSURANCES THAT NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS FOUND WITH THE CAR. *TR

LOSS OF ENGINE POWER CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON I SHUT ENGINE OFF ONE IGNITION COIL STARTS TO SMOKE AND START ON FIRE ALONG WITH COIL ELECTRICAL LEAD. *TR

I WAS AT THE TRYING TO FIND A PARKING SPOT WHEN SUDDENLY MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STARTED BLINKING. I LOST ALOT OF POWER AND COULD NOT ACCELERATE. I THEN HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO MY HOME BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID OF CAUSING ANY FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. THE NEXT DAY I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. THEY THEN INFORMED ME THAT MANY OF THESE TYPES OF VEHICLES HAVE BEEN REPAIRED DUE TO THE PROARISING FROM A FAULTY IGNITION COIL OR COIL PACK AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE COST TO REPAIR IT WOULD BE BETWEEN $350-$500 TO REMOVE AND REPLACE FAULTY IGNITION COILS (4). AFTER FURTHER LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM THROUGH NUMEROUS WEBSITES I NOTICED THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM HAPPENING CONSISTENTLY TO MANY OWNERS OF SUCH VEHICLES. *TR

TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD RELAY SWITCH FAILED WHILE DRIVING, NO TURN SIGNALS...FIND OUT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL ON THE 2002 JETTA AND GOLFS BUT NOT ON THE PASSAT, SAME SWITCH IN ALL THE CARS MADE BY VW...THIS IS A HUGE HAZARD, WHY HASN'T VW RECALLED THE 2002 PASSATS AS WELL? *TR

MY 2002 VW PASSAT INITIALLY BLEW THE #5 FUSE WHICH CONTROLS THE A/C, STEERING WHEEL ITEMS (HORN, VOLUME CONTROL, ETC.) AND ITEMS ON THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR. THE FUSE WAS REPLACED AND SUBSEQUENTLY I EXPERIENCED SMOKING IN THE AREA OF THE SUN VISOR. REMOVING THE VISOR, I NOTICED FRAYED WIRING AND BURNT WIRING INSULATION. IN ADDITION THERE WAS SPARKING INSIDE THE ROOF AREA. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY CUT THE FRAYED WIRE AND TAPED IT UP, WITH A MORE COMPLETE REPAIR TO COME IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. DRIVING THE CAR HOME LATER THAT DAY THE CAR STARTED SMOKING AGAIN WITH THE ADDITION OF CRACKLING SOUNDS. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER THAT EVENING. THE DEALER IS NOW LOOKING AT THE WIRING AND HAS FOUND AT LEAST ONE WIRE LEADING FROM THE VISOR AREA ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FUSE BOX WHICH IS BARE BECAUSE IT'S INSULATION HAS BEEN BURNED OFF. THE FUSE THAT SHOULD HAVE BLOWN WAS MELTED INTO THE FUSE BOX. THE BURNED WIRE HAS ALSO BURNED OFF INSULATION ON OTHER WIRES WHICH WERE TOUCHING THE DAMAGED WIRE. THE DEALER IS TRYING TO TRACK DOWN ALL THE WIRES THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED. CURRENT COST IS APPROXIMATELY $2400 WITH VOLKSWAGEN AGREEING TO PICK UP $900 OF THE COST. BASED ON INTERNET RESEARCH, THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER REPORTS OF FRAYED WIRING IN THE VISOR AREA OF THE 2002 PASSAT. I HAVE NUMEROUS POSTINGS BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE BLOWN THE FUSE AND HAD THEIR VISORS REPLACED. OTHERS HAVE PULLED DOWN THE VISOR AND TAPED UP THE FRAYED WIRING IN THEIR VISOR. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING FLAW AND I BELIEVE THAT MY VISOR WIRING HAS BEEN FRAYING FOR SOME TIME PRIOR TO THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 70 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE ABNORMALLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATED FROM 70 MPH TO 20 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE IGNITION COIL SPRING FAILED. THE COIL SPRINGS AND SPARK PLUGS WERE REPLACED AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE CONTACT STATED THIS WAS THE FIFTH TIME THE IGNITION COIL SPRINGS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 161,000.

THE 2002 VOLKWAGEN PASSAT 1.8T PROBLEM STARTED WITH THE CAR STALLING WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD ON SATURDAY JULY 1 2007, AND THE EPC LIGHT COMING ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, AND THEY ENDED UP REPLACING A FAULTY ENGINE RPM SENSOR. THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY I PICKED UP THE CAR AND DROVE OFF. EXACTLY 12 MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP THE CAR STALLED WITH THE SAME EPC LIGHT. THE ONLY CONSEQUENCES OF THIS INCIDENT WERE ME STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR ALMOST AN HOUR WITH SLIGHTLY CHARRED ENGINE. I COASTED OFF THE ROAD AND SMELLED SMOKE. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT IT WAS SHORT COIL-PACKS AND NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, SO I WAS STUCK WITH A $3,000.00 REPAIR BILL. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR INSTANCES AND AM WONDERING WHY IT WAS NEVER RECALLED. *AK

2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT, WAGON, 4 CYL 2.0 L MOTOR. I HAD 2 OCCASIONS WHERE THE WIRING HARNESS SHORTED OUT ON THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS, ONCE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AT 75,000 MILES, AND ONCE ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AT 40,000 MILES. THERE WAS NO FIRE, BUT IN BOTH INCIDENTS THE WIRES HAD COMPLETELY MELTED TO THE WIRING HARNESS WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ATTACHED. THE WIRES WERE COMPLETELY EXPOSED IN BOTH INCIDENTS. *AK

I OWN A VOLKSWAGON 2002 PASSAT WAGON. I HAVE REPLACED THE COILS AT LEAST 7 TIMES . I REPLACED #4 TWO WEEKS AGO, AND #1 & 2 BLEW YESTERDAY. I TOOK IT INTO LIVINGSTON VOLKSWAGEN IN WOODLAND HILLS, CA., AND THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED TO HAVE ALL FOUR REPLACED, AND,, I HAVE COMPLAINED TO CORPORATE, SAYING THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT AND WAS DANGEROUS AS THE TIME BEFORE LAST. I WAS IN THE FAST LANE ON THE FREEWAY, DOING 65 MPH AND THE CAR WENT FROM 65 MPH TO 25D MPH IN A 10 SECONDS! NOT DANGEROUS? *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WITH FLAMES RISING APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET ABOVE THE HOOD. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARRIVED AT THE SCENE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT HAS NOT SPOKEN WITH THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 91,000. UPDATED 01-15-08. * BF THE FIRE WAS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE GROUND OF AN ELECTRICAL HARNESS. THE WIRING SHORTED OUT AGAINST THE VEHICLE'S STEEL COWL WITH TEMPERATURES HIGH ENOUGH TO WELD THE 12 GAUGE AGAINST THE BODY PANEL . UPDATED *JB

RIGHT DAYTIME DRIVING LIGHT BURNED OUT ON 3 OCCASIONS. LAST INCIDENT INCLUDED A MELTED WIRING HARNESS AS WELL