Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1995 record →
DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT POWER WINDOW FAILED AND 3 OF 4 DOOR HANDLES FAILED ON CAR OWNED BY INITIAL BUYER FOR 4 YEARS, 4 MONTHS. FAILURE OF SO MANY PARTS IS EXCESSIVE, AS IS QUOTE FROM DEALER FOR REPAIRS (>$1,000). REPORTED VIA PHONE TO VW, BUT NO RESPONSE.
NO SUMMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
HEATER CORE GIVES A "MIST" SMELL LIKE ANTIFREEZE CAUSING DISCOMFORT TO DRIVER. DEALER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET PART UNTIL MONDAY 08-NOV-99. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR IS JAMMED & THE REAR DOOR BEHIND THE DRIVER IS MALFUNCTIONING. *YC
NO SUMMARY
WINDOWS FOG UP VERY EASILY WITH AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF MOISTURE WITH MINIMAL DRIVING AND SUB NORMAL ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURES (WHEN THE CAR IS "COLD"). FOGGING FORCES DRIVER TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OT DEFOG WINDOWS. FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW REGULATOR UNIT FAILED ON HIGHWAY CAUSING WINDOW TO ROLL DOWN ON ITS OWN AND STAY DOWN. OWNER FORCED TO DISCONNECT MOTOR UNTIL PROBLEM COULD BE DIAGNOSED. WINDOW REGULATOR/MOTOR REPLACED. DRIVER'S WINDOW PRODUCED A CLICKING SOUND UPON REACHING THE CLOSED POSITION. WINDOW REGULATOR REPLACED.
THE MAIN AND SECONDARY CONTROL MODULES BLEW OUT WHILE GETTING A JUMP. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.
NO SUMMARY
CONTROL MODULE HAS INTERMITENT SHORTS - ABS SYSTEM CANNOT BE RELIED UPON TO WORK - MANUFACTURER STATES IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE - ABS SYSTEMS ARE PROVEN SAFETY DEVICES AND THIS SITUATION ENCOURAGES A "RUSSIAN ROULETE" SITUATION BECAUSE OF THE RANDOMNESS OF THE SHORT AND THE EXTREME EXPENSE TO FIX $1,500. DEALER STATED THAT THEY ARE SEEING PROBLEMS WITH THE UNIT ALOT - CAN VW BE ASKED TO REPORT THE NUMBER OF PROBLEMS THEY HAVE HAD WITH THIS PART/SYSTEM? *AK
WHILE IN PARKED GEAR THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO ROLL BACKWARD.
THE COOLING SYSTEM ENDED UP WITH A SLOW LEAK OCCURING DUE TO A POORLY DESIGNED HOSE RESTRAINT BEHIND THE FAN ASSEMBLY. THE HOSE GOT OUT FROM BEHIND THE RESTRAINT AND GOT WORN AWAY BY THE FAN/FAN HOUSING. THE RESTRAINT SHOULD SURROUND THE HOSE COMPLETELY INSTEAD OF ONLY COVERING APPROXIMATELY 160 DEGREES OF THE HOSE. NOW I WILL GET CHARGED TO REPLACE A HOSE AND FOR LABOR BECAUSE OF A POOR DESIGN. NOT FAIR TO CONSUMERS.
BRAKES FAIL TO STOP VEHICLE PROPERLY CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL, REPLACEMENT OF PADS AND ROTORS DID NOT RECTIFY PROBLEMS.
SOMETIMES THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER'S SEAT WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE MECHANISM. ALSO, THE BELT LOCKS INTO POSITION AROUND THE DRIVER WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES, OR IF THERE IS ANY SLIGHT MOVEMENT BY THE DRIVER. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED.
INTERNAL REAR VIEW MIRROR IS TOO LOW, OBSTRUCTS VIEW OF TRAFFIC.
INTERMITTENT STALLING AFTER IT IS WARMED UP/SLOWED DOWN TO FIRST GEAR/REVERSE GEAR, OR STOPPED AND AT IDLE SPEED. *AK
INTERMITTENT STALLING. *AK
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY AFTER IT IS WARMED UP AND IS SLOWED DOWN TO FIRST GEAR, REVERSE GEAR, OR STOPPED AND AT ILDE.
INTERMITTENT STALLING AFTER VEHICLE IS WARMED UP AND IT IS SLOWED DOWN TO FIRST GEAR/REVERSE GEAR OR STOPPED AND AT IDLE SPEED. *AK
WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED , THE BRAKES RESIST, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
VEHICLE HAS TROUBLE WITH CRANK AND SLOW START.
WHILE MAKING TIGHT RIGHT TURNS IN PARKING LOT THERE IS A POPPING NOISE AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP, THEN RELEASES, TIGHTENED A RIGHT FRIONT SUBFRAME BOLT.
FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED/REPLACED. *AK
BRAKES FAILED DUE TO A HOLE IN BRAKE LINE.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE, IT WOULD LOOSE POWER; WOULD BUCK, SPUTTERS & JUMPS; AT VARIOUS SPEEDS IT WOULD SLOW DOWN; TOOK TO DEALER TWICE; 1ST TIME NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND; 2ND TIME CHIEF MECHANIC NOTICED PROBLEM. BEING REPAIRED NOW.
SEAT BELT INOPERATIVE.
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND THE RPM ACCELERATED AND VEHICLE JERKED, CAUSING A CRASH. PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL NOT DOWNSHIFT UNTIL THROTTLE REACHES FLOOR WHEN TRAVELING AT 30-40 MPH. *AK
PURCHASED CAR NEW, REPLACED THE BATTERY FOR THE THIRD TIME . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, SPEED CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE GOING NORMAL SPEED, LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE, RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.. *AK
VEHICLE'S IDLE SPEED DROPS DOWN WHEN IN FIRST OR REVERSE GEARS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL INTERMITTENTLY.
VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY IN FIRST OR REVERSE GEARS.
LEFT FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILED, CAUSING LEFT TIRE TO BUCKLE UNDER. *SD
DIFFICULTY SCHEDULING COOLING FAN REPAIRS DUE TO UNAVAILABLE OF PARTS. *SD
CLUTCH REPLACED.
RECALL REPAIRS ON RADIATOR FAN MOTOR/FAN BLADE REFUSED DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF PARTS. *DH
VEHICLE PULLS TO RIGHT WHEN ACCELERATING, PULLS TO LEFT WHEN NOT ACCELERATING. *DSH
VOLKSWAGEN HAS FAILED TO PROVIDE DEALER WITH ANY RECALL PARTS ON THE RECALL FOR THE RADIATOR FAN. TT
INTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR ATTACHED TOO LOW, BLOCKING VIEW. TT
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL NOT GEAR DOWN, UNTIL IT REACHES 20 TO 25MPH. TT
THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT SEND HIM A RECALL NOTICE EVEN THOUGH HE IS INCLUDED BY HIS VIN. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT *JB
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE, TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING WHILE TRAVELLING AT 64 MPH. TT
HAD ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE SINCE AUG. 22, 1995 AND THE FUEL PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH A HOST OF OTHER PROBLEMS. *AK
GEAR SHIFT MOVES WITHOUT PRESSING ON THE BRAKE. PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1995 Volkswagen Passat → · Every Passat year → · How the figures are calculated →