1996 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Visibility Problems

HEATERCORE FAILED FOGED UP ALL MY WINDOWS,SOAKED CARPET AND FILLED CABIN WITH TOXIC ANTIFREEZE VAPOR ON MY WAY HOME FROM MY UNCLES FUNERAL. *CN

Mileage: 83,900

HEATER CORE FAILURE. VENTING OF NOXIOUS FUMES INTO PASSANGER COMPARTMENT. *NM

Mileage: 68,000

HEATER CORE IS LEAKING, AND MAKES DRIVING IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO DECREASED VISIBILITY, AND THE FUMES COMING OFF THE HEATER CORE CAUSE ME TO COUGH FOR A FEW DAYS IF I ACTUALLY DRIVE MY CAR. *NM

Mileage: 81,000

IN JANUARY 2004 I DROVE BACK TO SCHOOL IN VIRGINIA AFTER SPENDING CHRISTMAS WITH MY FAMILY. ON THE WAY BACK WHILE I WAS ON THE PENNSYLVANIA TURN PIKE MY HEATER CORE BURST, SPRAYING BOILING HOT COOLANT (BOTH LIQUID AND STEAM) INTO THE VEHICLES INTERIOR. THE LIQUID FOR THE MOST PART CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE CARPET, AND FORTUNATELY ANY THAT WAS SPRAYED ON MY SIDE OF THE COMPARTMENT WAS BLOCKED BY MY PANTS. THE STEAM HOWEVER FILLED MY COMPARTMENT, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE AND CAUSING A NEAR COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO OPEN MY WINDOWS AND CLEAR IT OUT. THE INJURY LISTED AS SUCH IS IN REGARDS TO MY BREATHING THE COOLANT IN, WHICH IS HARMFUL TO ONES HEALTH. MAINTENNANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED PREVIOUSLY ON MY VEHICLE JUST BEFORE THAT REPLACING THE AUX WATER PUMP, AND I HAD THE COOLANT SYSTEM FLUSHED AND MAINTENNANCE DONE ON IT AT THAT TIME AT AN AUTHORIZED VW DEALERSHIP. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY COOLING SYSTEM, THE AUX WATER PUMP, THE HEATER CORE, AND THE THERMOSTAT. FORTUNATELY POLICE WERE PASSING BY AT THE TIME AND GAVE ASSISTANCE, AS WELL AS CALLING A TOW TRUCK.*AK

Mileage: 85,000

DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WAS NOISY WHEN CLOSING, NOW HAS FAILED SUCH THAT WINDOW DOES NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY, SLIDES DOWN ALLOWING WATER AND WIND TO ENTER VEHICLE. MOTOR WILL FUNCTION, BUT MAKES SOUNDS AS THOUGH COGS IN REGULATOR ARE STRIPPED. MANY OTHER OWNERS ON VARIOUS DISCUSSION FORUMS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS. *AK

Mileage: 88,000

OWNER OF 1996 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GLX. DRIVING LOW SPEED WHEN I HEARD A POP & HISS SOUND. TONS OF STEAM CAME THROUGH THE AIR CONDITIONING VENTS & UNDER THE DASH. I PULLED THE CAR OVER AND FOUND LEAKING COOLANT UNDER VEHICLE ON PASSENGER SIDE. HEATER CORE FAILED. I HAD TO TOW MY VEHICLE BACK TO MY HOUSE AND CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA TO REPAIR. NO RESPONSE FROM VWOA AS OF YET AS I CONTACTED THEM VIA EMAIL A COUPLE DAYS AGO.*AK

NO EVENT LEADING TO THE FAILURE... I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 65 MPH WHEN MY HEATER CORE FAILED.. CAUSING SOLDING HOT COOLANT TO RUSH ONTO MY FEET WHILE DRIVING.. I HAD TO BRAKE WHILE COOLANT WAS ALL OVER MY FEET...BURNING THEM...NEARLY CAUSING AND ACCIDENT!*AK

Mileage: 99,635

DOOR HANDLES WORE OUT WITHIN THREE YEARS OF THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD TWO VEHICLES THAT HAD DEFECTIVE DOOR HANDLES. NOT LONG AFTER OWNING THE VEHICLE THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO OPEN ANY OF THE DOORS FROM THE INSIDE. *AK DEALER FOUND THE WORN DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. BROKEN OUTSIDE MIRROR SWITCH REPLACED. TRUNK LOCK WAS LOOSE. *TT *JB

Mileage: 10,028

THE PASSENGER DOOR POWER WINDOW DOES NOT WORK MOST OF THE TIME - TRUNK WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH KEY, CRUISE CONTROL ONLY WORKS SOMETIMES.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING IN INCLEMENT WEATHER THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL COME ON AND OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. *AK

1. MY CAR HAD IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. THERE IS A RECALL ON IGNITION SWITCH FAILURES FOR THE YEAR/MAKE/MODEL OF MY CAR. WHEN I CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER THEY SAID THE RECALL DOESN'T APPLY TO MY VIN. 2. DRIVERS DOOR WINDOW REGISTER HAS FAILED. MANY OWNERS OF SIMILAR VEHICLES HAVE REPORTED SAME.

WHILE DRIVING THE WIPERS AND HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. NHTSA RECALL 02 V 256 000 WAS RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM BUT THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *NLM

Mileage: 58,000

BOTH POWER WINDOWS FAIL. DRIVER'S WINDOW CIMPLETELY FAILED. MUST TRY AND OPEN DOOR IF STOPPED BY POLICEMAN OPENING YOUR DOOR IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BY POLICEMAN. AS WITH OTHER VOLKSWAGEN MODELS, THIS MODEL HAS MAJOR POWER WINDOW FAILURE WHICH POSSES A SAFETY THREAT BECAUSE OF INABILITY TO OPERATE BOTH FRONT WINDOWS. DT

BOTH POWER WINDOWS FAIL AND WINDOW DEFOGGER DOESN'T WORK. SO WHEN THIS OCCURS I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE OPTION OF ROLLING DOWN MY WINDOWS TO CLEAR THE CAR SO THAT I CAN OPERATE THE VEHICLE. VERY DANGEROUS AND HAS LED TO NEAR ACCIDENTS ON 4 OCCASIONS. DRIVER'S WINDOW COMPLETELY FAILED. MUST TRY TO OPEN DOOR WHILE DRIVING TO CLEAR AIR. MUST TRY AND OPEN DOOR IF STOPPED BY POLICEMAN OPENING YOUR DOOR IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BY POLICEMAN. AS WITH OTHER VOLKSWAGEN MODELS, THIS MODEL HAS MAJOR POWER WINDOW FAILURE WHICH POSSES A SAFETY THREAT BECAUSE OF INABILITY TO OPERATE BOTH FRONT WINDOWS. DT

BOTH POWER WINDOWS FAIL AND WINDOW DEFOGGER DOESN'T WORK. SO WHEN THIS OCCURS I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE OPTION OF ROLLING DOWN MY WINDOWS TO CLEAR THE CAR SO THAT I CAN OPERATE THE VEHICLE. VERY DANGEROUS AND HAS LED TO NEAR ACCIDENTS ON 4 OCCASIONS. DRIVER'S WINDOW COMPLETELY FAILED. MUST TRY TO OPEN DOOR WHILE DRIVING TO CLEAR AIR. MUST TRY AND OPEN DOOR IF STOPPED BY POLICEMAN OPENING YOUR DOOR IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BY POLICEMAN. AS WITH OTHER VOLKSWAGEN MODELS, THIS MODEL HAS MAJOR POWER WINDOW FAILURE WHICH POSSES A SAFETY THREAT BECAUSE OF INABILITY TO OPERATE BOTH FRONT WINDOWS. DT

CONSUMER STATES WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. MR

COMPLETE SHUT DOWN OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN RESULTING IN COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND LIMITED CONTROL OF THE CAR. A SEARCH OF THE WEB INDICATES THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED OCCURANCE. VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NON EXISTENT. AS FOR THE DOOR HANDLE AND WINDOW PROBLEM, AGAIN THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. SO FAR NO ONE HAS LOST THEIR LIFE AT LEAST IN OUR CASE. M. *AK

INTERMITTENT POWER WINDOW FAILURE COULD CAUSE VEHICLE INHABITANTS TO NOT BE ABLE TO ESCAPE IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. *AK

THE IGNITION SWITCH PREMATURELY MALFUNCTIONED DUE TO THE DESIGN WHICH CAUSED THE HEADLGHTS AND THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND THE WINDSHEILD WIPERS TO BECOME INOPERABLE. *AK

VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERINCING ONGOING PROBLEM WITH DAY RUINNING LIGHT/ HEAD LIGHT, HEATER / COOLING SYSTEM WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT OR STOP OPERATING. SOMETIMES IF KEY IS JIGGLED IT WOULD CAUSE IT TO COME BACK ON OR OPERATE AGAIN. ASLO, SPEEDOMETER / ODOMETER FAIL EDTO OPERATE. DEALER NOTIFIED AND REFUSED TO REPAIR UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK

GAUGE CLUSTER AND HVAC CONTROL UNIT BOTH FAILED AT STARTUP. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE CAUSE OF FAILURES. *AK

WINDSHIELD SEALS LEAK.