2001 Volkswagen Passat Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) Problems

“01 vw Passat heater core. It doesn't put out enough heat to clear the windshield from fogging up or defrosting it either. This is an on going problem in the colder months. It's very difficult to see where I'm driving at times. There has been occasion where I've driven off the edge of the road because I could not see clearly. I had the heater core cleaned thoroughly and back flushed. Still the problem persists.”

“Windshield wipers do not work on rainy days making it difficult to see out the windshield. A lady hit my car on the right side collapsing that side along the doors and some of the rear and the air bag did not deploy. I put my feet on accelerator for speed and the car refuses to respond. The more I accelerate the slower the car goes.”

“Heater core failed, causing sudden and substantial loss of visibility in rush hour traffic. Interiors of all windows were severely fogged with coolant mist. I was forced to make an emergency stop to avoid an accident. Aware that vw has frequently replaced this known deficient component out of warranty, I contacted vw of america three times. I was consistently told that I would receive no help. Cost of heater core replacement at dealership was $1600.”

“I am the original owner of a 2001 Volkswagen new Passat. The headlight lenses that came with the car have clouded so much that the headlights barely illuminate the road. This is a dangerous situation and they need to be replaced. I have spoken with other Passat owners from the similar years and they have experienced the same issue. I believe vw should be forced to issue a recall on the headlight lenses, and offer to replace them for free. Who knows how many accidents have occurred because the owners of these vehicles are not seeing the road well at night. …”

“For the third time in 6.5 months, the rear passenger window on my 2001 Volkswagen Passat wagon has shattered. The previous two occurrences were reported earlier. This time the car was parked in the parking lot at work and the window was open a few inches. Upon returning to my car after work around noon, I found the window shattered again and shards of glass all over the inside of the car. After the previous incident, the Volkswagen representative indicated that there was not a defect in the car. He felt that outside influences caused the problem. …”