1999 Volkswagen Passat Wipers & Visibility Problems

DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW FELL PARTIALLY INTO THE DOOR WHILE OPERATING WINDOW POWER CONTROL DURING DRIVING OPERATION ON HIGHWAY. UPON REACHING THE DESTINATION AND TOUCHING THE WINDOW POWER CONTROL, THE WINDOW COMPLETELY FELL DOWN INTO THE DOOR. THIS EVENT IS THE SECOND TIME IT'S HAPPENED ON THIS VEHICLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING HE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN HE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW AND THE ENTIRE WINDOW FELL OFF TRACK INSIDE THE DOOR. THE CONTACT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE THE WINDOW WITH THE AUTOMATIC SWITCH AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 110,000.

1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WINDOWS FALL DOWN DUE TO DEFECTIVE PLASTIC CLIPS BREAKING THAT NORMALLY HOLD THEM IN PLACE. WINDOWS FALL DOWN INTO DOORS DISTRACTING DRIVERS ATTENTION FROM ROAD AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. DRIVER SECURITY IS NOT ASSURED WHEN DOOR IS LOCKED DUE TO THIS COMMON DEFECT. VW IS AWARE OF THIS COMPLAINT AND FIXED ON SOME JETTAS BUT NOT PASSATS. NOR WILL THEY MAKE AVAILABLE A REPLACEMENT PLASTIC CLIPS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IF YOU WANT THIS FIXED YOU MUST BUY THE ENTIRE WINDOW REGULATOR RATHER THAN THE SINGLE PLASTIC CLIPS THAT APPARENTLY BECOME BRITTLE WITH AGE AND FAIL. *TR

PASSENGER POWER WINDOW REGULATOR DESIGNED WITH PLASTIC CLIPS CAUSING WINDOW TO FALL IN THE DOOR. CLIPS NOT AVAILABLE AT DEALER. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO BUY THE ENTIRE WINDOW REGULATOR @ $120.00... *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WHEN MY PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW FELL DOWN INTO THE DOOR. THE IS THE SECOND TIME FOR THIS WINDOW AND THE FOURTH TIME OVERALL. EVERYTIME ITS BEEN THE WINDOW REGULATOR. THIS COST ME $392 EVERYTIME. I DRIVE MY CAR ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED FOUR TIMES WHEN I HAVE LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON MY CAR. I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM BUT WHO DO WE COMPLAIN TO? AND WHEN WE DO IT FALLS ON DEAF EARS. I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. ALSO MY CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK AND THEY WANT ME TO SPEND ANOTHER $300+ TO PUT A NEW TURN SIGNAL IN. ALSO, MY PASSENGER SIDE, SIDE AIRBAG HARNESS AND AIRBAG ITSELF ARE BAD. THEY WANT AT LEAST $600 TO FIX IT. I HAVE A 1999 PASSAT WITH 55,000 MILES AND IT'S A MONEY PIT ! PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR

AFTER HEAVY RAINS THIS PAST WEEK, MY 99 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT HAS FLOODED TWICE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, FRONT AND BACK. AFTER RESEARCHING, I FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM CAME FROM CLOGGED SUN ROOF DRAINS. I WET VACUUMED OUT 3 GALLONS OF WATER FROM THE CAR. THIS PROBLEM IS ALSO CAUSED BY CLOGGED POLLEN FILTERS. THERE IS NO MENTION OF EITHER OF THE PROBLEMS IN THE MANUAL. VW SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS PROBLEM/DEFECT IN THEIR CARS. I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM CONSUMERS ON THE SAME ISSUE (WWW.HTTP://WWW.THEAUTOBAHN.COM/FORUM AND WWW.PASSATWORLD.COM). THIS FLOODING PROBLEM IS CAUSING TRANSMISSION CONTROL PROBLEMS LEADING TO THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS. VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD BE MADE TO PAY! *NM

CONSUMER COMPLAINT REGARDING FAULTY WINDOW REGULATORS. *TS THE CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDOW REGULATORS TWICE. *JB

WINDSHIELD WIPER ASSEMBLY ON DRIVERS SIDE BROKE AND POPPED OUT OF BODY. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CONTROL LINKAGE FROM THE MOTOR BROKE AND PUSHED THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER OUT. THE WIPER BLADE IS TWO TO THREE INCHES OFF THE WINDOW. THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER IS ALSO NOT FUNCTIONING. *AK

POWER WINDOW MOTOR (RIGHT SIDE PASSENGER) FAILED.*JB

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING THE WINDSHIELD WIPER WILL WORK INTERMITTENTLY AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO SEE DURING RAINY WEATHER. DEALER NOTIFIED TS

CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH POWER WINDOWS. MY FAMILY WAS DRIVING WITH BOTH PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS DOWN. (FRONT AND REAR). WHEN I PUSHED THE DRIVER CONTROL TO RAISE THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW, THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW ALSO RAISED AT THE SAME TIME, CRUSHING MY WIFES ARM. THIS PHENOMENON IS REPEATABLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO WORK WHEN IT IS RAINING, DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE WIPER MOTOR, THE WIPER MOTOR WAS REPLACED. *SLC

RIGHT REAR POWER WINDOW MECHANISM WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY (2 YEARS/20,000 MILES) TWICE. ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO (CAR ONE MONTH OUT OF WARRANTY) LEFT REAR WINDOW MECHANISM FAILED. TODAY RIGHT REAR WINDOW MECHANISM FAILED. I DRIVE CAR 99% OF TIME. NO ONE IN BACK SEAT, SO NO KIDS PLAYING, ETC. THE REAR POWER WINDOWS APPEAR TO HAVE A DESIGN DEFECT. OF COURSE, THE CAR IS NOW 3-4 MONTHS & 2,370 PAST TWO YEAR/20,000 MILE WARRANTY. I REQUEST THAT THESE REPAIRS BE COVERED BY MAUFACTURER AS THE PROBLEMS FIRST OCCURRRED BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND CONTINUE. APPEARS TO BE DESIGN DEFECT. WINDOWS WIL ONLY RETRACT 1" AND THEN FAIL.*AK

THE CONSUMER HEARS A WHISTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE MOON ROOF WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NLM

THE WIPERS ARE NOT CLEARING THE WINDSHIELD BECAUSE THEY ARE WORN AND WEATHER CRACKED. NLM

REAR VIEW PASSENGER SIDE MIRRORS ARE TOO SMALL AND INADEQUATE CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO BLIND SPOTS. MJS

REAR VIEW PASSENGER SIDE MIRRORS ARE TOO SMALL AND INADEQUATE CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO BLIND SPOTS. MJS

REAR VIEW PASSENGER SIDE MIRRORS ARE TOO SMALL AND INADEQUATE CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO BLIND SPOTS. MJS

PASSENGER'S RIGHT SIDE REARVIEW MIRROR IS TOO SMALL TO SEE VEHICLES. THE BLIND SPOT HAS BROADENED WITH THIS MIRROR. DEALER SAYS CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE DESIGN. *AK

FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT ON AN EXTREMELY HOT DAY. VEHICLE DESIGN USES A FRAMELESS GLASS WINDSHIELD WHICH I BELIEVE DOES NOT ADEQUATELY SUPPORT GLASS, THEREBY RESULTING IN WINDSHIELD STRESS CRACKS WHICH OBSCURE OUTWARD VISIBILITY AND PRESENT SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. REQUEST NHTSA INVESTIGATE VOLKSWAGEN'S USE OF FRAMELESS WINDSHIELD GLASS AND DETERMINE IF THERE IS AN UNUSUALLY HIGH INCIDENCE OF WINDSHIELD FAILURE IN VOLKSWAGEN (AND COMPANION AUDI) VEHICLES. *AK

WINDSHIELD IS OPTICALLY DISTORTED. *AK

ANY TIME THE HEATER IS USED THERE IS A BURNT CARAMEL ODOR. I SUSPECT THIS IS A COOLANT /HEATER CORE LEAK CAUSING THE PROBLEM. *AK

INTERIOR MAP LIGHT AND SUN ROOF SWITCH FAILED. MJS