2001 Volkswagen Passat: water leaks into the cabin

Filed Feb 27, 2013 · Engine · 155,000 miles · WA

My car has been leaking coolant. I took it to a shop and was informed that the heater core was bad. I have had to replace the inside computer already and probably all the carpet since the water has been leaking into the car. I suffer from asthma and can no longer drive this car since it smells like coolant/mold and not to mention water leaking on my foot as I drive (very unsafe since the pedal gets slippery.) I have read online on many sites that there was a recall regarding this matter and the owners were never notified. I need this fixed before something bad happens; either I get into an accident or I end up in the hospital. Thank you very much for getting back to me and getting this matter fixed promptly.

Filed Jun 5, 2009 · Body · 75,000 miles · NY

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen passat. In rainy weather conditions, water enters the floor on the rear passenger side of the vehicle. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that water entered through the ducts that distribute heat. The cause of the failure was unknown. The failure mileage was 75,000 and current mileage was 99,000.

Filed May 8, 2009 · Body · 88,647 miles · VA

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen passat. The contact noticed that the floor carpet behind the driver's seat became damp during rainy conditions. She took the vehicle to the dealer for another recall issue and they repaired the water leakage for free. However, the failure still occurred and the dealer charged $196 for the second repair. The manufacturer has not been notified. The current mileage was 89,210 and failure mileage was 88,647.

Filed Sep 26, 2008 · Electrical, Engine · 36,000 miles · CA

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volkswagen passat. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the "stop vehicle do not drive", and oil pressure warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The indicators remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and they repaired the engine. The previous repair required the vehicle to remain at the dealer for one month. On three separate occasions, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for identical failures, but there were no resolutions. In addition, during rainy weather conditions, five inches of water leaked onto the front passenger side floor panel. There was electrical failure due to the water leakage that caused gear component damage. Recently, the contact received a recall notice that consists of installation of a drainage filter and fuel system component repair. The vehicle has not been repaired for these malfunctions. The federal safety agency campaign id number was unknown. The failure mileage was 36,000 and current mileage was 85,000.

Filed Apr 27, 2007 · Body · 68,800 miles · PA

1) wyncote, pa, april 16, 2007, heavy rain 2) water enters the passenger front and rear floor board. Electronic modules located on the floor and wiring harness damaged. Vw dealer claims to not know how water entered my vechicle. They say that they have never seen the problem. Vw corporate suggests that if I had brought my car in to the dealer for oil changes the dealer would have cleared debris from drain holes as part of regular service. Without revealing my conversation with corporate I ask the dealer if they do any cleaning of debris at any point on the car during an oil change service and they told me that they don't. Research online reveals hundreds and hundreds of people telling my story. I have also found info on a class action suit being formed for those who again tell my exact story. 3) vw of america refuses to pay for any part of my damages. I have recieved no reason from the dealer for the failure and assume that I am in for the same during the next heavy rain.

Filed Jun 16, 2006 · Body · 67,000 miles · MA

Hi, I have a vw passat 2001.5 sedan. I recently have notcied that water enters into the rear passenger floor when it rains. I hear that the problem is noticed by a number of fellow passat owners on various forums. I have learnt that water can damage previous electronics and can be very expensive to fix. I feel that there is a design problem here with the vw passat that allows water into the car when it should be kept out. I strongly hope vw would recall the vehicle to fix this problem. -- aravind.

Filed Jan 11, 2006 · Airbags, Transmission · 21,300 miles · NY

2001 volkswagen passat low mileage of 21,000 miles. Normally garaged and maintained according to schedule. After rain, found an inch of water in rear passenger floor. Transmission non-functional, air bag warning light and other warning lights on. Dealer said the pollen filter seal was no good and that water leaked in and destroyed the transmission control unit which is located in the floor behind the passenger seat. Cost of repair in excess of $3,100. Vw refuses to compensate in any way because warranty was only for two years. Transmission and power train are covered for 5 years, but vw says the failure was due to "outside influence". I have read many accounts on the internet from many angry owners of similar problems where leaks from this seal have caused catastrophic repairs. The service manager at the vw dealer told me that checking the pollen filter seal is not part of any regular maintenance and that in order to check it, you'd need to disassemble quite a few things in the engine compartment. When I asked him how an owner could possibly know if the seal needed replacement and he replied "you found out how". I am clearly not alone in having experienced a failure from a part that is not in any way maintainable (the pollen filter seal) and that has caused major damage to the car. I feel this is a consumer issue and that this is a design defect in the passat that vw should compensate owners for. There is no way for an owner to be able to avoid this situation -- it is not a matter of maintenance. It got to do with the passat leaking water and the location of an extremely expensive component in the rear passenger floor, the area where any water that leaks migrates to. If this failure had occurred during driving, I might have had an accident.

Filed Aug 18, 2005 · Transmission · 33,152 miles · OH

Lack of power when pressing the accelerator may have caused an accident, pulling out in traffic. This was due to water leak in pollen filter box (cracked) which affected the shift lock solenoid, affecting the transmission control module.

Filed Jan 29, 2004 · Body · 54,000 miles · NY

Water leak due to vehicle design flaw.

Filed Oct 24, 2003 · Engine · 40,100 miles · VA

My 2001 volkswagen (vw) passat experienced a problem that is well documented in the volkswagen passat user community as frequently occurring and confirmed by vw service technicians as a problem seen often. My service technician reported seeing this problem about 4 times a month. The car contains a pollen filter. The seal around the pollen filter failed. When the seal fails, water comes into the car around the passenger side footwell, flooding both the from and rear of the car, and, in our case requiring about $600 worth of repair. Reported consequences of water coming into the car, include (1) subsequent failure of the instrument lighting n the center console, making the audio, ventilation, anti-slip override and emergency flashers more difficult to access at night; (2) failure of either the airbag triggering mechanism or the airbag warning light, owner cannot distinguish; (3) and failure of the central locking system (doors and trunk -- locked doors cannot be unlocked from outside.) this problem occurs when the car gets wet -- for example when driving in the rain -- and results in failure of systems related to interior lights, electrical components, airbags, and locks -- all critical for safety in either normal or emergency situations. Volkswagen has denied my request for financial relief from the repair costs I incurred fixing the failure of the pollen filter seal in my 2001 passat.