2002 Volkswagen Passat: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Aug 28, 2018 · Fuel system, Lights · 174,000 miles · SC

Headlight pigtails have melted ,fuel pump has gone ,and the plastic reservoir peice from my coolant pump has melted off driver side wiper arm bar has malfunctioned

Filed Nov 16, 2011 · Electrical, Lights · 125,000 miles · WA

I was driving at night and pulled over because my car had no operating tail lights (the headlights and other front lights were working properly). Turning the lights off and then back on solved the problem temporarily, but further testing when I returned home revealed that the tail lights were not always turning on with the rest of the lights. An internet search revealed this is a relatively common problem for these cars and that a failed headlight switch is the culprit. Replacing the switch solved the problem.

Filed Jul 3, 2011 · Visibility · 30,000 miles · CT

2002 vw passat plastic lens cover over the head lights are so filmy, cloudy can hardly see at night..the lens covers have been cloudy for years, I notice lots of cars with cloudy lens cover not just vw...should be safety recall..... Do we wait like we did on no doc loans until we admit we have a problem.........no exact incident but I'm sure they have happened.

Filed Sep 30, 2010 · Lights, Visibility · 55,000 miles · OH

The headlight lens on my passat have become "clouded" over time resulting in reduced brightness from the headlamps and creating an unsafe driving condition at night. In discussing the issue with other passat owners, it's clear that this is a common problem. The reduced brightness has become a true safety hazard over time as visibility at night is severely affected. The lens is actually opaque at this point. Volkswagen denies responsibility as the car is out of warranty.

Filed Oct 14, 2009 · Lights · 60,000 miles · FL

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. For several months he noticed that the headlights were not illuminating properly. The manufacturer stated that he was not experiencing a failure; therefore, they would not repair the vehicle under the warranty. The dealer stated that the plastic cover on the headlight was defected and that the sun's rays caused it to discolor and distort the bulb. The estimated cost for repair was $200.00. The failure mileage was 59,000 and the current mileage was 60,000.

Filed Jul 29, 2009 · Acceleration, Electrical · 500 miles · VA

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that her vehicle was a lemon when she purchased it in 2002. Water enters the vehicle from the sun roof whenever it rains. She received a recall notice, but the vehicle was not repaired according to the recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer more than fifteen times, but it has never been repaired. The failure mileage was 500 miles. Updated 8/24/09 *cn the consumer was told the water leak was coming from the after market speaker. The headlight tail light and fog light bulbs were replaced. The check engine light illuminated and the coolant bottle had a hairline crack. The heat in the vehicle was not working properly. The technician discovered the heater core had a blockage. The water pump was leaking. Both outer cv boots were replaced. There was a large evap leak at the purge valve which was replaced. The cruise control light was on. The right side valve cover gasket was leaking oil and the alternator was replaced. Updated 08/26/09.

Filed Jun 4, 2008 · Lights · 1,000 miles · NY

All headlight bulbs on vehicle do not last long and or do not work correctly directly following installation of new bulbs. Headlight bulbs require replacement weeks and sometimes days following new installation. There is a defect in wiring. Certain times a headlight bulb will work while the car is cold, but go off when the car becomes warm or hot. Dangerous situation for driver of car while driving at night. Roads are difficult to see, road signs are very difficult to read. Other drivers do not see vehicle well in the dark. This defect is with all headlights - daytime running and night driving headlights. This is an ongoing incident concerning each of the headlights and therefore dates do not apply to this defect in wiring.

Filed May 28, 2008 · Lights · 48,000 miles · MD

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. The contact noticed a haze and/or a frosted glaze over his headlights. Over the course of a year, the headlight issue progressively worsened and affected the contact's visibility at night. The dealer and the manufacturer stated that his vehicle was out of warranty, however, the vehicle could be repaired for approximately $700. The current mileage was 55,000 and failure mileage was 48,000. Updated 07/29/08. *lj updated 08/05/08

Filed Oct 17, 2007 · Lights · 35,000 miles · CA · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. The contact noticed that the headlights were not working. She took the vehicle to the dealer and they informed her that the bulbs were burned out and the passenger side headlight harness melted. She searched online and found that this was a common manufacturer defect on older models of her vehicle make, but not for her year. She called the manufacturer and they refused to take responsibility for the defect. The powertrain was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 35,000.

Filed Jul 9, 2007 · Electrical, Lights · 77,000 miles · IA

2002 volkswagen passat, wagon, 4 cyl 2.0 l motor. I had 2 occasions where the wiring harness shorted out on the front headlights, once on the driver's side at 75,000 miles, and once on the passenger's side at 40,000 miles. There was no fire, but in both incidents the wires had completely melted to the wiring harness where the headlights were attached. The wires were completely exposed in both incidents.

Filed Dec 12, 2006 · Lights · 8,150 miles · CA

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 MPH on normal road conditions the head lights failed. No warning light alerted the contact of an electrical problem. The vehicle was taken to the dealership who replaced the bulbs and connectors but did not repair any wiring due to heating. The failure had occurred on two previous occasions but the dealership did not identified the source of the problem to be wiring over heating. The head light failure also occurred between the repairs intermittently creating a safety risk during night driving. The manufacturer was notified who opened a case but there has been no resolution yet.

Filed Nov 12, 2006 · Brakes, Engine · MD

I owned a 2002 vw passat v6 for 2 years. Three times within that time during rainstorms, the engine died and all the electrical equipment, including the power brakes , failed. I have just found out that the air intake for the engine is either near a wheel well or behind a headlight, as is apparently common for sporty cars. The water gets sucked into the engine. Vw charged me $9000 after the second event, blaming it on pine needles in drainage wells. Five days later, I went through a small puddle and it happened again. I sold the car. I think this warrants investigation as a major safety hazard.