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2002 Volkswagen Passat transmission problems

25 complaints (4% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 65,253. 2 crashes reported.

owner complaints
25
of this car's complaints
4%
typical mileage
65,253
crashes
2
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Automatic transmission
    6
  • Driveline: constant velocity joint
    5
  • Axle assembly: axle shaft: seal
    2
  • Axle assembly
    2
  • Manual transmission
    1
  • Driveline: universal joint
    1
  • Driveline: driveshaft
    1
  • Driveline: differential unit
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Volkswagen Passat transmission problems in other years

1990199520002005201020152022

Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Volkswagen Passat transmission

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Jerking 11

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2002 Volkswagen Passat owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Feb 14, 2019 · Body, Engine · 200,000 miles · WA

When it rains the car gets flooded causing the whole wiring system through the car to get damage. The car will suddenly lose power and die as your driving. Seems to happen. When on highway most. The car will not start or crank. I've had to vacuum the floor boards and trunk, search for damaged wires, change relays as well as camshaft position sensor, and fuel pump.as well as sensors. Trying to get it running again. Also the transmission jerks very hard when trying to go into reverse and most of the time in slips out of gear within1or 2 seconds.

Filed Feb 11, 2016 · Engine, Fuel system · 116,470 miles · CA

I started my car and proceeded to drive down around city streets for about 5 minutes. I was going speed limit(25-30 MPH) during a cool night(60*f). I stopped at a red light and then my temperature gauge spiked(car was slightly below normal temperature prior(190*f; according to gauge); this gauge spike was followed by a battery indicator light which simultaneously cut off my engine. My car became immobile and I lost brake and steering function. However, my radio and car lights still worked! Luckily there was no surrounding cars and my parking brake was functional. I then turned off the car, waited a few minutes and attempted to turn over the engine once more. It did start however I am worried this may happen again under less forgiving circumstances.

Filed Mar 1, 2012 · Brakes, Transmission · WA

Torque converter failed. The ABS module is bad. 02 sensors are bad.

Filed Sep 7, 2010 · Transmission · 101,000 miles · IN

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH and making a left turn, the rear axle broke causing the vehicle to fall onto the ground. The vehicle was unable to be driven; therefore, the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic. The contact was informed that no repairs could be made until the vehicle was inspected by the manufacturer. The contact stated that the rear axle could have caused a major crash. The failure mileage was 101,000.

Filed Feb 7, 2010 · Brakes, Transmission · 66,000 miles · VA

About 9 months ago I was caught in a heavy rainstorm with my 2002 passat 1.8t. Water flooded the battery compartment due to drainage hole located under the battery clogged with leaf debris. All power (steering, brakes, etc.) was lost and car stalled out on the highway. Now the car's brakes are malfunctioning in freezing weather. The brake pedal sticks to the floor at times; other times the pedal is very hard and must be stomped on to stop the car. I cannot use the car under these circumstances as it is too dangerous. Vw dealership confirmed diagnosis of problem as resulting from freezing water in brake booster. I reported the problem to vw customer care. They refuse to reimburse me for the dealer's $1600 fee to replace the booster, booster lines and vacuum pump. Why hasn't the federal safety agency forced vw to issue a recall as I've discovered there have been numerous other similar complaints? Vw's stance on this was that the problem would be noticed in the driveway or at low speeds and therefore doesn't pose a safety hazard. This is totally unacceptable as temperatures can change quickly during a journey. Why has the federal safety agency backed down in the face of such a lame response? I will never again buy another vw car since their vaulted safety reputation is not deserved and their customer service stinks.

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 Jul 7, 2008 · Transmission · 49,000 miles · CA

My car has suddenly started to downshift on it's own , RPM's will also continue to increase when taking foot off accelerator, and then suddenly when attempting to accelerate from a stop the car will not react at all for several seconds and then rapidly surges forward uncontrollably. This all in conjunction with a continued complaint of a burning smell from my central dashboard vent. ( this burning was supposed to have been remedied by a recent recall. The mechanic and service advisor were able to duplicate this , but it was deemed normal and without duplication by the head mechanic. The service manager later investigated this and decided a new catalytic converter may remedy the situation. This has not helped and the car continues to react inconsistently with sudden downshifting while accelerating and then sudden rapid acceleration surges forward which seem very unsafe when negotiating busy city streets. My car has only 49,000 miles on it!

Filed Mar 12, 2008 · Transmission · 101,630 miles · GA

3 1/2 months after purchasing my 2002 vw passat, I was driving on the highway went my oil pressure light came on with a grinding noise and the computer advised me to shut down my engine immediately. I though my oil was low since I missed my last oil change and was planning on getting one done that weekend and added more oil to my car. The problem never went away and I had to tow my car to the vw dealer (heritage vw). I was charged $1178 for a desludge because the warranty was no good since my oil changed was overdue. After the desludge my check engine light came on and the dealer told me that my timing was off and would require me to pay another $1100 to repair the problem. I removed my car from their shop because I did not have this issue when I brought my car to the dealer and now I have to pay to repair, their error. I would like vw to pay for their faulty engineering or poor workmanship, since the sludge buildup seems to be a defect and not a maintenance issue has they claim.

Filed Sep 14, 2007 · Body, Transmission · 45,540 miles · TX

2002 passat began thumping and lurching while in motion and while idling. Check engine light came on. Acceleration was abnormally slow. Three inches of standing water appeared in right rear footwell. Dealer informed me acceleration problem was due to water in TCM. Tcm short circuited and then powertrain dropped. Water damage was due to leaking pollen filter seal, which was subject to p9 recall. Car was past warranty on time, but not miles. They fixed pollen filter seal and told me they couldn't do anything about the $4,000-$5000 damage from the leaking water. The car is not safe to drive. My car is parked outside. We had several rainy days in the week before the problem. The service manager suggested I must have left the window open. I contacted vw corp and they suggested I take it to a dealer for repair at my own expense.

Filed Aug 10, 2007 · Transmission · 52,000 miles · CA

Had to replace both cv boots with less than 55,000 miles on car.

Questions about the 2002 Volkswagen Passat transmission

Does the 2002 Volkswagen Passat have transmission problems?

Owners have filed 25 complaints about the transmission of the 2002 Volkswagen Passat, 4% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2002 Volkswagen Passat transmission problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 65,253 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2002 Volkswagen Passat transmission?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Volkswagen Passat have bad transmission?

The Volkswagen Passat model years with the most transmission complaints are 2006 (47 complaints), 2004 (38 complaints) and 2014 (37 complaints).

Other 2002 Volkswagen Passat problems

Electrical 220Engine 148Fuel system 73Brakes 72Lights 33Body 30Visibility 27Acceleration 16Suspension 16Seats 15Tires 13Airbags 11Locks 6Seat belts 5Driver assistance 2Wheels 2Steering 1

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