2004 Volkswagen Passat seats problems

Filed Feb 11, 2021 · Seats · 160,000 miles · MN

A coil for heated seats has melted a hole in the driver's side seat. This caused pain and confusion while driving on the highway. The seat now has an ugly melted hole in it.

Filed Nov 6, 2020 · Seats · 132,400 miles · NY · 1 injury

While driving on a highway, the driver seat suddenly overheated (the seat warmer was turned on). It started with a burning smell. Excessive heat burned my leg a bit (some skin redness), before I realized what is happening and turned the seat warmer off. The seat leather now appears stiff and wrinkled (not soft and smooth like the rest of the leather) in the area where I felt the heat.

Filed Mar 25, 2020 · Fuel system, Seats · 195,000 miles · RI

The car stalled in the road. Pulled over. Turned the car off and it would not restart full tank of gas.

Filed Oct 20, 2019 · Seats · NJ

My car 2004 vw passat almost gett on fire front passander seat have start to burn but was ok after I shutt off the car after that now I can drive but the seat its demaged

Filed Nov 8, 2016 · Seats · 170,000 miles · CA

My car was part of a recall because the drivers side seat heater was overheating and melting through the seat. I took my car in for the recall and this issue should have been resolved. But yesterday I had that exact issue - within 4 to 5 minutes of turning on my drivers side seat heater it burned/melted through the seat and burned me.

Filed Jan 6, 2014 · Seats · 123,000 miles · CA

Heated seats on driver side stopped working only to find seat had smoldered a fire beneath me! Was there a recall on these seats!?

Filed Dec 28, 2013 · Electrical, Seats · IL · fire

The seat warmer on the driver's side started a fire that burnt through the seat and onto my leg. I had to pull over on the highway and turn off the car for it to stop burning.

Filed Feb 28, 2013 · Seats · 101,938 miles · CA · fire · 1 injury

While driving my vehicle, the driver's seat caught fire causing a hole to be burnt through the leather seats caused scorching to pants and a minor burn to the buttocks. A moderate amount of smoke was seen coming from the burning seat and filled the interior of the car. I immediately turned off the seat warmer, pulled the vehicle over, and turned off the engine. The seat continued to smoke profusely; I smothered the fire and contacted my local vw dealership immediately. The local dealership advised me to contact vw of america; the entire process has been a complete hassle and I am now without a vehicle while vw of america "investigates" the issue. My two young children and I were in the vehicle at the time; they became extremely upset and scared. Fortunately, this incident happened prior to my getting on the freeway (I commute 45 minutes each way for school). Had my seat caught fire while driving at highway speeds in heavy traffic I don't know that I would be alive to write this complaint. Words cannot describe the surprise and panic I felt when the seat began to burn me; to call this a safety hazard would be a gross understatement. This malfunction/defect is one that has the potential to cause great bodily harm and/or death should it happen under the above stated circumstances (highway driving, highway speeds, and heavy traffic). It is my opinion that a recall should be made to protect additional consumers from this hazard. I am extremely upset with vw and the seemingly casual attitude regarding this issue; as a consumer I feel vw has a duty to ensure the safety of their consumers-a seat that can catch fire at any time is a breach of that duty. I feel that some warning, at the very least, should have been issued to the consumer pertaining to this issue.

Filed Mar 17, 2012 · Electrical, Seats · 85,400 miles · IL · fire

I had been driving my car for fewer than 15 minutes with the seat heating element on. I noticed an acute burning heat near my upper left leg, and shortly thereafter noticed a hot/burning/melting smell. I immediately turned off the driver's side seat and pulled into a parking spot. After being turned off for 10 minutes, the burning smell was still hanging in the car and my seat was still extremely hot to the touch. The gray leather near the outer left edge of the seating surface is emblazoned with a singed, brownish burn mark, and a hole was burned completely through the leather. I have not turned on the seat heating element since this incident, but am quite concerned about the failure and fire hazard.

Filed Dec 27, 2010 · Seats · VA

Heated seat coils overheated and burnt seat on driver side.