2002 Volkswagen Passat electrical system problems

“WHILE DRIVING AT 75MPH OR IN CITY TRAFFIC I GET AN ALARM WARNING THAT MY DRIVER'S DOOR IS OPEN. TO SHUT THE LOUD WARNING OFF, I MUST OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR WHILE GOING 75MPH OR IN TRAFFIC. EITHER I OPEN THE DOOR WHILE DRIVING OR PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WITH TRAFFIC, I FIND THIS VERY DANGEROUS!!! THIS HAPPENS DAILY THIS IS MY SECOND VW PASSAT THAT THE DOOR LATCH HAS FAILED AND WAS TOLD THIS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH VOLKSWAGENS THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE OF THE DANGERS OF HAVING TO OPEN THE DOOR TO RESET THE LATCH ELECTRICAL SWITCHES THAT ARE DEFECTIVE!!!”

“I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ABOUT 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO INCIDENT TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WITH MY CHILD IN THE CAR AND WITHOUT WARNING OF ANY KIND MY CAR SHUTS OFF AND I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED . I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK TRIED STARTING THE VEHICLE AND IT STARTED RIGHT AWAY . I DROVE VEHICLE HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT . I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM NO ENGINE CODES WHERE PRESENT . I DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR A WEEK AND THIS SAME SCENARIO PLAYED OUT AGAIN I WASN'T DRIVING THE CAR ANY FURTHER AT THIS POINT BECAUSE AGAIN I HAD MY CHILD IN THE CAR AND AGAIN ALSO GOT REAR ENDED . HAD IT TOWED TO A DIFFERENT MECHANIC AND THEY TO WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANY ENGINE CODES OR PROBLEMS . I HAD MY BOYFRIEND DRIVE THE CAR HOME AND IT STALLED ON HIM AT A RED LIGHT . CAR WOULDN'T RESTART SO HE HAD TO PUSH THE VEHICLE ACROSS A LANE OF TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD . WHEN THE CAR COOLED DOWN FOR 2 HOURS IT RESTARTED AND DROVE FINE NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR CODES PRESENT .. AFTER A MONTH OF HEADACHES WITH THE CAR WE DISCOVERS IT WAS A FAULTY ENGINE SPEED SENSOR THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PART TO FAIL WITHOUT…”

“CAR BEEPS AND DISPLAYS THE ABS LIGHT AND THE BRAKE LIGHT. AT FIRST THEY APPEAR AND THEN DISAPPEAR. ON 6/12/2014 THE ABS IS ON EACH TIME I START THE VEHICLE PLUS THE BRAKE LIGHT FLASHES THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE DRIVE. ON TWO OCCURRENCES THE TRACTION CONTROL OFF LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON. THE FEAR IS THAT I HAVE LOST ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL, AND ALSO THAT THE E-BRAKE OR BRAKES WILL ENGAGE WHILE IN MOTION. MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES OF THIS HAVE OCCURRED IN VW PASSAT FORUMS AND MOST SUGGEST TAKING OUT THE ABS MODULE AND HAVING IT REFURBISHED DUE TO A HAIR SENSOR THAT GOES FAULTY ON THE PASSAT. MANY REQUESTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO HAVE THIS PART RECALLED AND FIXED, I AM ADDING MY REQUEST TO THE OTHER PARTIES INVOLVED. *TR”

“IN AUGUST OF 2013, WHILE BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY, I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING. AFTER EXAMINING THE CAR, I DISCOVERED THAT THE PLENUM THAT HOLDS THE BATTERY AND BRAKE BOOSTER WAS NEARLY FILLED WITH RAIN WATER. IT WAS NECESSARY FOR ME TO REMOVE ONE OF THE DUCK-BILLED DRAIN PLUGS IN THE PLENUM AS ALL WERE CLOGGED WITH DEBRIS, PREVENTING WATER FROM DRAINING OUT. THE FLOODED PLENUM APPEARS TO HAVE RESULTED IN WATER BEING DRAWN THROUGH THE VACUUM LINES WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE. THIS, IN TURN, CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WATER TO BE DRAWN INTO THE CRANKCASE. WATER WAS ALSO DRAWN INTO THE CYLINDERS RESULTING IN MISFIRING. AFTER REMOVING AT LEAST ONE DRAIN PLUG IN THE PLENUM FOR PROPER DRAINAGE, AND DOUBLE FLUSHING THE CONTAMINATED OIL IN THE CRANKCASE, I EXPERIENCED NO FURTHER BRAKING PROBLEMS UNTIL FREEZING WEATHER IN NOVEMBER 2013. IN NOVEMBER, WHILE BRAKING NEAR THE BOTTOM OF A HILL, I AGAIN EXPERIENCED A HARD PEDAL WITH NO DEPRESSION AND ALMOST NO BRAKING ABILITY, RESULTING IN THE CAR GOING INTO THE INTERSECTION BEFORE FULLY STOPPING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. TWO WEEKS LATER, THERE WAS AGAIN THE SYMPTOM OF A HARD…”

“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. *TR”

“I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2002 VW PASSAT 1.8T/AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WITH 97,500 MILES WHICH HAD UNDERDASH ELECTRICAL FIRE WHILE RUNNING THE CAR AND NOW IS A TOTAL LOSS. THE CAR WAS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION PRIOR TO THE EVENTS. ELECTRICAL UNDERDASH FIRE STARTED VERY FAST WITH SMOKE COMING FROM DRIVER VENT. AFTER SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET APPEARS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AN NOT MANY PEOPLE REALLY REPORT THE CAR FIRE. *TR”