2003 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Volkswagen › Passat Wagon › 2003
These records cover every 2003 Volkswagen Passat Wagon. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
3 complaints1 involved a fire1 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system
When in motion car died while driving
- Electrical system · Seats
My front driver seat warmer was turned on low. I could feel the seat getting warmer and checked to be sure the setting was not on high which it wasn't. I thought maybe I was being sensitive and stuck my mitten under my thigh. I then noticed a funny smell and suddenly things got very hot and…
My front driver seat warmer was turned on low. I could feel the seat getting warmer and checked to be sure the setting was not on high which it wasn't. I thought maybe I was being sensitive and stuck my mitten under my thigh. I then noticed a funny smell and suddenly things got very hot and started to burn my leg as I was driving. I looked down and actually started to see smoke. I was not able to just pull over but quickly turned the seat off. I pulled out my mitten and fleece was actually melted. I was a block or two from work and tried to keep from sitting completely down as it burned. I arrived and jumped out to see a blackened area and hole in my seat!! The car was smelling and I am still in shock over this. I have looked and can't find a recall on the seat. This IS very disturbing and dangerous. This should not happen no matter how old the car IS.
- Fuel/propulsion system
TL* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen passat wagon. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, she noticed a leak from the fuel system. The leak was noticed on two separate occasions. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was…
TL* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen passat wagon. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, she noticed a leak from the fuel system. The leak was noticed on two separate occasions. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The contact stated that the vehicle was not repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 02v026000 (fuel system, gasoline). The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10253215Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10253214Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10253213Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10252204Air Conditioning Does not Operate
- 10243034VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10243011VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242998VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242997VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242996VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242995VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242399VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242375VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242372VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242349VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242336VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242335VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10242333VW Elsa Newsletter
- 10241340Engine Oils Which Meet Volkswagen Oil Quality Standard VW 502 00/505 00/505 01 and VW 504 00/507 00
- 10241339Oil Consumption Measurement
- 10241335Oil Consumption Measurement
- 10241333Oil Consumption Measurement
- 10241311Gasoline Quality
- 10241310Software Version Management
- 10241266Squeaks, Rattles, Noise, Repair Materials
- 10241265Fuel Additive to Help Prevent Sporadic Misfire Faults
- 10241177Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards
- 10239831Battery, Testing and Charging Using Midtronics VAS6161, MCR340V, InCharge 940, or GRX3000 Charger
- 10239789To detect which line(s) is inoperative, utilize a volt meter to check for 0 V, which will be present after the open in the grid line. The check must be performed with the engine running and heated rear window switched on. Switch OFF the ignition and visually locate the damage. Proceed with checking any other lines as necessary. Once the damaged line is identified, repair utilizing the Repair kit by Permatex ITEM 09117.
- 10239592Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10239591Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10239590Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation
- 10239541Air Conditioning, Cleaning of the Refrigerant Circuit (U.S.Only)
- 10239534HVAC, Unpleasant Odor
- 10239533HVAC, Unpleasant Odor
- 10239532HVAC, Unpleasant Odor
- 10239403If key blade is found to stick or bind when opening or closing, check position of roll pin that secures key blade to mechanism. If roll pin is sticking out on either side (as shown below), do not replace key. Instead, use appropriate sized punch and hammer to drive in the roll pin so that it is flush with edge of mechanism.
- 10239270Volkswagen Warranty Policies and Procedures ? April 2014
- 10239262In SAGA, the time units for the Volkswagen DoubleCheck labor operation were reduced in error from 50 time units to 30 time units during the system update posted on July 4th.
- 10238972The use of tire dressing gives your tires that shiny finish that completes the image of a clean (new) vehicle. There are many different tire dressing products available. When choosing a product please pay close attention to its contents. Always use a water based product.
- 10238960To clear static ECM fault P1250 ?Fuel Level Too Low?, add fuel to vehicle and complete a road test of at least 10 miles. Simply adding fuel without completing a road test may not allow fault to clear.
Every Volkswagen Passat Wagon model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.