05/01/2019 car had a dead battery---charge over night still would not start---had the car towed to auto shop--upon arrival with key on approx. 15 min drive--smoke started billowing---disconnected battery---drivers side seat warmer completely melted--mechanic says unit pulling 30 amps--there was a previous recall--not sure if totally corrected--donot want to replace immediately--please advise
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 35 mph, the heated seat was activated and within two minutes, the seat was unbearably hot and burned a hole through the contact's pants. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 117,000.
We were just leaving our friends house it was approx. 6am in morning little cold out so i turned on the seat warmers which is always nice touch to warm you up on those cold mornings, anyhow about 4-5minutes after seat warmers were turned on passenger side where i was sitting got rather warm and then hot and then actually start smoking and flames came out there was fire right under my bottom. i freaked out jumped out of seat ..i was yelling fire fire fire you could smell plastic burning as it was smoking and burning.my boyfriend poured water on and smothered out the fire with his jacket i'm a bit leary of the car because i don't feel its safe. i had my boyfriend unplug harness under seat and now my air bag warning default light and bell stay on. i am shocked to see several other complaints regarding this issue and that vw people haven't addressed this. i feel this car is a death trap.very unhappy with this vehicle.
On sept 20 2013 my wife showed me a spring that came from under the drivers seat . ironically the next day the airbag light came on and wont go off . about a month later a 2nd spring appeared in the floorboard .car will not pass inspection . vw really needs to address this . *tr
When i turn my heated seat on the driver's side past level 1, there is one spot on the seat that gets painfully hot. i usually turn the heat off at that point. today i was so cold that i didn't want to turn the seat off, so i put my hand between the seat and my leg. when i took my hand out, it smelled like smoke. i called volkswagen, and they don't have any recall on these seats. i thought they might make a concession since it is a possible safety issue, but they wouldn't do anything for me. *tr
Heater stopped working and blew cold air. brought car into vw dealer be serviced. heating system was flushed with cleaner. a couple of days after "repair," car was driven with the passenger seat heater on and a 1 1/4" hole burnt through seat exposing burnt heating element and burnt foam. heater stopped working a couple of weeks after above "repair." returned to dealer to redo repair and requested the seat heater and seat upholstery leather replaced. told that it would cost $1000.00 and that it would be the owner's responsibility. clearly the seat heaters on this car model are defective given all the complaints and prior recalls. vw replaced the driver's seat heater with a recall...which leads to the obvious question: "why weren't the passenger side seat recalled as well?" was this a calculation on the part of vw corporate....that the cost of replacing the driver seats through a recall was less that the liability due to burns/accidents/loss of life...but the cost of replacing the passenger seats through a recall was calculated to be more than the liability there? this does not smell good. class action suit seems appropriate. *kb
Heated seat coils overheated and burnt seat on driver side. 1 year after recall was done by [xxx] vw brockton ma, they told me the heaters in the seat are no longer under warranty and told me to call vw usa with my problem, information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 55 mph with the heated seat engaged, the contact felt a burning sensation coming through the seat. the vehicle was pulled over and the contact noticed there was a burned hole through the front driver seat as well as a burn to his pants. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed nor repaired. the failure and current mileage was 54,000.
2003 volkswagen passat wagon with cloth heated seats. while using heated seat option, felt burning on right leg. found seat heater had melted right bolster of seat cushion. *tr
Tl*the contact owns 2003 volkswagen passat. the buttons used to adjust the heated seats have malfunctioned and feel as if they are shocking the driver when they are engaged. the leather around the coils has melted a hole in the drivers seat. although, the contact has not turned the heated seats on the coil continued to smoke and become heated while driving. the failure mileage was 79000 and the current mileage was 79200.
The driver's side seat heater in my 2003 vw passat is a potential fire hazard. i noticed what looked like a cigarette burn on the left seat bolster (i do not smoke). the following day, i smelled something burning in the cabin. when i got out of the car, there was a second burn hole about a half inch from the first hole. i have stopped using the heater, but it is a potential fire hazard. *tr
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen passat. while driving at an unknown speed with the heated seat feature activated, the contact noticed that the heater burned through the seat and through his clothing. his leg was burned. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the heated seat motor needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 102,500.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 45 mph on normal road conditions, the driver's heated seat control module was activated. a high voltage of heat penetrated through the bottom of the seat and smoke suddenly appeared. the driver deactivated the heated seat control module. he burned his finger on the seat. the authorized dealer was notified of the malfunction. the manufacturer's customer satisfaction campaign m2 was referenced. the free remedy consisted of installing a repair kit for the heated seat. the remedy was performed on the vehicle in 2005; however, it was insufficient and did not prevent future failure. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 76,900 and current mileage was 77,000.
Vehicle was hit from the rear by another vehicle. drivers seat slid all the way forward in its tracks and the seat back collapsed all the way flat. seat integrity should be maintained in this type of incident. *tr
Turned on driver side heater to level 3. felt a burning on the left side of the seat and smelled a burning odor aprox 30 seconds after starting car. stopped car and found a small hole burned through the seat on the left rear side. m2 recall had already been checked at the dealer. *tr
The car seat heater (driver's side) burned through the fabric, leaving 1 inch hole in the seat. there was no injury. this happened with normal use of the heater. *tr
The seat heater in my 2003 passat gls burnt my leg on the lowest setting. it also melting a hole in the cloth interior and discolored other spots. at this point it has not been replaced so the seat is available to look at. *tr
Defect with the driver side heating coil in the seat - today during a 5 minute drive i began to smell something burning on the interior of my car and felt a burning sensation on my leg. i immediately stopped the car and turned it off to investigate. upon existing the vehicle i saw burning embers on the seat and a 1/4" hole. i was forced to smother out the fire. i have since turned off the heaters and refuse to use them until the problem is rectified. *tr
At approximately 9:35 pm, november 29, 2007, i entered my 2003 vw passat and started the engine. the air temperature showed 39 degreesf so i switched on the control for the heated seat on the driver's side to high. approximately 10 minutes after starting the car it smelled like something was burning. i am a non-smoker. it became apparent that the smell was from inside the car and i began to evaluate possible sources for a fire since the smell seemed too close to be coming from the engine compartment. i began to feel around the seat since i knew the seat warmer was on and suddenly realized that an area under my left thigh was hot. further investigation, with my hand, revealed that my coat felt burned or melted and the seat was extremely hot to the touch. i immediately turned off the seat heater. the area seemed to cool off slightly so i continued home - about a 10 minute drive. after arriving home i checked the seat and my coat. the seat was still warm to the touch 25 minutes after the switch had been turned off. there is a hole in the leather seat approximately 0.5 inches in diameter, with flecks of black soot around the edges, about 4.75 inches from the back of the seat and 2.5 inches in from the left side of the seat. my coat has an area approximately 0.5 inches in diameter that is either melted or the seat is melted onto my coat. the incident will be reported to the local volkswagen dealer on 30 november 2007. *tr
Normal operation of automobile, drivers side seat heater placed on setting level 2. fire began within the drivers side seat and burnt a quarter size hole through the fabric of the seat. *tr
I had taken my car to the dealer to replace a fuel pump. when the car was returned to me there was a hole burned into the driver side seat. the rep at the dealer said the seat warmer in the driver side seat had burned completely through the seat. he had seen it happen before. but my seat warmer was not on at the time. i don't need to use it in southern california weather. the problem will need to be fixed but the manufacturer should be made to cover the cost. *jb
The seat heater that comes with this model car, shorted out while i driving the car. it burnt through the leather seat, my trousers and burnt my wallet. at no time was there an open flame. if it wasn't for my wallet, i probably would have been burnt. if my pants were flamable, i would have had a major problem. the volkswagen dealer will replace the defective, driver side , heated seat at no charge.*ak
Driver's side seat heater burned hole through seat cover. burn through could have resulted in personal burn, however, i stopped prior to any injury. dealer is considering replacement of all damaged parts. *nm
While pulling out of my garage this morning, i smelled something burning. i exited my vehicle and noticed my front heated seat burned through the fabric and caught fire (small flame). i had to put it out with my hand. afterwards, i noticed the seat sparking. i called the dealership and they said to bring it in for review by the service manager. it was on the 2nd setting and also burned on my jacket. *jb
Tl*- while the contact was driving the vehicle with the seat warmer on, in a 2003 volkswagon passat, it burned a hole on the front driver seat. the contact had a slight burn on her coat and had to shut the vehicle off completely and kept the seat warmer on zero in order for the seat not to continue to burn. the contact currently has vehicle at dealership. the current and failure mileage were both 60543 miles.
Drivers side seat heater shorted out and burned a hole in seat cover. seat was dry and tempeture set at low. *nm
Was using the heated drivers seat as i was driving down the highway in cold weather. the seat began to overheat, caught on fire, burned a hole in my pants, and burned through the padding and seat fabric in my 2003 vw passat. i quickly turned off the seat and pulled off the highway as soon as possible, and put out the smoldering seat. the seat, padding, heating elements, and my pants are completely ruined. *jb
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph, a burning smell was noticed and the driver seat was hot. the contact noticed two holes were burned in the seat. the dealer was notified.
My driver seat started on fire while driving. i was lucky to have had a can of soda on hand to pour on it because the flames were coming from deep inside the interior of the foam padding inside the seat. i was not injured, but based on the size of the flames, could have easily lost my entire car if i had not been on a slow road (able to stop quickly) and douse it with something wet. i noticed that the seat warmer was on so immediately shut it off. several days later i turned the warmer back on to see what would happen - within 60 seconds smoke and sparks were visible from the hole caused by the original fire. there were real flames and my car was full of smoke. had i not been able to put them out quickly and had my children strapped into their car seats at the time this complaint would probably be a death notice. *jb
2003 volkswagen passat v6 (heated seats)- heating element burned hole in leather seats while driving vehicle! had to pull over to side of road as the seat became very hot and started to scorch my pants. despite a number of recalls (and complaints filed by others- many listed on the nhtsa site) for both passats and jettas, volkswagen of north america refuses to pick up the cost of the $1100. repair (or any of the cost for that matter) because they insist my vin is outside of the range of vehicles affected and my vehicle is out of warranty. there is clearly a safety problem here and vw knows it. they say a different heating element was used in my car so it isn't part of the recall. who cares which element was used? it still resulted in the same problem- a burned seat. *jb
2003 vw passat driver leather seat caught on fire while operating car. it burned through the seat & scorched/damaged my coat. fortunately, i was only driving a few blocks & had pulled into a parking lot. i contacted vw consumer relations & was shocked at the response. it seemed routine to the manager. they "may give me the replacement value of my coat if it needs to be replaced". i was told that a car would be given to me to drive at no charge while mine is being repaired. i explained that i do not feel safe to drive my car with an electrical malfunction under me and i was told that a tow would be provided at no charge. i will hold vw responsible the repair/replacement of the front seats & warmer electrical system, the costs of a rental or loaner car while mine is in repair, the cost to replace any damaged clothing, & any other costs associated with the incident yet to be determined. it is very upsetting to me to think that i was sitting on a fire while operating my car. what if my coat caught on fire??? i drive a very busy interstate to & from work. it was fortunate that i was on my lunch break driving a very short distance & not driving home. *jb
Driver's side car seat started smoldering then flames appeared. turned off car seat heater and extinguished with water. *jb
Dt*: the contact stated after 15 minutes with the driver side seat heater on, the seat began to smoke and then smoldered. the vehicle was driven home and was turned off. the driver sustained minor injuries. the vehicle had not been seen by a mechanic.
I had just began leaving a supermarket parking lot when i felt a burning sensation on my left upper thigh. i reached down to determine why and then smelled something burning. looking down, i saw a burn hole in the driver seat, left side, toward the back of the seat. it looked like a cigarette burn. i immediately turned the seat heater off, which was on 3, pulled over and extinguished the smoldering with my hand. the dealers initial response was that my car was out of warranty but they would see if it could still be covered at no charge. i'm waiting on a response. this seems to be a relatively common failure based on the complaints that have been filed and is definitely a safety issue. *jb
Dt*: the contact stated the front driver seat's heater element burned through the seat and caught the contacts clothes on fire. the contact sustained burns to the legs. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer. updated 12/01/06. *jb
The heated drivers leather seat element burned through the leather and burned a hole in my pants. i felt the burn and got out of the car, and turned off the seat heater. i was parked in my driveway waiting for the windows to defrost. the car is a 2003 vw passat 1.8t. i called a vw dealer, and they said to bring it in for inspection. *nm
2003 vw passat heated seat burnt through the leather. i had burnt sensations while driving and smelled burning..very scary and dangerous. good thing i was quick thinking and turned off the heated seat immediately. *nm
While my husband was driving our 2003 awd passat wagon with myself and two children in the car, the driver seat caught on fire. at the time it caught fire, the heated seat was on setting 3 for no more than 5 minutes. luckily, my husband was able to pull off the road, exit the vehicle, and turn off the heated seat before he was burned and/or a large fire erupted. *nm
I turned on the driver's heated seats when i felt them hotter than usual, seconds later i smelled something burning and then i saw smoke coming up from the left side by my seat. i jumped out of the car and found flames visible coming from inside the seat. i put the fire out. i called the dealership and they are supposed to fix it. *nm
Use of driver's side seat heater created burning sensation in the region of my left hip and scent of singed/burning material arose from the seat. the seat heater was immediately turned off, however a burning smell persisted for 3-5 minutes. i have use this feature in the same vehicle without incident for 2.5 years prior to this occurrence. *jb
My 2003 volkswagen passat has a seat warmer. one morning, it began to burn on my leg; i noticed the leather in one corner was melting. one of the wires for the seat heater was malfunctioning and pressing against the seat. i notified my local dealer and vw of america. they were unwilling to fix the problem because the car was no longer under warranty, even though it was only three years old. it seems to me that this is not only a defect, but also a safety hazard. *jb
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at 20mph, the seat warmer started smoking although, no flames were visible. the vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and the ignition was turned off. the contact noticed a hole in the seat from where the smoke was coming from. the vehicle was towed to the dealership where proper repairs were made.
Heated seat in car malfunctioned and burned a hole in the seat. no injury occurred, but if left unattended this could be a fire or safety hazard. *nm
The heated seats in my 2003 vw passat had a malfunction and burned through the cushioning and pants that i was wearing. looks like a large cigarette hole on the left side of my front driver seat. *nm
While driving with heated seats on, noticed burning in my left thigh. smelled smoke, burned my index finger in smoldering hole in seat. turned off heater and noted just light smoke. vw says it was a recall item, but i never received notice (original owner). they will replace it. *jb
On the morning of nov. 18, 2005, i was driving my 2003 volkswagen passat though my neighborhood. it was a cold morning, so i had the driver-side seat warmer activated at level 4 (highest setting is 5). after several minutes, i noticed the smell of something burning. at first i discounted it as merely the smell of the car's heater or something external. but i soon felt excessive heat on my buttocks and stopped the car, leaving it running. when i got out and looked at the seat, there was a smoldering hole about one-quarter of an inch in diameter on the back-left surface of the leather seat. the seat warmer unit had burned a hole though the seat surface and, were it not for my wool pants, could have burned my skin. i immediately took the vehicle to the service department of my local dealer, gossett volkswagen. the service assistant told me this problem was not uncommon and that it the heating element and seat would be replaced at no charge. however, because some of the necessary parts had to be ordered, i will take the vehicle back to the dealer at a later date. the service assistant instructed me not to use the seat warmer feature in the interim. while i am concerned about the obvious equipment failure, i am more concerned that such an event could ignite the seat cover, the driver's clothing or other combustible items, possibly causing an accident and/or bodily harm. *nm
I recently was notified of volkswagen's customer satisfaction campaign m2 concerning seat heaters for 2002-2003 vw passats. i have had less than an adequate response from both the dealer and the vw customer care center. you can download a copy of the original letter from vw from my ftp server using the following link: <ftp://public:[email protected]/vw%20m2/vw%20m2%20letter.pdf> you can download a copy of my response to vw using the following link: <ftp://public:[email protected]/vw%20m2/campaign%20m2%20response%20--%2020051110.pdf> if you cannot access either file, please contact me so that i can determine an alternate method to send the information to nhtsa -- this form limited size to 2,000 characters. *jb
Dt: the contact stated the driver's seat burned the contact's leg while using the seat heater. also, she pulled the muscles in her back and hip when she jumped out of the vehicle. the vehicle is at the dealership being repaired. she is concerned that the same type of seat is being used to replace the current seat. *ak
While driving, i turned on the driver's seat warmer to position 5, within 1 minute, i smelled something burning, smoke was rising from my seat, i felt a hot burning sensation under my left upper thigh and realized the seat warmer was on fire. i stopped the car, turned off the seat warmer. the seat warmer burned through my leather seat and left damage about the size of a quarter. contacted local vw dealer (martens volkswagen, bethesda, md) was asked to bring car in immediately, electrical system checked, seat warmer disconnected, driver's seat will be replaced. *jb
After turning on driver's side seat heater to 5, within 2 minutes noticed burning smell, felt hot burning sensation on left buttock and smelled and saw smoke. one centimeter burn hole in seat. terrible burning smell in car. turned off seat heaters immediately, seat smoked for 10 more minutes. *nm