NHTSA Complaint #10823198 — 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

THIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A FAILURE OF THE HEATER CORE DUE TO CLOGGING. VISIBILITY THROUGH WINDSHIELD WAS RESTRICTED DUE TO HEAVY FOGGING AND POOR DEFROSTER PERFORMANCE OVER SEVERAL MONTHS. CLEANING OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS NO HELP. THE FOGGING WOULD COME AND GO DURING VEHICLE OPERATION AND WAS HEAVY AT TIMES. DIAGNOSIS TOOK SOME TIME DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING ONLY A FEW YEARS OLD. GENERALLY A 3 YEAR OLD, WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE WILL NOT HAVE A CLOGGED HEATER CORE. THE GRADUAL DIMINUTION OF HEAT DUE TO THE PROGRESSIVE CLOGGING CAUSED THE LACK OF FULL HEAT NOT TO BE APPARENT IN THE SPRING AND FALL MONTHS HOWEVER HEAVY FOGGING OCCURED DURING THESE SEASONS. IT WAS NOT UNTIL WINTER THAT THE LACK OF HEAT AND DEFROST WAS APPARENT. AFTER REPLACEMENT OF THE HEATER CORE ASSEMBLY THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED.