NHTSA Complaint #10936050 — 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

DOOR LATCH FREEZES IN COLD WEATHER DUE TO MOISTURE INSIDE THE DOOR AND PREVENTS OPENING OF DOORS. I COULD NOT EXIT MY VEHICLE USING THE DRIVERS DOOR AND HAD TO ENTER AND EXIT THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE. I TOOK THE CAR TO VW DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED AND VERIFIED MY CONCERN. TECHNICIAN NOTED THAT THERE WAS MOISTURE INSIDE THE DOOR AND THE DOOR LOCKS WERE FROZEN AND NOT OPERATIONAL. VW INSTALLED NEW DOOR LATCH, CABLES AND BUTYL TAPE TO PREVENT MOISTURE ENTERING THE LATCH MECHANISM. I HAVE A FRIEND WITH 2013 PASSAT AND HE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM MULTIPLE TIMES AND MENTIONED THIS TO HIS SERVICE ADVISOR, HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO VERIFY HIS CONCERN BECAUSE LOCKS WERE OPERATIONAL EACH TIME HE CAME BACK TO THE SERVICE CENTER. WHILE BROWSING THE INTERNET FOR SIMILAR SYMPTOMS I HAVE FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN COLD WEATHER. PLEASE SEE LINKS BELOW. FIRST LINK IS MY PERSONAL VIDEO THAT I TOOK BEFORE TAKING THE VEHICLE FOR SERVICE. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=AMWYC2LEDPM NHTSA ##10056454 - DESCRIPTION: VOLKSWAGEN: THE EXTERIOR HANDLE ON FRONT DOOR IS VERY HARD TO OPEN DUE TO VARIOUS CLIMATE OR TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE LOCK OPERATION AND MAY REQUIRE MORE OF AN EFFORT TO RELEASE HTTP://FORUMS.VWVORTEX.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?6873439-MY-DOOR-LOCK-FROZE HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=OO0PSIP_10A