2012 VW Passat - Frozen Doors

Asked by jhowe14850 Dec 09, 2014 at 07:42 AM about the 2012 Volkswagen Passat S

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Had my driver side door freeze up the other day (19F deg) and had to open the door
from the inside since I was able to get in on the passenger side. When I pulled the
drivers side handle from the inside it felt different, like there was more play in the
lever, not as tight as it normally is. I was able to get the door open, but now the driver
side door won't lock. When I us the remote to lock the doors the red light will flash
rapidly then go solid, but the door is still not locked. All the other doors lock. I've tried
some deicer and opening and shutting the door numerous times. Any ideas????

5 Answers

102,485

You will have to remove the driver door panel and see what let loose on the inside. I'm guessing one of the clips that hold the door rods together fell off when you forced the handle. If you are not mechanically inclined, you may want to bring it to a shop. Door problems can be a real pain. I have had to replace several door handles on Camrys, and it's quite a job.

3,260

It sounds like some moisture got into the lock mechanism and froze. Your actions might have pulled the rod to open the mechanism, but with the mechanism frozen, its probably stuck open, so it won't release internally properly any more to close and lock the door. It could also be the mechanism itself has gone bad. If you can get another cheap from a used parts store, or new, then have it handy when you open the door and see what happened inside and you don't have to repeat the work a few more times to fix it. It's common on older vehicles. Good luck.

I just had this happen to mine, could you tell me how you were able to fix it. I'd really prefer not to have to take it to the dealership.

Your Answer:

Passat

Looking for a Used Passat in your area?

CarGurus has 502 nationwide Passat listings starting at $3,500.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Deathjam4
    Reputation
    4,460
  • #2
    Chrisand Edwards
    Reputation
    2,630
  • #3
    tenspeed
    Reputation
    2,400
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Volkswagen Jetta
76 Great Deals out of 1,946 listings starting at $2,495
Used Honda Accord
59 Great Deals out of 1,026 listings starting at $2,995
Used Toyota Camry
44 Great Deals out of 1,140 listings starting at $3,900
Used Volkswagen Tiguan
68 Great Deals out of 2,599 listings starting at $3,988
Used Volkswagen CC
35 listings starting at $7,989
Used Honda Civic
190 Great Deals out of 4,208 listings starting at $2,916
Used Volkswagen Jetta GLI
3 Great Deals out of 217 listings starting at $8,990
Used Nissan Altima
32 Great Deals out of 714 listings starting at $654
Used BMW 3 Series
66 Great Deals out of 1,237 listings starting at $3,995
Used Volkswagen Golf
39 Great Deals out of 551 listings starting at $4,495
Used Volkswagen Touareg
90 listings starting at $4,702
Used Volkswagen Golf GTI
23 Great Deals out of 593 listings starting at $6,898
Used Audi A4
25 Great Deals out of 596 listings starting at $1,995
Used Nissan Maxima
15 Great Deals out of 208 listings starting at $3,995

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.