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

103,735

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.

3,410

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 4,078 nationwide Passat listings starting at $1,000.

ZIP:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

2012 Volkswagen Passat

Review another car

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Deathjam4
    Reputation
    4,470
  • #2
    Chrisand Edwards
    Reputation
    2,660
  • #3
    tenspeed
    Reputation
    2,420
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Volkswagen Jetta
685 Great Deals out of 13,750 listings starting at $1,100
Used Honda Accord
1,563 Great Deals out of 30,435 listings starting at $1,200
Used Toyota Camry
2,181 Great Deals out of 44,793 listings starting at $950
Used Volkswagen Tiguan
1,007 Great Deals out of 32,397 listings starting at $1,650
Used Honda Civic
1,317 Great Deals out of 26,519 listings starting at $997
Used Volkswagen CC
32 Great Deals out of 422 listings starting at $1,796
Used Nissan Altima
1,561 Great Deals out of 36,651 listings starting at $995
Used Volkswagen Jetta GLI
50 Great Deals out of 1,790 listings starting at $5,500
Used Chevrolet Malibu
1,031 Great Deals out of 24,484 listings starting at $1,500
Used Audi A4
334 Great Deals out of 4,215 listings starting at $1,495
Used Jeep Grand Cherokee
2,397 Great Deals out of 50,559 listings starting at $1,796
Used Volkswagen Golf
77 Great Deals out of 865 listings starting at $3,376
Used Audi A6
217 Great Deals out of 3,262 listings starting at $1,999

Used Cars for Sale

2022 Volkswagen Passat For Sale
30 Great Deals out of 334 listings starting at $13,990
2021 Volkswagen Passat For Sale
36 Great Deals out of 460 listings starting at $9,999
2020 Volkswagen Passat For Sale
17 Great Deals out of 319 listings starting at $7,873
2019 Volkswagen Passat For Sale
13 Great Deals out of 111 listings starting at $8,499
2018 Volkswagen Passat For Sale
29 Great Deals out of 404 listings starting at $5,500

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.