Door Won't Open

[iaint]

My front passenger side door no longer opens from the outside. The inside handle works perfectly and I've tried locking/unlocking the doors using the key fob and the interior central locking switch to see if anything made a difference and it won't budge.

I've also tried listening to the door to see if I can hear it unlocking to determine if it's the lock or the handle and I really can't tell.

Has anyone else experienced this and more importantly does anyone know if it's a quick fix. The garage can't fit me in until the backend of the week and it's a bit of a pain having a door which won't open.

Cheers
Iain

[iaint]

Just as follow on from my initial post yesterday. I managed to have a play last night but no joy, however I can tell that the door is definitely unlocking but the handle seems light when pulled, it's almost as though it has become disconnected from the door opening mechanism.

I assume it will require the interior door to be stripped back in order to have a look at the back of the handle to make sure something hasn't either broken or come away.

I suppose therefore it's better left for the dealer to sort under warranty, I won't have chance to do much else before the weekend anyway.

Cheers
Iain

[jewjew24]

I had the same fault and the handle also felt light when pulled, as a service was imminent I just got into the habit of opening it from the inside when required. About 4 weeks later the car went in for a service and I told the dealer about the fault but when I picked up the car they said the door worked ok & sure enough it did work!!!!

[jockblue]

OP- did you have this fixed in the end - my rear offside door has become stuck as well, and I don't know if there's a quick and easy fix or whether I have to take it to a dealer - the local dealer tends to be booked up very quickly!

Cheers
jb

[iaint]

Yes, it's now all sorted. The offical explaination was that the door cable was sticking, the offending part was changed under warranty and now all is well.

Due to the reason given by the garage I wouldn't imagine a quick fix would be possible, at least if your fault is the same as mine.

Cheers
Iain

[jockblue]

Yes, it's now all sorted. The offical explaination was that the door cable was sticking, the offending part was changed under warranty and now all is well.

Due to the reason given by the garage I wouldn't imagine a quick fix would be possible, at least if your fault is the same as mine.

Cheers
Iain

Thanks Iain. I'll book it in. Suspect it's not going to be covered by actory warranty now though as two and a half years old, but hopefully the retailer warranty will kick in....

Thanks
jb

[djsky]

Just as a passing comment... If you have problems like this, and have Volkswagen Assistance... they have been more than happy to come out and solve problems like this for me in the past.

I once changed the rear door handle myself, got in a right pickle, ended up twisting the cables over inside the door, and called VW assist who got it sorted for me in moments.

[Allonetie]

I've had the same problem on and off ever since I got the Passat in April 06, dealer says they can't find anything wrong - typical and expected response! Last time it happened was after I parked with nearside front wheel on a high kerb and then it fixed it's self after I did an emergencey stop. Happened again yesterday and still won't open from outside tonight. I'd like to drive the pile of junk into a brick wall or river that'll either fix the problem, kill me or let me claim on insurance and buy an A6. Any other good ideas would be considered

[iaint]

Any other good ideas would be considered

I have found that printing out pages from this very forum and presenting them when handing over the car have helped dealers find solutions to faults which they have had difficulty recreating in the workshop.

It may be worth a try.
Iain

[Quatrelle]

I've had the same problem on and off ever since I got the Passat in April 06, dealer says they can't find anything wrong - typical and expected response! Last time it happened was after I parked with nearside front wheel on a high kerb and then it fixed it's self after I did an emergencey stop. Happened again yesterday and still won't open from outside tonight. I'd like to drive the pile of junk into a brick wall or river that'll either fix the problem, kill me or let me claim on insurance and buy an A6. Any other good ideas would be considered

If you've had that many problems you would have done better to bypass your rubbish 'dealer', involve Trading Standards and VW UK and reject the car. I'd write to VW anyway, and certainly try another dealer - reading some of the posts on this forum suggests some are good and the rest are frauds.