lack of rear passenger vents

[oxford_guy]

Is this a deal-breaker, particularly for SEL buyers who are looking at somewhere around $32,000 or more?

The less expensive Hyundai Sonata Hybrid has, for instance, two vents for rear passengers that offer strong air. And, they are directional -- so passengers can point them where they want the air to go.

 

[99Jet]

If the car was larger and had 3 rows, it would be a factor. My last car (B class) didn't have rear vents. Nobody noticed or complained.

 

[AstroEng]

The kids can just shut up and look out the window.

 

[20IndigoBlue02]

On the B6 Passat... the rear vents are practically useless.

The path it travels, is quite convoluted and long.

if the rear vents had an auxilary fan, then it would be great. Me and my friends test drove a Ford Taurus... those rear vents are great because it had a fan to push the rear through.

 

[snakeye]

Do the vents that blow air from under the front seats count? If a car doesn't have any of those I consider it a joke.

 

[wutbürger]

They are utterly useless in my Golf- just point the front middle vents to the back of the car if it's that unbearable for the 1-2 minutes it takes for the cabin to cool off

 

[abctdi]

+1, what he said ^

 

[oxford_guy]

A noticeable amount of air comes out of the Golf rear vents. While that amount can be classified as "practically useless" when compared to a really good system like what is used in the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, it is a lot more than what's available in the longer vent-less Passat.

Plus, the Golf has cloth seats. Imagine being in a black/black Passat in 100 degree heat with no vents in the rear. So much for the virtue of the audio system since everything will be drowned by noisy fans in the front. This is low-rent aesthetically.

 

[verylongdrive]

Here in the South, quite a bit of any car trip in the summer with anybody in the backseat is spent with some of the front vents directed to the rear - either with the fan set to high, or, if there's a front passenger and the fan soon has to be turned down, several vents aimed to the rear for a longer time.

We're buying our first new car in a long time (incidentally, in the family of the car being replaced, only the much more expensive top version had rear vents, and I never spent the $$$ and effort to retrofit).

The few other cars we're looking at all have rear vents. We've now dropped the Sonata from consideration (the "snazzy" styling has already gotten old, without even owning one...), but a Chrysler 300, for somewhat less than TDI/DSG money, is still an alternative.

Given how much cheap interior luxury has come along since the last time we bought a new car, if I'm going to spend new-car money, I really don't want to compromise on something like this which affects the comfort of every trip that much.

The only reason the lack of rear vents isn't a deal breaker is that I feel able to retrofit it in some manner, and hopefully soon.

 

[abctdi]

but a Chrysler 300, for somewhat less than TDI/DSG money, is still an alternative.

You get what you pay for...if you are lucky. Do you feel lucky?
The new mopars look really good, but there beauty is really only skin deep. They've been that way for a long time now.

 

[MyAvocation]

Latest rumor is rear console vents being added for 2nd production cycle, but not the 1st (sorry early adopters... not too late to renegotiate). Some folks feel the correction is due to complaints and lackluster pre-orders, which I don't agree with. Thus far orders are in-line and thus discounting is almost nill.

The only logical explanation for this is parts availability, as odd as it seems. Even with an on-going decontenting orgy, I can't see VW purposefully building a midsize sedan without rear vents -- an the little ******** on the floor don't count where AC is concerned. Just my SWAG.

 

[rhpot1991]

Latest rumor is rear console vents being added for 2nd production cycle, but not the 1st (sorry early adopters... not too late to renegotiate). Some folks feel the correction is due to complaints and lackluster pre-orders, which I don't agree with. Thus far orders are in-line and thus discounting is almost nill.

The only logical explanation for this is parts availability, as odd as it seems. Even with an on-going decontenting orgy, I can't see VW purposefully building a midsize sedan without rear vents -- an the little ******** on the floor don't count where AC is concerned. Just my SWAG.

I'm wondering if this could possibly be true, or just a rumor started by a single dealer which then spread through these forums.

My dealer apparently dropped the ball on my preorder, so now I am currently faced between waiting for it to be built or seeing if they can bring in the car from another dealer and adding the accessories later. I would like to get the car now rather than later, but will be sad if they add vents at a later point. I can't find any other reference to them adding vents online, and I would think that some real media would have picked up on it by now.

 

[verylongdrive]

I'm wondering if this could possibly be true, or just a rumor started by a single dealer which then spread through these forums.
...
adding the accessories later.

The only source of the adding-vents info is one post here quoting a dealer. I guess everybody here (incl. me) is just very optimistic; until somebody extracts info straight from VW (dealers are far too often wrong; the VW online chat people admit to knowing nothing beyond the brochure + a few details, so they'd be useless on a 'future' item like this) it really is just a dealer-based rumour.

As far as adding things later is concerned, there is a big question about whether a car without a certain option or feature is prepared for it: Do the production cars still have the Auto Show car's yellow-rear-turn-signal wiring? Do the model that were to have rearview cameras still have the wiring for it in the trunk lid? What about the cars that weren't ever going to have it? And do they have the wiring into the radio screen, and, more importantly, will the software allow you to display what comes over that wire if you didn't buy the feature from VW? (I don't know what VW will charge for their special single-Japan-supplier camera as a spare part, but it's unlikely to be much different from a $30 module from any reputable electronic device distributor.)

 

[MyAvocation]

It's logical VWoA and dealers would want to keep a vent change quiet. Droves of order cancellations could lead to a panic. For me it's not a deal-breaker, but I'm still scratching my head over the missing vents. Comfortable rear seating is the reason most folks buy mid-sized sedans and ventilation is a key component.

The Chattanooga plant is an opportunity for VWoA to press the reset button on many issues. Franky, they are not off to a good start with missing vents (intentional or not). If adding them ASAP, then at least they're trying.

 

[rhpot1991]

As far as adding things later is concerned, there is a big question about whether a car without a certain option or feature is prepared for it: Do the production cars still have the Auto Show car's yellow-rear-turn-signal wiring? Do the model that were to have rearview cameras still have the wiring for it in the trunk lid? What about the cars that weren't ever going to have it? And do they have the wiring into the radio screen, and, more importantly, will the software allow you to display what comes over that wire if you didn't buy the feature from VW? (I don't know what VW will charge for their special single-Japan-supplier camera as a spare part, but it's unlikely to be much different from a $30 module from any reputable electronic device distributor.)

My dealer didn't have much to offer as far as accessories so we are talking about small things here like a trunk cargo net and splash guards. They were rather secretive about what accessories were available, didn't want to show me paper work that I had, most likely because I had already talked them down from msrp and had a bunch of free accessories thrown in

The bigger question is do I wait for my ono on order (hoping that it comes with rear vents), or get the one from the first shipment (if they can even get it from the other dealer). The lack of any concrete date on what was supposed to be a preorder is the worst part, they just keep giving me the "it could be up to 90 days" line.

 

[rhpot1991]

Well eventually I spoke with a manager at the dealership who told me that he had heard about the rear vents. He said they currently have no idea when they plan on adding them, and it may not be until next model year. He also confirmed that the initial release will not have them as they have been built for some time without them. He is going to check and see if the vehicle they have on order for me would include them or not, so we'll see.

 

[abctdi]

A redesign and implementation would indicate no vents until next MY...

 

[TDICT]

I think this whole conversation about the rear vents is very humorous. What is the big deal. I have rear vents on my JSW TDI and the amount of air that comes out is not enough to blow out a candle (well maybe a small candle). Black car in the heat with the extra open area of the wagon space and the dash vents do just fine.
I have a Ford PSD Excursion and with that size vehicle the rear vents are necessary but they have their own fan and speed control. A VW Passat, even with the added volume will not be a problem keeping the car cool or warm. FAN NOISE...Maybe we are a little too sensitive?

 

[20IndigoBlue02]

Do the production cars still have the Auto Show car's yellow-rear-turn-signal wiring?

nope. the main red lights are the turn signals

A redesign and implementation would indicate no vents until next MY...

redesign not necessary .... the Chinese nms passat has rear vents

 

[abctdi]

I think import fees from China would be too high...

 

[aja8888]

I think rear vents are only good if you have no rear (side) windows in the car. Besides, I sit in the front seat, left side at all times.

 

[Tom Kassab]

I will let you guys know what mine comes with as far as rear vents - VIN was issued day before yesterday. I'm also planning on installing a rear backup camera and will let you know how that goes as well. My brother is getting ready to install one on his 2012 JSW. I still have not figured out which camera I'm going to go with. Any suggestions?

 

[TDICT]

I will let you guys know what mine comes with as far as rear vents - VIN was issued day before yesterday. I'm also planning on installing a rear backup camera and will let you know how that goes as well. My brother is getting ready to install one on his 2012 JSW. I still have not figured out which camera I'm going to go with. Any suggestions?

Is the rear camera a VW part or after market. If it is factory will it work like the CC with the flip up VW emblem? If after market where does the camera go?

 

[heykw]

Rear vents would be nice in my neck of the woods.

 

[TDICT]

FYI, The 2012 Passat SEL and maybe all models have vents under the driver and passenger seats facing aft that heat or cool the rear compartment.The digital controls on the dash allow you to direct the air flow and you can set it so that more than one button/switch can be active at a time. I have tried them on my 2012 Passat and they move a lot of air, more than the center console vent on my 2009 JSW TDI did.

 

[abctdi]

Really? How did the rumor of no rear vents start?
I guess this whole thread may become moot...

 

[TDICT]

Well my guess is someone looked at the rear of the console and did not see the vents there and assumed there was no rear passenger compartment ventilation. It is there. I looked, saw, turned on the fan and air blows out. Seems like there was a lot of noise made for nothing. I hope anyone who would not buy this car for the lack of vents did not make a huge mistake and buy another brand (without a diesel)

 

[verylongdrive]

Really? How did the rumor of no rear vents start?
I guess this whole thread may become moot...

There are no console vents, and the ever-changing always-self-contradicting spec lists on the VW website made no mention of any vents until a few weeks ago, at which point I went to the local dealer to check.

The rear floor vents get fed from the front floor vents only, like on cars of the past where they were added as an afterthought. This is fine for heating season (though being able to regulate output or warm your hands would be nice), but in hot weather, you'd have to freeze the front passengers' feet, while only achieving a chilling of the rear passengers' feet and lower legs.

Lacking are console-mounted adjustable rear vents fed independently from the front outlet selection - a cheap enough feature to implement from scratch, and silly to exclude if the basis for the car you're designing already has them (the basis is the longer-and-cheaper-for-China Passat; "designed with Americans in mind" is an afterthought).

That's why "no rear vents". The only rumor here is the one about eventually adding the vents back. That'll happen right around the time they cease to make sweaty-back upholstery mandatory with a TDI.

 

[abctdi]

The only rumor here is the one about eventually adding the vents back. That'll happen right around the time they cease to make sweaty-back upholstery mandatory with a TDI.

By 'sweaty-back' do you mean leather and pleather?
I still prefer the cloth seats in my passat.
I and my passengers could live with the kind of vents the new one has...

 

[TDICT]

No sweaty back in my SEL. The leather with the inserts are comfortable, they breath and inserts help keep the driver from sliding. The vent issue is a non issue. The floor vents are controlled by the dash selector and you can have the upper vents and lower vents on at the same time.
The vents I had on my JSW worked only when the front vents were on and the fan speed was controlled from the dash. Unlike a large SUV that has a separate temp and fan speed control. The way it is done on the 2012 Passat is fine. We are not talking about a huge area back there.