Passat Door Lock Failure: Central System Dead at 106k

Had this exact issue on a 2015 Passat GTE Hybrid. The flickering door sensor light pointed to what seemed like a door switch problem, but it turned out to be more complex. The root cause was a damaged wiring harness between the door and body, where the cables flex when opening/closing the door. The constant movement had worn through the protective sleeve, causing intermittent contact signals to the central locking system. The automatic locks would out of nowhere trigger or fail completely, similar to your symptoms. The door latch itself was fine, but the electrical connections were compromised. The car alarm would also activate unexpectedly due to faulty sensor readings. The repair required replacing the complete door wiring harness assembly. This was definitely a serious repair that needed specialized diagnostic equipment to properly identify the failing circuit. These problems typically start with occasional glitches before developing into complete system failure. Would recommend having it checked soon, as deteriorating electrical connections can affect other door-mounted components like windows and mirrors over time.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Just went through this with my VW and the wiring harness fix solved it completely. Quick question, do you remember roughly what the repair cost in your case? Also curious if you noticed any other door-related issues popping up since getting it fixed? My car alarm kept going off out of nowhere before the repair but wondering if you experienced anything similar in the long run with your vehicle doors.

Had mine repaired a few months back, the total bill came to 95€ for fixing the faulty door contact wiring. The mechanic found a damaged plug connection that was causing the intermittent door sensor signals. Since the repair, everything has worked perfectly. The car alarm stopped its unusual activations completely, and the door switch readings have been stable. No more flickering warning lights or false signals from the door sensors. The central locking has been reliable with no issues since then. Worth mentioning that catching these electrical problems early likely prevented damage to other door latch components or the main control module. When door sensor circuits start failing, they can cause cascading issues with other systems. Have put about 15000km on the car since the fix without any door-related problems returning. The original symptoms never came back, so it seems the wiring repair was the right solution.

I finally sorted out my door lock problems. Took the car to a shop specializing in electrical issues and their diagnostic confirmed what others mentioned, a failing wiring harness was the culprit. The repair bill came to 850€, which included replacing the complete door wiring harness and recalibrating the door latch sensors. More than I hoped but less than I feared after seeing the damage to the wires. They showed me where the automatic locks wiring had worn through from constant door movement. The exposed wires were causing all sorts of electrical gremlins, including those unusual car alarm triggers that were driving me crazy. Been about 3 weeks since the fix. All door functions are working perfectly now, no more flickering lights, false alarms, or lock failures. Glad I got it sorted before winter. The peace of mind was worth the cost.