VW Caddy Sound System Goes Completely Dead

Having some experience with car audio systems, I faced a very similar sound system issue with my 2018 VW Golf. The symptoms were identical, complete radio silence despite the head unit appearing to function normally. No audio output through any source, Bluetooth, auxiliary input, or radio. After several attempts to reset the system, I took it to a workshop where they diagnosed a failed bass speaker that had caused a short in the audio system. This triggered a safety cutoff, preventing any sound output across all speakers. The complete audio connectivity was restored after replacing the defective speaker and resetting the system. The repair included: Full audio system diagnostic, Bass speaker replacement, System reset and testing, Total cost: 280€ To help troubleshoot your specific case, could you share: Did this happen suddenly or gradually? Are there any error messages on the display? Have you recently had any electrical work done on the car? Can you hear any slight buzzing from the speakers when adjusting volume? These details would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced or if it might be something different in your Caddy's sound system.

Last serviced at 33846km and experiencing this audio system failure right after. After checking the basic fuses and connections, I noticed something peculiar about the sound distortion just before the complete radio silence occurred. There was a brief crackling noise followed by total sound failure. I suspect it might be similar to your situation. The sudden failure and complete loss of sound quality across all inputs points to a system-wide issue rather than an individual speaker problem. Did the workshop mention if there was any visible damage to the wiring harness when they did the repair? My main concern is whether this could be covered under the factory audio system warranty since my VW is still relatively new.

Thanks for those additional details. The symptoms you describe match my Golf's issue almost exactly, especially that crackling noise before total failure. The workshop found no visible damage to the wiring harness during my repair, which was good news since harness issues are typically more complex and expensive to fix. In my case, the failed bass speaker caused a chain reaction in the sound system electronics. The crackling you mentioned is particularly telling, it was the same last sound I heard before losing all audio output. The volume control still responded on the display, but the safety cutoff had been triggered. Regarding warranty coverage, my repair wasnt covered since my vehicle was out of warranty, but your 2020 Caddy should still be under the factory warranty if youre within the time and mileage limits. The service timing is interesting, sometimes electrical connections can be disturbed during routine maintenance. A few quick checks you can try with the USB audio and auxiliary input: Test if headphone output works through the auxiliary port, Check if the system recognizes when you plug in USB devices, Listen very carefully for any tiny sounds when adjusting volume control If these tests show no response, its likely the same system-wide protection circuit activation I experienced. Would strongly suggest having the dealer check it under warranty rather than an independent shop at this point.

Thanks for sharing all those details about the workshop diagnosis. My next step will be taking it to the dealer since the warranty should still be active. The timing with the recent service does seem suspicious, and those crackling sounds match exactly what I experienced. I tried your suggested tests, no headphone output through aux, though USB devices are still being recognized by the system. Volume control adjustments produce absolutely no sound, not even a faint buzz. This complete radio silence across all inputs definitely points to the same system-wide protection issue you encountered. Will book it in with the dealer this week and specifically mention the failed speaker/safety cutoff scenario you described. Between the crackling noise before failure and the total loss of sound quality across all audio sources, it seems too similar to be coincidence. Will update once I get the official diagnosis and confirm if it was indeed a speaker causing the whole system shutdown.