One problem related to universal joint has been reported for the 2002 Volkswagen Passat. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2002 Volkswagen Passat based on all problems reported for the 2002 Passat.
My 2002 Passat has had the turbo replaced twice, the comfort control module replaced twice, and numerous other recalls. Thursday, 10/7/04 my car was at the dealer to replace the comfort control module for the second time. I drove home (8 miles, low speed). The next morning while driving to a meeting I noticed a strong petroleum smell, I thought it was the truck ahead of me. Sunday 10/10/04 I noticed spots on the side of my car, and after crawling under it I noticed that my cv joint boot had split. This is after 67000 miles. I feel that this is very premature and think that vw should absorb the cost for repair. I am currently fighting with vw for this correction.