Water in Trunk: Causes & Solutions

Hello colleagues,

'Recently, I've been experiencing water inside the tailgate (of my Passat TDI Variant, manufactured in 1999, 115 hp) after rain or after going through a car wash. When I open the tailgate, the water then drips out from the trim and into the interior. Has anyone else experienced a similar problem, and do you know what the possible cause might be?'

Best regards, Stephan.

Perhaps it's only happening after using the wash water for the rear hatch?

Then the hose to the splash guard is probably defective...
It's best to remove the trim from the lid and take a look!

The alternatives would be either a detached hose connector in the line leading towards the tailgate, or a detached hose directly on the wiper motor.

This sometimes happens when the rear wiper's nozzle has been running for a while. The water then runs onto the tailgate lock and can potentially damage the contact. This can lead to a false alarm from the vehicle's alarm system, and often also causes problems with the central locking system.

Hello colleagues,
I will check it, but I don't think it's a leaking hose. If it were, it would smell/taste like windshield washer fluid. However, it has no odor or taste.
Best regards, Stephan.

... it was due to the poetry on the handles used to open the tailgate (under the plastic, where the license plate lights are located).

Whenever it rained, water would leak from the trim and run down into my neck .

If you want to repair it yourself, order 3 of the seals; later you will know why . It costs 1.40 per piece.

The poem was by Wars, as my colleague correctly suspected. Thanks again, best regards, Stephan.