Will a Roof Rack Fit on a 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDi
Question:
The 2012 VW Passat TDi manual specifically states not to put a roof rack on this car. Yet, Rhino Roof Racks seem to disagree, because they are making roof racks for that year. Any thoughts? Thank you
asked by: Walter
Expert Reply:
Aftermarket product manufacturers will typically make products for vehicles even if the vehicle manufacturer recommends against it if there is a high enough demand, such as a roof rack for the Passat. Basically, Rhino-Rack has determined that their roof rack will fit, however, if you install the roof rack and any damage were to occur to your vehicle, Volkswagen would not cover the damage under their warranty.
The good news is that consumers of aftermarket products are protected by the Federal Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act. The Act states that if something fails on your vehicle and you take it in for warranty repair, the dealer must honor your warranty unless the failed item was the direct cause of the failure.
There are a few reasons why Volkswagen may recommend against installing a roof rack. One reason is they may not have tested a roof rack on the Passat, so they recommend against it to avoid liability issues. Another possible reason is that the addition of a roof rack will decrease the vehicles fuel efficiency. Vehicle manufacturers will almost always recommend against installing any products that will decrease the vehicles fuel efficiency.
In the end, I cannot recommend going against the vehicle manufacturers recommendation. If your owners manual says you should not install a roof rack, then I would not recommend installing a roof rack. The roof rack exists because people will still install the roof rack against the vehicle manufacturers wishes, but it is up to the customer to ensure the roof rack does not damage the vehicle.
