My 2012 Volkswagen Passat S has power windows. Over the course of the last two or three days of cold temperatures (nights down to 5 degrees F., and daytime highs in range of 25 degrees on 12/3/11; 20 degrees on 12/4, and 15 degrees on 12/5), my power windows have now "frozen up", at all four door positions. The motors operate--windows make about a 1/16th inch up or down movement when you try the window switches, but the windows are "stuck" in the up position. I have called the VW dealer, and they have said "there may be some moisture in there." No ice or snow is visible near the windows or the joint where they enter their respective doors. Colorado weather conditions of intermittent cold, dry snows have called for brushing off snow on several occasions, and the car has been driven at several intermittent times over the past several days. The neighbors on my block in a residential section of denver have numerous cars which are and have been similarly parked on the same curb in the same weather and conditions-- BMW. Nissan(s), Toyota(s), infinity, Honda, older VW, and none of their cars have had any issue. Likewise, my previous car, a 2001 VW Passat was regularly parked in the same spot over the years in many similar weather circumstances, without such a failure. I believe this 2012 VW Passat, which is all new, and built in a new us plant may have utilized some type of inadequate motor size (too weak to overcome a small amount of frozen moisture?) or poorly designed window rub strips in the door channel that either admit too much moisture down into the window channel, or overreact to any freezing. In any case, having a brand new car that can't or won't allow windows to open is very frustrating, and along mountain and other Colorado roads, a crash could end up with the car in river or lake water, in which case, lowering a window may save a life.

- Denver, CO, USA