Roof rack -> Introduction for Your Volkswagen Passat SUV Seventh Generation (2010-2014)

Roof rack  
¤ Introduction  
In this section you’ll find information about:  
Attaching the roof rack base carrier and roof rack  
Securing a load on the roof rack  
The roof of your vehicle has been designed to optimize aerodynamics  
and does not have traditional rain gutters that are used to attach  
many kinds of roof racks.  
Since the rain gutters are molded into the roof to provide efficient  
aerodynamics, only Volkswagen-approved base carrier mounts and  
roof racks can be used.  
When should the roof rack be removed?  
When it is no longer needed.  
Before driving through an automatic car wash.  
When the vehicle would otherwise be too high for minimum clear-  
ance to enter, for example, a garage.  
More information:  
Lights  
Transporting  
Tires and wheels  
Saving fuel and helping the environment  
Parts, accessories, repairs and modifications  
WARNING  
Transporting heavy or bulky loads on the roof rack will change  
the way the vehicle handles by shifting the vehicle's center of  
gravity and increasing the wind drag.  
Always secure the load properly with suitable and undam-  
aged straps so that the load will not shift.  
Cargo that is large, heavy, bulky, long or flat will have a nega-  
tive effect on the vehicle's aerodynamics, center of gravity and  
overall handling.  
Always avoid sudden maneuvers and hard braking.  
Always adapt your speed and driving to the heavier load and  
the weight distribution in the vehicle. Take road, weather, traf-  
fic, and visibility conditions into account as well.  
NOTICE  
Always remove the roof rack before driving through an auto-  
matic car wash.  
Your vehicle is higher when the roof rack is installed, especial-  
ly when it is loaded. Compare the vehicle height with existing  
clearance heights, such as underpasses and garage doors.  
Always make sure that the roof rack system and anything be-  
ing carried on it does not interfere with the roof antenna, the  
power sunroof or the luggage compartment lid.  
Make sure that the luggage compartment lid does not touch  
items on the roof rack when opened.  
If a roof rack is installed, fuel consumption increases due to in-  
creased air resistance.