Volkswagen Passat Complaints (2013)

749 consumer complaints on file.

#10595954June 3, 2014
ENGINE
THERE WAS A WHINE BY THE TURBO THEN BLACK SMOKE. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THE TURBO WENT OUT AND THE ENGINE BLEW. NO WARNING LIGHTS. THE CAR HAD OIL. VW SAYS PAY 12K FOR A REPLACEMENT ENGINE AND TURBO. THEY WILL NOT COVER UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE I MISSED THE 10K SERVICE. WE LIVE IN A REMOTE AREA BUT I HAD ADDED APPROVED FACTORY OIL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT AN OIL CHANGE HAS TO DO WITH A TURBO? *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10594456May 28, 2014
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT STALLED FOR NO REASON. LUCKILY THIS HAPPENED ON SLOW SPEED CITY STREETS. THIS WOULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION HAD IT HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY AT HIGHER SPEEDS. DIAGNOSIS BY DEALER IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS SHOWED THAT THE FAILURE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE DIESEL FUEL PUMP WAS THE CAUSE FOR THIS ISSUE. THE DIAGNOSIS AND RESOLUTION OF THE ABOVE ISSUE TOOK 2 WEEKS TO RESOLVE. HOPEFULLY IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10588625May 15, 2014
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL, ENGINE
TURBO FAILED ON VEHICLE. BEGAN AS WHINING NOISE. VEHICLE THEN SHOWED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND WOULDN'T ACCELERATE ABOVE 1ST GEAR. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10588629May 15, 2014
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
TURBO FAILED FOR SECOND TIME AND AFTER ONLY 4,000 MILES. BEGAN AS WHINING NOISE. VEHICLE THEN SHOWED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND WOULDN'T ACCELERATE ABOVE 1ST GEAR. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10587724May 12, 2014
ENGINE
OWN A 2013 VW PASSAT SEL TDI. GLOW PLUG LIGHT CAME ON, PULLED OVER, CALLED DEALER, THEY IN TURN HAD ME TURN VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART. GLOW PLUG LIGHT ON AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. DROVE TO DEALER LESS THAN 4 MILES. DIAGNOSTIC AT DEALER "EXHAUST TEMP SENSOR" BAD AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER PART. WAS TOLD THESE SENSORS ARE LIKE "LIGHT BULBS", PER DEALER, AND WILL GO BAD ROUTINELY. PRETTY EXPENSIVE LIGHT BULB IF YOU ASK ME. I PURCHASED A NEW VEHICLE FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF BEING MAINTENANCE FREE, I TRAVEL EXTENSIVELY, THIS IS RIDICULOUS THAT A SENSOR SHOULD GO BAD WITH 51,000 MILE ON A NEW VEHICLE AND IF THIS PART IS A "LIGHT BULB" THAN VW SHOULD ALLOW CONSUMER TO REPLACE NOT CHARGE THEM THIS RIDICULOUS LABOR FEE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10586278May 2, 2014
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
STARTED HEARING A WHISTLING TYPE OF SOUND AND NOTICING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ACCELERATING WHEN I PUSHED ON THE PEDAL. AS I TRIED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD THE VEHICLE STALLED AND I COULD NOT GET IT STARTED TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD. VERY SCARY. IT FINALLY STARTED LONG ENOUGH TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND IT STALLED OUT AGAIN. THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT AND HAVE IT SERVICED. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED TO TELL ME IT WAS THE TURBO AND THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I WILL BE GOING TO THE DEALERSHIP ON MONDAY TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE BUT WILL HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS ON WHAT EXACTLY HAS BEEN REPLACED AND WHAT TYPE OF WARRANTY THIS NEW ENGINE HAS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10584727April 24, 2014
ENGINE, FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
WAS DRIVING 2013 PASSAT TDI SEL JUST FINE. TURNED AROUND IN A PARKING LOT AND WHEN I WENT TO PULL BACK INTO TRAFFIC, THE CAR HAD NO POWER. STEPPING ON THE GAS ALMOST MADE THE CAR STALL, BUT IT WOULD IDLE FINE. AFTER TRYING EVERYTHING AND EVEN SHUTTING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING, IT DID THE SAME, WOULD IDLE FINE BUT YOU COULD NOT STEP ON THE FUEL PEDAL, IT WOULD MAKE THE CAR STALL OUT. LOCAL MECHANIC DROVE TO HIS NEARBY SHOP BY JUST LEAVING IT AND DRIVE AND USED IDLE POWER ONLY TO GET IT THERE (YES IT TOOK A WHILE). THERE WERE NO INDICATOR LIGHTS ON THE DASH SO HE HOOKED IT UP TO HIS COMPUTER AND IT GAVE THREE ERRORS FOR INJECTOR FAILURES. VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO DEALER 100 MILES AWAY. THE NEXT DAY, I WAS TOLD THE TURBO CHARGER HAD FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. TWO WEEKS LATER, I WAS TOLD THEY WERE STILL WAITING FOR A GASKET. FINALLY AFTER ALMOST 3 WEEKS TO THE DAY, THEY SAID MY CAR WAS FIXED. I AM GOING TO PICK IT UP TOMORROW BUT HAVE VERY LITTLE FAITH IN THIS CAR AFTER READING THE NUMEROUS THREADS OUT THERE ABOUT THE TURBO CHARGER FAILURE RATE IN THIS MODEL VEHICLE. I THINK ITS TIME FOR A RECALL. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10584390April 23, 2014
ENGINE, SUSPENSION
1. THERE IS A NOTICEABLE HESITATION AFTER A COLD START (TDI, DIESEL ENGINE) GOING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED EVERYDAY SINCE PURCHASED. 2. THIS CAR HAS ALWAYS AND STILL HAS A HARD RIGHT PULL SINCE PURCHASE (CAR WILL PULL INTO ADJACENT LANE WITHIN 200-250 FEET). MY PREVIOUS 2012 PASSAT TDI SEL STEERED STAIGHT. MY CAR HAS BEEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO FIX THIS ISSUE ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS, TO NO AVAIL. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10578950April 10, 2014
ENGINE
WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE "GLOW PLUG" LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE NEARLY STALLED ON THE EXPRESSWAY WHILE IN TRAFFIC, AND THEN WOULD NOT OPERATE ABOVE 25-30 MPH. I HAD THE VEHICLE TAKEN BY FLAT BED TOW TRUCK TO THE VW DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS "TURBINE SHAFT SEIZED" AND REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. REVIEW OF PUBLIC DATA REVEALS THIS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE PASSAT EQUIPPED WITH THE DIESEL ENGINE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10578417April 8, 2014
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. AS I WAS TURNING AND STILL IN THE INTERSECTION, THE CAR STALLED. I LUCKILY MADE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND CLEAR OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I HAD TO TAKE THE KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION AND RESTART THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS EVEN AFTER BEING SEEN BY THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10577296April 4, 2014
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
DRIVING FROM ON FREEWAY AT 60 MPH SUDDENLY LOST ANY ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND POWER STARTED DROPPING RAPIDLY AND THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH STARTED FLASHING. IT PUT ME IMMEDIATELY INTO A VERY VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER IN RAPIDLY-MOVING, HEAVY TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY AND CALL THE DEALER'S VW SERVICE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR, AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE IT TOWED TO SERVICE. I WAS STRANDED JUST OFF THE FREEWAY IN THE NEXT TOWN, AND AFTER SEVERAL HOURS WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE TURBO WAS BAD (THIS PART HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE, ABOUT 100 OR SO MILES EARLIER). HOWEVER, THAT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY VW PROPERLY, AND WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR IT FAILED AGAIN WITHIN 10 MINUTES. FORTUNATELY THIS TIME I WAS NOT AT HIGH SPEED, AND WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR TO A SAFE LOCATION. THIS SITUATION WITH THE TURBO COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT, POTENTIALLY VERY SERIOUS OR EVEN DEADLY IF AT HIGH SPEED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10575997March 31, 2014
BACK OVER PREVENTION:WARNINGS:EXTERNAL/PEDESTRIAN ALERT, EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BACKUP CAMERA IS SLOW TO START. MAY TAKE FROM 5 TO 20 SECONDS TO BECOME OPERATIONAL AFTER START UP. THIS IS HAZARD WITH RESPECT TO RELIANCE ON BACKUP CAMERAS BY DRIVERS TO SEE OBSTRUCTIONS BEHIND THE CAR. FAILURE OF CAMERA TO START UP QUICKLY RESULTS IN REDUCED SAFETY BECAUSE DRIVERS WILL BACK UP WITHOUT CAMERA OPERATIONAL. I CAN START MY CAR AND BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY AND REACH THE CORNER OF MY BLOCK BEFORE THE CAMERA STARTS UP AND SHOWS ME THE ROAD DISAPPEARING BEHIND ME. A CAMERA DOES NOT REPLACE DRIVER OBLIGATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT OBSTRUCTIONS ARE NOT BEHIND THEIR CAR, BUT THE CAMERA IS ALSO THERE TO BE A SAFETY FEATURE AND IT IS NOT RELIABLE AS A SAFETY FEATURE DO TO ITS EXTREMELY SLOW START UP. INDIVIDUALS DO NOT LIKE TO WAIT 30 SECONDS AT A STOP LIGHT MUCH LESS 20 JUST TO BACK OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAY. THIS IS A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED TO ENSURE THAT THE BACKUP CAMERA IS A RELIABLE SAFETY FEATURE AS IT WAS INTENDED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10575376March 28, 2014
ENGINE
I BOUGHT A 2013 PASSAT SE MAY 16, 2013, IT CURRENTLY HAS 28,000 MILES ON IT AND I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF IT. 2 WEEKS AGO I JUST STARTED MY TRIP TO WORK (75 MILES ONE WAY / 95% HIGHWAY) WHEN THE GLOW PLUG INDICATOR CAME ON AND I IMMEDIATELY LOST MOST POWER. IT WAS ABOUT 7 DEGREES F, I WAS ABLE TO LIMP IT TO A DEALER, WHO, AFTER CONTACTING VW TECHNICIAN SUPPORT DETERMINED MY TURBO WAS SHOT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE SUPPORT TECH SAID THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS ONLY A COUPLE OF TIMES AND IT WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT SEEN AT MY DEALERSHIP, HE SAID THE REPLACEMENT WAS A LARGER TURBO, PUMP, PIPE, FILTERS AND EVERYTHING.IT TOOK A WEEK AND A HALF TO DO THE JOB MOST OF THE TIME WAS WAITING FOR PARTS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10575113March 27, 2014
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
JANUARY 2014: TURBOCHARGER FAILED ON MY 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TDI. THE CAR FAILED IN THE EVENING, BUT THAT MORNING WHEN LEAVING FOR WORK, THE TURBO MADE A SPLIT SECOND CHOO-CHOO TRAIN WHISTLE, BUT CONTINUED TO FUNCTION, ALTHOUGH IT FELT LIKE THE TURBO WAS FREE-WHEELING AND NOT REALLY IN SYNC WITH THE ACTUAL BOOST. WHEN IT FAILED, THERE WAS A MUFFLED BANG, FOLLOWED BY A LOCOMOTIVE TYPE BLACK OILY SMOKE ROLLING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I WAS ONLY 2 MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP, SO I DROVE IT THERE IMMEDIATELY. WHEN STANDING ON THE THROTTLE, IT SOUNDED LIKE A NUT RATTLING AROUND IN A CAN. DEALER REPLACED THE INTERCOOLER, EGR AND DPF. MARCH 24, 2014: TURBOCHARGER AGAIN FAILED AT 17,000 MILES. THIS TIME NO AUDIBLE WARNING THAT THE UNIT WAS FAILING, JUST INSTANT POWER LOSS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10574504March 24, 2014
ENGINE
AUTHORIZED DEALER STATED A TURBO FAILURE. DRIVING HIGHWAY ABOUT 50 MINUTES INTO A TRIP AND THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 25% POWER AND THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH. CALLED SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY SAID TO PULL OVER AND HAVE TOWED TO THE CLOSED AUTHORIZED DEALER. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10574104March 21, 2014
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE STARTING FROM A STOP SIGN, VEHICLE SEEMED TO HAVE LOW POWER. VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE, BUT VERY SLOWLY. A FEW MILES LATER, I HAD TO STOP FOR ANOTHER CAR THAT HAD STOPPED TO TURN LEFT INTO A DRIVEWAY. WHEN I ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE AFTER THAT CAR HAD TURNED, I HAD NO POWER (VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING). I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT A VEHICLE COMING UP FROM BEHIND ME HAD TO BRAKE QUICKLY TO AVOID HITTING MY CAR FROM BEHIND. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHICH CONFIRMED A FAILURE OF THE TURBOCHARGER SYSTEM AND THEN REPLACED THE TURBOCHARGER UNDER WARRANTY. REPLACEMENT OF TURBOCHARGER APPEARS TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10573876March 20, 2014
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
TURBOCHARGER FAILED. DEALER IS FIXING UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER STATED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TURBOCHARGER FAILURES ON THE DIESEL TDI THAT THEY ARE NOW STOCKING ALL TURBO PARTS FOR REPAIR. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10573466March 19, 2014
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
DURING MY TRIP FROM CITY OF CHICAGO TO MY HOME MY CAR LOST POWER AND STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET LEAVING ME STUCK AMONG MOVING TRAFFIC. I ATTEMPTED TO START MY CAR WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS AND FINALLY WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE CAR OFF THE STREET AND ONTO NEARBY PARKING LOT. I HAD TO STOP THE INCOMING TRAFFIC SO I COULD ACCOMPLISH THAT. I ATTEMPTED TO START MY CAR COUPLE MORE TIMES AND STILL HAD NO SUCCESS. AT THIS TIME IT WAS ALMOST 9PM AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS DROPPING DRAMATICALLY. I CONTACTED MY WIFE WHO MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR A SITTER AND STARTED TO DRIVE TOWARDS ME. I WAS FREEZING AT THAT POINT INSIDE MY CAR AS THERE WERE NO VENUES OPEN AROUND ME. AFTER MY WIFE ARRIVED WITH TOOLS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT WE STILL HAD NO SUCCESS AND DECIDED TO HAVE OUR CAR TOWED TO OUR HOME OF RESIDENCE. THE NEXT DAY I TRIED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE CAR DUE TO NO AVAIL. I CONTACTED THE NEAREST VW DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT TOWED THERE. THE VW DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND CONCLUDED A COMPLETE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AS WELL AS THE FUEL LINES, FUEL FILTER AND ITS HOUSING, FUEL INJECTORS AND THEY FLUSHED THE FUEL TANK FROM ANY MERAL SHRAPNEL AND DEBRIS. THE VW OD AMERICA COVERED THE REPAIR WITHOUT ANY QUESTIONS. THEY ARE COMPLETELY AWARE OF HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMPS FAILING REGULARLY ON THESE VEHICLES BUT NO RECALL IS MADE AND CARS ARE DEALT WITH CASE BY CASE BASIS. I RECEIVED GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM THE DEALER AS WELL AS THE CORPORATE. BUT DUE TO HOW COMMON THIS PROBLEM IS AMONG VW TDI CARS IT IS ALARMING THAT SUCH RISK OF CAR LOOSING POWER AS SUCH IN A MIDDLE OF THE TRAFFIC EXISTS. I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND FOR OTHERS SAFETY BECAUSE NO GUARANTEE WAS MADE BY VW THAT THIS PROBLEM WONT HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10572875March 17, 2014
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
WHEN I OPERATE MY CAR AND SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR I FEEL A NOTICEABLE STUTTER, THIS OCCURS AT AROUND 1200 RPM. I AM AFRAID THAT IT IS LINKED TO THE NUMEROUS TURBO FAILURES THAT ARE OCCURRING WITH THE 2012 AND 2013 TDI PASSATS. OTHER PEOPLE HAVE NOTED COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER FOLLOWED BY A TURBO FAILURE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10569447March 14, 2014
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
NOTICED HI-PITCHED WHINE WHICH GOT LOUDER AS RPM'S OF ENGINE INCREASED. HAD VEHICLE TOWED UNDER WARRANTY TO VW DEALERSHIP. ISSUE WAS A DEFECTIVE TURBO. HAD TO BE REPLACED AT THIS LOW OF MILEAGE. IF THE TURBO HAD FAILED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY OR DURING A AVOIDANCE/PASSING MANEUVER, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED INJURY OR WORSE. I'M HEARING OF MORE AND MORE OF THESE TURBO ISSUES ON THIS MODEL/STYLE OF VW PASSATS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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