Volkswagen Passat Complaints
7,897 consumer complaints on file.
- #11587768May 8, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The central locking system is malfunctioned as the car does not automatically or manually lock. This is a safety risk as anyone inside or outside the vehicle can open the doors. This issue has been ongoing for about a year & has been ignored from different auto shops during different service times. I addressed this issue again when bringing the vehicle to the auto shop on 5/4/24 for a separate concern & the diagnostic code has been confirmed but was told “we will clear the code & it should reboot itself”. This did not work as the locking system is still malfunctioned & still have to manually lock the vehicle through the driver door when leaving the car. When inside the car & attempting to lock the car inside, you can hear it trying to lock but does not fully click over to lock because when driving, anytime speed is accelerated from 0mph to 10mph, it continuously attempts to auto lock. The locking indicator light does not illuminate when inside the vehicle.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11584499April 22, 2024ENGINE
Emissions system on engine has premature failures following the TDI scandal modifications, causing the coolant system to fail prematurely. Have had 2 heater cores clogged in the past 3 years, resulting in EGR failures, impacting emissions and potential engine overheats.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11584569April 22, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VIN: [XXX] Dealership: Vanguard Volkswagen 6900 Burnet Rd Austin, TX 78757 I bought 2020 Passat back in Aug 2020 with CarNet included. It was showing that CarNet will be installed later when available at no cost. So in 2021 they installed carnet and everything was working fine up until 2024. The light turned off and no connection to the car. I called CarNet and they told me that most likely an issue with HW module and suggested to take to the dealer to get reset/replaced. Went to the dealer few days ago. Left them a car for 3 days for diag. No fault codes. So dealer sent a ticket to the Volkswagen to see how to proceed. I got a call from dealership today that Volkswagen responded to them that 2020 Passat is no longer eligible for the CarNet. Excuse me? At the time of sale CarNet was included. It was working fine no issues. And now Volkswagen taking car feature away that it came with and I paid for.. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11584287April 21, 2024AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
Our 2017 VW Passat had the clockspring replaced last year under warranty number [XXX] at Barnes Crossing Volkswagen in Tupelo, MS. The airbag stopped working and safety features such as adaptive cruise control were also not available. Not realizing the airbag would NOT deploy in the event of an accident, Volkswagen asked us to drive an hour to have it repaired which was considerably dangerous. As of today the clockspring they replaced once again failed with the same associated problems. I am submitting a report due to how dangerous this problem is considering they supposedly fixed the issue however it seems multiple people have reported the issue coming back. The fact the airbag could stop working at anytime due to a defective clockspring is very troublesome and make me worry in the event of an accident if the clockspring will fail thus not allowing the airbag to deploy. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11584129April 19, 2024ENGINE
Bought car from dealer. Vw Manhattan. 42000miles. 8 months later at 53000 miles. Engine problems. Went to Vw service. Head gasket. Lemon car. Warranty till 50000 miles. Cost? 4800$ Worse car possible.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11583232April 16, 2024AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I believe my clockspring has malfuncioned and though it has had multiple recalls my car is not listed for recall. My horn is no longer working, as well as all the buttons in my steering wheel including cruise control and my airbag light is on. This is all directly correlated to a clockspring malfunction and I believe my vehicle should be recalled for saftey reasons.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11582945April 14, 2024FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
The fuel pump design to last the life of the vehicle exploded this is a 10k fix they ( extended the warranty to 120000 miles instead of replacing the bad pumps im at 1290000 miles i don’t understand how this is acceptable given the amount of issues and occurrences the fuel pump has exploded
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11581815April 8, 2024ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
EPC light came on & check engine light Car shakes
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11581140April 4, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
For about 4 months I had a smell that my son and I could not locate. Upon further investigation it was discovered that the fuel pump which is located under the back seat had hair line cracks that caused the fuel to spit out and damage the seal around it thereby damaging the underside of the back seat to infiltrate the the foam with the gasoline. We tried to see if there were any recalls but found none. I think that my back seat has only been used about 3 time since I purchased it new. I wanted to draw to your attention that this could have been a safety issue and possible fire issue if someone were to smoke and lite a cigarette. My son has hopefully repaired the cracks this past week and hopefully it will hold. I am [XXX] and cannot afford a new fuel pump. Just wanted you to be aware that there could possibly be a safety problem with fuel pumps for this model. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11580587April 2, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am trying to trade in my car online and submitted to get an instant offer. The instant offer says my vehicle is reported to have 30,000 more miles on it than my odometer is showing. My title also states its a 2 Dr sedan.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11579645March 27, 2024ENGINE
My oil sensor started blinking while I am driving. I stoped and added oil to the car because the level was in low level. Went to the dealership to check my car in if I do have leakage or if my engine did start to burn oil. They did suggest to come visit them after 600 miles which I did. And after check up they did end up saying yes your car did burn oil around 0.25 quart. And I suggest you to come after 600 miles again. I need that issue to be fixed and they are wasting my time in this unnecessary procedure. It was confirmed that my engine burn oil and I have got extended warranty plus my car was always been serviced by the vw dealership.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11579270March 25, 2024FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a strong fuel odor inside and outside the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure persisted while the vehicle was parked and turned off. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the strong fuel odor had caused her to have headaches while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump module had failed, causing the fuel pump to leak. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had failed to start and was undrivable. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to bring the vehicle to their location for the repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V509000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) had already been completed on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11578405March 20, 2024ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and veering to the left, the vehicle stalled. The battery warning light was illuminated. A towing service performed a diagnostic test on the vehicle and informed the contact that the failure was not related to the battery and the alternator. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed. The dealer replaced the battery and serviced the cooling system; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,300.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11578352March 19, 2024AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Passat. The contact that the air bag warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the clock spring was replaced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V483000 (Air Bags) in 2022; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated while driving. Additionally, the steering wheel made an abnormal click sound, and the horn was inoperable. The dealer was notified of the failure and charged a diagnostic testing fee. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11577635March 15, 2024AIR BAGS, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My family and I have been VW owners for over 60 years. Unfortunately, the 2006 VW Passat has been layered with defects, negligent manufacturing issues, faulty wiring, electrical problems, computer glitches, to mention a few. There have been many recalls including an official recall by the NHTSA, for steering linkage problems and tie rod assembly which caused a loss of steering, crashes and deaths. Over 292 complaints are filed with Consumer Affairs, over 561 defects reported, and thousands of horror stories like mine about this car. It's considered a lemon by many car professionals. Many dealerships in the USA offered to inspect, and replace the electronic steering column lock free of charge and address any other concerns, which should be standard, reasonable behavior for all VW dealerships, mandated by this Federal agency. Shortly after this car almost killed me in 2013, VW put me through countless stressful hours of calls, emails and the like and still refused to be fully accountable. Shortly after my almost end of life, the notorious VW Emissions Scandal spoke volumes. VW was well aware of their defects including the electrical system in the steering column/immobilizer, (the system won’t recognize the key; a module in the car that connects the key and starts the engine is defective). In many cases, the entire steering column is defective and has to be completely replaced because the car’s pistons, internal combustion and engine are all subpar. Even the Sunroof and drains are defective and every time it rains, there is a flood in my car which has caused life threatening mold and mildew. I am respectfully asking for your help in having VW provide me, a near [XXX] woman, a safe, reliable, car without another defective sunroof and without defective water drains. It can be used as long as it's reliable and without deadly mold and mildew. I have photos. Thank you. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11576138March 8, 2024TIRES, TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS, TIRES:SIDEWALL
215/60/r16- replaced 6 tires all under 2500 miles of use. Have all receipts. The tires were always losing air even with being Brandy new, would slide with brand new tread and it did not have to be raining. I spent a lot of money on the tires to only go with a different brand finally after going to have to replace 4 more tires under the 2500 mark, yes I had the warranty for free replacement. But discount tires deemed the Sentury touring tires a road hazard. I also have pictures of how they looked even with air in them. I purchased them from a discount tire store as well. They have all my documents on file to prove my statement. Sentury company needs to investigated on their tire quality as the tires could have caused blow outs and killed my family or myself or even another person. As you can see in the picture yes they are dirty, but plenty of tread. These tires are supposed to be reliable for 40k miles. These were either the second or 3rd replacement for this brand depending on what part of the car, either front or back. And again not even 2500 miles did they last.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11575991March 7, 2024FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the "Glow Plug" warning light appeared on the instrument panel and the vehicle stalled. After several minutes, the contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove the vehicle home while in LIMP Mode. The contact used a code reader which showed that there was a defect with the high-pressure fuel pump. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11576122March 7, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Our vehicle will not speed up after accelerating but you can hear the engine making noise like it’s trying to speed up. We have taken our vehicle 3-4 times back to the dealership and they have told us they found nothing.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11574739February 29, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The clock spring has broken and disables all steering wheel buttons, horn, and the driver airbag. I've replaced it and it broke again in less than a year.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11574095February 26, 2024UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My heater core for this vehicle is malfunctioning. This is making my heat not work, which in the middle of the winter can be problematic to my health and the health of my passengers. VW issued a recall on the diesel version of my car, which is gas, but did not extend to the gas version.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0