Volkswagen Passat Complaints

7,897 consumer complaints on file.

#11546562September 26, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
Brakes are on this care are failing well in advance of typical cars. My car's rear brakes are measuring at a 2 with just over 20,000 miles on the vehicle. When we asked the dealership about this, they said the Passat is just "hard on rear brakes." We had a previous Passat and did not experience this issue. This is unsafe and unreasonable to expect these brakes wearing out at less than half of what is expected. Ironically, my husband's Taos - of the same model year - is doing the same.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545896September 21, 2023
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while parked, the horn, cruise control, and the radio became inoperable. The message “air bag not available”, check clockspring, and check oil messages were displayed. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,986.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545705September 20, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
First/only owner of a 2018 VW Passat GP r-line, scheduled maintenance intervals followed religiously and performed by VW; only filled with top tier fuel (mid/premium), no prev. indicator lights ever illuminated until ECM light (no accompanying warning lights) came on while driving at highway speed with Adaptive Cruise Control engaged. Immediate loss of power and shaking vibration upon any attempt to accelerate/change lanes to safely get off of roadway. Once off roadway, all systems shut down and engine turned off for several minutes. Restarted car w/o difficulty, remained parked for 5 more minutes to monitor ECM light which did not return after shut down/restart. Returned to highway while safely merging into lane with conservative acceleration. ECM warning light did not return and vibration/shutterring had ceased. No unusual or abnormal gas mileage readings found upon close monitoring. Vehicle was driven x3 (relatively short distances) with speeds no greater than 65 mph; no return of ECM or any other warning lights. On the 4th drive, while attempting to evade an idiot, accelerator was applied more aggressively so as to avoid a near-catastrophic collision (nowhere to slow down or go to shoulder safely within 0.75/sec) which triggered the ECM light accompanied with loss of power/shuttering/vibration when pressure applied to accelerator. Pulled over, shut down, waited, panicked a little, then restarted engine. ECM light did not reappear after shut down/restart. Vehicle operated flawlessly once more. Injector/fuel system cleaner added to fuel tank and driven 40 mins in Sport mode to burn corrosive buildup effectively. Fuel tank refilled at new fueling station (thinking bad gas was a differential) and no issues since. Codes not showing up when diagnostics are ran. VW won’t fix something that isn’t presenting itself as a problem, at that very moment. 93k miles w/ NO prev. engine/emissions/transmission probs.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545217September 18, 2023
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
After having the government approved and MANDATED Phase 1 and 2 Dieselgate fixes performed on my VW Passat TDI it has randomly lost power and or stalled while at highway speeds at least 6 times. The last time my 16 year old son was left stranded in the middle of a busy four lane highway narrowly avoiding being hit and seriously injured and/or killed. Apparently there are thousands of these cases (a class action lawsuit filed in 2018) on the road. Why haven't I been notified? This mandatory fix is much more dangerous then the original issue it seeks to address. From what I understand, the fix is causing the DPF regeneration sequence to occur much more often and much hotter, thereby cooking/melting/boiling the entire cooling system and shutting the engine down without warning. My vehicle has been in the service dept of VW for over 6 months (this last time) because they cannot figure how to fix it permanently. VW Corporate is very aware of the situation and has fed me a bunch of [XXXX] not even a child would believe and has refused my suggestion to self report the problems to NTHSA and CARB. If the cars are not taken off the road this issue will definitely (if not already) result in major injuries and likely death. I have done my duty notifying this government agency and now if a tragedy occurs there will have been actual notice as required by the law. 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
#11544989September 17, 2023
ENGINE
The timing belt are known to go out on the Volkswagen CC even though Volkswagen says they should last the entire life of the engine. Also the camshaft, cam bridge, and spool valve will need replacing when it goes out. The Volkswagen dealer also said that is a common issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545030September 17, 2023
AIR BAGS, ENGINE
While driving the EPC light came on and the car stopped driving. Vehicle was towed to local VW dealership, a FULL engine rebuild took place and a faulty intake valve spring was found, after replacing the injectors and seal kits. Then to replace the faulty electronic ignition switch. Over $3k in repairs for faulty parts. It was a safety risk because the vehicle stopped working in the middle of driving, in traffic with no other indication that something was wrong prior on a major road in the city. Since then, the vehicle has had constant issues with oil being low even after an oil change, no leaks were detected or reported. Also, the airbags and clockspring was supposed to be replaced. My airbag light came on in 3/2023 and it sounds like the clock spring is broken. Horn and electronics do not work from the steering column.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545037September 17, 2023
POWER TRAIN
Upon further inspection a bushing was needed to be replaced. The bushing that holds the shift connection component together disconnected and popped off the shifting mechanism. The problem was reproduced several times. My safety was at risk, I was pulling into a parking space, put my vehicle in park, my car did not display a 'P' the option was empty (no R or D either was displayed). My car jumped forward and started to go and I was able to hold the brake and pull the emergency brake. I shut the car off after the shifter was stuck into the 'Drive' position. Manually putting the vehicle in park was able to fix the issue. No warning lights or issues prior occurred, the vehicle stuck in drive and it would have caused a crash if I were reversing or elsewhere. The issue happened again after the replacement part, the bushing popped off and the same behavior happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11544479September 14, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Volkswagen Passat 2012 Passat key won't go into ignition - Trying to fit my key into ignition will not go in and or Turn [XXX] [XXX] Removing the plastic steering wheel shroud, (T25 x3) then remove VW ignition switch, Black plastic piece under spring pressure needs to come out, this piece is the piece that pushes the white plastic piece infront of the key. When this is removed, re-assemble. This same problem plagued my wife’s car, and me as I was dispatched to rescue her. There is a chance replacing all of this with new might fix the issue but removing the un-needed part accomplishes the same end goal, reliability for no cost, and no spray into ignition. [XXX]  Volkswagen ignition switch repair and diasssembly See [XXX] for full details. Volkswagen ignition switch repa... [XXX] 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
#11544526September 14, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I take my car to the dealership for maintenance when it is scheduled. The ignition would not allow me to put the key inside. I did a little internet research and it seems to be a common problem with this car. I could not put the key in the ignition. I then used some wd40 and got it to go in eventually but thought I should report it as this could pose a safety hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11544204September 12, 2023
TIRES, TIRES:SIDEWALL
Severe crack in sidewall of one tire. (4) 235/45R18 GOODYEAR ASSURANCE MAXLIFE I stopped by the installer today 9/12/2023. At risk for Blow-out. No signs of running underinflated. To my surprise - they Identified that the three other tires are show similar sidewall cracking emerging. Pictures available. Pictures of the other three tires are available upon request. I purchased four tires from Tire rack January 5, 2020. RHP Reference Number(s): XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX NOTE: Is this similar to complaint # NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11510140 ( March 4, 2023 ) Similarities: Both cars had: Same "brand" Tire. Similare make. Passat. 2017 vs my 2015 (TDI = extra weight) Hot climate Texas vs Arizona 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
#11543941September 11, 2023
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle decelerated inadvertently, failed to respond upon depressing the brake pedal, and lost motive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was unable to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where the EGR valve was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed several times, to a second dealer, Tracy Volkswagen (2605 Auto Plaza Way, Tracy, CA 95304), and an unknown turbocharger part, the fuel tank, and the battery were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure was approximately 40,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543082September 7, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Any time it rains and the car goes through a deeper than surface level puddle/wet area where the nose of the car has to dip down (think by railroad tracks, high water retention areas with lack of drainage, etc) as soon as the car dips down into the water, the steering wheel will lock up and I am unable to turn. It's severely dangerous as there is no give at all to the wheel as it is solidly locked and if you happen to be taking a curve or changing lanes etc, you will not be able to turn the car. My husband and myself have narrowly escaped severe car accidents as this is random and there is nothing you can do except try to force the wheel to turn. When I say the wheel is locked, it's a good 15-20 seconds of desperation trying to turn the wheel before it finally unlocks and I am able to correct the direction of the car. Living in FL with high rainfall chances, including sporadic downpours that unfortunately leave situations like this to occur often, it is a severe safety risk for myself and for other drivers. I have been lucky so far that when this has occurred I have been able to eventually correct the steering, however there have been several severe near misses that are completely out of my control. Please help find a solution, as there doesn't seem to be a fix for this anywhere that I've looked. I do not want to spend money I don't have taking it from dealership to dealership for them to be just as stumped as we are. I have two young kids and not only do I not feel safe letting them in the car, I seriously dread any time it rains because of this issue. I'm not talking about driving through deep bodies of water, but normal rainy weather situations on everyday roads that are otherwise uneventful. Unfortunately I am in an area where water seems to gather quite a bit on the everyday roads I need for work and this situation is truly unavoidable. I put one date below as when it occurred, but it has happened several times in the last week alone due to heavy rains
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543084September 7, 2023
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The clock spring is out on the vehicle again
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542363September 3, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
Rear brakes needed to be replaced at less than 20k miles The dealer comped it since we lease 2 different 2021 VW Passats and they both needed their rear wheels replaced at sub 20k miles
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542362September 3, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
Rear brakes needed to be replaced at 17,000 miles. Same thing happened to my wife’s 2021 Passat.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542259September 2, 2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Fuel pump cap Piece underneath the back seat, comes loose and allows gas to spill into the car underneath the backseat
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11541436August 29, 2023
AIR BAGS
I am filing a complaint in regards to Volkswagen failing to offer a solution to repair the Takata airbag which was recalled. I have tried contacting VW numerous times over the past two years as I live in Juneau, Alaska, which is landlocked and the only option is to send the vehicle on a ferry to either Anchorage or Seattle, WA to have this repair completed. The vehicle has not been driven in years due to the fear of what could happen if there were an accident and the airbag deployed. Please help me resolve this issue as Volkswagen is not taking action on this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11540088August 22, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was turning the steering wheel in my vehicle and heard a crunching/clicking sound. After checking what the issue was, I was told that it was the clock spring which was not covered under the warranty or a recall as per the dealership. My airbag light is now on and may not be functioning properly. My horn no longer works along with any of the functions in my steering wheel such as my radio and phone connection. I was also told that the faulty clock spring could effect other electronic functions in my vehicle. There were no warning lights prior to the malfunction of the clockspring.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11539406August 18, 2023
AIR BAGS
I was driving my 2015vVolkswagen Passat and noticed that the airbag light came on without any prior warning. It's not showing for a recall but a couple years ago Volkswagen fixed something on the car pertaining to the airbag. The horn , none of the control buttons on the steering when work
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11538160August 12, 2023
POWER TRAIN
I had just had the engine replaced on my 2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI 13 miles previously and on my first drive upon getting my car back I had an error code “transmission overheated” and I lost power while driving and the check engine light also illuminated. The transmission cut out almost immediately when the overheating message illuminated on the dashboard. It then illuminated a wrench where the drive indication is not the dashboard and would not allow selection of any gears. I had the transmission inspected by the dealer and they aren’t sure what happened and that it does indeed need a new transmission. The fact that I lost the ability to drive the car immediately after the light came on while driving seems dangerous to me and a transmission with 63,000 miles and 64 degrees F shouldn’t overheat. It is a DSG transmission and I have read online of several other owners experiencing similar situations of the transmission having faulty parts and overheating. I also reached out to Volkswagen of America and they said there isn’t anything they can do as the car is out of warranty (I believe the warranty for the transmission was 60,000). I had pointed out to Volkswagen that the transmission is cooled by the engine so a brand new engine 13 miles ago and then the consequent overheating and terminal failure seems rather odd to me. Had I been driving on the freeway instead of 40 mph the situation could have ended significantly different then it did.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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