Owner-reported complaints naming the other system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2013 Volkswagen Passat submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
2014 PASSAT WITH CONTINETAL CONTIPRO TIRES. MY REAR TIRE SIDEWALL BLEW ON HIGHWAY. WITH 60K MILES. I TRACKED MY PATH DID NOT FIND ANY DEBRIS THAT COULD HAVE CAUSE THE BLOW OUT. IVE SEEN MANY CONPLAINTS ABOUT THIS TIRE FOR SAME THING. THEY SHOULD BE CHECKED WE DONT WANT FIRESTONE PART 2
CAR DEALER CLAIMED THEY HAD FIXED ALL NECESSARY REPAIRS TO CAR THAT I HAD SAID WERE NEEDED PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS WENT OFF AS SOON AS CAR GOT MOVING. CONTACTED AUTO DEALER WHO SAID THEY WOULD TAKE IT BACK IN AND GET IT TAKEN CARE OF. THEN REFUSED TO WORK ON CAR, TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO MECHANIC NEAR ME AND SEND THEM THE INFORMATION TO HAVE IT COVERED. THEN REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPAIRS TO CAR. DUE TO THEIR INCORPORATION AND REFUSALS NEARLY RESULTED IN ACCIDENT WHEN CAR TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING THROUGH TOWN. CAR WAS GOING AT LOW ENOUGH SPEED TO STOP BEFORE MORE DAMAGES COULD TAKE PLACE. NOW DEALER REFUSING TO EVEN TALK TO ME.
NO AIR BAG DETECTED IN THE CAR
I'VE HAD MY 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 3.6 SEL PREMIUM SINCE 6/2017, AND I HAVE BOUGHT 2 SETS OF VW WHEEL CENTER CAPS, BECAUSE THEY KEEP FAILING OFF. IT'S QUITE OBVIOUS THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT WITH VOLKSWAGEN. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE VEHICLE, AND VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD DO A BETTER JOB AT ENGINEERING PARTS THAT DON'T FALL OFF OF THE CAR. THESE WHEEL CAPS ARE ROUGHLY $26 AT VOLKSWAGEN BEFORE TAX.
ROUGHLY 2 WEEKS AGO, OUR PASSAT STARTING HAVING INCREASED NOISE AT HIGHER SPEEDS, TYPICALLY HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE WHEEL BEARING WAS BAD. IT SEEMS VERY UNUSUAL TO HAVE A BAD WHEEL BEARING, PARTICULARLY WITH A SEDAN, GO BAD AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE.
WAS TURNING IN A PARKING LOT AND HEARD A LOUD CRACKING SOUND. THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON IMMEDIATELY AND NOTICED THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS AND THE HORN WERE NOT WORKING. CHECKED ONLINE AND APPARENTLY ISSUES WERE FOUND ON SAME MODEL. IT IS A BROKEN CLOCK SPRING. CONTACTED DEALER, THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHICH WOULD COST $120. I INFORMED THEM OF THE BROKEN PART BUT THEY SAID THEY STILL WOULD HAVE TO DO THE DIAGNOSTIC. THE CLOCK SPRING ITSELF WOULD COST $485 IF THAT WAS BROKEN PLUS LABOR CHARGES. CAR HAS APPROXIMATELY 57250 MILES.
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
MY FIRST WEEK WITH THIS CAR AND THE BRAKES START TO MAKE THE NASTIEST SOUND. IT WAS AS IF IT HAD NO BRAKE PADS. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR I SUSPECTED THE BRAKES FROM THE START. I HAD TO TAKE IT IN AND THEY CHECKED THEIR SITE AND IT REPORTED THAT ON THIS MODEL AND YEAR THE CARS CAME WITH A DEFECT IN THE BRAKES. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THEM WITH NEW ONES. 2 MONTHS LATER IT STARTS UP AGAIN. THE BAD THING IS THAT VW NEVER ADMITS TO THEIR FAULTY CARS. THEY SET ME UP WITH HIGH PAYMENTS AND WONT HELP ME WITH ANY OF MY CONCERNS. THE CAR IS NICE NO DOUBT ABOUT IT BUT WHY WOULD I WANT TO STAY WITH A FAULTY CAR AND HIGH PAYMENTS? MAKES NO SENSE! *TR
OUR NEW 2013 TDI PASSAT, FROM DAY ONE HAS HAD THE ISSUE OF INTERMITTENTLY DRAGGING, PULLING CRUNCHING NOISE COASTING THROUGH A CORNER IN THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL. IT VARIES FROM A SOFT TUG AND CRUNCH NOISE, TO SO HARD IT PULLS YOU INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC! IT SEEMS TO BE WHILE MAINTAINING SPEED OR COASTING, NEVER WHILE BRAKING. AFTER ABOUT 3-4TH TIME INTO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND EVERYTHING CHECKING OUT FINE, WE FINALLY GOT THEM TO COME UP AND RIDE WITH ME ON OUR ROAD. (WE DO LIVE ON A MOUNTAIN ROAD THAT IS A POSTED 55MPH WITH SOME 40MPH CURVES) THE CAR DID IT AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID, "HMMM." HE SAID ITS THEIR TOP OF THE LINE CAR AND THINKS ITS THE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM. I ASKED IF IT WAS ONLY IN THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL? HE SAID "NO." I ASKED HOW COME IT DRAGS AND PULLS THE FRONT LEFT NO MATTER IF IT'S A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, AND IS IT SUPPOSED TO DO IT SO HARD SOME TIMES THAT IT PULLS YOU INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC? HE SAID "NO."HE SAID IT SOUNDS LIKE A SYSTEMS ISSUE BECAUSE WE HAVE KNOWN OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE TAKEN THEIR TDI'S IN FOR THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE SO IT'S NOT JUST A SENSOR IN THIS PARTICULAR CAR. WE CALLED 3 DAYS LATER TO SEE IF THEY HAD A RESOLVE AND THEY SAID THE CAR IS "FINE AND FUNCTIONING NORMAL, THAT I TOOK THE CORNER 8 MPH TOO FAST AND THE CAR DID IT'S JOB"!! I AM CONCERNED FOR MY FAMILY'S SAFETY AS WE HAVE STATED NUMEROUS TIMES AND GIVEN THEM EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS AND YET TO NO AVAIL. THIS CAR DOES THIS EVERYDAY. IT'S NOT NORMAL TO SAY TO YOUR SPOUSE THAT IF I'M INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON OUR ROAD, ESPECIALLY A HEAD-ON, IT WAS THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL THAT DID IT. THESE CARS HAVE A SAFETY DEFECT IN THIS SYSTEM AND I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO FROM HERE. *TR
THIS CAR HAS AN ISSUE WITH STABILITY ABOVE 65 MPH. (YES THEY ARE INFLATED TO PROPER PRESSURE) I TOOK A 550 MILE TRIP RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT IT AND THE CAR WAS EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AT 65MPH+ ON ALL SURFACES INCLUDING: SMOOTH CONCRETE, GROOVED CONCRETE, OLD PAVEMENT, BRAND NEW PAVEMENT, PAVEMENT WITH NO TIRE WEAR OR TIRE GROOVES, IN WIND OR NO WIND. THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU TRY TO KEEP THE CAR IN A STRAIGHT LINE. IT WILL NOT TRACK STRAIGHT. IT WILL GO LEFT OR RIGHT, BUT NOT STRAIGHT. HAD ALIGNMENT CHECKED AND IT WAS CORRECT. THE CAR ALSO TENDS TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT A LITTLE NO MATTER IF YOUR ON THE DOWN OR UPSLOPE OF THE CREST ON THE ROAD. IT IS BORDERLINE DANGEROUS BECAUSE IN TRAFFIC I FOUND THE CAR WANTING TO DART TOWARDS THE LEFT AND RIGHT LANE. IF YOU DON'T CONSTANTLY FIGHT THE STEERING EVERY SECOND, YOU WILL HIT A CAR NEXT TO YOU. I HIGHLY SUSPECT IT IS THE 17" HANKOOK TIRES THAT COME ON THE CAR AS MANY HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THESE TIRES AND HAVE HAD ISSUES FROM BEING DANGEROUS IN SNOW AND WATER TO THE WANDERING LEFT AND RIGHT WHEN TRYING TO DRIVE STRAIGHT. SOME HAVE EVEN REPORTED THE SIDEWALLS RUPTURING. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT PUTS ME IN FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND I WILL BE REPLACING THE TIRES AS SOON AS I CAN AFFORD IT. HOPEFULLY MORE PEOPLE WILL COMPLAIN HERE INSTEAD OF JUST ON FORUMS. I URGE YOU TO RESEARCH THESE TIRES AND THE VW PASSAT FORUMS AND YOU WILL FIND TONS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE TIRES. ANOTHER NOTE: I HAVE DRIVEN TRUCKS, FAMILY SEDANS, SPORTS CARS, SUV'S, AUDIS, VW, MERCEDES, BMW, FORD, CHEVY, DODGE, AND I HAVE NEVER FELT THE STEERING REFUSING TO STAY ON THE CENTER LINE UNTIL THIS CAR. *TR
THE BACKUP CAMERA IS VERY SLOW TO RESPOND WHEN PLACING THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE (15-25 SECONDS). FREQUENTLY, THE CAMERA WILL NOT ACTIVATE UNTIL THE VEHICLE HAS COMPLETED BACKING UP AND THE VEHICLE IS PLACED INTO DRIVE. VOLKSWAGEN IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, HAVING IDENTIFIED IT IN A VW TECHNICAL BULLETIN. I CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN CUSTOMER CARE IN AUBURN, MI, ABOUT RESOLVING THE ISSUE. I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM[XXX], DATED 22 APRIL 2013, WHICH STATED: ". . . YOUR VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS PER ITS DESIGNED INTENT. AS SUCH, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE A REPAIR TO [THE] SYSTEM." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR UPDATED 05/05/14.*JB
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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