Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2014 Volkswagen Passat submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 21 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
I was driving and the airbag light randomly came on out of the blue. While trying to parallel park I noticed my steering wheel clicking. We ran codes on the car and we are confident that the clock spring failed. My horn and cruise control also no longer work.
I was taking an exit ramp onto the highway when my car just started accelerating on its own. I pulled onto the highway and was cruising at 55 mph. The car then jerked a little and started to accelerate past 60 then to 70. I pressed the brakes and nothing happened. My car then accelerated to 80 mph. I continued pressing the brakes to try to slow down but nothing happened. Then I heard a loud crack sound and all of a sudden the car started to slow down. That is when I realized it had actually shut off. So I pulled to shoulder and had it towed to a mechanic shop. It turns out the road hazard that I ran over was probably what saved me from serious injury or death. It busted my oil pan and that is what caused the car to shut off.
THE HEATER CORE IN THESE CARS ARE HORRIBLE I'VE HAD MIND REPLACED 3 TIMES AND I HAVE TO GET ANOTHER HEATER CORE AND MY CAR FLOOR IS FULL OFF WATER AND IT KEEPS LEAKING AND THE WAY THE SOUND WHEN YOUR TAKING OFF I NOTICED THAT SOUND LIKE A MINI WEED EATER WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE GAS
THE ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING THING SINCE I PURCHASED IT IT IS NOW PAID FOR EVEN UNDER WARRANTY IT WAS MISDIAGNOSED THE BRAKING SYSTEM PULSATES AND I WAS TOLD THAT WAS NORMAL BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST CHANGE THE BRAKES AND THEN NOW THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE IT TELLS ME THAT THE THERE'S A FEW THE STEERING WHEEL LIGHTS UP THE AIRBAG LIGHTS UP THE ROAD CONDITION LIGHTS UP AND THEN I WOULD TURN THE CAR OFF A PULSATES WHEN I'M BREAKING AT 60 MILES AN HOUR OR 70 MILES AN HOUR. I'VE TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AS WAS THERE ANY RECALLS AND THE ONLY RECALL WAS SOMETHING I HAD TO DO NOTHING WITH THE THE VEHICLE ISSUES THEY DO NOT SEEM VOLKSWAGEN DOES NOT SEEM TO FIND THESE ISSUES THAT I'M READING IN PREVIOUS MESSAGES AN ISSUE BUT IT'S OUR SAFETY SO I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT EVEN PURCHASING ANOTHER VOLKSWAGEN.
I EXPERIENCING A FUEL DISTRIBUTION ISSUE. IT APPEARS TO BE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. MY CAR SPUTTERS AND MISFIRES WHILE DRIVING. THE ENGINE READINGS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING. THE ENGINE IDLES HIGH WHILE IT IS STATIONARY. WHEN I ACCELERATE TO GO UP A HILL OR INCLINE MY CAR SPUTTERS UNCONTROLLABLY. I HAVE REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND NUMBER OF OTHER PARTS BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS.
MY STEERING WHEEL WAS AFFECTED, NO HORN, LOSS OF AIR BAGS, LOCKED TRUNK. WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CLOCK SPRING PROBLEM (PREVIOUSLY REPORTED). THESE PROBLEMS SEEMED TO APPEAR RANDOMLY AND NOT ALL AT ONCE. IS UNDER YOUR FORCED RECALL, BUT WAS ALLOWED TO EXCLUDE CERTAIN VEHICLES??? HAD TO FIX IT FOR AROUND $500. NOT PREVIOUSLY REPORTED--ON THE WAY HOME--I NO LONGER HAD A CRUISE CONTROL. VW CHARGED ME $143.50 JUST TO DIAGNOSE IT AND TELL ME IT WOULD COST $720.97 TO REPLACE IT. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE AIR BAG. ALSO,LAST YEAR MY CAR STARTED SPONTANEOUSLY LOCKING AND RELOCKTING MY CAR WHILE DRIVING.. I TOOK IT TO VW. THEY SAID IT NEEDED REPLACING (WITHOUT DIAGNOSIS). THEY COULDN'T WORK ME IN SO I LEFT. THE PROBLEM JUST DISAPPEARED ???
CLOCK SPRING FAILURE. CLICKING IN STEERING WHEEL WHILE TURNING CAR, AIR BAG ERROR LIGHT CAME ON AND NONE OF THE CONTROLS ON THE STEERING WHEEL WORK.
I OWN A 2014 VW PASSAT. ALL OF THE FUNCTIONS ON MY THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN DEAD AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THE ISSUE WAS FIRST DISCOVERED. I HAD JUST STARTED THE CAR. AFTER BRINGING THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED, IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY CLOCK SPRING. THE REPLACEMENT COST IS $637 AND THE CLOSEST DEALER IS 45 MILES AWAY. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS THE AIR BAG, HORN AND OTHER STEERING WHEEL FEATURES DO NOT WORK. AFTER RESEARCHING I'VE COME TO REALIZE THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES EFFECTED BY THIS AND NO RECALL.
CAR KEEPS RANDOMLY SHUTTING OFF. LOSES POWER WHILE IDLING AND DIFFICULT TO START. WILL LOSE POWER AND CUT OFF ALSO WHILE DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL NOT STAY ON OR COME ON.
THE CAR'S TRANSMISSION IS LISTED AS "AUTOMATIC", HOWEVER IT JERKS ON SLOW SPEEDS AND SLOWING DOWN. THIS PERFORMANCE IS DESCRIBED IN THE DSG DIAGRAM FROM THE AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY WEB SITE. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT THIS MANUFACTURER (VW) WAS THE FIRST TO DESIGN THIS AN AUTOMATED MANUAL TRANSMISSION, IT WAS NOT APPROVED BY THE NHSTA. THIS TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT BE CLASSIFIED AND THEN CERTIFIED AS AUTOMATIC. THE BUYING PUBLIC SHOULD BE NOTIFIED IF THEIR VEHICLE HAS THIS ALTERNATE TRANSMISSION. THE JERK AND LURCH OF THE VEHICLE IS PROBLEMATIC IF THE DRIVER LOSES CONTROL AT THE EVENT THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTUALLY AT FAULT. THERE IS NO GRIND IN THE GEARS LIKE A TRADITIONAL AUTOMATIC TO INDICATE MALFUNCTION. THIS OCCURS AT EVERY START, STOP WHICH MAKES IT THE REGULAR PERFORMANCE FOR THE VEHICLE, BUT HOW DOES THE OWNER KNOW WHEN THINGS ARE NOT. OCCURS STOPPING AT LIGHTS. FOLLOWING IN SLOW TRAFFIC. DRIVING UP HILL. PARKING.
TWICE, ON MAY 12 AND ON OCTOBER 22, WHILE IN A PARKING LOT AND PULLING INTO A VERTICAL PARKING SPOT AT VERY LOW SPEED, I TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR, AND SUDDENLY THE CAR RAPIDLY SPED UP. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP IT WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND I HIT A BRICK PLANTER THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, AND I HIT THE POST HOLDING UP THE FRONT OF A BUILDING THE SECOND TIME. THE BRAKE PEDAL ON THE PASSAT IS APPROXIMATELY 3" WIDE AND LOCATED ONLY AN INCH OR SO FROM THE ACCELERATOR. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I HIT BOTH PEDALS WHILE TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, BUT THAT DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION THAT CAUSED THE CAR TO JUMP THE CURB AND HIT THE PLANTER AND THE BUILDING. FRIGHTENING SITUATION. I WASN'T INJURED THE FIRST TIME BUT WAS FAIRLY WELL SHAKEN UP THE SECOND. THE BODY SHOP SAID THE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME EACH TIME. I TOOK THE CAR TO T HE VW DEALER AFTER THE FIRST ACCIDENT, BUT THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG.
EXACTLY 28 DAYS AFTER FIRST BREAKDOWN HAD ANOTHER EXACTLY THE SAME. SEE YOUR PREVIOUS REPORT #10818720. DRIVING TO WORK ON HIGHWAY 2014 VW PASSAT ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. CAR CAN NOT GO OVER 30MPH & DECREASING SPEED. TOW TRUCK CALLED, MECHANIC & DEALERSHIP, RENTAL CAR, & PRIVATE INSURANCE ALL AGAIN. DEALERSHIP STATED CHEWED WIRES FROM SQUIRRELS & DOES NOT COVER UNDER WARRANTY. 1ST TIME $2,700. 2ND TIME $700. LEARNED OF SOY-BASED COATING ON WIRES. LOCAL FARMERS & GOVERNMENT GRASS CUTTER WORKERS HAVE CHEWED WIRES ON THEIR TRACTORS ALSO. PLEAE INVESTIGATE. PLEASE RECALL. PLEASE HELP.
2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT DIESEL. OWNERSHIP 1/1/2 YRS. MILEAGE 14,000. DRIVING TO WORK COULD NOT GO OVER 30MPH. DASHBOARD LIGHT CAME ON SHOWING EMISSION CONTROL MONITOR & PRE GLOW. THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO COLDER WEATHER. HAD TO BE TOWED & AT DEALERSHIP NOW FOR REPAIR. COMPLETE BREAKDOWN. VW MECHANIC STATING THERE IS MAJOR DAMAGE DUE TO A RODENT OR SQUIRELL PROBLEM. STATED THE WIRING IS CHEWED UP EVEN IN THE HEADLIGHTS. I AM THE ONLY CAR OWNER IN THE PARISH AND IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THIS PROBLEM?? HAVE WARRANTY BUT VW SAID THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. HAD TO GET RENTAL CAR. WAITING FOR STATE FARM INSURANCE ADJUSTER TO GO TO DEALERSHIP. HELP! PLEASE SEND A NHTSA REP TO INVESTIGATE AND LOOK AT VEHICLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED EXCESSIVELY IN ORDER FOR IT TO RESPOND. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.
2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE AND HIS WIFE EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHEN PREPARING TO PARK. THE FIRST TWO INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE PULLING INTO HIS DRIVEWAY. IN EACH OF THE FIRST TWO INCIDENTS THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED WITHOUT APPLICATION TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE THIRD INCIDENT, RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE, WHEN HIS WIFE PULLED INTO A PARKING SPOT. WHEN SHE TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR TO BRAKE AND PARK THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OVER A CURB AND HIT THE WALL OF A BUILDING. THE IMPACT CAUSED THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY AND CAUSED OVER $5,000 IN DAMAGE. *JB
2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO TURN OFF AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO ACTIVATE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO JUMP A CURB AND RUN OFF THE ROAD, INJURING THE CONSUMERS WIFE. *TA
AS I TRIED TO POSITION MYSELF TO ENTER A PARKING LOT. I CHANGED GEAR TO REVERSE, TO BACK UP. I SWITCHED GEAR AGAIN TO DRIVE. I PROCEED TO THE LOT AND THAT'S WHEN THE CAR MOVED AT A VERY HIGH SPEED. I HIT THE BRAKE, BUT HAD BREAK FAILURE . I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR, IN THE PROCESS (7) OTHER CARS WERE HIT... UNTIL THE CAR WAS STOPPED BY ANOTHER CAR THAT WAS HIT.
I PURCHASED A 2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TDI SEL ON 03-31-2014. I WAS DRIVING IT HOME WHEN I WENT THROUGH A FREEWAY INTERCHANGE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE ROAD WAS DRY AND OTHER VEHICLES WERE GOING THROUGH THE INTERCHANGE AT A SPEED FASTER THAN ME. THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) APPLIED THE BRAKES IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT TRIED TO STRAIGHT MY VEHICLE OUT INTO THE TURN, CAUSING ME TO NEARLY HIT THE GUARD RAIL. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE VW DEALER THE NEXT MORNING AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE ESC ISSUE AND THE FACT THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT (ALIGNMENT ISSUE). THEY CHECKED IT AND FOUND NOTHING AND EVEN SAID THE ALIGNMENT WAS FINE. THEY SAID THE ESC SOUNDED NORMAL TO THEM. I'VE BEEN DRIVING THE SAME ROADS FOR 20 YEARS AND I KNEW THIS WASN'T NORMAL. I MADE VIDEOS OF THE ESC CAR SLOWING ME DOWN BELOW HIGHWAY SPEEDS AROUND SWEEPING CORNERS. I WAS TAKING MY DAUGHTER HOME ONE DAY AND A FORD EXPLORER NEARLY REAR ENDED ME. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES, DURING WHICH THEY CORRECTED THE ALIGNMENT AND FIXED A TRIM PANEL THAT WAS FALLING DOWN. THE ESC THEY MAINTAIN IS WORKING PERFECTLY. THE FUNNY THING IS I ALSO HAVE A 2014 VW JETTA TDI THAT NEVER ENGAGES THE ESC, THOUGH IS EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME SYSTEM. I DROVE A 2014 VW CC AS A LOANER AND THE ESC NEVER ENGAGED. THIS SYSTEM IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE IF VW IS ALLOWED TO TELL CONSUMERS THERE ISN'T A PROBLEM WITH THEIR PROGRAMMING OR HARDWARE. *TR
I RENTED A 4 DOOR VW PASSAT (LICENSE PLATE[XXX]; MVA #[XXX]) FROM AVIS AT THE BATON ROUGE AIRPORT ON TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014. TODAY, APRIL 11, 2014, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY FROM NEW ORLEANS TO BATON ROUGE MY CAR ACCELERATED TO 80 MILES AND STAYED AT THAT RATE (WITHOUT ME HAVING MY FOOT ON THE GAS), APPROXIMATELY 7 OR 8 TIMES. MY SPEED DID NOT GO DOWN UNLESS I PRESSED ON THE BREAKS, SIMILAR TO WHAT OCCURS WHEN SOMEONE ENGAGES CRUISE CONTROL (BUT I HAD NOT ENGAGED CRUISE CONTROL). ALTHOUGH THIS ISSUE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES, I COULD NOT POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE MOVEMENTS NECESSARY TO RECREATE THE EFFECT. HOWEVER, I DO KNOW THAT IT OCCURRED AT LEAST SOME OF THE TIMES (AND POSSIBLY EVERY TIME) WHEN I WAS ACCELERATING TO PASS A CAR *AND* MOVED TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE. TOWARDS THE END OF MY DRIVE I MADE SURE TO ONLY BE TOUCHING THE STEERING WHEEL AT THE BOTTOM, THEREFORE IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE THAT I ACCIDENTALLY ENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL VIA ANY OF THE SIDE LEVERS, AND ON MY MODEL THE ONLY BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL ITSELF WERE FOR RADIO VOLUME AND STATION. I DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT, BUT I COULD IMAGINE DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES HAD THIS ISSUE ARISEN DURING DENSER TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
WHILE GOING AROUND A RIGHT CORNER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON A DRY DAY AND OTHER VEHICLES GOING MUCH FASTER THAN MY VEHICLE. THE CAR APPLIED THE BRAKES IN AN AGGRESSIVE MANNER IN THE OPPOSING DIRECTION OF THE TURN AS IF IT WANTED ME TO GO STRAIGHT I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT WITH THE VEHICLE IN THE LEFT LANE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN ABOUT THE ISSUE. I FIRST BROUGHT THE CAR IN ON 1/13/14 AND WAS TOLD NO MALFUNCTIONS FOUND. I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN ON 2/15/14 AND WAS TOLD VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN ON 3/14/14 TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP AND THIS TIME THEY FOUND THAT THE TIRES WERE SET AT 41.5 PSI. THE RECOMMEND PRESSURE IS 30PSI. I WAS TOLD THAT WITH HIGHER PSI THE WHEELS WOULD BOUNCE AND COULD LOOSE TRACTION. I NEVER HAD TO A AIR TO ANY OF MY TIRES SINCE PURCHASE. DURING THESE OCCASION MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE SHOP FOR A NUMBER OF REASON ALONG WITH A SQUEAKING SUSPENSION AND BACKUP CAMERA ISSUES AND AT NOT TIME NO ONE NOTICED THE ADDITIONAL 11 PSI. AFTER DRIVING FOR A WEEK IT DID THE SAME THING AGAIN ON 3/21/14 EVEN AFTER THE TIRE PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT. I AM SCHEDULE TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER 3/27/14. ALL THIS TIME I'M LEFT TO DRIVE THIS UNSAFE VEHICLE BECAUSE VOLKSWAGEN WANTS TO TRY AGAIN AND FIX THE PROBLEMS WITHOUT GIVING ME A LOANER TO AVOID THE LEMON LAW OF 30 OUT OF USE IN MARYLAND. SO FAR IT'S BEEN 20DAYS OUT OF USE BECAUSE OF THE REPAIRS. *TR
VEHICLE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT CONTROL SPEED DOWNHILL WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS SET. VEHICLE SPEED KEEPS INCREASING WHILE GOING DOWNHILL. *TR
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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