Two problems related to headlights turn off while driving have been reported for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat based on all problems reported for the 2012 Passat.
On Tuesday, 24 June, I dropped off our 2012 vw Passat at a vw dealer for its 2 year / 20k mile service with 15,100 miles on the odometer. An electrical wiring recall regarding headlights and the hood was performed on the Passat. The incident occurred within an hour of leaving the dealer and after driving about 40 miles from the dealer. My wife was driving and her sister was in the front passenger seat. It was raining hard enough that it was difficult to see the highway lane markings and my wife was concentrating on following the car lights in front of her. The vehicle was in the second lane from the right of a four lane highway. Then, without any warning from dashboard lights or sounds, the windshield wipers stopped, the dashboard lights went dark, and the headlights went out. My wife's sister saw the car clock dials spin around several times and then stop at 9:00. All power was out in the Passat. The vehicle was moving down four lanes of highway without power. As the Passat slowed down, my wife kept the car pointed straight ahead. It is hard to determine if the steering wheel was locked because my wife wasn't trying to move the steering wheel very much. As the vehicle approached a highway exit, the highway lanes began to diverge as the right lane exited the highway, the second lane from the right slit with an option to exit to the right or remain on the highway, and the two left lanes remained on the highway. By maintaining a straight trajectory, my wife maneuvered the Passat into the median separating the highway from the off-ramp. The Passat rolled to a stop, dead in the median. While no other power was available in the Passat, the hazard flashing lights were functional.
Both of my headlights have failed (on two different occasions). The first in 2013 (right side) in which dealer representative said that vw was having a problem with the light housings. They were going to charge me for the repair, but the dealership management decided to do a "curtesy" fix. In April of 2014 the left light failed and the vw dealership siad I would have to pay for repairs and then "apply" for a refund when the recall campaign came out. They have had a known proble for over 18 months and they still have not issued a recall. No lights creates a very hazardous situation.