general problems of the 2013 Volkswagen Passat - part 1

In April 2025, my 2013 Volkswagen Passat developed serious issues: the steering wheel cover is lifted, horn and steering wheel controls stopped working, lights malfunctioned, and now the vehicle will not start. It also has an open takata airbag recall with no parts available until “after June” I contacted the dealership by phone and spoke to lykoto at molle dealership in kansas city. They have refused to provide a tow or a loaner vehicle. Due to this I have not had an in-person inspection. I no longer feel safe driving the car. The manufacturer has been notified of this via email due to their services being closed on the weekends but will contact over the phone Monday morning. Symptoms worsened over months and the no-start issue appeared recently. Will be taking to a private mechanic ASAP to have the no-start issue confirmed.

Failed clock spring. Airbag light was present and a rattling noise, when turning, was noticed. Less than 72 hours later, the buttons on the steering wheel, including horn, stopped working, and a louder crack/pop was heard.

Def system failed- cel came on w def light stating xxx miles to no start, codes p204f & 18097, now unable to start or drive car safely, 18097 code may cause abs & steering to shut off while driving & p204f renders the car unusable. Epa mod was never performed on my car per dieselgate settlement rules- & now the manufacturer(vw) is refusing to fix their mistake car has been in shop repeatedly for 30+ days at a time since 2022 for the def system and not once was the epa mod mentioned to me vw refuses to fix the def system or do the epa required mod- meaning I was sold a stop sale car. Also claiming I’m not entitled to warranty even though per their own warranty I am the first owner that I can see other then a dealership am now told by other tdi owners that are still under warranty that vw is refusing to fix anything to do with the p204f code.

The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that the instrument panel became inoperable. The contact stated the multiple warning lights would inadvertently illuminate with no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the clock spring failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the nhsta hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

The drives side door lock will not disengage. This condition will not allow the driver to exit the car. In the event of a medical emergency, accident, or fire the driver can not extricate themselves and first responders would be delayed in extricating the driver which could lead to serious injury or death.

The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated upon activating the a/c, the vehicle voltage dropped. No further information was available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the alternator main fuse wiring was overheating. The dealer determined that the wiring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 131,100.

My vehicle was part of the emissions scandal that I knew nothing about when I purchased it. I was not told. I have had it in over 15 times at the dealership with ongoing problems that they say they fixed but isn't and because of its other problems have occurred. The vehicle gets hot, and I am afraid to drive it out of fear of it exploding. It is a diesel and has stalled on me while driving after jerking on its own. Other issues are lights going out such as break lights, fog lights and doors locking up and not locking. Glow plugs, fan going out and now problems with the coolant system getting hot. I have taken it to Volkswagen tracy where I bought it several times, but they only charge me more in diagnostic fees and repairs. I noticed when driving on the highway people stay far at a distance in back of me than normal. Now with a recall on the airbags after it gets hot, I am afraid to drive it out of fear of serious injury or death to me and my family. Date is approximate and I have over 50 pages of repair invoices.

Like many other vw owners, one of the doors of my car would not close and the car was unsafe to operate. Some people reporting having been locked in the car (driver's side door will not open), requiring them to exit the passenger's side door. The problem relates to a design flaw in the door lock actuator. In the winter, if it rains for several days and then freezes, the physical workings of the actuator freeze. The fix in a plastic protective cover, however, it may cost up to $500 to repair this safety issue if the door failed in a locked state adn the door card has to be removed with the door closed. This issue started in the b4 platform and is still a problem in the b7 models. See this TSB https://static. Nhtsa. Gov/odi/tsbs/2017/mc-10128042-9999. Pdf.

My instrument cluster stopped working yday. I could hear something inside or behind the steering wheel when I turned it. Obviously my clock spring has failed. I am pretty sure my car had a recall on this in the past. I haven’t had another ride to little rock to take my car for repairs. I can not afford to fix this. The part alone is over 400$. I understand it is very dangerous to drive. I have no other way to get anywhere. I need this part replaced if possible at all by volkswagon. There were 6 recalls on my car last time I checked. This being one of them. It is very dangerous to drive for me and everyone on the roadways. Please help. Thank you.

The vehicle cuts off while driving we’ve done numerous expensive replacements to water pump, control arm bushings, new battery, variable valve timing, celinoid, camshaft adjustment magnet, spark plugs and coils, ignition switch, fuel pump, gas cap. Oil filters and there is still a problem.

Day of purchase (feb2020)nox sensor went out on way home. Check engine light came on took back to vw dealership they fixed for free. Next component to go bad or become faulty was and still is the fuel door actuator when raining or washing off the car will get wet and fuel door will not open. Reported it to vw dealer after the issue arose at which time I was told it was not covered under the emissions warranty even though it’s listed. Next issue was clock spring broke and had to have vw repair the clock spring. This they did free of charge. Then issues arose with first blinkers bulbs blowing and randomly ceasing to work. It has progressed from blinkers ,to back up lights and tag lights. Recently the obd displayed a adblu error 200 miles to no engine restart. Then it dropped to 50 miles. Then zero at which time the obd flashed red and car would not start. Filled adblu waited few hours car started up no codes showing on dash. Get on interstate and with little time it flashes the same messages adblu error 200 miles to no engine restart. Then to 50 miles down to 10 miles turning red at 0 miles no engine start. As of 6 days ago I have recently learned of a recall made by vw regarding the approved emissions modification being faulty leading to the exact symptoms the car displays regarding the adblu(def system). Vw dealer refuses to acknowledge that the recall fix needs fixing since they reported to have fixed it already. All of the issues that we have had with the nox sensor, clock spring, exterior lighting , fuel door actuator, and the def system corrected approved modification, has been part of a recall that was supposedly already performed prior to the purchase. Now the def system is not working properly due to the malfunctioning of the aem software. Def injector have clogged due to crystallization of adblu , a affect of inadequate injection from the faulty aem. Emission mod decals under hood are not in proper locations nor properly filled.

Currently my reverse lights do not come on I have changed the bulbs and checked fuses. It started with one reverse light, however the warning light would come on and off on my dashboard. Next, the other reverse light so I attempted to change both bulbs and change fuses. Still not working. Now it is also my low beam headlights again changed the bulbs and fuses with no fix. My vehicle flickers a light in my rear lights when vehicle is off. My engine is having cooling problems and now the fan is completely off. I have electrical problems. I bought this car a year ago and have had issues with the power of the vehicle and suspension is very unstable. I have not had a check engine light come on for any of these problems so mechanics don't have a solution. My headlights are now not in the right position when I do turn them on so it makes it extremely hard to see at all at night. My vehicle seems to overheat or just on and off drive with very little power. I have had the battery replaced recently. I have always felt extremely unsafe driving this vehicle since I bought it from a dealer. I believe these issues are related to recall 94l9, 94g8/7v, 23w5.

While I was driving I notice my steering wheel making a crumbling of plastic noise when I made any kind of turn . A few days later my airbag error lamp started to blink. I parked and restarted my engine then the airbag became solid . My dash read “airbag error” . I notice all my steering wheel buttons do not work . Came home and neither does my horn . My car has never been in accident , but I feel it’s a safety hazard . I’m basically driving mute and I’m sure my airbag will not deploy in case of accident . Also, vw does have a recall on the clock spring but was never completed due to not hearing back from manufacturer . That was a few years back and do not understand how recalls work , but a recall was started for a reason and not completed. Is that even possible? this a serious safety issue if I’m in an accident without an airbag . Also the horn will not work in case to warn other drivers of a possible fatal hazard.

While driving airbag error flashed on dash and the airbag light-lamp came on . Also my steering wheel horn and buttons do not work . I had no past indication . I am driving with no horn and most likely no airbag deployment in case of accident. No inspection yet. Actually at risk if driven to the dealership.

Records indicate clock spring recall service was performed at some time in the past. Same exact problem recurred last week. Clearly the recall service did not remedy the problem.

The airbag light came on, the horn won't work, and none of the steering wheel controls work. I think it is the clockspring failure that wasn't fixed right.

Driver side low beam headlights failed. Bulb works. Bulb holder works. Confirmed by moving bulb and bulb holder assembly to passenger side where it operates fine. Search on-line finds many people with same problem. It appears to be an electrical connection problem within the headlight assembly. There was a reportedly recall for this problem that did not cover all vins. This is definitely a safety issue that also reportedly costs up to $600 to fix.

Recall still from 2015!!! clock spring defect need to have fixed ASAP!!! dealer says have to replace ourselves really???? it’s a manufacturer recall.

The air bag inoperative light illuminated in the dashboard display. All steering wheel electrical functions including horn, display control for items such as speed display stopped working, radio control, and phone control eased to function. There was a grinding noise coming from inside the steering wheel when I turned the wheel. I took the car to the dealer. The dealer said it is a known issue concerning the steering wheel clock spring and vw has known about this for years and has issued an extended warranty. However, vw has the parts on back order and is not supplying the parts to fix the problem in a timely fashion as it should with an emergency safety condition. I called vw of America to report this. They gave me a case number. They then sent me an email a week later saying they would get back to me in a month to let me know the status. This is negligent and unacceptable. This is not a dealership issue. Vw is not supplying the part to fix the airbag system. This is a safety issue. Thousands of cars are affected, not just mine. The airbag system is inoperative and in the case of an accident the airbag will not deploy. Just like the takata airbag scenario, this should be acted on immediately before someone is seriously hurt or killed because vw will not fix a known safety issue with their air bag system.

The clock spring was diagnosed to be faulty in February '22 and a new part was ordered and not in yet. This has made the airbag, wipers and horn stop working. This is a failure that affects thousands of vws and they have no idea when the new parts will be available. This auto is my only transportation!.

On 12/24/21, while driving the Passat and turning, a loud bang could be heard in the steering column and the airbag light illuminated. All steering wheel controls, such as the radio, screen toggles, volume and other associated controls ceased working. Drove straight to our trusted mechanic and was diagnosed with a broken clockspring. Repair was estimated at $436 dollars. Part is still not available to remedy. Vw America insists it’s not their problem to fix.

Both left and right low beam headlights became inoperable leave vehicle with only high beams. There has been a recall submitted by vw for the exact year/make/model/and production date. I have contacted closest dealership and have been given several reasons from the vehicle isn’t included in the recall but no explanation as to why it isn’t even though it meets every single criteria listed which vehicles it included and I was also told the recall was completed by another dealership but can not give the date or location of when the recall was supposedly done. If it was done, hypothetically speaking, then it obviously wasn’t done correctly because the same issue is still occurring, placing me and any passengers in extreme danger.

When parallel parking, the steering wheel began making a clicking noise when turning. The volume and duration of the clicking increased after pulling out from parking spot into the street and the instrument panel airbag light/chime came on within a mile of driving. Clicking in wheel while turning persisted intermittently throughout driving. All electrical controls on steering wheel are no-response. Horn does not work, airbag deactivated, and all steering wheel electronic controls are no-response.

The battery died. It's located in the trunk. There was no way to get to the battery because there's no keyhole in the trunk lid and without power nothing works. As in the trunk latch. Once I was able to jump the car bypassing the battery the trunk latch in the driver's side door malfunctioned. Now I can't get into the trunk at all. The latched to let the backseat down are located in the trunk. It's a horrible design and I'm just grateful I was stranded alone somewhere when the trunk latch failed.

My 2013 vw Passat 2. 5 s only has 59k miles and I was driving I no down road all sudden the car jerked forward and went into limp mode. I had it looked at then parts replaced and still having issues and they can't figure out issue. And now new codes keep coming up and keep getting new parts put in but it still feels like engine about shake right out of the car. I tried calling Volkswagen and they were supposed to call me back withing 2 days and I never heard anything back. I take really good care of my car and had all the parts replaced but its still having throttle and electrical issues and I can't get ahold of anyone. Mines having a lot of same issues as these people too which is weird especially around same time.

Air bag and all steering wheel controls failed. Had similar issue and had clock spring replace 12/26/2016 and appears to have failed again 4 years later.

Starting the car is a problem . I'll be driving it from time to time . Then it will just stop working. So very dangerous when I'm at a red light and it stalls.

My 2013 volkwagen Passat I purchased in November of 2019 has continued to have so many problems involving what I have been told the major recal the Volkswagen has for my vehicle. How ever I only see the recal fix for my vehicle back in October of 2019 yet it was back in the dealer for the same recal just 6 weeks ago and now I have had it in another machanic shop for the 2nd time now same recal issues and I cant get an hones answer from any one. My vehicle was also supposed to be at the dealer ship just about 6 weeks ago but I went there and my vehicle was not there yet they would not give me any information and my gps is on however my account information is incorrect.

The car consumes too much oil. Every month I have to get an oil change because it's always running low before the next change date. The car periodically cuts off while I'm driving it or when I stop.

2013 Passat tdi. 136000 miles. Vehicle was driving at highway speeds and the glow plug light started to flash, no other indicator lights or car performance issues were noted at this time. Car was pulled over safety to a town within 5 miles, the car was shut down. Just to see if it was a glitch car was restarted briefly and the check engine light remained on. Car was immediately turned off. While on the phone relaying my information to family, bystanders advised me that the car was on fire below the engine bay. The fire was quickly put out with water. The damage seems to be in the same area as has been noted by recalls 17v309000 and 16v171000, both of these recalls were complied with prior to this event. Documentation of this is maintained with the owner. All scheduled maintenance and repairs have been completed at Volkswagen dealerships since purchase, all records maintained.

Trunk wire harness failure. Trunk does not open from key fob, driver side button, or outside trunk lever. The only way to open the trunk in manual lever from inside the trunk.

The rear driver side taillights and turn signal quit working, replaced bulbs still broke. Airbag warning light stays on, this is the same problem that many of the vw have. My VIN shows that 5 repairs have been fixed if these are supposed to be fixed it didn't work. Recalls were over before I got the car so what am I supposed to do? these problems occur whether I'm stationary or moving.

Minor front end collision causing explosion of car causing my son to burn to death.

The front driver side door will not lock. It will not lock with the fab, or using the manual key lock.

I purchased my car November 20th 2019 with 85,000 miles and 10 weeks later when it broke down I was told I had no warranty and they say they only sell used certified with warranty used vehicles and I was forced to pay 25,00 dollars and when I picked my car up 11 days later my extra key fob was missing and I was treated so incredibly bad. My loan was supposed to be processed ASAP and I spoke with the bank and everything went thru and then lithia motors took my loan docs from when I signed on November 20th and they copied them and put the date for November 21st and I do have the documents from my car insurance company and the call was recorded with my self the employee at lithia and my insurance company as we give information about the loan and car I was purchasing and consider lithia motors does not allow vehicles to leave the lot unless a binder is in there posestion. And now the fuel system has had issues and my vehicles not running and I fear the lash back from them since they about to be served with a lawsuit from my lawyer.