10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 1
Average Mileage:
51,552 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Volkswagen Passat electrical problems

electrical problem

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2013 Volkswagen Passat Owner Comments (Page 2 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #65

Apr 022020

Passat

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Scottsdale, AZ, USA

problem #64

Apr 012020

Passat

  • 100,748 miles
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.

- Danville, IL, USA

problem #63

Aug 222020

Passat

  • 137,000 miles
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.

- Ecru, MS, USA

problem #62

Aug 272020

Passat

  • 131,644 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

A bad design on the trunk wiring harness. After a few years of opening and closing the truck, because of the placement of the trunk harness this motion deteriorates the wiring harness causing it to fail over time. The vehicle is stationary. There is currently no manufacture assistance with this issue not a recall associated with the issue.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #61

Aug 182020

Passat

  • 136,005 miles
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.

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #60

Nov 202019

Passat 4-cyl Diesel

  • 85,000 miles
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 position. 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.

- Medford, OR, USA

problem #59

Mar 162020

Passat

  • 700,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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

- Cape Girardeau, MO, USA

problem #58

Dec 112019

Passat

  • 66,500 miles
The front driver side door will not lock. It will not lock with the fab, or using the manual key lock.

- Albany, NY, USA

problem #57

Aug 302019

Passat

  • miles
The Volkswagen T-cross model stands on a lifting platform in a car tower on the Volkswagen factory premises. Picture alliance | picture alliance | getty images Volkswagen said Friday it's recalling 679,000 U.S. vehicles sold since 2011 with an electrical issue that could cause the car to roll away. The automaker said drivers could remove the key after stopping without placing the car in park, increasing the risk of the car rolling away. VW attributed the problem to a buildup of silicate on a shift lever micro switch contact. The company said dealers will install an additional switch and circuit board and disable a micro switch on affected cars. Volkswagen spokesman mark gillies said there are no reported injuries or accidents related to the recall. The recall covers the company's jetta, beetle, beetle convertible, golf, golf sportwagen and gti models from 2011 through 2019.

- St. Petersburg, FL, USA

problem #56

Jul 292019

Passat

  • 98,000 miles
Engine shuts off unexplainably. This has occurred while the vehicle was stationary on a city street and in motion on the highway. The component part/system that is causing the safety risk is unknown to me as well as the Volkswagen dealership and foreign auto mechanic that I have taken the vehicle to, to have it serviced.

- Herndon, VA, USA

problem #55

Jun 232019

Passat

  • 82,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Takata inflator maybe. In 2015 my vehicle was tboned by another vehicle, to where the impact even caused my car to spin, yet no airbag was deployed, even the police at the scene were wondering why my airbags did not go off... fast forward to yrs later my car reads airbag error.

- Midway City, CA, USA

problem #54

Jun 182019

Passat

  • 56,718 miles
While driving my 2013 VW Passat, the airbag light came on, on the dashboard and started beeping. When I pulled into my garage, I noticed that the horn no longer worked and none of the steering wheel functions work anymore. I have only 56,718 miles on the car and the VW dealer says it is not covered under a recall and I would have to pay out of pocket for the repair because my warranty deductible is $500. This is a safety issue and VW should be required to repair these airbag issues, not us, the consumer. This is not something we (the consumers) are causing, this is a VW quality issue.

- Saint Charles, MO, USA

problem #53

May 012018

Passat

  • 400 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that the horn was inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Hilton head Volkswagen (137 auto mall blvd, hardyville, SC) and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The contact indicated that the failure occurred after the vehicle was serviced per an unknown air bag recall. The failure mileage was 400.

- Bluffton, SC, USA

problem #52

Apr 082019

Passat

  • miles
After you guys installed the new emission program my car now has problems with the electrical system and the sensor for the oil light. It has been doing this since April 8 and before that we never had this problem.

- New Port Richey, FL, USA

problem #51

Apr 112019

Passat

  • 40,000 miles
While driving on the beltway at 60 miles an hour, the car suddenly lost all electrical power and the engine shut down. I was not able to steer or brake or accelerate. I coasted to the side of the highway, put the car in park and restarted it and drove it home without incident. Dealer could not find an error code. Twice since then, the electrical and system have shut down without warning while the car was running while idling at a traffic light.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #50

Apr 082019

Passat

  • 49,545 miles
My vehicle was making a ticking sound when turning, then out of nowhere a error message came up that said error airbag, and the air bag light came on. I looked up to see if it was a recall, since I bought the vehicle used, it is for the clockspring, when I used the VIN search it did not so as an active recall for my vehicle.

- Fort Lee, VA, USA

problem #49

Mar 182019

Passat

  • 0 miles
Everything on my steering wheel stopped working( buttons, horn, etc.) passenger airbag light is on as well. Does not work when the car is moving or stationary.

- Glendale Heights, IL, USA

problem #48

Dec 142018

Passat

  • miles
My 2013 VW Passat 3.6 sel lacks a elec stability control switch on the vehicle. As a result, the traction is terrible on this vehicle in rain, snow, and sleet. The engine has a knocking noise, even though I service the vehicle at VW every 10,000 miles as required in the owner's manual. This vehicle has major electrical problems, such as the seat belt light illuminating, and I lose tension in my driver seat belt. That is a huge safety flaw for this $40,000 vehicle.

- Battleboro, NC, USA

problem #47

Oct 022018

Passat

  • 74,000 miles
Recall performed regarding airbag clock spring which involved installing a shroud over the the clock spring and less then 12 months later, the airbag clock spring failed. Volkswagen is refusing to pay for the cost of the repair because they say that they have already performed the recall. The front drivers side airbag, steering wheel controls and horn are no longer working in the vehicle. There is also an airbag light illuminated with a airbag error in the informational display. This is a safety concern. The vehicle was in motion and the steering wheel was in use when the failure occurred.

- Dover, DE, USA

problem #46

Sep 162018

Passat

  • 56,000 miles
My 2013 VW Passat has 56,000 miles. I replaced at 33,000 on 12/29/2016 at a VW dealer that is no longer in business, based on their diagnostic, the clock spring and airbag harness in the steering wheel. It costed me $610. Fast forward on 09/16/2018 it turns out that I have the same problem, no controls in the wheel at all and airbag light on. The only symptom was a crunch sound in the steering wheel while turning and the airbag light came on right away. A VW dealership stated that it is unusual for a clock spring to go bad that quickly, there's some cars that don't need a clock spring replacement at all and mine needs a second one already at 56,000. Through a phone call Volkswagen of America stated that won't stay behind the problem. I strongly feel that it's a defective/malfunction part that affects my wife's and my children's safety since they are primarily using the car. Currently we're driving the car without any front airbag protection! please investigate this and have the ones who's fault it is fix the problem! thank you!

- Anaheim, CA, USA

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