Volkswagen / Passat / 2013
2013 Volkswagen Passat problems
Owners have filed 1,027 complaints about the 2013 Volkswagen Passat with NHTSA. Air bags account for 37.2% of them — far more than any other system, ahead of engine at 10.1%.
Complaints1,027
Crashes43
Fires9
Injuries34
Deaths5
What owners report breaking
Air bags 37.2% · 382
Engine 10.1% · 104
Electrical system 9.3% · 95
Unknown or other 7.5% · 77
Fuel/propulsion system 6.3% · 65
Exterior lighting 5.8% · 60
Steering 5.0% · 51
Power train 3.2% · 33
Severity
Of those complaints, 43 describe a crash, 9 describe a fire, 34 report an injury and 5 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 22 model years of the Volkswagen Passat in this data, 2013 draws the most complaints of any of them.
Filing volume has held steady, 115 in the last three years against 108 in the three before.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 50,000 miles.
In owners' own words
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact also noticed that the steering wheel and the horn failed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column coil needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000. Air bags · reported at 83,000 miles
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v078000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. Air bags
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v078000 (air bags). The part to do the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available. Air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…