2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

HAD A CLOCKSPRING FAILURE IN 2012 PASSAT, CAUSING AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT, AND FAILURE OF ALL STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS. HAVE NOTED RECALL FOR THIS ITEM FOR CARS PRODUCED JUST PRIOR TO MINE BASED ON VIN SEQUENCE. VW APPARENTLY DID NOT CORRECT THE ISSUE IN PRODUCTION BECAUSE I HAVE HAD THE EXACT ISSUE COVERED IN THE RECALL, YET MY CAR IS NOT COVERED. COST WAS OVER $600 FOR REPAIR. THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED BASED ON THESE FAILURES AND WHAT I HAVE SEEN ON REPEAT FAILURES AFTER THE RECALL WAS DONE ON MANY CARS. IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS THAT THEIR INITIAL FIX IS NOT A TRUE FIX FOR THE ISSUE.

CLOCK SPRING FAILURE AFTER RECALL SERVICE WAS PERFORMED. 2-8-2018 - UPON STARTING TO DRIVE WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL I HEARD A SCRAPING SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND THEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING AIR BAG NOT WORKING, ALL CONTROL SWITCHES ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND HORN WAS NOT WORKING. I HAD THE RECALL FOR THE PROTECTIVE COVER OVER THE STEERING WHEEL CLOCK SPRING INSTALLED AT THE VW DEALER IN MARCH 2016. VW DEALER AND THE CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE TELL ME THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CLOCK SPRING IS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE SINCE THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED OVER 12 MONTHS AGO. IT'S OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THE COVER RECALL FIX WAS NOT THE CORRECT FIX AND POSSIBLY CAUSED THE PROBLEM I NOW HAVE WITH THE CAR. SINCE VW KNEW THERE WAS A RE-DESIGN OF THE CLOCK SPRING TO CORRECT A DESIGN FLAW THE COVER RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO AUTOMATICALLY REPLACE THE CLOCK SPRING WITH THE IMPROVED DESIGN. I'M BEING TOLD I'LL HAVE TO PAY $500 TO MAKE THE REPAIR WHICH I FIND VERY UNFAIR IN LIGHT OF THE RE-DESIGN FOR THE PART OR THE POSSIBILITY THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT CORRECT AND MAY BE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBELM NOW.

ON MY 2012 TDI WHEN THE WEATHER GETS COLD ~ BELOW 10 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT THE ENGINE FEELS LIKE IT IS MISFIRING. IT USUALLY STARTS FINE, BUT IT STUMBLES/MISFIRED FOR THE FIRST MILE OR SO. THE CAR DOES NOT WANT TO GET UP TO SPEED, NOR WILL IT SHIFT INTO THE NEXT GEAR, THE ENGINE WILL REV TO 3000 RPM AND MORE WHEN COLD, WHICH IS VERY BAD FOR THE ENGINE. I WILL MANUALLY SHIFT INTO THE NEXT GEAR AND THEN IT CHUGS AND MISFIRES AND STRUGGLES TO GET UP TO SPEED.

IN 2016 MY CLOCK SPRING BROKE AND WAS REPLACED AS PART OF THE 2015 CLOCK SPRING RECALL. IN JANUARY 2018 MY CLOCK SPRING WENT OUT AGAIN. I CURRENTLY HAVE AN AIRBAG LIGHT ON, THE HORN IS NOT WORKING, AND ALL CONTROLS ON THE STEERING WHEEL DO NOT WORK. THE CLOCK SPRING THAT WAS REPLACED AS PART OF THE RECALL HAS FAILED AND VW REFUSES TO PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT. THANK YOU

DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE. DOOR LOCK LATCH MECHANISM FAILED. CANNOT DRIVE CAR IF DOOR WON'T STAY LATCHED. INDEPENDENT SHOP REPLACED MECHANISM. BASED UPON INTERNET SEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT DOOR LATCH FAILED SEEMS COMMON WHICH WAS A SURPRISE.

I WAS PART OF A RECALL TO REPLACE THE CLOCK SPRING ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I DID NOT HAVE A PROBLEM BEFORE, NOW ABOUT THREE MONTH AFTER WE HAD IT DONE THE STEERING WHEEL ELECTRONICS DO NOT WORK AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. ALSO ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS THE PREVIOUS PROBLEMS STARTED I NOTICED THE AIR IS NOT BLOWING AS MUCH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. IT IS ALSO BLOWING COLD WHEN WE ARE CALLING FOR HEAT.

CAR BEGAN VIBRATING AND FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY.

TAKATA RECALL SAW NO EVIDENCE OF AIRBAG ISSUES PRIOR TO TAKATA AIRBAG CORRECTION GOING DONE BY DEALER. MONTHS LATER, THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AND ELECTRONIC CONTROLS IN STEERING WHEEL NOT FUNCTIONING. NOTICED THE LIGHT COME ON WHILE IN MY DRIVEWAY

WHEN BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, I HEARD A LOUD POP COME FROM THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING, AN ALARM CAME UP FOR "AIRBAG ERROR". ALSO, ALL OTHER FUNCTIONALITY ON MY STEERING WHEEL WAS DISABLED, INCLUDING THE BLUETOOTH ACCESS, RADIO BUTTONS, ETC. I CONTACTED MY VW DEALERSHIP (BOUCHER VW IN RACINE, WI) AND THEY STATED THAT THE ISSUE WAS THE AIRBAG CLOCK SPRING AND THAT THE AIR BAG IS NOT FUNCTIONAL IF THIS ALARM IS ACTIVE. I ASKED IF THIS WAS COVERED AS A PART OF THE RECALL (I BELIEVE THE RECALL NUMBER IS 15V-483) AND THEY STATED IT WAS NOT AND THAT THE ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIR WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $550. I ASKED WHY THIS WAS NOT COVERED AS A PART OF THE RECALL BUT WAS NOT PROVIDED AN EXPLANATION. I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THIS QUESTION WHEN I TAKE THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

CLOCK SPRING BROKE AGAIN ON 2012 PASSAT, VW REFUSES TO FIX STATING IT WAS OUT OF THE SPARE PART WARRANTY WHEN THE FIRST RECALL WAS COMPLETED. AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON, STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS DO NOT WORK, AND FRONT DRIVER AIRBAG PROBABLY WON'T GO IF I AM IN A CRASH. VW IS PUTTING MY LIFE AT RISK BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT TO FOOT THE BILL FOR A BAD PART IN THEIR VEHICLES.