2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V483000 (AIR BAGS). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GREEN TOYOTA (3901 WABASH AVE, SPRINGFIELD, IL 62711, (217) 698-3100) AND A PROTECTIVE COVER WAS INSTALLED OVER THE STEERING WHEEL CLOCK SPRING. A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE HORN FAILED AND THE BUTTONS AROUND THE STEERING WHEEL WERE INOPERABLE. THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AUTOHAUS OF PEORIA (2322 W VAN WINKLE WAY, PEORIA, IL 61615, (309) 740-7951) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

NO HEAT IN PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. REPAIRED/REPLACED HEATER CORE 12/2016, OCCURRED AGAIN 1/2018. KNOWN ISSUE NOT ACKNOWLEDGED BY VW. SEE TS-80-15-04 FOR SAME SITUATION IN MODELS OTHER THAN PASSAT. CREATES POSSIBLE SAFETY HAZARD IN COLD CLIMATE WHERE DEFROST OF PASSENGER WINDOW DOES NOT CLEAR WINDOW.

THE FRONT RIGHT FENDER LINER DOES NOT COVER A HOLE THAT ALLOWS SNOW AND WATER TO GET INTO THE FRESH AIR BLOWER INSIDE THE CABIN. WHEN IT IS VERY COLD OUTSIDE (WHICH IS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME IN MONTANA) THE WATER THAT HAS CONTACTED THE BLOWER MOTOR WILL FREEZE, IN TURN NOT ALLOWING THE FRESH AIR BLOWER TO TURN. WHEN THE FRESH AIR BLOWER DOES NOT TURN, THERE IS NO DEFROST OR HEAT IN THE CABIN. I DROVE HOME AND HAD TO GO THROUGH SNOW THAT WAS ON THE ROAD. THIS SNOW WAS THROWN UP INTO AN UNCOVERED HOLE AND GOT INTO THE BLOWER HOUSING. THE NEXT MORNING I WENT TO START THE CAR AND HAD NO BLOWER MOTOR. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE HAPPENED, AND I HAD TO SCRAPE THE WINDOW EVERY 30 SECONDS TO ENSURE THAT I COULD SEE WHERE I WAS GOING. I WAS ALSO VERY VERY COLD CONSIDERING THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 0 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE IN A SITUATION THAT I WAS TO GET TO A WARM PLACE FAST ENOUGH THAT MY FEET DID NOT FREEZE OFF. VOLKSWAGEN HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THIS PROBLEM AND HAS CREATED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THE ISSUE. THEY WILL NOT COVER ANY COST OF THIS OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW. THE BULLETIN NUMBER IS GROUP 87, NO. 15-15. THE REPAIR REQUIRES A NEW FENDER LINER, A NEW HVAC AIR INLET COVER, A NEW WATER DEFLECTOR, A NEW PLENUM CHAMBER COVER, AND A NEW CABIN AIR FILTER, AS SEEN IN THE TECHNICAL BULLETIN.

I WAS PARKED WITH THE CAR OFF AND ALL DOORS UNLOCKED AND I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR OF MY 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. IT SOUNDED AS IF THE LOCK ON THE FRONT DRIVER DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. ALL OTHER DOORS OPENED NORMALLY. I NOW HAVE TO ENTER AND EXIT THE DRIVER SEAT FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT. THIS SEEMS LIKE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN IF I EVER HAD TO EXIT MY VEHICLE QUICKLY IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.

CURRENTLY, I HAVE A FAILING (CLICKING NOISE WHILE TURNING) CLOCK SPRING MY 2013 PASSAT TDI THAT WENT IN FOR THE CLOCKSPRING COVER RECALL IN 2016 AND ALSO THE AIRBAG RECALL IN 8/2017 AND HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS A "FAILING CLOCKSPRING" 11/24/2017, PUT IN FOR GOODWILL REPAIR TO VW CORPORATE AND WAS IMMEDIATELY REJECTED AND THE DEALER CHARGES OVER $700 FOR REPLACEMENT. SERVICE TECH SAID SINCE I AM A LOYAL CUSTOMER OF A HEAVILY RECALLED TDI MODEL, THEY COULD REPAIR IT FOR $550 (12/10/2017). THIS IS DISAPPOINTING...I AM WAITING FOR IT TO FAIL COMPLETELY BEFORE I CHART MY NEXT COURSE OF ACTION.

2013 VW PASSAT TDI SEL THE CHECK LEFT LOW BEAM LIGHT RADOMLY WOULD COME ON THEN GO OFF. THEN IT STAYED ON, LEFT LOW BEAM WAS NO LONGER WORKING. LIGHT WAS REPLACED BUT DID NOT WORK. BULB DID WORK IN RIGHT SIDE. WHEN INSPECTED MODULE THAT BULB WAS INSERTED INTO, NOTICED A MELTED AREA. CHECKED INTERNET AND DISCOVERED A RECALL FOR LEFT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FOR 2012-2013 PASSATS DUE TO THIS SAME ISSUE. CALLED LOCAL DEALERSHIP, EXPLAINED ISSUE, SAID THEY WOULD CHECK AND NEVER GOT BACK TO ME. CALLED VW EXPLAINED THE ISSUE, WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE TO LEGAL OBLIGATION TO FIX IT AS MY CAR IS NOT INVOLVED IN RECALL DESPITE THE SAME ISSUE. TOLD ME THAT NHSTA WOULD NOT LET THEM FIX IT. THE RECALL FIX INVOLVES REPLACING A SMALL SECTION OF WIRING AND THE MODULE THAT BULB IS INSERTED INTO.

THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HAS BEEN HAVING THE ISSUE WHERE IT FIRST WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. THEN AFTER A FEW WEEKS IT STARTED TO NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. EVENTUALLY IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT WILL NOT EVEN LATCH SO IT'S VERY MUCH A SAFETY HAZARD. NOTHING HAS CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN TO THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ONLINE IN REFERENCE TO THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN A WRECK AND ONLY HAS 50K MILES ON IT.

AS I WAS DRIVING I STARTED TO NOTICE A RUSTLING SOUND WHENEVER I WOULD TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER MY DASH LIGHT STATING THAT THERE WAS AN AIRBAG ERROR CAME ON FOR THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG. THE HORN AND THE OTHER CONTROL BUTTONS IN THE STEERING COLUMN CEASED WORKING AS WELL.

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. UPON PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER (KAREN RADLEY VOLKSWAGEN, 14700 JEFFERSON DAVIS HWY, WOODBRIDGE, VA 22191, (703) 550-0202) DID NOT INFORM THE CONTACT OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V078000 (AIR BAGS) UNTIL AFTER SHE OBTAINED OWNERSHIP. AN INDEPENDENT SALES COMPANY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO A DEALER TO SCHEDULE A RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD NEED TO WAIT TO RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL TO DETERMINE WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE INTERIM RECALL NOTICE MONTHS LATER, BUT HAD NOT RECEIVED A SECOND LETTER YET INDICATING THAT THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS STILL UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

PASSAT SEL YEAR 2013 2.5 GAS ENGINE. O9G TRANSMISSION HARD SHIFTING CLUNKY SLIPPING VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO DRIVE ESPECIALLY ON TRAFFIC STOP AND GO JERKY TRANSMISSION IT HAPPENED FOR VERY LONG TIME OIL AND FILTER WAS DONE STILL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE