2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

WHEN I START THE CAR, I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND PROCEED TO PUT THE CAR IN D (DRIVE) OR R (REVERSE). THE CAR ACCELERATES IMMEDIATELY EVEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES. THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IS TO ALLOW THE CAR TO WARM-UP FOR 30 TO 45 SECONDS BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE IT. I HAVE EXPRESSED MY CONCERNS TO DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD AS LONG AS IT DOES GO OVER 11 RPMS IT SHOULD BE OKAY. THEN WHEN I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND ASK THEM TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. SEVERAL TIMES, I HAVE FORGOT TO LET THE THE CAR WARM-UP AND ALMOST RAN INTO MY GARAGE DOOR OR WHATEVER OBJECT THAT WAS IN FRONT OR BEHIND ME. ALSO, BECAUSE MY SPOUSE DOES NOT DRIVE THE CAR OFTEN, HE TENDS TO FORGET TO LET THE VEHICLE WARM-UP AND AS A RESULT ALMOST HIT A CAR THAT WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF HIM. IF I LET ANYONE DRIVE THE CAR, I TELL THEM TO LET THE CAR WARM-UP BEFORE THEY DRIVE OFF. I DO THIS BECAUSE I AM CONCERNED THAT THE DRIVER WILL BE OVERCOME BY THE IMMEDIATE ACCELERATION AND LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. I FEEL THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY AND SHOULD BE RE-EVALUATED. ALSO, THE BRAKES SQUEAK AND I HAVE ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO CHECK THEM OUT EVERY TIME I TAKE THE CAR FOR THE 10K MAINTENANCE. EACH TIME, THE DEALERSHIP STATES THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. I AM VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THIS CAR. I HOPE THAT IF THERE IS A DEFECT OR DESIGN PROBLEM, IT CAN BE RESOLVED. IF NOT, I WILL TRADE THE CAR FOR ANOTHER VEHICLE. HOWEVER, I WOULD HATE FOR THIS AUTOMOBILE TO BE SOLD TO ANOTHER CUSTOMER WITH THE EXISTING DESIGN. *TR

INTERMITTENT LOSS OF TURBO POWER DURING LOW SPEED ACCELERATION. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO VW OF QUAD CITIES IN DAVENPORT, IA ON 2 MAY 2014. SERVICE MANAGER REPORTED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPLICATED BY A VW SERVICE TECHNICIAN. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN ON 5 MAY 2014 AND WAS REPORTED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. AGAIN, THE PROBLEM COULD BE REPLICATED AND WAS RETURN TO ME. I DEPARTED THE VW SERVICE AREA AND WHILE DRIVING AWAY THE PROBLEM RESURFACED IN THE VICINITY OF THE VW DEALERSHIP. I RETURNED IMMEDIATELY TO THE SERVICE CENTER AND ASKED TO HAVE A TECHNICIAN RIDE WITH ME TO EXPERIENCE THE FAULTY CONDITION. THE VW SERVICE TECHNICIAN WAS THEN ABLE TO RECOGNIZE A PROBLEM WITH THE TURBO LOCKING UP A LOW SPEEDS. UPON RETURN FROM THE TEST DRIVE, PARTS WERE ORDERED TO MAKE REPAIRS. I WAS ALLOWED TO DEPART WITH MY IMPAIRED VEHICLE WHILE AWAITING PARTS. THE CAR'S TURBO FAILED AGAIN ON 8 MAY 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:20 AM WHILE APPROACHING THE I-74 BRIDGE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FROM IOWA INTO ILLINOIS. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO NOTIFY THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT I WAS BRINGING THE CAR DIRECTLY IN FOR SERVICE SINCE THE VEHICLE'S PROPULSION WAS SEVERELY RESTRICTED WITHOUT THE TURBO BOOST. *TR

GLOW PLUG LIGHT ON DASHBOARD STARTED BLINKING. MAJOR LOSS OF POWER. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP IN FAYETVILLE, NC. PROBLEM REPORTED TO BE FAILED TURBO. *TR

BOTH OF MY HEADLIGHTS HAVE FAILED (ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS). THE FIRST IN 2013 (RIGHT SIDE) IN WHICH DEALER REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT VW WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHT HOUSINGS. THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE ME FOR THE REPAIR, BUT THE DEALERSHIP MANAGEMENT DECIDED TO DO A "COURTESY" FIX. IN APRIL OF 2014 THE LEFT LIGHT FAILED AND THE VW DEALERSHIP SAID I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS AND THEN "APPLY" FOR A REFUND WHEN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN CAME OUT. THEY HAVE HAD A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR OVER 18 MONTHS AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT ISSUED A RECALL. NO LIGHTS CREATES A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION. *TR

THE RIGHT LOW BEAM LAMP REMAINS OFF, EVEN THOUGH THE BULB IS GOOD, RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT OR IN REDUCED VISION. WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE BACK OF THE BULB FIXTURE THE BULB ILLUMINATES BUT THEN TURNS OFF AGAIN ONCE THE PRESSURE IS REMOVED. THE CURRENT VW RECALL FOR THE SAME OR AT LEAST SIMILAR PROBLEM DOES NOT EXTEND TO THIS VIN. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE HOOD HAS NEVER BEEN ROUGHLY CLOSED, UNLESS DONE DURING SERVICE AT A VW FACILITY. *TT

I HAD MY VW PASSAT 2012 SERVICED IN SEPT, OF 2011 WITH 31,000 MILES ON IT FOR A HEADLIGHT FAILURE I HAVE THE INVOICE # [XXX] THE DRIVERS SIDE LOW BEAM WAS NOT WORKING, ( WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS AFTER I WAS STOPPED IN COCONUT CREEK FL ON ST RD. 7 BY THE POLICE, ON THAT MORNING FOR $125.00 OF WHICH I HAVE PAID A TRAFFIC TICKET, I HAVE THE PAID RECEIPTS FOR THAT AND TICKET COPIES ALSO) NOW AGAIN I'M HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE HEAD LIGHT. MY CAR WAS MANUF. 09/2011 WHICH THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL AND IS STATED THAT WAY ON THE WEBSITE SAFECAR.GOV THERE TELLING ME AT VW COCONUT CREEK MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED AND I MUST PAY FOR REPAIR. WHY? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO WORK. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE OVER A PERIOD OF A YEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DID NOT DIAGNOSE A FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE BULBS WERE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 14V125000(HEADLIGHT). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,925.

WHINING SOUND WHEN DRIVING FORWARD NOT WHEN IT'S COASTING AND IT SOUNDS LIKE SLIPPING. CAUGHT BEFORE COMPLETE TURBO FAILURE. CAUSE REPORTED BY DEALER: VERIFIED, FOUND METALLIC WHINE NOISE UNDER BOOS. RAN GFF AN FOUND P02900 - TURBO UNDER BOOST. *TR

WHEN I STARTED MY CAR, A LOUD STRANGE NOISE CAME FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTROLS ON MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD NO LONGER WORK, AND A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON FOR MY AIRBAG. AS MY HUSBAND DROVE US HOME, I SEARCHED THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT. THE ERROR MESSAGE IS TO WARN THE DRIVER THAT THE AIRBAG IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND MAY NOT DEPLOY AS IT SHOULD OR MAY DEPLOY WHEN IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO. THE OWNER'S MANUAL DID NOT WARN OF AN ACCIDENT, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING UNEXPECTEDLY WOULD PROBABLY CAUSE A CAR ACCIDENT. MY HUSBAND TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE MCKINNEY, TX VW DEALERSHIP FIRST THING THE NEXT MORNING. THEY SAID THE CLOCK SPRING HAD MALFUNCTIONED. THEY REPLACED THIS PART, BUT MY STEERING WHEEL STILL MAKES A CLICKING SOUND WHEN TURNING. THIS IS THE SAME SOUND WE HEARD WHILE WE DROVE HOME THE NIGHT BEFORE WITH THE WARNING LIGHT ON. I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED THE CLOCK SPRING WAS DEFECTIVE. THEY REPLACED THE CLOCK SPRING AGAIN, BUT I AGAIN HEARD THE SAME CLICKING NOISE WHEN TURNING. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP A THIRD TIME, I WAS TOLD THAT ALL OF THE PASSATS MAKE THIS NOISE, AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. MY STEERING DID NOT MAKE NOISE THE FIRST 40,000 MILES I PUT ON THE CAR, SO I'M WORRIED THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THIS PART. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW. I FOUND ONLINE THAT A LOT OF OTHER PASSAT OWNERS HAVE THIS SAME COMPLAINT, AND MANY OF THEM HAD CLOCK SPRINGS REPLACED BECAUSE THEY WERE TOLD THEY WERE DEFECTIVE AS WELL. WITH SO MANY DEFECTIVE PARTS, THIS SEEMS WORTHY OF A RECALL SINCE THE AIRBAG COULD DEPLOY WITHOUT WARNING CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *TR

THE CAR WAS STARTED TO GO TO LUNCH, OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS +4. IT WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE AT LOW SPEED TO THE INTERSTATE. AFTER ACCELERATING UP THE ON-RAMP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE TURBO FAILED CAUSING A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER RENDERING THE CAR IMMOBILE. LUCKILY THERE WAS ENOUGH MOMENTUM AND VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE ON IT'S OWN POWER AT THIS POINT. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR EXTENSIVE REPAIRS, TAKING THREE WEEKS. *TR