2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

CAR HAS CONSTANT PULL TO THE RIGHT. DRIVING REQUIRES CONSTANT PRESSURE TO THE LEFT ON STEERING WHEEL. CAR HAS BEEN TO DEALER 4 TIMES FOR ALIGNMENT AND ALTHOUGH THEY ADJUST IT, RIGHT PULL PERSISTS. SOMETIMES, STEERING HAS A FEEL AS THOUGH CAR IS ERRATIC. CAR NEVER SETTLES INTO TACKING IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHICH SEEMS VERY ODD AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AND VOLKSWAGEN CANNOT RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. *TR

METALLIC CLICKING, LOUD SCREECHING NOISE WHEN BRAKES APPLIED, ALWAYS IN REVERSE AND CONSTANT (FORWARD AND REVERSE) WHEN WET OR COLD. ONLY LESS FREQUENT IN WARMER TEMPS. ON 3RD SERVICE VISIT TO HAVE NOISE CHECKED, VW ISSUED WARRANTY CLAIM AND THEN DENIED REPAIR SAYING NO FIX AVAILABLE. I APPEALED TO NO AVAIL. NOISE IS EXCESSIVE AND PROBLEMATIC. *TR

VEHICLE HAS STALLED OUT FOUR TIMES ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASTIONS WHEN I COME TO A STOP. TOOK VEHICLE IN AND VW REPORTS CAR CHECKS OUT FINE. *TR ## VIN FAILED ##

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES EXCESSIVE "WHEEL HOP" UPON STARTING FROM A STOPPED POSITION, ESPECIALLY ON A WET ROADWAY AND A HILL. THE TIRES JUST CANNOT GET TRACTION AND SPIN. AS WELL ONCE THE WHEELS START TO SPIN THE ECS (STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM) CUTS POWER AND APPLIES BRAKING WHICH HAS LEAD TO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ESPECIALLY WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. THERE IS NO ECS DISABLE SWITCH AS WITH PREVIOUS MODELS, SO I CANNOT TEMPORARILY DISABLE THE SYSTEM FOR TROUBLESHOOTING OF THE ISSUE. LOSING POWER WHILE PULLING OUT INTO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND EXPERIENCING A POWER LOSS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE CAR CAME WITH HANKOOK OPTIMA H426 TIRES AND I SWITCHED TO YOKOHAMA AVID ENVIGOR (V RATED) TIRES BELIEVING THE ISSUE WAS THE TIRES. I AM AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER WITH 33 YEARS OF DRIVING AND HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING FROM LIGHT ACCELERATION, FEATHERING THE ACCELERATOR, USING THE S MODE OF THE TIPTONIC TRANSMISSION AND USING THE TIPTRONIC CONTROL IN D MODE TO HOLD THE TRANSMISSION IN THE LOWER GEAR AND TRYING TO START IN A HIGHER GEAR TO REDUCE THE TORQUE TO THE WHEELS, BUT THE TIPTRONIC WILL NOT ALLOW UPSHIFTING WHEN STOPPED. I RAISED THIS CONCERN WITH THE DEALERSHIP SINCE THE WHEEL HOP CAUSING BANGING OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM AGAINST THE TRAVEL STOPS. THIS THUMPING AND EXTREME MOVEMENT OF THE SUSPENSION CANNOT BE GOOD FOR THE LONGEVITY OF THE EQUIPMENT. THE DEALERSHIP STATES "IT IS PERFORMING TO SPECS AS DESIGNED." WELL THEN I THINK THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE AND THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, HE WOULD HEAR A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THE NOISE WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE AS THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 14,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MADE A SHORT STOP AND BOTH SECTIONS OF THE BACK SEAT UNLOCKED AND CAME DOWN/FORWARD. LUCKILY NOBODY WAS SITTING IN THEM. THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE TRUNK THAT WOULD HAVE SET OFF THE UNLOCKING BARS. *TR

THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT LOW BEAM STOPPED WORKING. THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE HOUSING AND THE BULB ADAPTER. THE PLASTIC HAD MELTED WHICH PREVENTED ELECTRIC CURRENT FLOWING FROM THE HOUSING TO THE BULB. THE MELTED PLASTIC HAD CAUSED HAZING ON THE INSIDE OF THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AT NO COST. *TR

VEHICLE STALLED ON BUSY SURFACE STREET, LOST ALL POWER. REFUSED TO RESTART. TOWED TO LOCAL DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS FAILED HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING MY NEW 2012 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT FROM MY HOUSE TO MY DESTINATION, MY TRANSMISSION FLUID BEGAN TO LEAK OUT ONTO THE STREET. I HAD PURCHASED THE CAR EIGHT DAYS EARLIER WHICH WAS A NEW CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHICH ONLY HAD 2 MILES ON THE CAR. THE AMOUNT OF MILES I HAD PUT ON THE CAR WAS 500 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED BECAUSE OF A MALFUNCTION INSIDE OF IT. THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY DEALERSHIP HAD TO PUT A NEW TRANSMISSION INTO MY CAR BECAUSE OF THE OLD ONE HAD DEFECTED PARTS INSIDE. *TR

IN THE MORNING, I WENT DOWNSTAIRS TO MY 2012 VW PASSAT S. I NOTICED A POOL OF FLUID THAT SMELLED LIKE GASOLINE ON THE ASPHALT UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. I ENTERED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE AND TURNED THE KEY FROM THE OFF TO ON POSITION. WHEN I TURNED THE KEY TO ON, A SOUND OF DRAINING FLUID COULD BE HEARD AND A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE COULD BE SMELLED. I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR, AND IT DOES TURN OVER, BUT WILL NOT START. I DECIDED NOT TO ATTEMPT TO START IT AGAIN, AFRAID THAT THE IGNITION WOULD START A FIRE. SINCE THIS OCCURRED ON A SUNDAY MORNING, ALL SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AT VW DEALERSHIPS ARE CLOSED. ABOUT 5 HOURS LATER, I UNLOCKED THE PASSAT AND OPENED THE DOOR TO GET SOME ITEMS FROM THE CAR. AGAIN, THE SOUND OF DRAINING FLUID COULD BE HEARD AND A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. I CHECKED UNDERNEATH THE CAR AGAIN, AND A FRESH POOL OF GASOLINE HAS FORMED. THE GAS IS DRIPPING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE, NEAR THE REAR WHEEL. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING, AS THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN FOR A LITTLE MORE THAN 1,000 MILES. *TR