2017 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

I am reporting a recurring safety-related defect involving the factory-installed infotainment touchscreen in my 2017 Volkswagen Passat SE Technology. The touchscreen intermittently malfunctions in several ways. At times, the entire infotainment system freezes and becomes completely unresponsive, preventing access to any controls. The screen also has developed "dead spots" where touch inputs do not register. Additionally, it sometimes registers "phantom touches," responding to inputs when the screen is not being touched. I believe this presents a safety concern because the infotainment system is an integrated component of the vehicle and is intended to be operated by the driver. When the system freezes, fails to respond, or registers unintended inputs, the driver may have to divert their attention from the roadway to determine what is happening, attempt to operate the system, or restart it. Dead spots can also prevent the driver from accessing desired functions. Pennsylvania recognizes the safety risks associated with distracted driving, including activities that take a driver's eyes off the roadway or hands off the wheel. A malfunctioning factory-installed touchscreen can create this type of distraction even when the driver is attempting to use the vehicle's integrated system. I have found multiple reports from other 2017 Volkswagen Passat owners describing similar infotainment problems, including frozen screens and touchscreen areas that become unresponsive. This suggests that the issue may be a recurring defect rather than an isolated failure. I believe NHTSA should investigate this issue to determine whether there is a common defect affecting 2017 Volkswagen Passat infotainment systems and whether Volkswagen should provide a remedy. A factory-installed vehicle control system should respond consistently and predictably. A touchscreen that freezes, fails to register inputs, or generates unintended inputs can require additional driver attention and interaction.

The contact owns 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, with the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated, the vehicle failed to detect another vehicle and the vehicle was involved in a crash. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injuries sustained. A Police report was filed but the information was not provided. The vehicle was vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,000.

said vehicle started making a grinding sound and all of a sudden the brake pad or shoe they'll completely off of the vehicle and the caliper for disc brake was the wrong calipers on my front end of my vehicle and now it's upside down and backwards and it's not the right calipers for my vehicle

while in cruise control and going up a incline or a hill The EPC light will come on and the car will start lugging down very badly and have no power, they've said vehicle has done this for a year now and we have not been able to get any kind of acknowledgment of it from another dealership or the actual company I've said make and model of vehicle Volkswagen Passat

The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power, with the check engine warning light and an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to intermittently start and stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure could be related to an electrical malfunction. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 355,000.

began smelling fuel in the cockpit about 2 months ago but thought not much about why until it kept getting stronger. Looked under the car a saw fuel dripping in front of rear passenger wheel and directly under tank.

While backing into a parking spot there was a crunching sound in the steering column. Following this noise the air bag light came on and all steering wheel control buttons nonfunctional including the horn. I reached out to a Volkswagen dealer as I had seen recalls for the clockspring, I was told my vehicle was not included in the recall. This is a 2017 Passat and had approximately 130,000 miles when this occurred. The closest dealer is over 2 hours away, and the service department is only open Monday-Friday.

Today, as my wife was driving home, she heard a "crunch" noise while making a turn. Afterwards, the Airbag light came on, and her steering wheel botton functions are not working, including her car horn. This all relates to the clockspring. This will be the third time we have had the clockspring replaced. This is extremely inconvenient, as the dealership is an hour away. The original clockspring didn't break until October 2023. The second broke and replaced in August of 2024. Now, we are scheduling to have the clockspring replaced again, 6 months later. I am unsure why the part is so unreliable. Whomever manufactures the part needs to do a FAR better job. This was our first new car, and now we regret the purchase due to this headache.

The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Passat equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: T1XX, Tire Size: 235/45/R18, DOT Number: B9ELT1XX. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in a parking lot, the contact became aware that the rear passenger’s side tire had three cracks approximately 3 inches in length on the side wall near the rim. The vehicle was taken to a tire dealer for inspection, and the tire dealer informed the contact that there was no issue with the integrity of the tire. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle failure mileage was 123,393. The tire failure mileage was 30,000.

Clock spring on vehicle has failed. This is a known issue with many VW vehicles, but I have been told my vehicle is not on the extended warranty program. 2017 VW Passat - approximately 150,000 miles. This eliminates all steering wheel controls, horn, cruise control, and air bags.