10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 21 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 18 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 21,967 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. When the vehicle was shifted into the drive position and the brake pedal was released, there was an abnormal cracking noise coming from the steering wheel and the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column air bag clock spring was fractured and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 51,000.
- Pleasant Shade, TN, USA
Company is claiming that an outside influence of a spill on passenger seat has caused the air bag fault that disables the airbag.
- Murfreesboro, TN, USA
On November 19th at approximately 4:30 pm, as I was pulling into my garage, the car just accelerated uncontrollably and crashed into my husbands work bench which was against a concrete wall. Damaging front of car, windshield, workbench, steel storage cabinet, etc.
- Bonita Springs, FL, USA
My daughter was hit in an accident that crushed the front end of the vehicle jamming the front doors and the air bags failed to deploy. This causes great concern that the air bags are faulty in the 2013 VW Passat. The car was so severely damaged she had to crawl out the back doors of the car as the engine was shoved in.....updated 11/18/14 updated 8/12/2015
- Riverside, CA, USA
Car owner was driving at approx. 60mph reached across the seat the car swerved she over corrected twice due to very "touchy" steering. The car then careened across four lanes of traffic, and down a 30ft embankment bouncing off several trees. Then striking one head on with enough force as to bend and push back the frame. None of the five air bags this car is factory equipped with deployed. The driver sustained many bumps and bruises along with a shattered ankle which required surgery to place two steel plates in her ankle. Recovery is expected but it will take several months. Upon reporting the crash and non-deployment of the air bags to the dealer where the car was purchased, all the salesman had to say was "thanks for getting our lemon off our lot".
- August , KS, USA
Brand new car and the plastic over the steering wheel airbag is cracking and disintegrating. It has formed a crack that is starting at the bottom and forming a circle around the emblem in the center. Resembles a question mark. Picture of it starting shown here in the lower right of the emblem. S191.photobucket.com/user/lightflyer1/media/2013%20passat%20tdi%20sel/img_20130603_122923_zps5dbe1ca3.jpg.html other reported occurrences at www.tdiclub.com forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?P=4206936#post4206936.
- Round Rock, TX, USA
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat (N/a). The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, a vehicle crashed into the passenger side of the contact's vehicle. The crash forced the vehicle into a concrete wall. A second vehicle crashed into the passenger side of the vehicle causing the vehicle to crash into the wall a second time. The air bags did not deploy. The police reported to the scene and a report was filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle away from the scene and sought medical attention at the hospital. The contact sustained a concussion. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 1,000.
- Huntington Beach, CA, USA
- Charlotte, NC, USA