Total Complaints
1025 filings
VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT · model year
1025 NHTSA complaints, 43 crash reports, and 9 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2013VOLKSWAGENPASSAT carries 1025 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 43 crashes, 9 fires, 34 injuries, and 5 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 5/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2013 PASSAT is air bags with 371 filings, followed by engine (104) and electrical system (92). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 9 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2013 PASSAT, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
1025 filings
Crashes Reported
43 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 371 |
| ENGINE | 104 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 92 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 77 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 65 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 57 |
| STEERING | 50 |
| POWER TRAIN | 32 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 27 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | 21 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 19 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 15 |
| SUSPENSION | 12 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 10 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER CLOCKSPRING/SPIRAL CASSETTE | 10 |
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Passat vehicles equipped with TDI engines. Due to improperly assembled wire seals in a connector for an underbody sensor, water may enter and corrode the electrical connectors of the sensor, causing an electric
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Sa
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Volkswagen Group of America (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Passat vehicles manufactured January 2011 through November 2012. In the affected vehicles, the low beam headlight bulb may become loose and lose electrical contact.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Passat vehicles, equipped with diesel engines and Direct-Shift Transmissions (DSG). The vehicle's underbody heat shield may not be long enough to protect the right half-shaft grease boot from heat, potentially resulting i
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradat
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wou
My airbag light is on, steering wheel controls donât work, and my horn doesnât work. Safety is put at risk because the airbag wonât deploy if needed, wonât be able to think in case someone canât see me.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
My vehicle has an open Takata airbag recall with recall number 69E6. I have been placed on a waiting list at nearby dealerships for over 6 months. Each time I contact the dealerships, I am told to wait and call back in another month. No proactive communication has been provided and no remedy has been scheduled despite repeated follow-ups. The vehicle continues to display an airbag error light indicating an active safety hazard. The manufacturer has not provided a repair appointment, loaner vehicle, or any timeline for when the safety recall remedy will be available. This extended delay poses a serious risk given the known dangers of defective Takata airbags.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while at a red light ,the vehicle intermittently stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was undetermined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Mileage: 100,000
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that the vehicle was purchased in 2024 from a Used Car Dealer. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated after the vehicle was driven off the dealer lot. The contact drove to the destination and restarted the vehicle and the message "Distressed Vehicle Start" was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to the dealer and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was advised that there was an issue with the engine. The dealer advised the contact that parts had been ordered and she would be contacted to bring the vehicle in for the repair. The contact was not contacted, and calls were not returned. The contact contacted the warranty company for assistance with the repair. The contact stated that the timing belt was replaced, the vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle had developed other failures. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and was shaking abn
Mileage: 134,000
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that the vehicle was purchased in 2024 from a Used Car Dealer. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated after the vehicle was driven off the dealer lot. The contact drove to the destination and restarted the vehicle and the message "Distressed Vehicle Start" was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle back to the dealer and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was advised that there was an issue with the engine. The dealer advised the contact that parts had been ordered and she would be contacted to bring the vehicle in for the repair. The contact was not contacted, and calls were not returned. The contact contacted the warranty company for assistance with the repair. The contact stated that the timing belt was replaced, the vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle had developed other failures. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power and was shaking abn
Mileage: 134,000
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000(Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (AIR BAGS). The contact stated that the dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about parts availability. The contact had not experienced a failure.
I've been waiting almost a year for an airbag recall replacement and still can't get an appointment anywhere because it's out of stock. I'm driving around with a air bag that can kill me. How long do I need to wait until something happens.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light was unexpectedly illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,770.
Mileage: 82,770
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Drivers airbag is not operational because of defective clock spring
My 2013 VW Passat SE did have a recall on the airbag in the past. I brought it to the VW dealership & had it fixed. Now it suddenly came on again. Maybe they never fixed it properly.
My 2013 VW Passat SE did have a recall on the airbag in the past. I brought it to the VW dealership & had it fixed. Now it suddenly came on again. Maybe they never fixed it properly.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Recall still not complete and no date from Volkswagen on when the repairs will be done. I have been working with VW for 3 weeks to arrange getting a loaner car (no date of when this will be available either).
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact called the manufacturer but received no response. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer informed the contact that to order the part for the recall repair, the contact needed to get a loaner vehicle; however, if the contact refused, he would wait longer for the recall part to be ordered. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
2013 Volkswagen Passat [XXX] I received a recall notice for the Takata driver airbag inflator in 2016, and as of July 2025, I am still being told by Volkswagen that the repair is âNot Yet Availableâ and will not be until September 2025. This means I will have waited over 9 years for a critical safety repair. I live in Texas, a region identified by NHTSA as high-risk for airbag explosion due to heat and humidity. Iâm requesting NHTSAâs assistance in holding Volkswagen accountable for this delay and in compelling the manufacturer to provide a safe alternative or transportation accommodation immediately. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Inadvertent Door Opening
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
LGES High Voltage Battery Failures
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.