2010 Volkswagen PASSAT: complaints, problems and recalls

I PURCHASED A 2010 VW PASSAT WAGON WITH DSG IN DEC. '09. SINCE THE BEGINNING I NOTICED A STRANGE QUIVERING/SHUTTER AS IT GEARS DOWN FROM 2ND TO 1ST GEAR. I TOOK IT IN AT 1500 MILES AND A SERVICE COORDINATOR TOLD ME IT WAS "NORMAL". IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE AND BECAME A VIBRATING CLUNK WHEN GEARING DOWN. IT ALSO STARTED LURCHING FORWARD WHEN STOPPED AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. I COULDN'T ACCEPT THAT THE CAR WAS ENGINEERED TO ACT THIS WAY. I TOOK IT BACK AT 4,000 MILES AND THEY DROVE IT AND AGREED THERE WAS AN ISSUE AND DUPLICATED IT …

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10312289 at NHTSA ↗

TL*-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON. THE TRANSMISSION SHUTTERED AS THE VEHICLE SLOWED AND WENT FROM A HIGHER GEAR TO A LOWER GEAR. THE VEHICLE ALSO LURCHED FORWARD WHEN THE CONTACT TOOK SHE TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED TO FUNCTION IN THAT MANNER. THE DEALER WAS REPLACING THE CLUTCH AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 500. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10327869 at NHTSA ↗

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2010 VW PASSAT WHICH HAS A CHROME BEZEL AROUND THE SHIFTER. THE CHROME BEZEL REFLECTS LIGHT INTO THE DRIVER'S EYES WHEN THE SUN IS DIRECTLY OVER HEAD BLINDING THE DRIVER DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. I CONTACTED THE VW HELP DESK ABOUT 10 DAYS AND FILED A COMPLAINT. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM VW YESTERDAY AND THEY TOLD ME NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHO SEEMED TO BE PRETTY RECEPTIVE IN GETTING THIS MATTER RESOLVED. THEY ORDERED A NEW BLACK ON BLACK SHIFTER WHIC…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10335183 at NHTSA ↗

BLINDING GLARE PROBLEM: I PURCHASED 2010 VW PASSAT KOMFORT 2 WEEKS AGO WHICH HAS A SILVER SHINY PLATE AROUND THE SHIFTER. WHEN SUNSHINE HITS THIS PLATE, IT RADIATES LIGHTS INTO DRIVER'S EYES. IF YOU HAPPEN TO LOOK AT IT, YOU GET BLINDED FOR A FEW SECONDS LIKE SOMEONE POINTED THE BRIGHT FLASH LIGHT INTO YOUR EYES. I AM STILL KEEPING THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC COVER TO REDUCE THE BRIGHTNESS BUT EVENTUALLY IT WILL PEEL OFF. I CANNOT PAINT IT IN A DARK COLOR SINCE IT WOULD VOID MY WARRANTY. THE OTHER PART THAT PRODUCE GLARE IS THE SILVER PORTION OF DAS…

Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10339627 at NHTSA ↗

PURCHASED 2010 VW PASSAT WITH 69 MILES ON 6/14/2010 IMMEDIATELY NOTICED VEHICLE SHUDDERED IN REVERSE AFTER STARTING. ON 6/27/2010 AFTER DRIVING APPROX. 4 BLOCKS WHILE ON AN INCLINE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED. THE RPMS AND THE ENGINE WAS REVVING UP AND THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD GO NO WHERE IN ADDITION NO GEAR WAS INDICATED ON THE CONTROL DISPLAY. CHANGING GEARS DIDN'T HELP. AFTER REPEATEDLY RESTARTING THE VEHICLE I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO DISPLAY A GEAR AND MOVE. THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED AGAIN LATER THAT SAME EVENING…

Owner-reported narrative. 150 miles reported. Look up ODI 10341761 at NHTSA ↗

TEST DROVE NEW VW PASSAT (2010) NOT UNDERSTANDING THE DSG TYPE OF TRANSMISSION, FIRST DRIVE FROM A RED LIGHT HAD THE CAR JERKING A LITTLE. THOUGHT THIS WAS UNUSUAL BUT ACCEPTED THE CAR FOR THE PERFORMANCE. AFTER READING ABOUT THE DSG AND DOUBLE CLUTCH TRANSMISSION BEING A SMOOTH TRANSMISSION. I KNEW I HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE TRANS. (VERY JERKY STARTS FROM A DEAD STOP AFTER ENGINE GOT WARM) I THOUGHT THE "AUTO HOLD" SWITCH WAS STUCK IN THE ON POSITION. VW CONFIRMED NO PROBLEM WITH THAT SWITCH. (THE ROUGH STARTS FELT LIKE A BEGINNER ON A MANUAL DR…

Owner-reported narrative. 16 miles reported. Look up ODI 10355423 at NHTSA ↗

THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS (DRL) AS IMPLEMENTED ON THE 2010 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON ARE A SAFETY HAZARD. THE ONLY LIGHTS THAT LIGHT UP ARE THE HEADLIGHTS, NOT THE REAR, FRONT, TO SIDE "RUNNING" LIGHTS. A DRIVER CAN EASILY START DRIVING AT NIGHT WITHOUT ANY REAR OR SIDE LIGHTS ON. THE DRL HEADLIGHTS ON, GIVES THE DRIVER THE FALSE IMPRESSION THAT THEIR LIGHTS ARE ON. WHEN IN FACT, ONLY THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10360607 at NHTSA ↗

BOUGHT 2010 PASSAT NEW ON 05/25/10. ON 05/26 WITH LESS THAN 100 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY WOULD NOT GO PAST 1ST GEAR AFTER ACCELERATING FROM STOP SIGN. WAS CLOSE TO HOME SO DROVE AROUND THE BLOCK TRYING TO GET IT TO UPSHIFT. ATTEMPTED TO REVERSE AND WHEN GEAR SHIFTER WAS MOVED TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT MOVE FROM DRIVE. CALLED DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD TOW IN. NEXT DAY I DROVE TO WORK AND HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE PROBLEM SINCE. IT DOES LEAP FORWARD WHEN FOOT REMOVED FROM BRAKE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THERE IS MUCH THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT T…

Owner-reported narrative. 69 miles reported. Look up ODI 10365915 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2015-08-04 (August 4, 2015)

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 wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.

Consequence: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.

Reported: 2016-02-10 (February 10, 2016)

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 bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.

Reported: 2017-08-16 (August 16, 2017)

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2016 Volkswagen CC, 2006-2010 Passat and Passat Wagon vehicles. Interruption of electrical power to the fuel pump control module may cause the fuel pump to fail.

Consequence: If the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump control module, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AE.

Reported: 2018-03-06 (March 6, 2018)

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.

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.