2013 Volkswagen PASSAT problems and owner complaints

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. HTTP://S191.PHOTOBUCKET.COM/USER/LIGHTFLYER1/MEDIA/2013%20PASSAT%20TDI%20SEL/IMG_20130603_122923_ZPS5DBE1CA3.JPG.HTML OTHER REPORTED OCCURRENCES AT WWW.TDICLUB.COM HTTP://FORUMS.TDICLUB.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?P=4206936#POST4206936. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 5,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10515528 at NHTSA ↗

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…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10523998 at NHTSA ↗

STEERING: VEHICLE PULLS TO AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT POTENTIALLY LEADING TO INJURY OR DEATH. IT DOES NOT TRACK STRAIGHT AT ALL, NO MATTER IF IT'S ON THE LEFT LANE OF THE ROAD, CENTER CROWN OF THE ROAD OR IN THE RIGHT LANE (NO CURVES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP OVER 4 TIMES THINKING IT MAY BE AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THE SECOND TIME THAT IT PULLS HARD TO THE RIGHT AS A "SAFETY MEASURE", TO LEAD THE CAR TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER TO GET OFF THE ROAD ON TO THE SHOULDER. ASKED THE SERVICE ADVISOR TO SHOW ME WHERE VW HAD DISCLOSED THIS AS…

Owner-reported narrative. 150 miles reported. Look up ODI 10534814 at NHTSA ↗

OUR 2013 VW PASSAT'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SUDDENTLY WENT DEAD WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ON A BUSY ROAD. WE PULLED THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE CAR STARTED UP AGAIN. AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT TWO MILES, THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUT OFF AND AGAIN WE PULLED IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE WE CALLED FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE CAR CURRENTLY IS AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE CENTER BEING REPAIRED. APPARENTLY, OTHER VW OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR VEHICLES. NHTSA, PLEASE INVESTIGATE. THA…

Owner-reported narrative. 20,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10608540 at NHTSA ↗

OUR 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT LEAKED GASOLINE ON TO OUR GARAGE FLOOR WHILE SITTING IN THE GARAGE. THE GARAGE FLOOR WAS COVERED AND YOU COULD VISIBLY SEE THE FUEL DRIPPING FROM THE GAS TANK. THE FUMES FILLED OUR GARAGE AND HOME AND RESULTED IN EXTENSIVE CLEAN UP AND VENTILATION. THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP ARRIVED WITH A FLAT BED AND TOWED THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE MAN WHO TOWED THE CAR EVEN COMMENTED ABOUT THE ODOR AND YOU COULD VISIBLY SEE THE GASOLINE RUNNING FROM THE CAR AS IT WAS LOADED ON TO THE FLATBED. THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP SAYS…

Owner-reported narrative. 1,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10546431 at NHTSA ↗

ROAD TEST WITH LESS THAN 1/4 TANK OF FUEL. ON OCTOBER 25 2013, I HAD MY RADIO VOLUME DOWN FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE AND I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. I HEARD A SLOSHING SOUND AND COULD FEEL A SLIGHT BUMP AS IF SOMETHING WAS LOOSE IN TRUNK OR UNDER THE CAR. FROM THEN I KEPT MY RADIO DOWN AND EVERY TIME I CAME TO A STOP I COULD HEAR THE SOUND AND FEEL THE SLIGHT BUMP. IT BECAME VERY CLEAR THAT IT WAS FLUID AND IT WAS CENTERED IN THE BACK OF THE CAR. ON 10/28/2013 I CALLED OURISMAN OF ROCKVILLE AND VOLKSWAGEN AND I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE SOUND. I …

Owner-reported narrative. 1,015 miles reported. Look up ODI 10551713 at NHTSA ↗

WE RECENTLY PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2013 VW PASSAT FROM CRESTMONT VW, POMPTON PLAINS, NJ. THE CAR DROVE EXTREMELY WELL FOR THE FIRST FEW WEEKS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THERE WERE LOUD BEEPING AND WARNING SOUNDS FROM THE DASHBOARD CONTROL PANEL AND THE CAR STARTED TO LOSE SPEED. UPON VW SUGGESTION, WE TOOK IT TO CRESTMONT SERVICE DEPT. IT APPEARS THERE WAS MOTOR OIL SPEWING ALL OVER THE ENGINE. A WEEK LATER THERE WERE LOUD NOISES EMANATING FROM THE ROOF AREA EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE NEGOTIATED A BUMP IN THE ROAD. ONCE AGAIN CRESTMONT VW SERVICE DEPT. EX…

Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10537007 at NHTSA ↗

I HAVE A 2013 VW PASSAT SEL TDI AND HAVE HAD TWO INCIDENTS SO FAR WITH THE VEHICLE. I BOUGHT THE CAR NEW IN SEPTEMBER 2012 AND IN JANUARY 2013 WITH ABOUT 4000 MILES ON IT THE CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE. THE CAR WOULD NOT EXCEED 30MPH AND A FEW LIGHTS APPEARED ON THE DASH. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A TURBO ISSUE. THE HAD RESET SOMETHING AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD CALL ME WHEN THE PART WAS IN THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE. A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR WAS BACK TO RUNNING WELL. THEN ON AUGUST 25TH THE CAR BASICALLY DIED WHILE IN MOTION WITH A …

Owner-reported narrative. 6,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10537225 at NHTSA ↗

TOTAL FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION ON A NEARLY NEW CAR. FORTUNATELY OCCURRED AS I WAS PARKING AT A DESTINATION AND NOT ON HIGHWAY. VW REPLACED THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WHILE WE WERE OUT OF THE COUNTRY BUT NEVER TOLD ME WHAT OR WHY IT FAILED. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 8,151 miles reported. Look up ODI 10552604 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN I OPERATE MY CAR AND SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR I FEEL A NOTICEABLE STUTTER, THIS OCCURS AT AROUND 1200 RPM. I AM AFRAID THAT IT IS LINKED TO THE NUMEROUS TURBO FAILURES THAT ARE OCCURRING WITH THE 2012 AND 2013 TDI PASSATS. OTHER PEOPLE HAVE NOTED COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER FOLLOWED BY A TURBO FAILURE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 25,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10572875 at NHTSA ↗