3.9

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
30,824 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Volkswagen Passat engine problems

engine problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2012 Volkswagen Passat Owner Comments

problem #14

Oct 012021

Passat

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving this particular day through a busyfour way stoplight intersection around time school was dismissing so 3:30ish PM. And I lost all power to my vehicle with just the battery light flashing once. I barely made it out of the i intersection and to the shoulder of the road as there was no power steering and i had to pump my breaks to stop. I called the local police and let them know it would be towed tomorrow morning. The tow bill was 100 dollars and i had replaced the battery thinking it was the problem. The brand new battery drained in two minutes tops after install alternator was tested and fuses were in working order all except for one that went to my12 volt charging port which was replaced as well as serpentine belt was replaced with alternator test. The battery still drains instantly and when speaking with volkswagon suntrup in sunset hills st. Louis which is the nearest Volkswagen dealership about 30 minute drive my car still is under a dealership warranty for the national emissions recall that was just fixed after i purchased the vehicle. The dealership refuses to come get/ fix/ diagnose or rectify vehicle although admitting to knowing this year has parasitic draws instally killing a brand new battery even while driving was/is a very dangerous situation for me and my family. This car has been sitting in my drive way now for 6 months while nothing is being by vw and i am without safe or working transportation for my family. Ive also been told by vw. That they cant find some parasitic draws and are confused as me!

- Bloomsdale, MO, USA

problem #13

Mar 112021

Passat

  • 106,585 miles
I have had to have work done on the throttle body three times before this repair. As I have been driving, I have had cruise control light with an exclamation point come on along with the epc light and check engine light. After the lights come on, I can drive about a mile before I loose complete power and cannot accelerate above 15mph. This has happened while I have been driving around town. The dealership is recommending a full throttle replacement along with the vacuum pump. I had a complete throttle replacement in 2018 and have only put 6,000 miles on the car since that time. I feel that this is a safety problem that needs to be addressed and possibly recalled.

- Franklin, TN, USA

problem #12

Jul 012020

Passat

  • 59,400 miles
While driving the vehicle it will loose driving power, check engine light will come on as well as epc light. When taken to a mechanic it was found out that the whole throtke body needed to be replaced. I was also told that this was a dealer only part, when the mechanic shop called to order the part from the dealership they were told that the part was on a national back order and that it could be 6 months to a year before a part was avaliable. When I called the dealership a week later the part was still on back order, and they said that they had over 200 on a list waiting for this part, and to keep calling back to ask about the status. I have not been able to drive my vehicle since July 2020, and as of today 10/22/2020, accordinf to the dealership there is still no estimated timeframe that this part eill be available. I fell that if there is that many that if they do in fact have over 200 waiting for the part then there must be somthing defective with the current part that is on the vehicle.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #11

Aug 012017

Passat

  • 70,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Takata recall. 2017 had airbag recall completed, no issues prior to recall. After recall, horn sounds while driving and while vehicle is running, and can't be shut off. Dealership refuses to fix, identifies as new problem. Changed clock spring to fix horn issue for $500, horn now intermittently sounds while driving, steering wheel controls, and cruise controls no longer work.

- Truxton, NY, USA

problem #10

Jun 292018

Passat

  • 1 miles
Clock spring failure resulting in airbag, steering wheel control, and horn malfunction. This seems to be a big issue with other VW owners by doing a simple google search.

- Alhambra, CA, USA

problem #9

Jun 022016

Passat

  • 41,000 miles
Takata recall a couple months ago I had recall 15V483000 completed on my 2012 Passat. I was experiencing electrical issues such as cruise control not working, wipers turning on for no reason. It seemed to be connected to the steering column since both of these features are connected to the steering column. After the recall was completed no further issues until today. I made a U-turn and my airbag light came on and hasn't went off sense. I'm concerned after reading about shrapnel and airbag deployment.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #8

May 052012

Passat

  • 10 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that when applying the brake or accelerator pedal, the heel of her shoe would become stuck in the floor mat. The contact stated that she was concerned for her safety and the potential risk of becoming involved in a crash. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 10.

- Studio City, CA, USA

problem #7

Jan 012013

Passat

  • 5,000 miles
When I start the car, I put my foot on the brake and proceed to put the car in D (drive) or R (reverse). The car accelerates immediately even with my foot on the brakes. The only way to prevent this from happening is to allow the car to warm-up for 30 to 45 seconds before attempting to drive it. I have expressed my concerns to dealership and I was told as long as it does go over 11 rpms it should be okay. Then when I returned to the dealership and ask them to look at it again, I was told that the vehicle is operating as designed. Several times, I have forgot to let the the car warm-up and almost ran into my garage door or whatever object that was in front or behind me. Also, because my spouse does not drive the car often, he tends to forget to let the vehicle warm-up and as a result almost hit a car that was parked in front of him. If I let anyone drive the car, I tell them to let the car warm-up before they drive off. I do this because I am concerned that the driver will be overcome by the immediate acceleration and loose control of the car. I feel that there is a defect in the design which could cause an accident or injury and should be re-evaluated. Also, the brakes squeak and I have asked the dealership to check them out every time I take the car for the 10K maintenance. Each time, the dealership states that there is nothing wrong with the brakes. I am very dissatisfied with this car. I hope that if there is a defect or design problem, it can be resolved. If not, I will trade the car for another vehicle. However, I would hate for this automobile to be sold to another customer with the existing design.

- Missouri City, TX, USA

problem #6

Apr 132014

Passat 4-cyl Diesel

  • 69,550 miles
Car was sluggish to go when accelerating, jerking.

- Flowery Branch, GA, USA

problem #5

Feb 112014

Passat 4-cyl Diesel

  • 23,541 miles
The car was started to go to lunch, outside air temp was +4. it was driven approximately 1 mile at low speed to the interstate. After accelerating up the on-ramp to highway speeds. After approximately 1 mile at highway speed the turbo failed causing a total loss of power rendering the car immobile. Luckily there was enough momentum and very little traffic making it possible to pull over to the shoulder. The car would not move on it's own power at this point. It was towed to the dealer for extensive repairs, taking three weeks.

- Merrill, WI, USA

problem #4

Feb 262014

Passat 4-cyl Diesel

  • 38,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I left my home and drive my vehicle approximately 1.5 miles at speeds at or under 25 mph. I stopped at a stop sign before making a right turn onto another road. When I accelerated the car had a sudden loss of power and I could not maintain speed. I was able to go approximately 10 mph and I was able to get my car out of traffic. Later the dealer diagnosed the problem as a premature turbo failure. If this type of failure had occurred at highway speeds I may have been in danger or endangered other motorists. I have found that this problem is being more frequently reported on internet forums and many people are experiencing turbo failures at low miles.

- Lynchburg, VA, USA

problem #3

Oct 092012

Passat 5-cyl

  • 7,235 miles
The vehicle has a significant delay/hesitation upon initial acceleration (2.5L). This is dangerous when pulling into or across traffic. It happens intermittently.

- Palatine, IL, USA

problem #2

Feb 152013

Passat 5-cyl

  • 11,000 miles
If I am driving with no acceleration (coasting) and step on the gas to enter traffic there is no power; nothing happens when you push on the gas. This has happened numerous times both in town when trying to enter traffic, as well as on the freeway trying to cut in between cars. This is very dangerous if one does not have lots of room between cars. The Volkswagen dealer claims this is only a problem for me because I am not used to driving a car with a digital throttle.

- Hesperia, CA, USA

problem #1

Jan 022012

Passat 5-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle would hesitate before accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the dealer advised the contact that the failure was common, but there was nothing that could be done to fix the problem. The dealer test drove another vehicle of the same year and model and the failure also occurred in the test vehicle. The contact stated that the failure would only occur intermittently. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 10 and the current mileage was 3,500. Updated 04/19/12

- Cummings, GA, USA

Not what you are looking for?