2013 Volkswagen Passat: common problems

Owners of the 2013 Volkswagen Passat filed 749 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 749
involving a crash: 29

What fails most often

1 Air bags 51% of all complaints
2 Engine 14% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
4 Fuel/propulsion system 9% of all complaints
5 Exterior lighting 8% of all complaints
6 Steering 7% of all complaints
7 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
8 Structure 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 382 complaints (51% of all), 21 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine: 105 complaints (14% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 93 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Fuel/propulsion system: 66 complaints (9% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Exterior lighting: 60 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2.5 L · petrol · 5 cyl
3.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
2 L · diesel · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 70 complaints
automatic, 6-speed
dual-clutch (DCT), 6-speednamed in 1 complaints
manual, 5-speednamed in 2 complaints

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 749 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine96 · 13%
airbag warning light71 · 9%
A/C or heater50 · 7%
headlights and tail lights43 · 6%
loss of power / limp mode34 · 5%
knocking, grinding or other noise33 · 4%
fuel system, fuel smell30 · 4%
stalls while driving28 · 4%
door locks, latches, handles23 · 3%
windows, sunroof21 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	382	21
Engine	105	3
Electrical system	93	1
Fuel/propulsion system	66	4
Exterior lighting	60	1
Steering	51	1
Powertrain	33	2
Structure	31	4
Visibility	23	0
Fuel system	22	0
Vehicle speed control	15	2
Suspension	13	0
Electronic stability control	10	0
Service brakes	8	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I had the repairs done but the air bag never went off but the light came on. The repair shop did everything they could to try and fix the problem when the replaced my bumper and front panel but could not get the airbag light to turn off the dash. They called the dealer and no code came up.
Air bags · crash · 2022-08-01 · NHTSA complaint #11477041
Headlights were on. He was not able to see the opening of the road when turning and drove over the side walk and crashed. Front air bags deployed and windshield cracked. 3 tired popped along with other font end body damage. I had just purchased car from a dealership a few months earlier.
Air bags · crash · 2020-04-20 · NHTSA complaint #11321587
Vehicle struck a tree and caught on fire. My brother in law was killed.
Engine · crash · 2020-03-19 · NHTSA complaint #11318668
Seatbelts did not lock, airbags did not deploy, even though all recalls had been done in september. Passat was completely totaled. Insurance adjuster and mechanics advised us that airbags should have deployed. Driver of passat was injured due to failure of safety features.
Air bags · crash · 2020-03-09 · NHTSA complaint #11317100
I was pulling slowly into a parking space, and the car suddenly surged and hit a parking meter pole. The same thing happened again six and a half weeks later, again at very low speed. This time the car hit the wall of the parking ramp, and the driver's airbag deployed.
Exterior lighting · crash · 2014-08-28 · NHTSA complaint #10629071
I was driving in the right lane of I-84 shifting from 5th to 6th when the clutch pedal stayed on the floor and the car slowly came to a stop with no sudden jerking motion. The brake pedal was not involved nor did it stay on the floor as the clutch did.
Powertrain · crash · 2014-07-04 · NHTSA complaint #10608238
Furthermore, dealership staff ignored explicit, repeated verbal warnings regarding an active Adblue countdown, shut the vehicle off, bricked the car via a 'No-Start' lockout inside their active service lane, and are now refusing to release the vehicle or keys without unapproved fees.
Engine · 2026-10-19 · NHTSA complaint #11772209
Passenger side headlight went out. The problem was not the bulb or fuse. This issue seems to perfectly match Safety Recall 94G8, but for some reason my car is not covered in that recall notice, even though safety recall 94G8 is for "some" 2012-2013 VW Passats, which is what I drive.
Exterior lighting · 2026-05-08 · NHTSA complaint #11736609

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

201321
201458
201545
2016188
2017123
201865
201945
202042
202121
202231
202320
202428
202559
20263

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 397 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Passat has 212 complaints (37 years in the data). This year has 749, above average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Volkswagen Passat?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine, electrical system. Total complaints: 749. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (13%), airbag warning light (9%), A/C or heater (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2013 Volkswagen Passat from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2013 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.