Problems with 2012 Volkswagen Passat ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

All steering wheel functions have stopped working including the horn. the airbag icon shows an "error" message. the steering wheel makes a cracking sound when it turns. identical problem as in the nhtsa investigation #pe15010. i am concerned that the airbag will not deploy in the event of an accident. problem appears to be: steering wheel clock spring/steering column control module (sccm). dealer wants over $ 500 to replace it. the car has less than 58,000 miles and was purchased brand new in 2012. updated 9/15/15*cw updated 09/17/15*lj updated 11/22/2017*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volkswagen passat. upon starting the vehicle, it was shifted into reverse and the contact heard an abnormal popping noise. the air bag warning light illuminated and all of the electrical functions on the steering wheel ceased to work. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the failure mileage was 41,000.

I heard a weird noice in my steering column while backing out, like a scraping noise. i turned the wheel then the air bag light came on. all electrical on my steering wheel would not work after this, even the horn. after doing some research, i understand that there is a wiring harness that could have broke possibly deploying the air bag, it could also be a bad clockspring which vw dealers want hunderds of dollars to replace. after doing research online, this is not an isolated incident with vw vehicles. the horn not working and the air bag possibly deploying is very dangerous. i am a single mother trying to pay my car payment let alone go pay vw to replace a major safety defect in thier vehicles. the government should ask them to do it if vw feels they have no responsability to do it on thier own. i don't have the money to replace this. i also noticed that other vehicle manufactures have ordered a recall for these same issues on their vehicles.

Driving on may 24.2015 making a left turn, i heard a loud crack in my steering wheel. i lost all of the function of the steering wheel and an message showed air bag error, check engine, no control. i lost all function of my steering wheel, and every move made a cracking sound. i was afraid to drive anymore because the air bag may deploy. i have transported it to a vw dealer to check on it and find out what is wrong, still waiting for an answer. i know an investigation regarding this issue was filled pe15010 air bag clockspring failure defect. i was very affraid and am wondering why there is no recall as of today.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the steering wheel made a cracking noise and became difficult to turn as the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who inspected the vehicle and advised that the module failed. however, the contact was not sure of the name of the module that needed to replace. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

On april 14, 2015, i went to vw kennedy service center in puerto rico because of problems with my 2012 passat driver's door lock and rear door's locks, that sometimes failed to open or lock, and have weird sounds when i open them with the power locks button or when the car reach 10 miles. on april 16, they made a diagnostic of a problem with the rear left door latch but they only make an adjustment to it. on april 21, i returned to the service center with the same problems. this time they replaced the rear left door latch, but told me that there is no problems with the driver's door lock. since then, the problems with this door lock continues on a random basis, sometimes failed to open or close, but the vw service center told me that there is no problems. i think that a door lock that failed to close or open on a random basis represents a security problem.

Vehicle air bag light illuminated as well as informed us on the information cluster horn no longer works and none of the steering wheel push button controls work dealer said it was a broken clock spring and that we needed to bring it in immediately because the air bags would not deploy correctly potentially the online forums that i've looked for information stated that multiple vehicles with this amount of miles have the same exact problem i was just curious why there wasn't a recall coming if the airbag potentially doesn't work. *tr

Heard a clicking noise coming from the steering column while turning in a parking lot. when i started the car again the airbag light came on and none of the controls on the steering wheel including the horn would work. after investigating online i found several complaints about this issue and discovered that many other owners are experiencing a failure the clock spring in the steering column at about 50,000-60,000 miles 9 i had about 58000 at the time). after discovering that an investigation was started here just days before mine failed i contacted the dealer. i was told that they were not aware of the investigation or the issue.... however they were able to quickly tell me it would cost about $700 to fix, and if vw issues a recall later i could try to get it refunded from corporate at that time. *tr

Clicking noise started inside steering wheel. turning all the way to the right popping noise with airbag error message. now no hands free controls, horn. ...updated 03-11-15 *bf updated 6/18/2015 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the horn failed to work and the clock spring failed without warning. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who diagnosed that the clock spring needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa action number: pe15010 (air bags, electrical system). the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 48,283. updated 7/9/15*cn updated 9/18/15 *js

No accident. a premature failure of part 39462 - electric defective steering column control module which controls airbags, horn and other items in the steering column. *tr

Drivers side door would not open with door unlocked. spoke to vw service and they said it's a common issue on this car. cold temperatures freeze up the door latch mechanism. had to open the door from within the vehicle. vw service advised me to stop opening the door because the latch mechanism could fail completely and the door will not latch to close. they said bring the vehicle in so they could look at it. brought the vehicle in and they said yes it's a failing door latch mechanism and the replacement cost would be $480.00. this seems to be a general issue with this vehicle with many customers complaining. a drivers side door that won't open and won't latch to close is a major problem. *tr

This car is built with reversed color coded battery cables without proper, easily identifiable polarity identification. the factory battery has conventional markings, red +, black -, however the black cable is designed to go on the "+" terminal and the red cable is designed to go on the "-" terminal on this model. there are no obvious polarity markings on the cables. if one looks very carefully you can find a tiny - stamp on the red cable terminal and the tiny + stamp is half covered by insulation and hidden on the black cable terminal. the battery terminals are of slightly different diameters to guide you to the proper installation but the diameter difference is not large and is easily adjusted with a screwdriver which i have had to adjust to fit on cables that were not improperly reversed in the past. not noticing the reversed color coded cables prior to replacing the battery i hooked up a new vw oem replacement battery with reversed polarity as a result of the improper/reversed battery cable color codes. the cables were not tightend, just placed on the terminals at which point the horn sounded and would not go off at which point i removed the cables and looked very closely for markings indicating that i might have hooked them up improperly and noticed the aforementioned very hard to find tiny hidden stampings on the terminals revealing that i had hooked up the battery with reverse polarity. this resulted in $3000 of electrical damage to the car - and almost caused a fire, melting some of the harness and electronic control modules. additionally 2 of the 3 protective fusible links designed to protect this circuitry melted together short circuit (instead of fusing open circuit) not protecting anything. this is a very dangerous multiple defect design that has the potential to cause injury and fire in addition to extensive damage and costly repairs. *js

Unable to unlock drivers side door on several occasions with key fob. no mechanical sound heard on drivers door when key fob pressed. all three (3) other doors unlocked with no issues. on a couple of other occasions, the drivers side door was unable to be opened from the inside and could not exit the car (handle only moved a small amount and seemed 'jammed'). after several times of pressing the lock/unlock button the door finally opened. once i had to exit the car from the passenger side door. the inability to exit the car through the drivers side door is a safety issue in my mind. *tr

Despite performing the regularly scheduled (very expensive) maintenance for this vehicle, we had many issues with our 2012 volkswagen passat tdi. this car was a commuter vehicle and was driven 110 miles/5 days per week at 55-65 mph. we thought that with proper care and maintenance this car with its diesel engine would last more than 111,000 miles... we are so disappointed and frankly irate. what a waste of money. our issues were: at numerous mileages, our head, tail and running lights had to be replaced at about $50/instance. at 104,738 miles, the passenger window would not go up or down. the window pin was replaced for $184.05. at 101,019 miles, the timing belt was replaced at a cost of $1,260.76. at 111,166 miles, our 2012 volkswagen passat tdi began to run very rough and loud on trip. we made it home and my husband brought the car to the volkswagen shop where we were told that bearings broke off and destroyed the interior of our engine. we replaced the engine at a whopping $6,865.76. at 127,115 miles the car would not start. we towed it to the dealer where we were told the starter had gone out and needed to be replaced. we sold the passat on the spot to the dealer before fixing this issue. we could not bear to sell this car to a private party.

Following a 40k service for my 2012 passat tdi my wife called me and said when she pushed the start button, it took an extra try before it started. i dismissed this as i thought maybe she didn't have her foot all the way down on the brake. then later in the week she said it took 4 pushes of the button before the car would start. i told her next time video tape the issue. the following week her car broke down at the mall - nothing would work. when i got there, i played with the parking lever, no good. then i put in neutral and the car started. i drove to vw and they said the clean all the connecters on the start/stop switch and didn't see issue as car was working fine, but would order new switch and cover for me. the next day the car did it again, and i video taped the incident as well to share with the dealer. again, it started in neutral. i took a chance and went out again that evening figuring this neutral thing would work and guess, what - was completely stuck after the dealer told me the issue was repaired and the replacement of the part was just precautionary. the car has been in shop for a week. they changed the switch this morning and guess that didn't resolve the issue. they are now ordering a hpfp!!!! i know it is possible that 2 issues could have been going on, but the whole time i told them i didn't think the switch made sense. anyway, chalk up another hpfp for vw. frustrated customer! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volkswagen passat. while operating the vehicle, the air bag sensor light illuminated and all the other electronics on the steering wheel would not operate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bag clock spring was faulty and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred after approximately 34,000 miles. the vin was not available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 40,000. updated 10/04/16*lj *js

On tuesday, 24 june, i dropped off our 2012 vw passat at a vw dealer for its 2 year / 20k mile service with 15,100 miles on the odometer. an electrical wiring recall regarding headlights and the hood was performed on the passat. the incident occurred within an hour of leaving the dealer and after driving about 40 miles from the dealer. my wife was driving and her sister was in the front passenger seat. it was raining hard enough that it was difficult to see the highway lane markings and my wife was concentrating on following the car lights in front of her. the vehicle was in the second lane from the right of a four lane highway. then, without any warning from dashboard lights or sounds, the windshield wipers stopped, the dashboard lights went dark, and the headlights went out. my wife's sister saw the car clock dials spin around several times and then stop at 9:00. all power was out in the passat. the vehicle was moving down four lanes of highway without power. as the passat slowed down, my wife kept the car pointed straight ahead. it is hard to determine if the steering wheel was locked because my wife wasn't trying to move the steering wheel very much. as the vehicle approached a highway exit, the highway lanes began to diverge as the right lane exited the highway, the second lane from the right slit with an option to exit to the right or remain on the highway, and the two left lanes remained on the highway. by maintaining a straight trajectory, my wife maneuvered the passat into the median separating the highway from the off-ramp. the passat rolled to a stop, dead in the median. while no other power was available in the passat, the hazard flashing lights were functional. *tr

Glow plug light on dashboard started blinking. major loss of power. had vehicle towed to dealership in fayetville, nc. problem reported to be failed turbo. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, all of the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel and the horn became inoperable. the problem recurred numerous times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the clock spring needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was unknown...updated 03-11-15 *bf updated 6/18/2015*js

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volkswagen passat. when the vehicle was started, the air bag indicator illuminated and the vehicle lost power. the vehicle was taken to ontario volkswagen (701 south kettering dr, ontario, ca, 91761) where it was diagnosed that the clock spring was out of warranty. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the warranty expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000. *tt carfax not able to display vin records updated 9/26/18*jb

Vehicle, while at speed at night, suddenly and without warning lost low beam illumination from the left front headlight assembly. subsequent inspection of the factory light bulb revealed no faults: filament was intact and resistance (ohm) could be measured across terminals. installation of a new vw bulb did not solve the problem. headlight assembly was factory stock and unmodified. closer inspection reveals what appears to be overheating and subsequent deformation of the bulb retention hardware. on-line search reveals numerous identical complaints posted by other passat owners, affecting both the left and right headlight assemblies vw dealer advised that the problem can only be rectified by replacing the entire headlight assembly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volkswagen passat. while driving the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer more than five times for an electrical failure. the dealer diagnosed and repaired the vehicle with a repair kit, connector, bumper, washer cap, filter element, refilled the oil and replaced a screw however, the failure recurred. the check oil, check engine, navigation system and the check coolant sensor warning lights intermittently illuminated. the contact made multiple unsuccessful attempts with a mechanic to obtain a diagnosis to determine if the failure was electrical. the mechanic was unable to be determine if the failure was associated with a fuse or the battery. the police attempted to assist the contact with starting the vehicle; however, it would not restart. a police report was filed because the vehicle stalled on a major highway. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was awaiting further inspection and diagnosis by an authorized dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure several times to no avail. the approximate failure mileage was 500.

I was in very slow bumper to bumper traffic when the battery light came on and there was a significant loss of power in the engine and no power steering or brakes. i was able to coast to the shoulder and turn off the car. lights, radio and ventilation systems did not seem to be impacted. after a minute, i turned the car on and everything appeared to be back to normal. this has happened twice in 3 months. *tr

Both of my headlights have failed (on two different occasions). the first in 2013 (right side) in which dealer representative said that vw was having a problem with the light housings. they were going to charge me for the repair, but the dealership management decided to do a "courtesy" fix. in april of 2014 the left light failed and the vw dealership said i would have to pay for repairs and then "apply" for a refund when the recall campaign came out. they have had a known problem for over 18 months and they still have not issued a recall. no lights creates a very hazardous situation. *tr

The speedometer does not register actual speeds. it is pessimistic by 4 mph at highway speeds. vw's own climatic control diagnostic readout indicates a speed that is 2 mph greater than the speedometer reads. furthermore, the tripometer average speed reads 3 mph greater than the speedometer. multiple gps units all agree to within a tenth or two mph and indicate a speed that is 4 mph faster than the speedometer. (i.e. speedometer reads 70 mph, diagnostic readout simultaneously shows 72 mph, tripometer average speed simultaneously shows 73 mph and gps simultaneously shows 74 mph while cruise is set at 70 mph). vw says it's close enough and that at 70 mph readings between 65 and 75 mph are acceptable! *tr

Vehicle doe not show the true speed of the car. speedometer is off by 7-8 kmh. @ 100 kms. vw does not accept that there is any problem and will not fix the problem. *tr