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Problems with 2014 Volkswagen Passat ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On average, the 2014 Volkswagen Passat starts to “feel” problems with the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and its various aspects after 40 504 miles.

Components Affected by ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Issues

We have classified the 44 complaints from 2014 Volkswagen Passat about ELECTRICAL SYSTEM into the following categories.

HORN 2

Recently reported ELECTRICAL SYSTEM problems on 2014 Volkswagen Passat

Drains new battery overnight... hear electric component running when opening driver side door gas smell in enclose environment (garage) although no leak found on the floor. ongoing problem, it can go a couple of weeks without recharging battery, but suddenly is dead...

The problem i'm having with my 2014 passat is that one day out the blue my airbag light came on. i parked and turn of the car thinking that would solve the problem. when i started my car back up, the airbag is still on and now the horn and also the buttons on the steering wheel isn't working anymore. i have not hit anything or had any accidents period. i see many complaints from vw owners about the same issue....but i don't see any recalls about this problem. this is a big issue for me because i live in illinois and my car horn doesn't work.

Airbag sign came on and the horn stopped working, car was found to have a faulty clock spring, after replacement of clock spring, there was a short and the clock spring had to be replaced yet again. air bag sign came on again and there was another short in a wire, clock spring had to be replaced three times. faulty wires and clock spring.

Airbag light stays illuminated. none of the steering wheel electricsl works, including the horn.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that the cruise control failed to engage, an error message for the driver assist system was displayed, and the tire pressure warning indicator was illuminated. the contact called volkswagen of gainesville (3737 n main st, gainesville, fl 32609,(352) 578-2554) and was informed that an unknown switch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. the contact stated that the failures began after the vehicle was repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 15v483000 (air bags). the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 86,000. the vin was not available.

Backing out of driveway, slight clicking in the steering column when turning the steering wheel to the right. beep from dash- airbag failure/warning. now steering wheel buttons and horn are not operational.

I own a 2014 vw passat. all of the functions on my the steering wheel when dead and the airbag light came on. the vehicle was stationary when the issue was first discovered. i had just started the car. after bringing the car to a dealership to have it diagnosed, it was diagnosed as a faulty clock spring. the replacement cost is $637 and the closest dealer is 45 miles away. this is a safety hazard as the air bag, horn and other steering wheel features do not work. after researching i've come to realize there are thousands of vehicles effected by this and no recall.

All of the controls on the steering wheel have stopped working and the airbag light is on. this is when the vehicle is stationary and moving. vehicle has very low mileage.

Clockspring went bad, no airbags or horn. i was driving while this happened.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen passat. the contact stated that within months of owning the vehicle, it failed to start and stalled. the contact discovered that the previous owner experienced the same failure and had the alternator assembly replaced. the dealer (capital volkswagen, 3963 w tennessee st, tallahassee, fl 32304, (850) 692-5609) replaced the wiring and the alternator was replaced twice; however, the failure recurred each time. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

Takata recall- had the recall fixed. clock spring is broken again- airbag light is back on and steering wheel controls are no longer working. vw says "tough luck" it's not covered a second time even though this fix didn't even last a year. car is currently in the shop for a host of other issues surrounding the emissions recall and sensors that aren't working yet again.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen passat. on several occasions, while driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was able to restart the vehicle and it would operate as intended. the contact stated that the failure recurred six times. the vehicle was taken to fox volkswagen of rochester hills (773 s rochester rd, rochester hills, mi 48307, (248) 656-0400) to be diagnosed, but the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code or duplicate the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

In august of 2017, my airbag light came on and my horn stopped working. there was also a clicking sound when turning the steering wheel. i took the vehicle to volkswagen and was informed that the clock spring had failed and needed to be replaced. after conducting some research, i found that other 2014 passats had been recalled for the same exact issue. my vin was not covered under the recall, and so i had to pay out of pocket for a new clock spring. i believe that the volkswagen recall was not broad enough to cover all vehicles affected. i reported this to the nhtsa at the time of the incident. however, about 6 months later, my vehicle began having the same issues. i was informed that the second clock spring had failed and needed to be replaced. because the part was new, volkswagen covered the repairs. i did not report this second occurrence of clock spring failure at the time. i am reporting the re-occurrence of the clock spring failure now, as i still hope the initial recall will be expanded and that i will get refunded from replacing it the first time. i hope this additional information can help with any ongoing investigations. i am providing documentation of both instances of clock spring failure in my 2014 passat.

Front driver airbag fault light in on, vehicle horn does not work, when turning steering wheel there is clicking sound. this is similar to recall number 1v483000 dated 08/04/2015 but my vehicle is not on recall list

I have a 2014 vw passat-car went in for a recall for airbags. (vw is saying that it is not takata recall) at the time my car was taken in, there were no problems with it. had the recall completed and maybe weeks later my clock spring goes out (took a right turn, heard a click, and the "seatbelt airbag malfunction" light turned on) all the controls on my steering wheel go out, including the horn. i take it it to vw in scottsdale shortly after this happened and they told me that it is not related, not covered, and that my car was not part of the takata recall ..(on their website it states 2012-2014 passat included in the reacall) the service manager i spoke with said that he has never heard of the clock spring going out on its own. little fishy how nothing is wrong with my car, i get the recall done, and weeks after my clock spring goes out (which is related to the airbag!) and told me it would be about $875 to fix! my car has only 58,000 miles on it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen passat. upon starting the vehicle, the air bag indicator illuminated and the horn failed to sound. on other occasions, the steering wheel clicked when turned. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the clock spring failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was also taken to savannah volkswagen (50 eisenhower dr, savannah, ga 31406) where the diagnosis was confirmed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v483000 (air bags). the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

First off, the bread started giving me trouble a couple weeks after purchasing the vehicle. when i took the vehicle in to have it checked out vw of the woodlands exclaimed that there was no issue and that the brake pads had a few rocks in between them. as the weeks passed the issue gradually got worst and i could feel the brakes grind when i proceeded to come to a stop. now the brakes are completely jacked up and i will have to pay out of pocket to have them repaired. my second problem is the electrical issue that i've encountered. this dates back to at least 3 weeks after buying the car. i reported the problem to them and have even taken the vehicle in to have it checked out, but yet again i was given an excuse. "your alternator needs to be changed!" i was told. i couldn't understand why the alternator was preparing to go out after only having the car for 5 months. but that was not the fixture of my problem. the dash board likes come on and goes off repeatedly iver time and i have been taking a picture each time it happens for my documentation. it's very unprofessional what goes on with these car dealerships and how they get over on people. this 2014 volkswagen passat is a bust and should be recalled.

Airbag clock spring broke while i was driving . why wasn't my vehicle covered under recall for the airbag clock spring recall number 15v483000? obviously more vehicles are affected. my airbag and instrument controls do not work now due to this safety issue.

2014 volkswagen passat was diagnosed with failure of the steering wheel clock spring resulting in loss of function for airbag, horn, and steering wheel control buttons. airbag light was illuminated, and horn/buttons did not work. i took the vehicle in for repair right away. my vin was not included in the existing recall (vw 69l2, nhtsa 15v-483) even though my issue appeared to be exactly the same concerns and symptoms as described in the existing recall notice. the current recall includes 2014 volkswagen passat cars manufactured in the us, but my vehicle was excluded. i had the vehicle repaired at a volkswagen dealership (momentum volkswagen of jersey village, houston, tx) at my cost of $544.01. date of repair was 05-jul-2017, vehicle mileage 80200.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen passat. while driving 55 mph, the horn failed to work and the air bag warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer (bob penkhus volvo mazda volkswagen; 1101 motor city dr, colorado springs, co 80905; (719) 473-4100) where it was diagnosed that the air bag clock spring needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v078000 (air bags). the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was contacted at 800-822-8987 and stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall and the contact had to pay for the repair. the failure mileage was 70,000.

I drive a manual transmission. i have a 3 year old car with 30, 000 miles on it. the transmission jammed while the car was on the highway. it was due to a clutch that had broken into pieces and needed replacement. as a seasoned driver of manual cars, having driven ones with >100, 000 miles on them i have never faced such a dangerous and unexpected disintegration of the clutch in a car that has only 30, 000 miles on it. keeping in mind the kind of tampering and mishandling that it would need to break a clutch i complained to vw about this and they have done nothing to help. instead i am left with a heft bill to pay for the repairs, and, will probably need to buy a new car anyway as i would not endanger my life and that of my children driving a car with some serious engineering and/design issues that vw will not take responsibility for. the car also has electrical issues which i informed vw about; the parked car with the parking breaks on while turned off rolls off on the most gradual slopes and onto the street.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen passat. when the contact attempted to start the vehicle, the audio system failed. the dealer stated that the vehicle's warranty was expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 56,528.

Stopped at intersection at green light idling when i went to put on the gas the car stalled. restarted the car and would not work. stuck in middle of the road with potential of causing other accidents. vw said the problem was due to an update and after an update was done that i had to pay out of pocket for the car was fixed.

I was turning my steering wheel to park and heard a noise in the steering wheel that sounded like a wire stretching. air bag light came on dashboard. vehicle taken to vw dealer. dealer states 'airbag clock spring' broken. a nhtsa recall exists for 2014 vw passat, yet my vehicle is not included in it? nhtsa website states recall closed, yet my 2014 passat has a defective clockspring. how can this be? dealer now wants $700 to repair and my life is in danger. please reopen this recall of the 2014 vw clockspring issue since it is not complete and is putting lives at risk.

Today i received an "important safety recall" from volkswagen of america informing me that my vehicle is the subject of safety recall 23t3 - nhtsa: 16v171 relating to improperly assembled wire seals which can cause the malfunction indicator lamp (mil) to illuminate. since the mil has recently illuminated in my vehicle i contacted naples volkswagen in naples, florida to have my vehicle inspected/repaired per the safety recall. i was informed by the service writer, charles, that i would be charged $128.00 to diagnose the problem. i thought that the manufacturer is responsible for repairing vehicles which are subject to a safety recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen passat. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v171000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen passat. while driving approximately 35 mph, the horn was pressed but failed to operate, in addition to other buttons on the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the clock spring needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v483000 (air bags). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 55,000. updated 10/13/16*lj

I just recently purchased this 2014 vw passat from nissan and they did not reveal all the recalls on this vehicle! i'm really dissatisfied with the nissan dealership as i feel this is being deceitful, not to mention very unsafe for me and my family. dishonest!!!!! to say the least!

I have had several problems with the tsi sel navigation and radio system in my car. it seems as though you cannot touch any buttons until this system is fully up and running. it is extremely slow at start up. most of the time i can finish my backing out of the driveway even before the back up camera comes on. on a few occasions i have started the vehicle and the radio will suddenly go to full volume. i have had the navigation system lock up on me. once we were driving in tennessee and pulled off to get some gas, well this completely confused the system and it decided to lock up once we entered back on the highway. i had to pull over to the side and turn the car off for a while and then reprogram my destination. another time on my way home from work the system locked and would not let me get to any other screen. i have had times when the system never boots completely and stays with the message of "system starting". of course the dealership cannot repeat the issues and flat out told me they don't work on them because they are junk and they know that they are slow and in adequate. personally if vw knows they are crap they should give us the upgrades they did to the newer models. i know i am not the only one with this issue because i have talked with others who have the same problems.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen passat. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 16v078000 (air bags) and 16v171000 (electrical system). the dealer was contacted and they were unable to determine when the parts would become available beyond a reasonable time frame. the contact was unable to determine when the vehicle would be repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and was unable to provide a specific date or time frame that the dealer would receive the parts. the contact had not experienced a failure. vin tool confirms parts not available.

Exactly 28 days after first breakdown had another exactly the same. see your previous report #10818720. driving to work on highway 2014 vw passat engine lights came on. car can not go over 30mph & decreasing speed. tow truck called, mechanic & dealership, rental car, & private insurance all again. dealership stated chewed wires from squirrels & does not cover under warranty. 1st time $2,700. 2nd time $700. learned of soy-based coating on wires. local farmers & government grass cutter workers have chewed wires on their tractors also. pleae investigate. please recall. please help.

Takata recall i received a recall notice in the mail more than a year ago but in numerous calls to vw service they said they didn't have the parts to fix my car & that it isn't a safety issue in california. now vw service dealership in salinas said there is no recall on my car even though www.safergov still shows an incomplete recall. now my horn stopped working,the airbag light is lit on the dashboard and my steering wheel is making noises when i'm steering. this is a dangerous situation. i can't honk as warning and i don't think the airbag will deploy and if it does it can cause injury or death.

Tl* takata recall. the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen passat. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 16v078000 (air bags) and 16v171000 (electrical system); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. vin tool confirms parts not available.

2014 volkswagen passat diesel. ownership 1/1/2 yrs. mileage 14,000. driving to work could not go over 30mph. dashboard light came on showing emission control monitor & pre glow. thought it was due to colder weather. had to be towed & at dealership now for repair. complete breakdown. vw mechanic stating there is major damage due to a rodent or squirell problem. stated the wiring is chewed up even in the headlights. i am the only car owner in the parish and in the neighborhood with this problem?? have warranty but vw said this is not covered under warranty. had to get rental car. waiting for state farm insurance adjuster to go to dealership. help! please send a nhtsa rep to investigate and look at vehicle.

Backup camera/navigation/radio system system does not working in a consistent manner (camera works when it wants to-big safety concern, screen goes blank, etc.). radio/navigation controls are inoperable at random occasions while vehicle is in motion or even at a stop position. radio screen goes blank even if radio is on and user is unable to control it for up to a few minutes. on 2 occasions, even after turning the entire car on and off multiple times the radio was on but all controls were inoperable and unable to turn off. eventually the system became operable a few minutes later. safety issue has been discussed with vw dealer and they stated vw knows about all the owner inquiries into this issue but it has yet to make a recall. my concern is that backup camera does not work as it should and therefore the safety feature that the vehicle came with does not function properly. this causes the driver to go in reverse with only the help of mirrors. if safety equipment does not work properly then it should be replaced. second, when the system controls malfunction the volume and on/off buttons cannot be used and therefore driver is left focusing on how to fix this issue not on keeping their eyes on the road. as per my discussion both with the dealership service department and the customer service at corporate office, they admitted to the recurring issue for many vw owners but said it had not become a big enough issue or safety concern so there was not recall. my question is if system (backup camera/radio/navigation) is already a documented issue for many owners and does not allow a safety feature to work properly (backup camera) or can cause a distraction for a vehicle operator then why is not a recall. i purchased a brand new vehicle with the expectation that all equipment would work as described.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 volkswagen passat. while attempting to merge into traffic at 5 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the failure recurred on several occasions. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was unable to be determined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 5,800.

When driving car loss of power had towed to vw dealer turbo failure with just 9700 miles. *tr

The lamp for sidelights front right was defect. *tr

Was entering the 241 toll road at portola rd. in lake forest. have just come to speed the car completely shut off. the engine and all electronic came to an instant stop. i was able in this case to roll to the shoulder, however, had this happened in another place at another time i could have been killed. it was bad enough at it was. this should never happen. *tr

While approaching a stop sign and slowing down, the vehicle completely shut down,could not steer as steering wheel locked,lost all power, could not apply brakes as they did not work, then the same thing happened a 1/2 hour later coming out of a parking lot, called the vw national number, explained what happened and how dangerous this could have been if it happened at faster speeds, they did not seem overly concerned, told me to tow it to the nearest vw dealer for service, this vehicle is unsafe to drive, i don't feel safe in taking it back from the dealer, what do i do? *tr

Since purchased we have found the rns-510 radio navigation asystem to be a dangerous item that volkswagen has known about for a number of years. their tech tips number, tt 91-13-01 dated 2/8/2013, updated on 5/9/2014 basically tells the car owner to just live with it. i think not since it is dangerous and life threatening. in speaking with vw techs at a number of dealerships i have been told this system is , "crap', "sucks", " is underpowered", "has been a problem since it was introduced", "is a pain in the [xxx]", "will never work right because it is underpowered". my wife is afraid to drive it because of concerns with the aforementioned radio navigation system. when putting the vehicle in reverse and waiting from 3-7 seconds the rearview camera shows a picture.when placed in drive the rearview camera stays on the screen for around 8-9 seconds. my wife has found this distracting and dangerous in moving forward but having a rear view still visible on the screen taking the drivers attention from concentrating on the road ahead. the radio touch screen is also a problem that at times requires multiple touches to get a channel change, again a distraction to the drive. now the navigation system in this unit also is a pain. when my wife would use the navigation system the map would freeze up on the original streets and not progress as she went forward. i tried all of these things and agree completely. this unit is garbage that is a big distraction that vw has known about since the rns-510 was first introduced. the rns-510 came in my passat sel premium which is supposed to be the top end passat. one would think that such a vehicle would contain a unit that would function in a safe manner. i think this is the type of defective part that should require a recall. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I was driving about 40mph when a car tried to merge into my lane. i tried to blow the horn and the horn failed to work. this has happened several times but not at a point where i have been this close to being crashed into. when this happens, the change track and volume buttons do not work, as well as the hands free calling button. it's like the whole steering wheel goes dead. *tr

Purchased 2014 fully loaded passat on 10/26/13, safety issue with car due to my 1.5 hr daily commute. extremely poor quality when using bluetooth through care stereo, not recognizing names on iphone 4s causing driver to remove eyes from road to look up number which is a major distraction especially during night driving. *tr

Takata recalled airbags never fixed in 3 years i had my lease so they knowingly allowed me to drive me and my kids for 3 years in an unsafe car!!! the tdi deisel was also an issue and had electrical issues as well.

Whenever outside temperature reaches below 20 degrees f the driver side lock freezes making it impossible to open this door. this is a safety hazard, as the only means of entry and egress is through the passenger side door. in the event of a crash, submerging in water, fire, or other type incident, there is significant risk, should the driver need to exit the vehicle. i have called volkswagen customer care on three separate occasions (case numbers are documented, calls recorded), only to be reassured that they have not had any other calls regarding this. the solution (help) that they offer is to have me bring the vehicle to my dealership when the lock is froze, so the dealer can see the lock when it is in this condition. in essence, they are asking me to drive a vehicle they manufactured with a significant safety concern to my dealership when it is the most unsafe to drive. should i or anyone else have a need to exit the vehicle when the driver side lock is frozen, there is no way to do this. this poses an imminent health threat, and could result in loss of life or limb. as i started investigating this issue, i have found countless websites and forums that address this same concern with driver side door lock freezing on volkswagen products, to the extent that it really makes me wonder why our government is not entrenched in this issue. i would appreciate a response to this concern that i raise. if you have not heard about this issue prior to my writing, please consider this as official notification that i have a significant safety concern that warrants government investigation. furthermore, this issue presents a clear and present danger, and immanent risk to consumer health and safety, and now you have notification. i appreciate your time, and look forward to your response. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

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