2012 Volkswagen Passat Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 296 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2012 Volkswagen Passat, 61% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 62,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “clock spring” (22% of reports).
- 296air bags complaints
- 62,000median miles at failure
- 9mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 5related recalls
- $710typical repair cost reported by owners
- 18%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Clock spring: mentioned in 64 of 296 complaints (22%)
- Takata air bags: mentioned in 54 of 296 complaints (18%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the 2012 Volkswagen Passat at $710, and half of them between $630 and $940.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2013–2021), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 101 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 296 complaints, 9 mention a crash, 7 an injury.
Volkswagen Passat air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Passat | 3 | 17% | — |
| 2020 Passat | 4 | 22% | — |
| 2018 Passat | 5 | 11% | 49,900 |
| 2017 Passat | 28 | 25% | 33,750 |
| 2016 Passat | 25 | 24% | 46,000 |
| 2015 Passat | 88 | 36% | 53,000 |
| 2014 Passat | 354 | 60% | 50,000 |
| 2013 Passat | 382 | 51% | 56,718 |
| 2012 Passat | 296 | 61% | 62,000 |
| 2011 Passat | 5 | 31% | 93,000 |
| 2010 Passat | 45 | 28% | 62,500 |
| 2009 Passat | 12 | 8% | 75,000 |
| 2008 Passat | 32 | 19% | 114,000 |
| 2007 Passat | 106 | 40% | 98,500 |
| 2006 Passat | 148 | 26% | 93,674 |
| 2005 Passat | 4 | 3% | 43,000 |
| 2004 Passat | 8 | 3% | 29,740 |
| 2003 Passat | 23 | 4% | 44,500 |
| 2002 Passat | 11 | 2% | 78,000 |
| 2001 Passat | 26 | 6% | 64,445 |
| 2000 Passat | 17 | 3% | 52,500 |
| 1999 Passat | 21 | 3% | 49,766 |
| 1998 Passat | 8 | 2% | 85,000 |
| 1997 Passat | 1 | 3% | 100,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (5)
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69EG, 69GQ, and 69E6.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
Risk: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I received a recall for the airbag. No lights were on in my car, so I brought in in for the service. I picked up my car, it seemed ok. I went to the gym. When I restarted my car every single light was on on the dashboard. When I brought it back to the dealer they said "oh its the ABS module they…
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer refused to perform the repair until the contact paid…
Car accident and all left side airbags deployed but not the drivers airbag which we had the recall repaired on.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Volkswagen Passats have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 296 owner complaints about air bags for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat (61% of the 484 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Volkswagen Passat air bags?
Yes: 5 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 62,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the 2012 Volkswagen Passat?
Owners report a typical cost of $710 (half paid between $630 and $940), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2012 Volkswagen Passat?
The most frequent phrase is “clock spring”, in 64 of 296 complaints, followed by “takata air bags” (54).
Other 2012 Volkswagen Passat problems
See all 2012 Volkswagen Passat problems or air bags problems across all Passat years.