2013 Volkswagen Passat Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 382 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2013 Volkswagen Passat, 51% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 56,718 miles. The words owners use most often: “clock spring” (16% of reports).
- 382air bags complaints
- 56,718median miles at failure
- 21mention a crash
- 15mention an injury
- 5related recalls
- 26%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 63 of 382 complaints (16%)
- Takata air bags: mentioned in 60 of 382 complaints (16%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 125 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 382 complaints, 21 mention a crash, 15 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.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags). The contact called the three closest dealers but no assistance with transporting the vehicle or offering an alternative option for repair was provided. The manufacturer was…
My airbag light is on, steering wheel controls donât work, and my horn doesnât work. Safety is put at risk because the airbag wonât deploy if needed, wonât be able to think in case someone canât see me.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Volkswagen Passats have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 382 owner complaints about air bags for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat (51% of the 748 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 2013 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 56,718 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2013 Volkswagen Passat?
The most frequent phrase is “clock spring”, in 63 of 382 complaints, followed by “takata air bags” (60).
Other 2013 Volkswagen Passat problems
See all 2013 Volkswagen Passat problems or air bags problems across all Passat years.