2013 Volkswagen Passat Steering Problems
Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2013 Volkswagen Passat, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 61,125 miles. The words owners use most often: “clock spring” (45% of reports).
- 51steering complaints
- 61,125median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 35%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 23 of 51 complaints (45%)
- Clicking noise: mentioned in 8 of 51 complaints (16%)
- Horn work: mentioned in 6 of 51 complaints (12%)
- Controls steering: mentioned in 5 of 51 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 28 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 51 complaints, 1 mention a crash.
Volkswagen Passat steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Passat | 2 | 15% | — |
| 2021 Passat | 2 | 11% | — |
| 2020 Passat | 2 | 11% | — |
| 2019 Passat | 1 | 8% | 2,000 |
| 2018 Passat | 2 | 4% | 46,000 |
| 2017 Passat | 16 | 15% | 33,750 |
| 2016 Passat | 19 | 18% | 41,500 |
| 2015 Passat | 26 | 11% | 47,773 |
| 2014 Passat | 44 | 7% | 40,000 |
| 2013 Passat | 51 | 7% | 61,125 |
| 2012 Passat | 46 | 10% | 68,000 |
| 2011 Passat | 2 | 13% | 51,885 |
| 2010 Passat | 13 | 8% | 81,700 |
| 2009 Passat | 20 | 14% | 59,000 |
| 2008 Passat | 12 | 7% | 82,556 |
| 2007 Passat | 15 | 6% | 63,000 |
| 2006 Passat | 112 | 19% | 63,250 |
| 2005 Passat | 2 | 1% | 142,000 |
| 2004 Passat | 2 | 1% | 96,000 |
| 2003 Passat | 10 | 2% | 21,269 |
| 2002 Passat | 1 | 0% | 26,786 |
| 2001 Passat | 13 | 3% | 59,100 |
| 2000 Passat | 25 | 5% | 51,000 |
| 1999 Passat | 76 | 11% | 64,004 |
| 1998 Passat | 52 | 16% | 58,500 |
| 1995 Passat | 4 | 4% | 110,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Failed clock spring. Airbag light was present and a rattling noise, when turning, was noticed. Less than 72 hours later, the buttons on the steering wheel, including horn, stopped working, and a louder crack/pop was heard.
On 5/4/24 I was reverse parking & heard a clunk as I was turning my steering wheel then immediately noticed the airbag light come on. Attempted to check any error messages using the only menu control for the vehicle on the steering wheel that did not work. That led me to attempt to test all other…
I was turning into my driveway when I heard a strange clicking noise coming form the steering wheel column. As soon as I heard the clicking sound the airbag indicator light started flashing on my dashboard and the buttons on my steering wheel stopped working. Did some research on the airbag sensor…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Volkswagen Passats have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 51 owner complaints about steering for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat (7% 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 steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 61,125 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2013 Volkswagen Passat?
The most frequent phrase is “clock spring”, in 23 of 51 complaints, followed by “clicking noise” (8).
Other 2013 Volkswagen Passat problems
See all 2013 Volkswagen Passat problems or steering problems across all Passat years.