2015 Volkswagen Passat electrical problems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that cool air was being blown inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the heater failed to heat the passenger’s side of the vehicle. Additionally, the defroster failed to properly defrost the windshield while activated. The contact linked the failure to VWP:16‑05; (Heater Core Limited Warranty Extension). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

NHTSA complaint #11702531 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The airbag system/clockspring assembly in the steering column appears to have failed. The airbag warning light turned on and all steering-wheel controls stopped working at the same time, which indicates that the driver airbag may not function in a crash. The vehicle can be inspected upon request. This is a major safety risk because the primary airbag might not deploy during a collision, putting the driver at high risk of injury. The issue has remained constant since it first appeared. I had the vehicle inspected by a highly reputable independent repair shop, and their assessment was that the clockspring/airbag component has failed. They advised that the necessary replacement part is unavailable to order, leaving the vehicle without a functional airbag system. I have also seen many other owners of similar 2015 Passat models reporting the same failure online, which suggests this may be a widespread defect. The airbag light is the only warning I received. It turned on a few months ago and has stayed on continuously since. UNKNOWN if there are other related electrical faults.

NHTSA complaint #11699627 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2015 Passat TDI sudden complete power loss while driving, including highway incidents. Vehicle stalls with no warning, creating immediate safety hazard. Symptoms match documented crankshaft position sensor failures in identical vehicles that VW has repaired under warranty for other owners. VW Customer Care closed case requiring 'duplication' of safety defect before repair. Request immediate safety investigation. I am reporting today's incident however this issue has been occuring since May 1st and occurred on numerous occasions with today being the most unsafe.

NHTSA complaint #11671727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that upon turning off the vehicle, the infotainment system failed to turn off as intended, and the message "download" was displayed on the screen, causing the battery to become drained. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the infotainment system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA complaint #11663236 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Clock spring failure. 2015 passat steering wheel started clicking then it snapped my airbag light came on and steering wheel functions didn't work. The sa

NHTSA complaint #11631786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Gas and Oil comsumption is way too high … Almost every 600-1000 the low oil lights turns on! Check engine on almost all the time due to an error with the oxígen sensor. EPC light gets on very frequently and the car loses speed. Also vehicle has a constant rattlesnake sound when speed is low. Issue was reported some years ago to a local VW dealership in Georgia but they never took care of the issue. Ongoing for a couple of years!. No additional details

NHTSA complaint #11610716 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I take my car to the dealership for maintenance when it is scheduled. The ignition would not allow me to put the key inside. I did a little internet research and it seems to be a common problem with this car. I could not put the key in the ignition. I then used some wd40 and got it to go in eventually but thought I should report it as this could pose a safety hazard.

NHTSA complaint #11544526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Failed part: Clock spring. Yes, the work was appropriately installed. This is my fourth replacement within less than 100k miles. No additional inspections as of yet. No warning lights, just a faint click coming from the steering wheels while making turns two days prior to hearing a snapping noise. My air bag light illuminated and my dash notified me of an air bag error. Lost all connection to steering wheel controls and horn. This is the same thing that has happened every time prior. The car is inoperable, once again, due to clock spring failure. I cannot drive my vehicle as I am concerned about not having safety features of an air bag and a horn. This has been an ongoing issue with VW. I have been the only owner of this vehicle for almost nine years.

NHTSA complaint #11535105 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Rear back left light keeps going out. Could be an electrical issue. I have had to change light 5 times. The rear left back light blinker keeps going out.

NHTSA complaint #11517003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Mice and rodents just love eating various electrical wires, vacuum lines, diesel fuel lines (both from tank to engine & return lines), etc. Never once had any animals issues with my other vehicles. Discovered that VWoA thought it would be a brilliant idea to use Soy in the manufacturing of electrical insulation, fuel hoses, vacuum lines, etc. ANIMALS LIKE EATING SOY. Very frustrating. My vehicle has been disabled before and one time I sprang a nice leak, leaving a trail of diesel behind me. Since all repairs and parts were ordered and conducted at local VW dealership. All records are both on carfax & stored in VWoA servers.

NHTSA complaint #11502406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I purchased this car from what I believed was a private individual for my 15 year old daughter as her first car. This individual knew the purpose of this sale and was accutely aware that a new driver would be the primary driver. Before allowing her to drive this car, I had a detailed safety and condition inspection completed by a local import repair specialist. They found that there had been a deployment of the air bags resulting in the clock spring and front seat belt retractors being unusable. In addition, the air bag warning light had been removed from the instrument cluster and the bulb was removed, disguising the fact that there was an issue with the air bags. Further inspection showed overspray on one headlight lens from the repairs, the ac condenser was bent upwards, none of the splash shields under the front were intact or completely missing, body panels do not line up, and there is an issue with the front brakes. It is the opinion of the inspector and the business owner that this car had been reconditioned for a quick sale, intentionally hiding the fact the air bags had been deployed and the air bag system was rendered unusable. The CarFax shows minor damage to the rear and left rear, nothing about front end. The title reflects this car was at Adesa in Jacksonville FL (a car reconditioner) and sold to NES Enterprises of Jacksonville, then sold to Performance Motor Group, who sold it to me, all between 9/22/2022 and 10/31/2023. The individual I was dealing with was not involved in this sale.

NHTSA complaint #11494168 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated his wife was unable to insert the key into the ignition to start the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed the key was faulty. The vehicle was repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

NHTSA complaint #11491738 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The clock spring has broken again. The clock spring had been replaced on this vehicle in spring 2020, it is currently summer 2022. The vehicle currently has approximately 162,000 miles. I am concerned because the VW dealers state that there is a nationwide back order on this part, with people waiting since early 2022 for the part at this time.

NHTSA complaint #11483905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. Additionally, the horn was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clockspring needed to be replaced; however, the clockspring part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer informed the contact that an ETA for parts was not available. The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.

NHTSA complaint #11465466 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Clockspring broke when making a turn in the drive-thru pharmacy. Loud pop, then lost all power to steering wheel. Horn does not work, none of the controls work and the airbag is not guaranteed to work. Car has been at dealership for 5 months waiting for a repair. No ETA for 5 months now....

NHTSA complaint #11464326 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

During a left hand turn a loud "pop" occurred in the steering wheel while illuminated the Air Bag error light and disabled the horn and all steering wheel controls. I called Volkswagen about the errors and was transferred around on phone system, hung up on while transferring, message left with no contact back. While searching online have found numerous air bag recalls with clock spring issues but this model is not showing it although it is obvious it has failed. The car is not currently safe to drive and is parked, I currently own 4 of these VW TDI Passat's and need this addressed. Thank You

NHTSA complaint #11456657 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CATASTROPHIC SAFETY ISSUE MANY of the warning lights on the instrument cluster are illuminated. These include: * ABS is steadily illuminated. * Airbag is steadily illuminated. * The speedometer is not functioning showing "0" so I can't tell how fast I'm going. * The steering system indicator light is steadily illuminated. * Check Engine/Engine Malfunction is intermittent. * The Electric Power Control indicator is intermittent. * ESP/ASR is steadily illuminated. * The Alternator indicator light is intermittent * Tire Pressure Monitoring is steadily illuminated. * The fuel gauge is moving ranging from empty to full therefore the low fuel indictor flashed frequently. * Several times when depressing the accelerator instead of gaining power, acceleration dropped off. In traffic, at highway speeds, this is an additional serious safety issue. I HAVE MADE NO MODIFICATION TO THE VEHICLE OTHER THAN REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND NEW TIRES. I took the car to the local dealership where the on-site technical advisor speculated that the wheel speed sensor was at fault. This did not build confidence.

NHTSA complaint #11446627 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The car went 8 blocks 35mph the engine started shaking, I was stopping at the red light the car surging forward with my foot on brake engine still shaking. This all happened in 3 minutes. No lights on dashboard, the rpm dropped from 2,000 to 1,000 and then everything was ok.

NHTSA complaint #11435975 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The key gets stuck in the ignition (about 1 out of 4 times) when put into park. This is dangerous as it does not allow the driver to safely exit the vehicle without the risk of damage, theft, a perpetrator could hide in the vehicle to prey on the driver as it is unlocked. After researching, I see this is a common problem with ALL volkswagons of this year. In fact, an extended warranty has already been issued by volkswagon for most models EXCEPT the Passat!

NHTSA complaint #11433226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM EMPIRE AUTO USED. I HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE HORN AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A RECALL ON THE CLOCKSPRING. I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER ITSELF FOR THE SERVICE. THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACE LIKE 3 TIMES ALREADY. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT IT KEEPS HAPPENING. PLEASE ADVICE, THE LAST SERVICE DATE WAS ON 01/25/2021. AT THE PRESENT TIME I GOT NO HORN AGAIN.

NHTSA complaint #11395451 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

STEERING WHEEL STARTED MAKING TICKING NOISES AROUND 35K MILES. ROUGHLY 36K MILES THE AIR BAG ERROR LIGHT CAME ON. ROUGHLY 38K MILES HORN AND ALL STEERING WHEEL BUTTONS LOST POWER. CLOCK SPRING PROBLEM OBVIOUSLY. IM TOLD THIS VEHICLE WAS RECALLED FROM 2010 TO 2014 MODELS. WELL OBVIOUSLY THE ISSUE WAS NOT FIXED.

NHTSA complaint #11388796 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHILE TURNING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT A SLOW SPEED I FELT A STIFFNESS IN THE TURNING WHEEL FOLLOWED BY A CRUNCH AND THE AIRBAG ERROR LIGHT ILLUMINATING. HORN IS NOT OPERATIONAL EITHER IN ADDITION TO OTHER STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS.

NHTSA complaint #11376492 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

HAVE AN AIR BAG ERROR COMING UP ON DASH. AT THE SAME TIME THIS HAPPENED ALL OF THE CONTROLS ON THE STEERING WHEEL HAVE STOPPED WORKING. VEHICLES HORN DOES NOT WORK NOW AS WELL ON THE STEERING WHEEL.

NHTSA complaint #11297343 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

TL* THE CONTACT'S DAUGHTER OWNS A 2015 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WOULD NOT INSERT INTO THE IGNITION. CAMELBACK VOLKSWAGEN (1499 E CAMELBACK RD, PHOENIX, AZ 85014, (602) 648-9181) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

NHTSA complaint #11270727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY DPF SENSORS MELTED WHILE DRIVING, ALMOST CAUSING ME TO CRASH AS THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING SPEED LIMIT (70MPH) AND SUDDENLY WENT DOWN TO 45MPH. DEALER REPLACED SENSORS, BUT PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED.

NHTSA complaint #11255511 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO INSERT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VOLKSWAGEN OF NEW PORT RICHEY (4719 US-19, NEW PORT RICHEY, FL 34652) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

NHTSA complaint #11233068 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CAR WAS OFF AND PARKED. CAN'T GET KEY INTO IGNITION. STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER. IGNITION ISSUES SEEM TO BE COMMON IN VW'S

NHTSA complaint #11229000 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

UPDATE JUNE 2019 - NOW MY CAR HAS 53,000 MILES. MY REPLACED CLOCK SPRING HAS FAILED AGAIN. NO HORN, OR STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. THIS IS 8 MONTHS/10 MILES AFTER I HAD IT REPLACED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I AM REQUESTING THAT DOT NHTSA INVESTIGATE A SAFETY ISSUE WITH CLOCK SPRING PART ON MY 2015 VW PASSAT, WHICH CONTROLS BOTH THE AIR BAGS AND THE HORN. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN SEPT 2015. I STARTED MY CAR WITH 42,500 MILES AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN A FLAT PARKING LOT THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED THE AIR BAG LIGHT. WHEN I DROVE THE VEHICLE AND TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL THERE WERE CLICKING NOISES COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AREA. WHEN I GOT HOME, I GOOGLED A COUPLE POSSIBLE CAUSES AND SCHEDULED THE VEHICLE IN TO A MECHANIC. BEFORE I COULD GET VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE, THE HORN AND OTHER STEERING WHEEL CONTROLS WENT OUT. I WAS LEFT WITHOUT AIRBAGS AND A HORN ON A VEHICLE THAT I DRIVE DAILY. THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE CLOCK SPRING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #11220986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE THAT THE 2012-2013 MODEL PASSATS EXPERIENCED IN THAT THE LOW BEAM DIED MULTIPLE TIMES. I HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING ON THE PASSENGER THREE TIMES AFTER THE ORIGINAL OWNER REPLACED IT ONCE. I TOOK IT TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP AND THEY FINALLY FIGURED OUT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPLIED THE SAME FIX THAT WAS PART OF A 2012-2013 MODEL RECALL AND GOT THE HEADLIGHT WORKING PROPERLY.

NHTSA complaint #11203019 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CLOCK SPRING FAILURE!!! CLOCK SPRING FAILURE!!! CLOCK SPRING FAILURE!!! WHILE MOVING AND EXECUTING A RIGHT TURN A CRUNCHING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THE AIRBAG LIGHT IMMEDIATELY CAME ON. ALSO, THE HORN & ALL STEERING WHEEL BUTTONS/CONTROLS FAILED. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED A WEEK PRIOR FROM CARVANA. 49,300 MILES ON THE ODO. TOO LATE TO RETURN IT. THE CLOCK SPRING FAILURE MEANS THAT THE AIRBAG SYSTEM IS NOT ACTIVE UNTIL THE PART IS REPLACED, INSTALLED, AND THE SYSTEM IS RESET. A QUICK READ THRU OF THESE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM MODEL YEAR 2015 SHOW THESE FAILURES OF A SAFETY-CRITICAL PART OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS ARE NOW OCCURNG WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY. IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS TO ME THAT VWOA/CHATTANOOGA INSTALLED THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART, FROM THE SAME SUPPLIER, THAT FAILS AFTER ABOUT 2.5-3 YEARS IN SERVICE. THIS PROBLEM IS NO DIFFERENT THAN THAT OF THE THOUSANDS OF IDENTICAL FAILURES IN VW PASSAT MODEL YEARS 2012, 2013, & 2014 LEADING TO A RECALL OF THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENT. IMMEDIATE ACTION IS REQUIRED BY DOT TO READDRESS AND RECALL THIS PREVIOUSLY RECALLED PART. VW DEALERS ARE CURRENTLY CHARGING 2015 PASSAT OWNERS BETWEEN $500 AND $800 TO INSTALL A $35 PART. IF THEIR PASSAT IS OLDER THAN 2015, THE PART IS INSTALLED GRATIS AS PART OF THAT RECALL.. VW WILL NOT ACT UNTIL PROMPTED/ORDERED TO DO SO. SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN WOLFSBURG AGAIN! LET'S QUICKLY ACT BEFORE MORE ARE HARMED/KILLED BECAUSE AN AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILED TO OPERATE WHEN PARAMETERS DICTATED IT SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED.

NHTSA complaint #11187159 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.