584 of the 10,333 complaints filed about the Volkswagen Passat are about the steering — 6% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2006.
584
Complaints
6%
Share of all complaints
7
Crashes
0
Fires
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Clockspring Recall. Horn not working, buttons on steering column not working, when turning steering wheel it makes a clicking noise, sounds like spring being pulled, driver side air bag light is illuminated on dash.
NHTSA complaint #11753037 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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I was driving and the airbag light randomly came on out of the blue. While trying to parallel park I noticed my steering wheel clicking. We ran codes on the car and we are confident that the clock spring failed. My horn and cruise control also no longer work.
NHTSA complaint #11743564 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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The clock spring system failed, rendering all of the cars' steering wheel functions non-functional. The airbag light is on and the steering wheels airbag does not operate as well as the cars horn and auto cruise controls. The instrument cluster is malfunctioning as well. The safety risks associated with the malfunctions could result in great harm to the driver and passengers in the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11735422 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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1) Transmission vehicle is not able to be driven Driving on the highway taking kids to school as my vehicle would not accelerate put me the kids and all that were on the road that morning at risk because all i could do is coast to get off on the side of the highway. I had it towed to independent center No warning signs, lights or messages nor any other symptoms. 2)also faulty steering wheel clock spring all of the controls stopped working airbag light is on and when turning the wheel it clicks and rubs.
NHTSA complaint #11711051 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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Steering wheel controls stopped working, no horn either. Probably no airbag but haven't got into an accident. There was recall on the same part for the until 2018, but the new part I was going to install lists that if fits cars 2016-2022 Part # 5K0-953-569-BC Recall from VW. Number: VWP-18-11, Will replace part for my fiance,
NHTSA complaint #11705961 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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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.
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Called the dealership at commonwealth motors and all other dealership to take care of the recall as that is the only reason why I am a unable to pass inspection . Dealer ships all around said the part for the takata airbag recall is not in stock and will not be available till December 2025
NHTSA complaint #11666906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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Today, as my wife was driving home, she heard a "crunch" noise while making a turn. Afterwards, the Airbag light came on, and her steering wheel botton functions are not working, including her car horn. This all relates to the clockspring. This will be the third time we have had the clockspring replaced. This is extremely inconvenient, as the dealership is an hour away. The original clockspring didn't break until October 2023. The second broke and replaced in August of 2024. Now, we are scheduling to have the clockspring replaced again, 6 months later. I am unsure why the part is so unreliable. Whomever manufactures the part needs to do a FAR better job. This was our first new car, and now we regret the purchase due to this headache.
NHTSA complaint #11655558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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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.
NHTSA complaint #11651424 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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Known issue in previous VW models. Broken clock spring in steering wheel from normal <100k miles no connection for all steering wheel electronics (airbags, radio controls, etc)
NHTSA complaint #11648017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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The wheel clock spring in the steering column is making loud noises and the horn has stopped working. The airbag light has come on now and the only solution is replacement of the wheel clock spring to make the vehicle safe for the driver. Should be covered under the recall of 2014 VW Passats
NHTSA complaint #11627850 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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I purchased a used vehicle but have found out the oxygen sensor is feeding false error codes to the main OBC causing leaks into driver compartment causing engine to stall while auto in motion and most importantly causing steering wheel to lock, have spoken with VWoA but they have no direct influence with VW or dealerships even if a warranty issue because all parties are independent contractors and all they are able to do is try and help. My name has not been transferred to registration because of smog requirements so you may call me [XXX] my telephone number is [XXX] my case# with VWoA is [XXX], I myself have learned to deal with defects but should this matter be more widespread which I cannot find out because the last case regarding the sensors was sealed in an agreement made by the California ARB, EPA and VW and Audi through a settlement signed in December 2021. Once again my hands are tied from taking much more action but I believe your department whether is able to enforce this matter or not should at least investigate and issue warnings to advise people of what can happen so if they can even at own cost seek appropriate repairs before more damages accrued. Also if this sensor is effecting more models and manufacturers an appropriate temporary fix should be seeker since no long term solutions are available at this time INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11621633 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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Air bag error light is on and steering wheel controls/horn are inoperable. Cause is most likely a clock spring failure as has been reported in numerous VW vehicle models including the 2016 VW Passat but the current recall 69L2 doesn’t appear to cover our vehicle. With recall problems on numerous other vehicles, it is hard to believe this isn’t caused by the same issue. Repair cost is estimated at $900 for an item that should be covered by VW.
NHTSA complaint #11618315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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This is the second car like this that I have had. Both had the same issues. when at highway speeds of 65 or greater the steering wheel will shake left and right. It is almost like there is a wheel that is not balanced. That is not the case, I have had the car in the shop 3 times now for this same issue. The last car I had(2015 VW Passat TDI) my son totaled it out in January. It also had the same issues but the dealer ship in Fort Wayne Indiana got it fixed and never really told me what was wrong with it other than they had to call the manufacturer to resolve the issue. The new car has been to the shop and I recorded what it was doing while driving for the technician to see and he put it back up on his lift the day after I got it back from them. he was able to replicate what it was doing for me on the road in the air and on his lift without the car moving. The steering wheel will shake from left to right and as speed picks up it becomes faster and more violent. I was told that I needed a new "Rack and Pinion". The dealership explained to me that the main steering gear is bad and since it is electronic the computer doesn't know where zero should be, thus causing the jerking of wheel from left to right as the computer is guessing and then over correcting. This information would have been more helpful upfront before I paid to have the car worked on chasing other issues that did not resolve the problem. So as of right now I am $1,700.00 in on this issue and being told that it's another $3,500.00 to fix said issue with no guarantee that it will actually be fixed. I asked what would happen if the gear actually broke and I was told to always wear my seatbelt and to keep both hands on the steering wheel. The faster you go the harder it shakes, when your at highway speeds and go to pass someone the car really shakes.
NHTSA complaint #11616771 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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I was driving the car as usual. I needed to make a u turn at a light where it was safe and legal to do so. I heard a clicking sound and I don’t know what happened. I can’t use anything on the steering wheel.
NHTSA complaint #11613507 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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During sharp turn would hear cracking sound coming from steering wheel, after some days air bag warning light appeared on dahsboard and honk and steering wheel buttons stopped working. Dealer replaced the clockspring under warranty that fixed airbag warning issue, but still had honk and steering wheel buttons persisted. Dealer recommended replacing steering wheel control button module to fix both honk and steering wheel buttons. It appears all the problems are related and should have been fixed under warranty
NHTSA complaint #11609237 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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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 controls on the steering wheel which also did not work. During these attempts, I identified that my horn was also not working. Due to the large safety concern this caused, I quickly searched on Google what the cause may be then immediately made an appointment at an auto shop (Greulich's Automotive Repair) with the first available I could find. I did not know this issue was previously recalled as I was too concerned with my safety on the road, specifically not trusting other drivers, not having enough time to research, & the auto shop did not mention the recall either. Spent $1,000 on labor, diagnostic, & the clock steering part. When researching the history of my vehicle, I do not find that this recall was performed. I will be calling VW customer service for reimbursement. After the part has been replaced, the next day, I come to find out that the menu setting control on the steering wheel continues to not work which I have brought attention to the auto shop. Waiting for a call back about why all other controls on the steering wheel works now except the vehicle menu which might be the most important control on the wheel. In addition, the cruise control option does not work either because of this replacement which I come to find out it’s a separate part that needs to be replaced, hence, additional out of pocket costs. Not okay.
NHTSA complaint #11587766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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Our 2017 VW Passat had the clockspring replaced last year under warranty number [XXX] at Barnes Crossing Volkswagen in Tupelo, MS. The airbag stopped working and safety features such as adaptive cruise control were also not available. Not realizing the airbag would NOT deploy in the event of an accident, Volkswagen asked us to drive an hour to have it repaired which was considerably dangerous. As of today the clockspring they replaced once again failed with the same associated problems. I am submitting a report due to how dangerous this problem is considering they supposedly fixed the issue however it seems multiple people have reported the issue coming back. The fact the airbag could stop working at anytime due to a defective clockspring is very troublesome and make me worry in the event of an accident if the clockspring will fail thus not allowing the airbag to deploy. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11584287 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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Clock spring has failed 5 times within a year. The first clock spring replacement failed two weeks after the repair. I the. took it to a different dealership to be repaired. The second clock spring broke about 6 months later. The third clock spring broke two weeks after the repair. The fourth clock spring broke two months later and I am about to have it repaired within the next week. Due to the faulty clock spring, the driver side air bag will not deploy in the event of an accident and I have no use of the horn - both of which are necessary when living in South Florida. There are only two dealerships within reasonable driving distance to have the repair done (while the part is under warranty). It takes at least a week, if not more, to get an appointment at the dealership to ensure they have the part at the time of the repair. During which time, I have no choice but to drive the vehicle without the use of the air bag. Even though I can tell when the clock spring is likely about to break, I cannot take it to the dealership for repair until it has actually broken. This is not only extremely inconvenient, but hazardous as I’d be without safety mechanisms in the event of an accident. This should not be a reoccurring issue with the vehicle. The dealership has gone as far as contacting VW support to ensure the correct part is replaced and repaired properly, yet it continues to happen. It is unrelated to my driving or the way the part has been repaired. It is simply faulty parts being supplied.
NHTSA complaint #11573880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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The component that failed is in the official dealer report. I am not an expert however definitely an issue with electrical, engine, steering and acceleration meter. The car shakes/jolts aggressively. Once the shaking of the vehicle begins it accelerates with the breaks being pressed in under a red light and also under parked mode. In the red light case the vehicle then turns off the steering wheel freezes and all power comes off. The shaking/jolting takes place as I am driving as well. Which I then have to pull to the right to ensure my safety and others. This is major safety concern as it accelerates /jolts forward which can cause harm to pedestrians crossing the street, having me enter crossing traffic causing a major accident to myself and others. I have the brakes pressed in having no control of the vehicle. The vehicle turning off as I am driving is a major safety concern as I can cause an issue specially going on higher speed like freeways. The steering wheel comes into a complete freeze once the vehicle turns off as I’m operating the vehicle which then does not allow me to control the movement of the vehicle if I want to pull to the right away from traffic to avoid collisions. Once the car looses electricity and the steering wheel freezes I have to force my car to the right or a safe space. I then have to take my car key off the ignition and then turn it back on in hopes that it does turn on. No warning lamps have turned on. My dashboard is cleared with no lights. The dealer in downtown Los Angeles was informed of this issue, inspected and the report did come back reporting manufacturing issues. My vehicle did have a steering wheel recall before which I assumed was resolved as I did previously visit their center to ensure I was safe driving and leaving the dealer I trusted that the issue was resolved by their expert and experienced personnel. I am not sure or it’s unknown if this might have anything to do with the current issue I have.
NHTSA complaint #11573211 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.