There are 44 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2013 Volkswagen Passatin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The component is the wiring harness leading to trunk light. The safety issue is low as it is just a trunk light although this is definately a defect because opening and closing the lid you can see the light works until the lid is opened past half way, then the light goes off. Where the harness is angled as the trunk arm swings, has caused this and is a common complaint on internet forums. I did not have vehicle inspected, no warnings and this problem did happen within a year of purchasing it used in 2019
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the front driver's side low beam light and the driver's side taillights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where the contact was informed that the light bulbs did not need to be replaced. The contact was informed that the failure was related to the wiring. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
The 2012-2013 VW Passat’s have a safety recall 94G8 for a defective headlight caused by a faulty electrical connect at the bulb clip. It is caused by hood closing vibrating the loosens the bulb clip causing a loss of electrical contact. This has been happening to my 2013 Passat for years and I have been able to fix it myself not knowing there was a safety recall. Anytime my hood is closed the bulb stopped working, I would bend up the electrical connections on the bulb holder, wiggle it around and it would work after several attempts. Now my fix no longer works. I went to purchase a new light housing unit and discovered the safety recall which fits exactly the circumstances with my cars light problem. I called VW and they said my 2013 Passat was out of the vin range for this safety recall and that they would not fix my car under the safety program. I downloaded the Campaign Data Sheet from your website and the affected vehicles are the 2012-2013 VW Passat with no vin range mentioned. What recourse besides paying for this replacement myself do I have? Thank you for your attention to this matter.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that the low-beam headlights failed to illuminate as needed. The contact stated that the driver’s side low-beam headlight had stopped functioning as designed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the bulb; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
I financed a car from a car place (mainline) auto in march, there’s been some lights on it, I mentioned this numberless times also, the steering wheel was completely out of commission and the horn did not work, or the mileage, I talk with him he said bring it in and he will fix it, he fixed the steering wheel 2 weeks later but there’s lights still on the vehicle, last Friday 06/16/2017 I got an email saying I need to make a payment of the months that I missed not intentionally, so I proceed to call the dealer and she said she would make note that I will come into the office Monday morning 06/19/2023 so that the car wouldn’t be repossessed, afterwards come sun I woke up around 11:30 and the car was gone, I called my insurance company pear holdings and they opened up a claim, I also called Jacksonville police department and they told me that it was repoed. Went up there Monday and payed tons of money that I had no idea I was being charged or responsible for, after I argued about the missing information and lack of communication so this would not happen, after I payed to get the car I walked to get inside and on the the front window it said (caught slipping) In white marker , I tried to get it off the a wet paper towel but it didn’t come off so I went inside the place and told her about the writing and she called someone from the back in a language I’m not fluent with and told me I would need to talk with them, that was already a red flag as well, when I got to the back of the dealer place outside I asked one of the mechanics could he come over and see if he could wipe it off,this is harassment, favoritism, Mis handled information, long waits for watever reason I’ve asked them numerous of times to just give me the money that I put down on the car back that I didn’t even give them personally same week I brought it, they got my card info from the insurance company that wasn’t authorized by me I would like to take further action because I’m still making payments
(2023) Low beam light warning. Bought new bulb but light still didn't work. Had bulb and fixture for bulb checked, both were fine. Had same problem in 2019. Had to replace bulb and then realized closing the hood too hard cause light to go out. Replaced bulb and the piece that holds bulb because it burned it. This time the other part isn't burnt but it doesn't seem to be working.
The headlights on this vehicle are constantly going out. I’ve had to repair, replace or pay someone to fix it multiple times since I had the vehicle. One repair shop told me that they needed to take the tire off in order to fix the light and charged me $130+ to replace the bulb. I don’t think that the bulbs are the issue, I think that the sockets are. I sent the car in last year because there was a recall on the headlights but they were working fine.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that the low-beam headlights failed to illuminate as needed. The contact replaced an unknown part of the headlights; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM STORE ON A HIGHWAY AROUND 7:30 PM CST ON MARCH 21, 2021 WHEN SUDDENLY MY LIGHTS ON MY CAR STOP WORKING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE A WARNING MESSAGE STATING TO CHECK RIGHT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT. I DID MY RESEARCH ON THE ERROR AND BOUGHT A REPLACEMENT LIGHT BULB FROM O'REILLY AUTO PARTS TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE. AFTER REPLACING THE BULB, THE PASSENGER SIDE LIGHTS STILL DIDN'T WORK. I CALLED THE VW DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY TO GET SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IN THE MEANTIME, I DID FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE PROBLEM. I DISCOVERED THAT VW HAD A VOLUNTARY RECALL ON THE 2012 -2013 MODEL YEAR VW PASSAT HEADLIGHT (LOW BEAM) DATED MARCH 17, 2014. THE VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL WERE THOSE MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 2011 - NOVEMBER 2012. THIS SEEMED TO BE THE PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE WHICH WAS MANUFACTURED IN APRIL 2013 (NOT IN THE RECALL DATE OF MANUFACTURE). I FURTHER DISCOVERED THAT COMPLAINTS OF THIS LOW BEAM ISSUE STARTED IN MAY 2013 AFTER INTERNAL QUALITY ANALYSIS RECEIVED A REPORT OF A QUALITY DEVIATION HAVING BEEN FOUND AFFECTING APPROXIMATELY 150,201 VEHICLES. THERE IS SOME GREY AREA FOR VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN DECEMBER 2012 - APRIL 2013. REMEMBER THE BASIS OF DETERMINATION STARTING IN MAY 2013. ON MARCH 25, 2021, I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVE. I EXPLAINED TO THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT THE RECALL ABOUT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT. HE CHECKED HIS COMPUTER WITH MY VIN AND STATED THIS WAS NOT COVERED ON THE RECALL. THEY SERVICED THE LIGHTS. AFTER GETTING MY KEYS BACK AFTER SERVICE, I CHECKED MY LIGHTS. THE PASSENGER LIGHTS WEREN'T WORKING. THE TECH CAME OUT A WIGGLE THE LIGHT WHICH THEN CAME BACK ON. WHEN I GOT HOME, THE ENTIRE PASSENGER AND DRIVER LOW BEAM NOT WORKING. I WENT BACK THE NEXT DAY WHEN THE REPAIRED THE LIGHT WITH FIX FOR THE RECALL BY REPLACING SOCKET IN HEADLIGHT. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD.
The right headlight has not worked since I bought my car. I bought new headlights and it still wouldn’t work. So I seen a recall on the lights of the car I have.
LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WILL NOT STAY ON. THE CONTACTS BETWEEN THE BULB HOLDER AND THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY DO NOT SAY CONNECTED, THEREFORE, THE LIGHT DOES NOT WORK
PURCHASED THE CAR IN JULY OF 2020 AND HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH HEADLIGHT BULBS NOT WORKING. STARTED OFF WITH LOW BEAMS, REPLACED WITH NEW ONES AND ONLY ONE WORKED. SINCE THEN, THE HIGH BEAMS HAVE QUIT WORKING AS WELL AS THE FOG LIGHTS WHICH WERE REPLACED WHEN PURCHASED VEHICLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE TURNING SIGNAL WAS ACTIVATED BUT FAILED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE CONTACT PURCHASED AND REPLACED THE BULB FOR THE INDICATOR HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HARPER VOLKSWAGEN (9901 KINGSTON PIKE, KNOXVILLE, TN 37922, (888)570-1979) WHERE THE DRIVER SIDE INDICATOR WAS INSPECTED. NO RESOLUTION TO THE FAILURE WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 95,000.
WHEN DRIVING OR STATIONERY THE DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM LAMP GOES ON/OFF BY ITSELF. I HAVE THE HEADLAMP SWITCH SET ON AUTO POSITION I REPLACE THE BULB BUT THE PROBLEM PERSIST. *TR
YESTERDAY MORNING MY CAR NOTIFIED ME TO CHECK MY LEFT LOW BEAM. AFTER LOOKING AT IT I NOTICED THAT I WAS OUT. I WENT OVER TO A PARTS STORE AND BOUGHT THE BULB. I REPLACED IT, AND WORKED AFTER WIGGLING IT AROUND. THIS MORNING I TURN ON MY CAR TO THE SAME NOTIFICATION ON MY CAR. I WALK OUT AND NOTICE THAT THE BULB IS OUT AGAIN. I OPEN THE HOOD OF MY CAR AND NOTICE A LITTLE SMOKE COMING FROM THE LOW BEAM AREA. WHEN I HAD PULLED OUT THE LOW BEAM BASE WITH THE BULB STILL ATTACHED SOME SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE CONTACTS. AFTER SOME RESEARCH I HAVE SEEN MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS EXACT ISSUE AND TURNS OUT THAT THE MODULE MELTS THE CONTACTS OF THE SOCKET, RESULTING IN LOSING CONNECTION. I'M LUCKY THAT I MANAGED TO PULL THE BASE OUT IN TIME. IF I HAD NOT OPENED MY HOOD A FIRE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE STARTED. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AS THIS IMPEDES THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY TO DRIVE WHICH CAN RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT WHETHER IT'S WITH THEMSELVES OR ANOTHER DRIVER ON THE ROAD.. OR FAR WORSE A CYCLIST AT NIGHT. NOT TO MENTION YOU CAN RECEIVE A TICKET FOR HAVING A HEADLIGHT OUT.
REVERSE LIGHTS STOP WORKING
PASSENGER HEADLIGHT SOCKET AND RING HAVE DEFORMITY CAUSING INTERMITTENT CONNECTION LOSS. VW DEALER TECH ADVISED WILL HAVE TO REPLACE SOCKET AND HEADLIGHT CONNECTION RING WITH UPGRADED PART FOR REPAIR AT COST OF $260.00. I THOUGHT THESE DEFORMED PARTS WERE CAUSE FOR RECALL ON 2013 PASSATS BUT DEALER SAID SOME 2013 VW PASSATS WERE RECALLED BUT PART WAS UPGRADED FOR SOME 2013 PASSATS SO SOME 2013 PASSATS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL. YET THE VW DEALER TECH NOTED THE DEFORMED SOCKET AND RING NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH UPGRADED PART SO MY 2013 PASSAT HAS A DEFORMED SOCKET AND RING THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED WITH UPGRADED PART. MY VW PASSAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN A RECALL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT WAS PULLED OVER BY A TROOPER BECAUSE THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEADLIGHT BULB WAS MELTING THE SOCKETS AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V389000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE CONTACT CALLED WEST BROAD VOLKSWAGEN (9001 W BROAD ST, RICHMOND, VA 23294, (804) 270-9000) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GOSSET VOLKSWAGEN (1875 COVINGTON PIKE, MEMPHIS, TN 38128, (901)388-8989) FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS HAD A SOCKET FAILURE AND THE HEADLIGHT CASE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V125000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
I WAS SOLD A VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT NEVER WAS TOLD ABOUT ALL THE RECALLS IT HAD SO I HAD THE CAR ABOUT 3 MONTHS AND THE ADBLUE MESSSED UP AND ENGINE WOULDN'T START BUT THE DAY I TOOK MY CAR TO GET SERVICED THEY IGNORED ALL THE LIGHTS THAT WERE ON THE DASHBOARD SO I TOOK THE CAR BACK AND THEY ACTED LIKE THEY DIDN'T SEE THEM SAID THEY WOULD TURN OFF SO WE LEFT AND BEFORE WE GOT HOME THE CAR STARTED SMOKING I CALLED AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT IT T SEE WHAT WAS WRONG WHEN WE JUST LEFT THE DEALERSHIP THEY WOULD NOT TOW IT OR PAY FOR A TOW WE TOOK IT IN THEY FIXED THE FUEL INJECTOR AND THEN CALLED AND SAID THEY FOUND ANOTHER ISSUE AND EVER ISSUE THEY HAVE FOUND HAS AL BEEN ONE OF THE RECALLS AND I CALLED AND TOLD THEM I WAS WORRIED BOUT MINE N MY KIDS SAFETY CUZ ONE OF THE RECALLS COULD CAUSE A FIRE AND I DIDN'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG IT WASN'T AN OPEN RECALL BUT YET EVERY RECALL IS WHAT'S MESSING UP AND I CALLED THERE COMPANY VW AT TOURNEY ADVOCATE FOR THE SETTLEMENT THEY GOT FOR THESE RECALLS AND MY CAR WAS INCLUDED IN THE SETTLEMENT FOR THE RECALL AND ALL THE RECALLS GOT THEIR MONEY BACK OR A NEW CAR AND THIS DEALERSHIP SAID IT'S NOT THEIR PROBLEM I BOUT IT WITH A WARRANTY BUT PRETTY MUCH THEY GOT PAID FOR MY PIECE OF SHOT CAR AND JUST SOLD IT WITH A WARRANTY I OWE 26000 AND HAD THE CAR 3 MONTHS AND THE WARRANTY IS ONLY GOOD ANOTHER 20000 MILES I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THEM FRAUDUNG PEOPLE INTO BUYING LEMONS AND THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE WHO GET THESE CARS
Showing 1–20 of 44 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026