There are 5 owner-reported suspension complaints for the 2014 Volkswagen Passatin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Rear control arm rusted through, ejecting the spring and collapsing the suspension.
The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that upon performing an oil change on the vehicle, the dealer informed the contact that both rear driver's side and passenger's side suspension springs were fractured and needed to be replaced. The contact was given an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
ON MARCH 27, 2019, DURING A STATE SAFETY INSPECTION, THE RIGHT REAR COIL SPRING WAS SHOWN TO BE FRACTURED. IT WAS REPAIRED BY NISSAN OF SOMERSWORTH, NH ON JUNE 29, DURING A REAR BRAKE REPAIR, THE LEFT COIL SPRING WAS FOUND TO BE FRACTURED. REPAIR NOT YET DONE. I THINK IT IS MORE THAN A COINCIDENCE THAT BOTH FRACTURE WITHIN A 3 MONTH PERIOD. THEY WERE POORLY MANUFACTURED. CURRENTLY THERE IS A RECALL FOR OTHER VW MODES HAVING FAULTY REAR COIL SPRINGS. I THINK THIS MODEL AND YEAR REQUIRES A RECALL AS WELL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL BANGING SOUND. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND INFORMED THEIR PARTNER ABOUT THE SOUND. THE CONTACT'S PARTNER LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE COIL SPRING WAS FRACTURED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,192.
AFTER OWNING THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY A WEEK I REALIZED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A SLIGHT INCONVENIENCE TURNS OUT TO BE A MAJOR VISIBILITY ISSUE. I HAD NOTICED SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THAT IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC THE INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR CAUSES BLIND SPOTS. AT FIRST I NOTICED THAT THIS WAS BLOCKING THE UPPER SECTIONS OF MOST SEDAN TYPE VEHICLES. HOWEVER ON THE DATE IN QUESTION I WAS IN MAJOR TRAFFIC THERE WAS A DELIVERY TRUCK WITH A HIGHER ROAD CLEARANCE. THIS VEHICLE BEGAN MOVING LEFT INTO MY LANE. THAT IS WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE INTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR WAS BLOCKING MY ABILITY TO SEE THE TAIL LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS ON THE REAR OF THE DELIVERY TRUCK. AFTER NOTICING THIS ISSUE I TOOK GREATER CONCERN WHEN DRIVING AND LOOKING AT THE VISIBILITY. THEN ON THE 27TH WHILE DRIVING TO A LOCAL PARK THE INTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR ONLY ALLOWED ME TO SEE ABOUT A SMALL PORTION OF THEIR LOWER TORSO. THE CYCLIST WAS IN THE BIKE LANE JUST OFF MY FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. THIS WAS STILL THE ISSUE WHEN THE CYCLIST WAS SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF MY CAR. IF THE CYCLIST HAD SIGNALED HE WAS MERGING INTO MY LANE FOR THE UPCOMING INTERSECTION I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE THE HAND SIGNAL. LUCKILY BECAUSE I KNOW THERE IS A BLIND SPOT BASICALLY IN FRONT MY CAR I WAS ABLE TO AVOID ANY INCIDENT. THESE ISSUES WOULD NORMALLY NOT BE AN ISSUE AS MOST REAR VIEW MIRRORS HAVE BOTH THE ABILITY TO TILT (UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT) HOWEVER ALSO CAN BE MOVED AROUND TWO INCHES UPWARD, DOWNWARD , LEFT AND RIGHT. THIS IS DUE TO THE BALL JOINTS AT BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER (BASE) OF THE INTERIOR REAR VIEW MIRROR. HOWEVER ON A NUMBER OF VW VEHICLES THEY DO NOT HAVE THE LOWER (BASE) BALL JOINT. THUS I AM UNABLE TO POSITION THE INTERNAL REARVIEW MIRROR TO AN APPROPRIATE LOCATION. HOPEFULLY I CAN HAVE THIS RESOLVED BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OCCURS. *TR
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 May 4, 2026