Reliable Auto DB

2013 Volkswagen Passat reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2013 Volkswagen Passat has 748 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 41 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Passat years here — over the median of the other years, which is 8. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Inflator, Headlights, and Diesel.

2012 Volkswagen Passat
Photo by Alexander-93, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

748

Per year

41

Recalls

9

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (382 of 748), then Engine (104) and Electrical system (93). Those filings include 29 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, 19 that report an injury, and 2 that report a death.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Passat has 483 complaints, 23 per year, and the 2014 has 594 complaints, 74 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Volkswagen Passat. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (9)

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2024-10-30 · NHTSA campaign 24V834000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Remedy Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69EG, 69GQ, and 69E6.
Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2019-12-04 · NHTSA campaign 19V862000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.
Recall exterior lighting, headlights 2019-05-22 · NHTSA campaign 19V389000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L9.
Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2018-03-06 · NHTSA campaign 18V148000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
Recall engine and cooling, engine, diesel 2017-05-11 · NHTSA campaign 17V309000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Passat vehicles, equipped with diesel engines and Direct-Shift Transmissions (DSG). The vehicle's underbody heat shield may not be long enough to protect the right half-shaft grease boot from heat, potentially resulting in a grease leak.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft heat shield, free of charge. The recall began on July 7, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23W5.
Recall electrical system, wiring 2016-03-24 · NHTSA campaign 16V171000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Passat vehicles equipped with TDI engines. Due to improperly assembled wire seals in a connector for an underbody sensor, water may enter and corrode the electrical connectors of the sensor, causing an electrical short.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the connector, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in September. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23T3.
Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2016-02-10 · NHTSA campaign 16V078000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Recall air bags, frontal 2015-08-04 · NHTSA campaign 15V483000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.
Recall exterior lighting, headlights 2014-03-17 · NHTSA campaign 14V125000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Passat vehicles manufactured January 2011 through November 2012. In the affected vehicles, the low beam headlight bulb may become loose and lose electrical contact.
Remedy Volkswagen notified owners, and dealers will replace the bulb holder, free of charge. The recall began in May 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagens recall number associated with this campaign is 94G8/7V.

Complaints by component (748 total)

Air bags
382
Engine
104
Electrical system
93
Fuel and propulsion system
65
Exterior lighting
60
Steering
51
Powertrain
33
Structure
31
Diesel fuel system
21
Visibility and wipers
19
Speed control
15
Suspension
13
Electronic stability control (ESC)
10
Wheels
8
Service brakes
6
Engine and engine cooling
5
Tires
5
Back-over prevention
4
Seat belts
4
Visibility
4
Equipment
3
Seats
3
Adaptive and mobility equipment
2
Hydraulic brakes
2
Latches, locks, and linkages
2
Forward collision avoidance
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Show 19 more Show less
Crash-flagged

29

Fire-flagged

4

Injury reports

19

Death reports

2

Complaints filed per year

2120135820144520151882016123201765201845201942202021202131202220202328202459202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags). The contact called the three closest dealers but no assistance with transporting the vehicle…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-08-10
  • "Passenger side headlight went out. The problem was not the bulb or fuse. This issue seems to perfectly match Safety Recall 94G8, but for some reason my car is not covered in that recall notice, even though safety recall…"
    Exterior lighting · filed 2026-05-08
  • "My airbag light is on, steering wheel controls don’t work, and my horn doesn’t work. Safety is put at risk because the airbag won’t deploy if needed, won’t be able to think in case someone can’t see me."
    Air bags · filed 2025-10-13
  • "The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-10-09
  • "My vehicle has an open Takata airbag recall with recall number 69E6. I have been placed on a waiting list at nearby dealerships for over 6 months. Each time I contact the dealerships, I am told to wait and call back in…"
    Air bags · filed 2025-10-03

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Passat 2.5L, 5-cyl Manual 5-speed Front-wheel drive 22 32 26 MPG $2500
Passat 2.5L, 5-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 22 31 25 MPG $2600
Passat 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 30 40 34 MPG $2800
Passat 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $3450

Specs and fitment

B7 (NMS), 2012–2015
Body styles Sedan
Oil VW 502.00 5W-30 or 5W-40 (engine dependent) , 4.8 qt capacity
Tire size 235/45R18, 215/55R17, 215/60R16 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 19V014000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Passat, 2015-2016 Eos, 2015-2017 CC, 2016-2017 TT Roadster, TT Coupe, 2017 Audi R8 Coupe, and R8 Spyder vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298; Audi owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69S8 (Audi) and 69Y5 (Volkswagen).

Compare

Previous year 2012 Volkswagen Passat Next year 2014 Volkswagen Passat See every Volkswagen Passat model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Volkswagen Passat reliable?

The 2013 Volkswagen Passat has 748 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 41 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Passat years here — over the median of the other years, which is 8. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Inflator, Headlights, and Diesel.

What are common problems with a 2013 Volkswagen Passat?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (382 of 748), then Engine (104) and Electrical system (93). Those filings include 29 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, 19 that report an injury, and 2 that report a death.

Is the 2013 Volkswagen Passat more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 Passat has 483 complaints, 23 per year, and the 2014 has 594 complaints, 74 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Volkswagen Passat been recalled?

The 2013 Volkswagen Passat has 9 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Volkswagen Passat?

Owners have filed 748 complaints about the 2013 Volkswagen Passat with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Volkswagen Passat get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat is 27 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Volkswagen Passat use?

VW 502.00 5W-30 or 5W-40 (engine dependent)

What does NHTSA recall 19V-014 cover on the Volkswagen Passat?

NHTSA safety recall 19V014000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

What generation is the 2013 Volkswagen Passat?

B7 (NMS) (2012-2015).