VehicleVerdict

2012 Volkswagen Passat electrical system problems

The 2012 Volkswagen Passat has 100 electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA — 15% of the year's total, and up sharply from the prior model year.

100

Electrical System complaints

15%

Share of year

2

Crash-involved

1

Related recalls

Electrical System complaints by year

Passat electrical system complaints by model year232 complaints1990: 3 complaints1991: 2 complaints1992: 4 complaints1993: 16 complaints1994: 6 complaints1995: 20 complaints1996: 59 complaints1997: 23 complaints1998: 34 complaints1999: 68 complaints2000: 48 complaints2001: 85 complaints2002: 232 complaints2003: 107 complaints2004: 27 complaints2005: 9 complaints2006: 89 complaints2007: 34 complaints2008: 24 complaints2009: 26 complaints2010: 22 complaints2011: 4 complaints2012: 100 complaints2013: 107 complaints2014: 82 complaints2015: 52 complaints2016: 27 complaints2017: 20 complaints2018: 10 complaints2019: 4 complaints2020: 1 complaints2021: 4 complaints2022: 2 complaints
Passat electrical system complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

Related recalls

16V171000Electrical SystemMarch 24, 2016 · 91,442 units

Defect

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.

Consequence

An electrical short can cause the electrical connectors of the sensor to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.

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.

What owners report

“I WAS PARKING MY CAR IN A SPACE AT A LOCAL SHOPPING CENTER, AS I WAS ABOUT 18-24 INCHES FROM THE MEDIAN SEPARATING THE CARS IN THE ROW ACROSS FROM ME, MY CAR STARTED REVVING UP, JUMPED THE MEDIAN SIDESWIPED A CAR THAT WAS PARKED ONE SPACE OVER, I WAS LUCKY THERE WAS NOT A CAR OPPOSITE ME, IN THAT…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · July 21, 2016 · crash

Common questions

How many electrical system complaints does the 2012 Volkswagen Passat have?

NHTSA has 100 complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Passat electrical system — 15% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat electrical system?

Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign for this model year is tied to the electrical system: 16V171000.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.