VehicleVerdict

2013 Volkswagen Passat electrical system problems

The 2013 Volkswagen Passat has 107 electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA — 10% of the year's total, and roughly flat versus the prior model year.

107

Electrical System complaints

10%

Share of year

1

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

“2013 PASSAT TDI. 136000 MILES. VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THE GLOW PLUG LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH, NO OTHER INDICATOR LIGHTS OR CAR PERFORMANCE ISSUES WERE NOTED AT THIS TIME. CAR WAS PULLED OVER SAFETY TO A TOWN WITHIN 5 MILES, THE CAR WAS SHUT DOWN. JUST TO SEE IF IT WAS A GLITCH CAR…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · August 18, 2020 · fire

Common questions

How many electrical system complaints does the 2013 Volkswagen Passat have?

NHTSA has 107 complaints about the 2013 Volkswagen Passat electrical system — 10% of all complaints filed for that model year.

Are there recalls for the 2013 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.