Volkswagen Passat Headlight Problems

Headlight complaints by model year

Which parts fail

• Headlights
  59
• Brake lights › Switch
  36
• Brake lights
  19
• Turn signal › Flasher unit
  8
• Turn signal
  7
• Headlights › Concealment devices
  5
• Hazard flashing warning lights › Switch
  4
• Tail lights
  2

Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  4321%
• 25k–50k
  4120%
• 50k–75k
  4924%
• 75k–100k
  3819%
• 100k–150k
  2713%
• 150k+
  63%

What owners report

The electrical housing for headlight meltdown creating possibly risk of fires. Was driving when feel some burning smelling inside the car , nothing el happened until stop the car , while stop the car and completed the purchases of some groseras when re start the vehicle the dash board light indicating light bulbs need to be heck is on after inspection all light seems like is working OK but the warning light still on . After more close inspection and guide by the smoking/ burning smell discover some of the lectrical connector melted with the original factory light bulbs . My concern is the vehicle factor setup can produce combustion and make the vehicle catch fire.

Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The contact was notified on several occasions by other drivers that the rear brake tail lights were dim and not sufficient for vehicles to follow behind the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to bergstrom Volkswagen of appleton (3019 n victory ln #102, appleton, wi 54913 [phone]) to be inspected. The contact was informed that the vehicle operated as intended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the issue. The contact was referred to NHTSA by the manufacturer to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 800.

Tires: front driver-side tire blown, "donut" spare on the car currently, with a 50 MPH speed limit. Front passenger-side tire has a bubble in the sidewall. There are 2 open recalls - one for the air bag, and one for the headlights, that need to be resolved. I've been trying to get the recalls addressed since November of 2019. Every time I make contact with someone at Volkswagen, I'm told I will get a call back but I never do. In November of 2019, I was told there was a backlog of recall work, and was given no time frame with regard to when I would be able to bring my car in for service. For the tires (for which I have a paid protection plan), I was told today (6/2/20) that the earliest I can come in is June 16th. I use my car regularly, and am not comfortable driving it in its current condition until then.

I experienced the same issue that the 2012-2013 model passats experienced in that the low beam died multiple times. I had to replace the headlight housing on the passenger three times after the original owner replaced it once. I took it to a Volkswagen dealership and they finally figured out the root of the problem. The applied the same fix that was part of a 2012-2013 model recall and got the headlight working properly.

A prior recall that was supposedly fixed, broke again. Submitted several complaints with Nhtsa and Volkswagen. Volkswagen said i had to pay a fee to verify what was wrong with my vehicle because the recall had already been fixed before. Months of waiting and waiting for an appointment and then vw would still not refix the recall. So years and years went by before the recall was recalled and vw sent out notice. Only to schedule you vehicle for service months out and then call and cancel because there is a shortage of parts and no known time in getting them. Anyways the recalled recall is an air bag spring that caused all of my vehicles "functions" to stop working. No horn, no steering wheel button functions, no computer functions. And during this time of not having my vehicles safety features... …

The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle at night, the contact became aware that the driver's side exterior headlamp was not functioning properly, potentially compromising nighttime visibility. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V389000 (Exterior Lighting), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 65,000.

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 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.

Related recalls (3)

NHTSA investigations