2016 Volkswagen Passat

Air bag error light is on and steering wheel controls/horn are inoperable. Cause is most likely a clock spring failure as has been reported in numerous VW vehicle models including the 2016 VW Passat but the current recall 69L2 doesn’t appear to cover our vehicle. With recall problems on numerous other vehicles, it is hard to believe this isn’t caused by the same issue. Repair cost is estimated at $900 for an item that should be covered by VW.

VW repaired clock spring (a recall) after airbag warning, steering wheel controls stopped working. VW returned the vehicle to me, the customer, with the clock spring supposedly repaired yet steering wheel buttons, including cruise control and others, remained broken and unusable. VW wanted several hundred dollars to fix this, despite the issue obviously being directly related to the clock spring as all buttons were in working order prior to the clock spring issue. (dates below May not be entirely accurate as this happened several years ago and still has not been repaired, however I was unaware I could file a report here)

WHILE DRIVING AND TRYING TO STOP IT APPEARS THAT BRAKES/ABS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. ABS, TPMS, TRACTION CONTROL, SRS WARNING LIGHTS HAVE COME ON FOR THE SECOND TIME IN JUST A FEW MONTHS SPAN. DEALER SAID IT WAS FAULTY ABS WHEEL SPEED SENSORS BOTH TIMES (BOTH REAR). IT APPEARS THAT IT IS THE SAME ISSUE AS NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11265312. *TR

STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO CLICK WHEN TURNING ANY DIRECTION MID-TRIP. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND HAD BEEN IN MOTION FOR APPROX 30 MINUTES WHEN ISSUE BEGAN. ALL STEERING WHEEL BUTTONS, INCLUDING CRUISE CONTROL, NO LONGER WORKED. AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED. DEALER STATED CLOCK SPRING HAD MALFUNCTIONED, ISSUE WAS REPAIRED. NOTED THAT CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS CONTINUED TO MALFUNCTION POST-REPAIR DEALER CLAIMS 'COINCIDENCE' WITH MALFUNCTION, PUTTING COST ON CUSTOMER TO REPAIR. .

AT SPEED OF 40-60 MPH, WITH THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, THE CAR WILL BRING THE CAR TO 5-10 MPH RAPIDLY, BY SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES WITH NO OTHER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES, AND HAS BEEN REPORTED, BUT NOT DUPLICATED AT THE DEALER. THE CAR HAS ALSO SLOWED ITSELF, UNDER THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, IN OTHER SITUATIONS WHERE THERE WAS NO VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT.

I WAS BRAKING MY CAR AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT WHICH WAS PERPENDICULAR TO A DIVIDER STRIP (AN APPROXIMATELY 5-6 FOOT WIDE STRIP OF GRASS WITH 9-10 INCH CURBS ON EACH SIDE). SUDDENLY THE CAR SELF-ACCELERATED TO A FAST SPEED. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO GO UP AND OVER THE DIVIDER STRIP, CROSS A TWO LANE ROAD AND HIT THE CURB ON THE FAR SIDE OF THIS ROAD. THIS WAS QUITE FRIGHTENING! FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC AT THIS TIME ON THE ROAD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DIVIDER STRIP BUT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE FRONT BUMPER AND UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. WHILE THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS A BROKEN GAS PEDAL WAS DISCOVERED. THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE SELF-ACCELERATION.

2016 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT, DRIVING IN THE RAIN AND THE CAR SLOWED TO A NEAR STOP AND COULD NOT ASCEND A SMALL INCLINE ON INTERSTATE 95 SOUTHBOUND AT OR ABOUT STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP IN STRATFORD CT. WHEN PUT INTO GEAR THE ENGINE SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND THERE WAS NO POWER. WHEN IN PARK AND NEUTRAL THE ENGINE WAS FINE AND COULD BE "REVVED" WITHOUT ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THE WIRE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE "TCM AND ICM' HAS "WATER DAMAGE" AND THAT WHEN THEY DISCONNECTED THOSE WIRES THERE "IS SIGNS OF CORROSION ON THE SEAL" ?