Used 2012 Volkswagen Passat Consumer Reviews
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The worst car I've owned in 15 years
Doug, 02/03/2016
updated 02/03/2022
2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SE 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6M)
9 of 14 people found this review helpful
I bought my Passat TDI for the fuel economy, reliability and longevity of the diesel engine. Ive never had a more unreliable vehicle than this one including a few couple hundred dollar vehicles when i was a kid. The turbocharger failed. The fuel pump failed. The exhaust flap failed. Then the new turbo was damaged by the dealer. Then the clutch broke. The transmission synchros broke. Then the heater core plugged. Now the oil cooler is plugged. Almost every major component has failed and lead to enormous repair bills.
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2012 VW Passat Quality Issues Are Piling Up!
prospective, 05/30/2012
2012 Volkswagen Passat S PZEV 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 5M)
26 of 44 people found this review helpful
I have had all kinds of minor quality problems with my 2012 Passat... I love the car but VW doesn't do a whole lot to rectify these issues: 1. Seatbelt light and chimes even though my seatbelt is fastened and I'm the only person in the car. VW's lame excuse is that my cell phone is emitting electromagnetic waves that are setting the seatbelt light and chimes off. VW told me not to charge my cell phone in the car and not to get my phone too close to any of the seats. LAME! 2. Front end suspension noise. I has to bring my car in to the dealer twice before they admitted the right front suspension was defective. I had to put the tech guy in my car and roll over speed bumps at low speed before he admitted there was a defect. They have since rectified the problem. 3. Drivers door. The drivers door doesn't close unless you slam it like you are angry. The door should close properly with just the weight of the door. The VW tech told me "You know, everything on a new car doesn't actually work perfectly." Another LAME! 4. Rear trunk lid. Same problem with the rear trunk lid not closing unless you slam it like you are angry. There are scratches on the inside lid latch that show the latch is not aligned properly. Tech response, "All VW's are like this." A third LAME! 5. My brakes squeek in the morning. Eveyday, when leaving my house, my brakes squeek. Tech guy: "Due to the high humidity in the Hawaiian Islands, it's normal for VW brakes to squeek in the morning." Huh, I've leased Hondas for the last 14 years and never had squeeky brakes before. This must be a VW Issue? One more time: LAME!
2012 Volkswagen Passat for sale near you
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- V6 SEL Premium SedanMSRP: $7,777148 mi away
- S PZEV Sedan w/AppearanceMSRP: $6,995151 mi away
- SEL Premium PZEV SedanMSRP: $8,995151 mi away
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After 9 months.....
daveeman, 04/15/2013
2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI SEL Premium 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
16 of 27 people found this review helpful
I mainly purchased this car for the diesel fuel economy. My driving is mostly around town which gives me 36mpg. HWY is 43. All new cars are exciting at first, especially one with with great reviews as this one. My mind was already made up during the test drive, so I ignored a glaring issue. It is a rough riding car. I can feel (and hear) every crack in the pavement like I'm piloting a go-kart. Each road thump echoes a mild bass throughout the car, causing the need for the stereo to be turned up to mask the road noise. I read that Honda's are known for road noise, but nothing could be this noisy. It corners well, but I'd sacrifice the sport suspension any day for soft & quiet.
Some Irritating Quality Issues!
prospective, 04/16/2012
2012 Volkswagen Passat S PZEV 4dr Sedan (2.5L 5cyl 5M)
13 of 22 people found this review helpful
Hey Everybody I just leased a 2012 Passat S Although I absolutely love driving this car, I have noticed some irritating quality issues that VW America needs to be aware of. My Passat is just over a month old and currently has just almost 1,400 miles on it. My irritations are as follows: 1. The seatbelt light and chimes come on even though my seatbelt is fastened and Im the only person in the car. Its very frustrating to hear the chime and see the dashboard light illuminated. Ive pulled over to turn off the car and restart. Ive unbuckeled and rebuckled. Ive stopped to get out of the car and start the whole process over and nothing seems to solve this problem. Its kind of like driving down the highway and having someone ringing your doorbell every 10 seconds. My main concern is that this may be a safety issue? 2. Drivers seat rattles. with only 1,400 miles on this car, Is this a quaility issue? Keep in mind, Im not a heavy set person. It seems like the seat is just not secured properly. Im hoping this is a quality issue and not a safety issue. 3. Trunk lid is not aligned properly. I have to slam the trunk lid closed in order for the trunk lid latch to catch. You should be able to gently push the trunk lid closed in order for the latch to secure itself. I also have the same same problem with the drivers side front door. I have to slam it shut or the open door light illuminates. Both of these are frustrating as my wife thiks Im mad everytime I have to close the door or trunk. These are both very minor quality issues but the liitle issues are starting to add up. And, Im getting tired of hearing my wife say to me Whats wrong everytime we get in the car together. 4. Suspension noise from front and rear corners seems to be getting worse as the days go by. This is especially prevalent at low speeds when rolling over speed bumps or climbing the curb to pull into the driveway of my house. If this were a 1995 Ford Tauras with 120,000 miles on it, Id be more understanding. But this is a brand new 2012 VW Passat and I expect better from a German car company which touts German Engineering as its tag line. Once again, I love driving this car The handling, power (I have a 5 speed manual transmission), body style, bluetooth connectivity and generous back seat legroom make this car a beautiful ride. I just hope VW America understands and responds to my concerns to correct these minor but irritating quality issues. Luckily, this is only a 24 month lease, so if VW America choses not to respond to my quality claims, Its a short term relationship and I can return to a car company like Honda who has a history of solid quality control. My concern is that after leasing Hondas over the last 10 years, Im not used to having to deal with these types pesky quality issues. I understand this 2012 Passat was built in America (which is a big reason why I chose to lease this vehicle), but it seems to have some quality issues that still need to be ironed out. Ill be interested to see how VW America responds to these issues Will they ignore me? Let me know these are normal inconveniences that I need to tolerate, or will VW America correct these issues to make sure I stay a loyal VW owner for years to come? Im big on long term relationships. I dont know the answer to my questions but Ill make sure to update everyone on how this turns out!
Awesome Disc brakes saved my car from crashing
aviamar, 07/11/2013
2012 Volkswagen Passat SE PZEV 4dr Sedan w/Sunroof (2.5L 5cyl 6A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I am proud of the brakes on my 2012 VW Passat. It not only saved me from any injuries but also from causing any damage to the car. I was driving down at 45mph towards a traffic signal. Slowed down a bit but picked up my speed back to 45 as soon as i saw it turn green from a distance. There was a vehicle, in front of me, which had started moving too. I then took the eyes of the road and before I realized the vehicle in front had come to a unexpected halt. I was at a distance of 25-30 ft, I guess, before I hit the brakes hard. I was almost certain that I was going to crash (used to driving cars in India) But the ABS kicked in and made a perfect stop. Passat - totally worth the money.