2013 Volkswagen Passat Recall

On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the propellant contained in the driver-front airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. If the airbag inflator ruptures, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants or cause damage to the airbag assembly, preventing its proper function.

If the vehicle is involved in a crash requiring an airbag deployment, the airbag inflator could rupture and create a risk of injury.

Volkswagen will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the driver-front airbag. Note: The Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. This recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk. It is expected that all airbag inflators will be replaced before their function would be affected.

On certain vehicles, the warning label for the engine block heater cable is written in English only. As a result, a French user may not receive important safety information about how to use the engine block heater. A label that is not provided in both official languages could create confusion.

User confusion could increase the risk of injury when trying to use the block heater.

The company will mail each owner a new label for the block heater cable. If you would like help installing the label, you can contact a dealer for assistance.

Certain vehicles were built with headlights that may allow horizontal adjustment. This is not allowed under Canadian regulations.

Headlights that are not properly adjusted could cause reduced visibility or glare for oncoming drivers, and could increase the risk of a crash.

The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a dealer to inspect the headlights. A blocking cap will be installed on the horizontal adjusters as necessary.

On certain early production vehicles, modifications may have been made prior to sale that could make the vehicles non-compliant with regulatory requirements. Correction: Volkswagen will repurchase the affected vehicles and remove them from the market.

A failure of this component (other) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propellant contained in the driver frontal airbag. This could cause the airbag to deploy with more force than normal. As a result, if the vehicle were involved in a collision that warrants airbag deployment, fragments could be propelled toward vehicle occupants, and the airbag assembly could be damaged, preventing proper function. These issues could increase the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the driver frontal airbag inflator. Note: Canadian climate results in the propellant degrading slowly. The recall is being conducted as a precaution to address future risk, and is expected to replace airbag inflators before their function would be affected. Additional Note: This recall supersedes the Volkswagen brand vehicles subject to recall 2016-064 (Volkswagen Recall 69M9). Volkswagen vehicles completed under the previous 2016-064 recall require repair under this recall, as the previous recall remedy was an interim repair. Interim repair parts must be replaced with final repair parts.

A failure of this component (airbag) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, an underbody heat shield may not be long enough to protect the right drive half-shaft grease boot from heat. Over time, this could lead to a grease leak from the boot. If leaking grease comes into contact with heated surfaces of the exhaust system and/or diesel particulate filter (DPF), it could lead to a fire potentially causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will install a revised heat shield and certain vehicles will have the upper boost hose replaced.

A failure of this component (powertrain) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

Certain vehicles may have been equipped with an underbody sensor containing an improperly assembled seal which could allow water to penetrate and corrode the electrical terminals. This could lead to an electrical short causing the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) to illuminate in the vehicle and cause the circuit to overheat, increasing the risk of fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the affected connector.

A failure of this component (electrical) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, the driver frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inflator to rupture, which could allow fragments to be propelled toward vehicle occupants, increasing the risk of injury. This could also damage the airbag module, which could prevent proper deployment. Failure of the airbag to fully deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will replace the front driver airbag inflator. Note: This campaign only affects the Audi A5 and Audi S5 Cabriolet models.

A failure of this component (airbag) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, the steering wheel clock spring could become contaminated with long hair or long fibers which may cause a displacement of the internal guide loops. When the guide loops are dragged out of position, they may apply tension to the internal flat cable and cause it to tear. Should the cable tear, the electrical connection to the driver's front airbag may be lost, causing the airbag monitoring indicator light to illuminate. Failure of the driver's airbag to deploy during a crash (where deployment is warranted) could increase the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will install a cover of a different design to help prevent clock spring contamination caused by hair or other fibers. In instances where the vehicle has an airbag light on (and diagnosis confirms the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement), dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring.

A failure of this component (seats and restraints) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, the low beam headlamp bulbs may lose electrical contact if the hood is closed roughly, or dropped from a certain height. This could compromise driver visibility and increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect and adjust hood bumpers to prevent the hood from contacting the headlamp assemblies, and will also install improved bulb fittings.

A failure of this component (lights and instruments) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles equipped with a factory installed block heater, the block heater could overheat while in use. This could result in a fire causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will replace the block heater. Owners are advised to stop using the block heater in the interim.

A failure of this component (accessories) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).