I noticed a fuel smell in the cabin area that continued to get worse. After pulling the back seat I was able to visually see the fuel pump that had lots of micro cracks which was causing a fuel leak. The leak was very dangerous and caused major foam damage to my rear seat and was a major hazard had anything caused an ignition in the cabin, it certainly would have burned the vehicle. I saved the fuel pumped after having a local shop replace it.
2012 Volkswagen Passat fuel system problems
46 complaints (10% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 48,900.
- owner complaints
- 46
- of this car's complaints
- 10%
- typical mileage
- 48,900
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Delivery: fuel pump1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Volkswagen Passat fuel system problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 Volkswagen Passat fuel system
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Fuel system, diesel
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2012 passat vehicles, manufactured from january 18, 2011, through june 1, 2011. During assembly, these vehicles were built with a diesel fuel filter element that may not seal correctly.
- Risk
- Over time, or after certain driving distances, these vehicles are susceptible to fuel leakage. Leaking fuel, in the presence of an ignition source, may lead to a fire.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the diesel fuel filter elements, free of charge. The safety recall began on april 27, 2012. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 12V146000 · Recall details
What 2012 Volkswagen Passat owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The fuel pump design to last the life of the vehicle exploded this is a 10k fix they ( extended the warranty to 120000 miles instead of replacing the bad pumps im at 1290000 miles i don’t understand how this is acceptable given the amount of issues and occurrences the fuel pump has exploded
Stop on middle of the freeway twice and one on the road. Be replace the hoof 24 months ago now again dealer claim need to change the whole fuel system it’s 2012 Passat to modification done 2017. For another 6900 dollars this consumer ripoff by be. Car now is in the dealer. It’s dirito brothers volkswagon. 2020 n main st Walnut Creek. Scary to stop on [XXX] with this at night with a dog onboard. Very confused vw customer who 2 other vw. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power with the battery warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the high-pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer who informed the contact that the repair was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
The DPF keeps causing the engine light to come on when there isn’t anything wrong but it also makes the car use more fuel every time this happens
Twice while driving, the fuel delivery system failed leaving the automobile disabled on the highway. On both occasions it was reported that metal was found in the fuel pump and all components of the fuel system were replaced. The two incidents happened within the first year of ownership after the car was taken out of storage for the exhaust/ emissions recall. The first occurrence was within 2 months and within 2000 miles. The second was shortly after the first 10,000 mile service and within 9 months from the first.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact referenced the federal safety agency campaign number: 17v509000 (fuel system, gasoline) as a possible solution to the failure however, the VIN was not included. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Was driving fine one day and then the next week I drove it...started to see leaks under my car and I didn't have the AC on. It got hard to turn...felt stiff. Was noticing that I was starting to pay more in power steering fluid to keep my car going. Considering I only had it 3months since first time I noticed the problem.
Car stopped in the middle of the interstate, was almost hit by semi-truck. Fuel pump sent metal shards in the fuel system. Vw dealership quoted cost of $ 6000 to rebuild entire fuel injection system because of a defective fuel pump. What a way to start my family vacation stuck on the side of the interstate for 4 hours on a sunday.
My car caught on fire while I was driving and almost killed me and my daughter. The fire department came and put it out but it is a total loss. I think it could well be the starter as many 2011 build vw passats were affected.
Questions about the 2012 Volkswagen Passat fuel system
Does the 2012 Volkswagen Passat have fuel system problems?
Owners have filed 46 complaints about the fuel system of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat, 10% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2012 Volkswagen Passat fuel system problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 48,900 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Volkswagen Passat fuel system?
Yes, 1 recall: 12V146000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Volkswagen Passat have the most fuel system problems?
The Volkswagen Passat model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2003 (169 complaints), 2013 (88 complaints) and 2002 (73 complaints).
Other 2012 Volkswagen Passat problems
Airbags 296Electrical 95Steering 46Engine 43Body 17Lights 17Transmission 15Acceleration 14Brakes 12Driver assistance 7Visibility 6Seats 3Wheels 3Locks 2Tires 2Seat belts 1Suspension 1
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