Purchased the car in december of 2012. Approximately march of 2013 at 4,900 miles the turbo began to "whine" and failed. Was replaced by vw after approximately 12 days. May of 2015, at 50,000 miles, the turbo failed again, starting with "whine", followed by loss of power and a "flashing glowplug light." second turbo replaced by vw. Clearly a design defect for the original and replacement part. Vw has extended the factory warranty on this defective part until 120,000 miles, but should be compelled to replace this part for the life of the vehicle as this car was purchased with the intent of driving it for more than 120,000 miles. There are multiple occurrences/reports of turbo failure for the 2012-2014 passat tdis listed at www.tdiclub.com . This is a safety issue as catastrophic failure of the engine can occur when the turbo fails as well as damage to the diesel particulate filter and other exhaust/emission control parts.
2013 Volkswagen Passat: whining or grinding noise
8 of the 749 complaints about the 2013 Volkswagen Passat describe whining or grinding noise.
- owner complaints
- 8
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 15,000
- recalls
- 1
Whining or grinding noise by model year
- 20151
- 20142
- 20138
- 20121
- 20101
- 20021
- 20011
- 19981
- 19931
What owners say
Turbocharger failure at 15,000 miles; replaced and 2nd turbo failed at 25,000 miles. First failure was documented in a prior report and is repeated here. Failure 1 at ~15,000 miles in june 2014. Driving at highway speed in moderately heavy traffic at night, sudden complete loss of power. Was able to safely maneuver to shoulder and vehicle was then engulfed in black smoke. Was on the side of the highway for 1.5 hours waiting for tow truck sent by vw roadside assistance. Lots of traffic passing by very close and at highway speeds. The turbo was replaced under warranty. Failure 2 at ~25,000 miles in march 2015. Driving on local road, no shoulder, at 30-40 MPH. Noticed intermittent whining noise and partial loss of power. Was able to drive home. Car was towed to dealership next day where they are currently replacing the turbo again.
Turbo failure. Whining sound coming from engine compartment. Louder as engine RPM's increase. This is the second failure of a turbo in this car. Fortunately, I caught it in time to not lose power. After tow in to dealership, they confirmed that it needs another replacement turbo to replace the first replacement turbo.
There was a whine by the turbo then black smoke. I called roadside assistance and they took the car to the dealer. The turbo went out and the engine blew. No warning lights. The car had oil. Vw says pay 12k for a replacement engine and turbo. They will not cover under warranty because I missed the 10k service. We live in a remote area but I had added approved factory oil. I don't know what an oil change has to do with a turbo?
Turbo failed on vehicle. Began as whining noise. Vehicle then showed check engine light and wouldn't accelerate above 1st gear.
Turbo failed for second time and after only 4,000 miles. Began as whining noise. Vehicle then showed check engine light and wouldn't accelerate above 1st gear.
Noticed hi-pitched whine which got louder as RPM's of engine increased. Had vehicle towed under warranty to vw dealership. Issue was a defective turbo. Had to be replaced at this low of mileage. If the turbo had failed on a busy highway or during a avoidance/passing maneuver, it could have caused injury or worse. I'm hearing of more and more of these turbo issues on this model/style of vw passats.
Vehicle was down on power with noticeable turbocharger whining noise. Vehicle was taken to dealership, turbocharger was replaced. Original turbo had damage on impeller and turbo housing.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Cautions about using aftermarket transmission flush machines and aftermarket transmission fluids.
- Diagnosing Manual Transmission Noise
- Engine Misfire Diagnostic Aid
- Fluid requirements
- Manual transmission noise diagnosing
- Automatic Transmission Fluid Requirements
- Noise Diagnostic for Manual Transmission vehicles.
- Manual transmission noise diagnostic assistance
Related recalls
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Passat vehicles, equipped with diesel engines and Direct-Shift Transmissions (DSG). The vehicle's underbody heat shield may not be long enough to protect the right half-shaft grease boot from heat, potentially resulting in a grease leak.
- Risk
- If the leaking grease contacts a heated surface, such as the exhaust system and/or the diesel particulate filter (DPF), it could increase the risk of fire.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft heat shield, free of charge. The recall began on July 7, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑893‑5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23W5.
Recall number 17V309000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2013 Volkswagen Passat whining noise
Is whining or grinding noise a common problem on the 2013 Volkswagen Passat?
8 of 749 owner complaints about the 2013 Volkswagen Passat (1%) mention whining or grinding noise. The model year with the most reports is 2013.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2013 Volkswagen Passat?
There is 1 recall and 85 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2013 Volkswagen Passat
Airbag light 75Headlights 48Check engine light 47Loss of power 33Fuel pump 30Stalling 27Door locks 24Steering noise 18Won't start 17Coil spring 16No deployment 10Engine failure 10Knocking 8Backup camera 7Jerking 7Won't shift 7Grinding brakes 6Key fob 6Overheating 6Tire blowout 6Wipers 6Misfire 5Sunroof shattered 5
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