Passenger side headlight went out. The problem was not the bulb or fuse. This issue seems to perfectly match Safety Recall 94G8, but for some reason my car is not covered in that recall notice, even though safety recall 94G8 is for "some" 2012-2013 VW Passats, which is what I drive.
Volkswagen Passat headlights problems
211 of the 7,709 owner complaints about the Volkswagen Passat describe headlights failing or too dim, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 211
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical repair cost reported
- $800
- typical mileage
- 56,359
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Wipers 15Check engine light 8Adaptive cruise 7Loss of power 6Stalling 5Overheating 5Won't start 4Airbag light 4
Trouble codes mentioned
P2187 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the front driver's side low beam light and the driver's side taillights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone, where the contact was informed that the light bulbs did not need to be replaced. The contact was informed that the failure was related to the wiring. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that the low-beam headlights failed to illuminate as needed. The contact stated that the driver’s side low-beam headlight had stopped functioning as designed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the bulb; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
There is a headlight chrome accent piece right above the left headlight that one day just blew off the vehicle when driving down the highway. Oddly enough, I live in a small town of Mason City, IA and I saw another VW Passat (same year) missing the same exact piece so I know this is a vehicle defect. You also can not just replace this one part, it costs over $1,000 to replace the full headlight assemble. I hope others report this defect as this is very dangerous when you have chrome pieces flying off your vehicle when it is not even windy and the vehicle has never had any other damage.
Driver side headlight showing as out, but not fixable by replacing bulb; wiring issue.
The 2012-2013 VW Passat’s have a safety recall 94G8 for a defective headlight caused by a faulty electrical connect at the bulb clip. It is caused by hood closing vibrating the loosens the bulb clip causing a loss of electrical contact. This has been happening to my 2013 Passat for years and I have been able to fix it myself not knowing there was a safety recall. Anytime my hood is closed the bulb stopped working, I would bend up the electrical connections on the bulb holder, wiggle it around and it would work after several attempts. Now my fix no longer works. I went to purchase a new light housing unit and discovered the safety recall which fits exactly the circumstances with my cars light problem. I called VW and they said my 2013 Passat was out of the vin range for this safety recall and that they would not fix my car under the safety program. I downloaded the Campaign Data Sheet from your website and the affected vehicles are the 2012-2013 VW Passat with no vin range mentioned. What recourse besides paying for this replacement myself do I have? Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Currently my reverse lights do not come on i have changed the bulbs and checked fuses. it started with one reverse light, however the warning light would come on and off on my dashboard. Next, the other reverse light so i attempted to change both bulbs and change fuses. still not working. Now it is also my low beam headlights again changed the bulbs and fuses with no fix. My vehicle flickers a light in my rear lights when vehicle is off. my engine is having cooling problems and now the fan is completely off. i have electrical problems. i bought this car a year ago and have had issues with the power of the vehicle and suspension is very unstable. i have not had a check engine light come on for any of these problems so mechanics don't have a solution. my headlights are now not in the right position when i do turn them on so it makes it extremely hard to see at all at night. my vehicle seems to overheat or just on and off drive with very little power. i have had the battery replaced recently. i have always felt extremely unsafe driving this vehicle since i bought it from a dealer. i believe these issues are related to recall 94L9, 94G8/7v, 23w5
UNKNOWN - Looked into recall information regarding this vehicle. KBB.COM specified a headlight issue that has not been repaired on my vehicle.
Stalling? Have to put in DRIVE in order to forward in order to get car to back up? Air bags Clock wheel has more connection to what wrong/Air bags connections is Connected to HORN (which stopped working) DRIVE? all the refuses are working fine. horn not work; Dangerous driving in CALIIFORNIA without a HORN** I just want ALL is for them to REPLACE the PARTS OF MY VW 2013 PASSAT WITHOUT ANY CHARGE Whatsoever; even an UNNECESSARY FEE** I am driving a car with DEFECTIVE AIR BAGS, TIRES HEADLIGHTS, Suspension, SEATBELTS PROBLEMS, TRANSMISSIONS PRBLEMS, steering, electrical, system THAT CAN EXPLODE LEADING TO A LETHAL SITUATION FOR MYSELF And/or my DISABLED SON NOT TO SAY SOMETIMES I HAVE MY GRANDKIDS here have been a lot of complaints other than for what these recalled products are allowed on this vehicle. I am not the only one dealing with this stalling issue/go forward. DANGEROUS what does SOMEONE have do suddenly put it in reverse to get out of another vehicle or another harmful?? Because these issues are really serious!! Especially when dealership like AUTO PLUS IN INDIO. CA. use car DEALERSHIP in vehicles like this and promising. people things about the vehicle and not true!!
The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle at night, the contact became aware that the driver’s side exterior headlamp was not functioning properly, potentially compromising nighttime visibility. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V389000 (Exterior Lighting), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Related recalls
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1‑800‑253‑2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L9.
Recall number 19V389000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Volkswagen Group of America (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Passat vehicles manufactured January 2011 through November 2012. In the affected vehicles, the low beam headlight bulb may become loose and lose electrical contact.
- Risk
- A loss of low beam headlights may reduce the driver's visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Volkswagen notified owners, and dealers will replace the bulb holder, free of charge. The recall began in May 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987. Volkswagens recall number associated with this campaign is 94G8/7V.
Recall number 14V125000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger, wagon, and convertible vehicles equipped with or without cruise control, a brake light switch may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly.
- Risk
- The brake lights could become inoperative, or remain on. Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install the newly designed brake light switch free of charge. The recall began on april 27, 2007, and will be conducted in several staggered mailings through september 21, 2007. Vehicles within the make, model, and model year of this population may be involved in either this recall or 06v‑183, but not both. The remedy is the same for each recall. Volkswagen dealers will apply the remedy based on the VIN number of the vehicle. Owners may contact vw at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 07V063000 · Recall details
Questions about the Volkswagen Passat headlights
Which Volkswagen Passat years have headlights failing or too dim problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (48 complaints), 2002 (26 complaints) and 2001 (23 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix headlights failing or too dim on the Volkswagen Passat?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $800 (median of 24 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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