2012 Volkswagen Passat Airbags Problems
NHTSA lists 295 airbag complaints for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat, 61% of all complaints filed for the year, with 9 crashes and 9 injuries tied to the problem area. Five airbag-related recalls, including Takata inflators and a clock spring issue, cover this model year. Median mileage at failure was 62,000.
- Airbags complaints
- 295
- 61% of 483
- Crashes reported
- 9
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 9
- Median mileage
- 62,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 5
Typical airbag symptoms owners report
- Driver's frontal airbag fails to deploy during moderate-speed side or frontal collisions, leaving occupants without protection.
- Steering column clock spring faults trigger an airbag warning light along with loss of horn function and other electrical indicators.
- Owners report airbag sensors and related steering column components requiring replacement outside of the recall process.
- Some owners connect non-deployment crashes directly to the Takata inflator recall or the clock spring recall issued for this model year.
- A subset of complaints describe all other airbags deploying in a crash except the driver's airbag.
When 2012 Volkswagen Passat airbag complaints were filed
First complaint Nov 13, 2013, latest Aug 3, 2026.
Airbags recalls for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat
- NHTSA 24V834000Oct 30, 2024Airbags248,330 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69EG, 69GQ, and 69E6.
- NHTSA 19V862000Dec 4, 2019Airbags226 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.
- NHTSA 18V148000Mar 6, 2018Airbags363,713 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
- NHTSA 16V078000Feb 10, 2016Airbags659,493 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
- NHTSA 15V483000Aug 4, 2015Airbags415,825 vehicles
Air bags:frontal
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
Risk: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.
Airbags complaints by Passat model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many airbag complaints does NHTSA have for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat?
- NHTSA lists 295 airbag complaints for the 2012 Passat, which is 61% of all 483 complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there an airbag recall for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat?
- Yes. NHTSA lists five airbag-related recalls covering the 2012 Passat, including Takata inflator replacements (campaigns 19V862000, 18V148000, 16V078000) and a steering wheel clock spring cover (15V483000), plus a 2024 driver's airbag module recall (24V834000).
- Did the airbag problems cause crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA data tied to this problem area shows 9 crashes and 9 injuries reported for the 2012 Passat.
- At what mileage do airbag problems typically show up?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 62,000 miles.
- How does the 2012 Passat compare to other years for airbag complaints?
- The 2012 Passat's 61% share of complaints tied to airbags is the highest among the years listed, compared to 51% in 2013, 60% in 2014, and lower percentages in most other years.