YearToAvoid

2013 Volkswagen Passat Structure & Body Problems

NHTSA lists 35 Structure & Body complaints for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat, 5% of all 748 complaints that year, with 4 crashes and 5 injuries reported. No related recall is listed for this component. Median mileage at failure is 40,000 miles.

Structure & Body complaints
35
5% of 748
Crashes reported
4
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
5
Median mileage
40,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical body and structure symptoms owners report

  • Door latches freeze in cold weather, leaving the driver unable to open or close the door and sometimes forced to enter through another door.
  • Front driver-side door handles stick and fail to release, in one case fracturing the door itself.
  • The center console side panel comes loose and falls onto the floor, where owners say it can interfere with the accelerator or brake pedal.
  • Sharp edges or points on interior trim near the window/roof line and doors have caused cuts to occupants.
  • Some owners report sudden unintended surging or loss of control at low speed leading to collisions with fixed objects.

When 2013 Volkswagen Passat body and structure complaints were filed

First complaint May 21, 2013, latest Dec 19, 2022.

2013 Volkswagen Passat structure & body complaints: complaints filed per month4May 2013Aug 2014Jan 2016Jan 2017May 2018May 2019Jan 2020
35 complaints filed with NHTSA from May 2013 to Dec 2022; peak Jan 2015 (4).

Structure & Body recalls for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Structure & Body complaints by Passat model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 200522 (15%)
  2. 200625 (4%)
  3. 20079 (3%)
  4. 20085 (3%)
  5. 20092 (1%)
  6. 20104 (2%)
  7. 20110 (0%)
  8. 201221 (4%)
  9. 201335 (5%)
  10. 201412 (2%)
  11. 20156 (2%)
  12. 20164 (4%)
  13. 20174 (4%)
  14. 20180 (0%)
  15. 20191 (8%)
  16. 20200 (0%)
  17. 20211 (6%)
  18. 20221 (8%)

Frequently asked questions

How many Structure & Body complaints does NHTSA have for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat?
NHTSA lists 35 Structure & Body complaints for the 2013 Passat, which is 5% of the 748 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat's Structure & Body issues?
No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for this component on the 2013 Passat.
At what mileage do these structure and body problems usually show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this component is 40,000 miles.
Did the 2013 Passat's body problems lead to crashes or injuries?
NHTSA data tied to this component shows 4 crashes and 5 injuries reported for the 2013 Passat, with no fires.
How does the 2013 Passat compare to other model years for this issue?
The 2013 Passat's 35 complaints and 5% share are higher than most other years in this dataset, including 2012 (21 complaints, 4%) and 2014 (12 complaints, 2%).

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.