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Exactly a decade ago, in 2011, Volkswagen presented its first VW Passat for North America at the International Auto Show in Detroit. It’s done well in the U.S. marketplace but hasn’t been devoid of problems as Lemberg Law has pointed out in previous articles in this series.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2020 2022
Contents
- 1| NHTSA Complaints for the 2021 Volkswagen Passat
- 2| NHTSA Safety Ratings
- 3| Most Common Problems with the 2021 VW Passat
- 4| 2021 VW Passat Lane Departure Problems
- 5| 2021 VW Passat Exterior Lighting Problems
- 6| 2021 VW Passat Steering Problems
- 7| What to do if your 2021 VW Passat is a lemon? Your Lemon Rights
- 8| Complaint Data
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2021 Volkswagen Passat
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Lane Departure: Assist | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Lane Departure: Lane Keep: Automatic Steering | |
| Steering |
But now, VW is discontinuing its once hugely popular Passat sedan because they are quoted as saying that no longer financially feasible to produce it. Reports are that there will be a limited edition 2022 model, and then, that’s it!
Whether consumer complaints about the Passat have played a role or not is pure conjecture. If you’ve got complaints about your 2021 Passat model, and you think you might have a lemon on your hands, this is not the time to get sentimental. This is when you need an experienced lemon law firm of attorneys, like Lemberg Law, on your side.
With this in mind, we had a look at the kinds of complaints this end-of-the-road Passat is attracting from owners.
But first, we want to draw attention to the fact that the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found some serious issues with the 2021 Passat when undertaking its 5-star safety ratings.
NHTSA Safety Ratings
The car does well in the side crash stakes, with 5-stars all the way, but only ranks a 4-star rating in the rollover test. According to the NHTSA finding, there is a rollover risk of 10.70% if a 2021 Passat driver loses control of the vehicle.
The simulated frontal crash tests between a Passat and a similar vehicle take place with both traveling at 35 mph. These crashes resulted in a 4-star rating overall, and for both the front driver side and passenger side. But the front passenger side has a much greater risk and carries an additional warning.
According to NHTSA : “During the frontal impact test, the right front passenger dummy had an elevated chest acceleration injury value. Although not included in the star rating, chest acceleration in excess of 60 gs over 3-milliseconds indicates a higher likelihood of thoracic injury.”
Most Common Problems with the 2021 VW Passat
So far, 4 consumers have delivered complaints about their 2021 VW Passat to NHTSA. These relate to 4 problem areas, exterior lighting, lane departure, and steering.
2021 VW Passat Lane Departure Problems
There are 4 complaints that cite lane departure problems. Two of these also relate to exterior lighting and steering because they play a role in lane departure.
One of the lane departure complaints refers to an incident when the mileage of the car was 27,232. The driver was passing through “a pedestrian intersection with thick white lines,” when “the vehicle automatically veered to the left or right.”
Another complaint describes a very different scenario. If the driver remembers to turn off the lane assist feature, it shouldn’t happen, the complaint says.
“Driving on country two-lanes, I’ve encountered joggers, bikers in the designated bike lane, service vehicles on the right shoulder. When I give them some extra room to avoid them the Active Lane Assist steers the car towards the people I’m trying to avoid. If the road is pitched enough, the Lane Assist steering is rather abrupt. There is no feature that allows Lane Assist to be disabled and manually re-enabled when needed. The best solution would be to allow lane assist only when the Active Cruise control is active.”
2021 VW Passat Exterior Lighting Problems
The exterior lighting complaint states that “the high-beam headlights were aimed too high upwards,” making it difficult to see the road ahead. The problem was compounded by the fact that the steering wheel “inadvertently” moved from the right or the left. This happened while driving in the rain.
This happened when there was only about 100 miles on the clock. According to the complaint:
“The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer informed the contact that the lane departure assist function could not be deactivated and that the high-beam headlights could not be adjusted. The vehicle was not repaired.”
2021 VW Passat Steering Problems
Also categorized as a lane departure issue, the steering complaint states that, “The assisted lane control is working terribly on my car and cannot be turned off permanently. The takeover steering must be turned off before I drive the car every single time. It does not work properly. Last week I went to steer around a pothole and almost went in the ditch because the steering control was ‘fighting’ with me to not let me steer where I needed to go.”
Previously this driver had tried to “go around a cyclist and had to literally fight with my steering to keep it from hitting the biker. It is terrible. The dealer told me it could not be permanently disabled. It is a hazard and someone is going to get hurt.
“The service rep told me that NHTSA has made it mandatory for the car manufacturers to have these safety features disabled by default with no way to permanently turn them off. I want to stress how unsafe this is.”
What to do if your 2021 VW Passat is a lemon? Your Lemon Rights
Lemberg Law is a specialist consumer law firm that specializes in lemon law cases. If you think you have a 2021 Volkswagen Passat that is a lemon, call our Helpline and we’ll assess your problems and determine how we can help.
We have helped many clients get settlement deals from car manufacturers. Let’s see if we can do the same for you.
Complaint Data
| Category | Lane Departure: Assist |
| Date | Nov 17, 2022 |
| State | NC |
| Description | The vehicle lane assistance feature for my 2021 volkswagen passat nearly caused me to collide with another vehicle on two separate occasions. While driving home on my regular route, there are many cross streets where intersecting traffic may cross in order to facilitate a left turn. On one such occasion a vehicle pulling a utility trailer crossed in front of me but did not proceed through entirely, leaving the trailer sticking out into the lane ahead of me. As I approached I attempted to pilot the car into the right lane adjacent to me, in order to avoid a collision. The lane assist feature took control of the vehicle's steering, pulling me back on a collision-course toward the trailer and other vehicle. I was forced to wrest control of the wheel in order to avoid the other vehicle resulting in a near-miss. Several days later a similar occurrence happened, causing me to lose confidence in the vehicle entirely. This feature can not be permanently disabled, meaning that each and every time I start the car, I am forced to actively disable it. Should I forget to do so, I am in danger of another similar incident. A phone call to volkswagen confirmed that there is no way to disable this feature permanently, and there is no intent to make an update to vehicle software. This feature, rather than assisting in the safety of individuals, is actively putting lives at risk! Volkswagen refused to offer a vehicle buy-back. I think that the dangers posed here are enough to investigate and also to mandate that manufacturers offer an option to permanently disable the active lane assist feature. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting, Lane Departure: Assist |
| Date | Dec 02, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The contact owns a 2021 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that while driving in the rain at an undisclosed speed, the lane departure assist malfunctioned, causing the steering wheel to inadvertently move to the right or left. Additionally, the high-beam headlights were aimed too high upwards, making it difficult for the contact to see the road ahead. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer informed the contact that the lane departure assist function could not be deactivated and that the high-beam headlights could not be adjusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100. |
| Category | Lane Departure: Lane Keep: Automatic Steering |
| Date | Nov 24, 2021 |
| State | OH |
| Description | The contact owns a 2021 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that while driving through a pedestrian intersection with thick white lines, the vehicle automatically veered to the left or right. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving 30 to 45 mph. The contact had not contacted the manufacturer or the dealer. The failure mileage was 27,232. |
| Category | Lane Departure: Assist, Steering |
| Date | Aug 03, 2021 |
| State | MI |
| Description | The assisted lane control is working terribly on my car and cannot be turned off permanently. The take over steering must be turned off before I drive the car every single time. It does not work properly. Last week I went to steer around a pothole and almost went in the ditch because the steering control was "fighting" with me to not let me steer where I needed to go. The previous incident I was trying to go around a cyclist and had to literally fight with my steering to keep it from hitting the biker. It is terrible. The dealer told me it could not be permanently disabled. It is a hazard and someone is going to get hurt. The service rep told me that nhtsa has made it mandatory for the car manufacturers to have these safety features disabled by default with no way to permanently turn them off. I want to stress how unsafe this is. I truly believe there are many things government can help us with but to get in the middle of me steering my car is not one of them. This is government overreach. The vw customer care person I spoke to also told me they have been plagued with complaints from owners who want the steering control disabled. There is a setting to disable it, but I have to remember to turn it off every single time I start my car. I want the nhtsa to (1) put pressure on vw to fix the steering assist problem and allow for steering changes to safely pass bikers and other vehicles on the shoulder without needing the directional signal and (2) make the assist something that can be turned off by default. I do like to use it when I am on a long highway drive, but never around town. It is terrible and beeps and takes control of the steering and I am tired of fighting with my car. Someone will get killed if you leave it like this. People need to decide for themselves if they want the steering assist or not. Default on needs to end when a person turns it off - it stays off until they turn explicitly it back on. |
| Category | Lane Departure: Assist |
| Date | Jun 24, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Vw lane assist is on when the vehicle is turned on. It must be turned off by the driver which I forget to do. Driving on country two lanes I've encountered joggers, bikers in the designated bike lane, service vehicles on the right shoulder. When I give them some extra room to avoid them the active lane assist steers the car towards the people I'm trying to avoid. If the road is pitched enough the lane assist steering is rather abrupt. There is no feature that allows lane assist to be disabled and manually re-enabled when needed. The best solution would be to allow lane assist only when the active cruise control is active. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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