2013 Volkswagen Passat Brakes Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 1%of 749 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 52,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the brakes of the 2013 Volkswagen Passat, 1% of the 749 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 52,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“As I was turning into the apartment complex I felt my brakes begin to lock up. I pulled into my parking spot and the inside of the cab began to smoke. My car gave me no warning and I could not locate the issues of the smoke. I called my mechanic and got the vehicle towed over there. While the car was getting towed, oil began to fall from below the engine. Mechanic reported the vacuum pump went bad. That it also locked up and was leaking heavily. He also stated this was the worse he has ever seen as well as to report this incident. I will include photos with this report.”
NHTSA complaint #11398616, filed 2021-03, 54,600 miles“Our 2013 vw Passat's electrical system suddently went dead while driving at 35 MPH on a busy road. We pulled the car to the side of the road and five minutes later, the car started up again. After driving for about two miles, the vehicle's electrical system shut off and again we pulled it to the side of the road where we called for roadside assistance. The car currently is at a local dealership's service center being repaired. Apparently, other vw owners have experienced similar problems with their vehicles. Nhtsa, please investigate. Thank you.”
NHTSA complaint #10608540, filed 2014-07, 20,500 miles“My first week with this car and the brakes start to make the nastiest sound. It was as if it had no brake pads. I immediately called the dealership and asked them what was wrong with the car I suspected the brakes from the start. I had to take it in and they checked their site and it reported that on this model and year the cars came with a defect in the brakes. They had to replace them with new ones. 2 months later it starts up again. The bad thing is that vw never admits to their faulty cars. They set me up with high payments and wont help me with any of my concerns. …”
NHTSA complaint #10562779, filed 2014-02, 12 miles“The vehicle lost all braking performance while pulling into driveway after commute home. The pedal became extremely hard to push and vehicle would not slow normally. The brake vacuum pump failed to produce vacuum and also produced a massive oil leak. 2.75l of oil was gone after seconds. It was parked and towed to repair facility.”
NHTSA complaint #11398580, filed 2021-03, 56,550 miles“The rear break caliper exploded with only 52,000 miles while driving on the road with two small kids in the back seat. The brakes became unusable, as the fluid was spilling out and we coasted to a stop.”
NHTSA complaint #10788957, filed 2015-11, 52,000 milesBrakes: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3 | 23% |
| 2021 | 5 | 25% |
| 2020 | 2 | 11% |
| 2019 | 3 | 25% |
| 2018 | 13 | 28% |
| 2017 | 17 | 15% |
| 2016 | 17 | 16% |
| 2015 | 28 | 12% |
| 2014 | 8 | 1% |
| 2013 | 8 | 1% |
| 2012 | 12 | 2% |
| 2010 | 5 | 3% |
| 2009 | 4 | 3% |
| 2008 | 6 | 4% |
| 2007 | 16 | 6% |
| 2006 | 49 | 9% |
| 2005 | 5 | 3% |
| 2004 | 15 | 5% |
| 2003 | 42 | 7% |
| 2002 | 72 | 11% |
| 2001 | 63 | 15% |
| 2000 | 207 | 41% |
| 1999 | 233 | 35% |
| 1998 | 90 | 27% |
| 1996 | 1 | 3% |
| 1995 | 14 | 15% |
| 1994 | 4 | 16% |
| 1993 | 7 | 10% |
| 1992 | 3 | 8% |
| 1991 | 3 | 13% |
| 1990 | 3 | 9% |
Other parts of the 2013 Volkswagen Passat
382 complaintsEngine
105 complaintsElectrical system
93 complaintsFuel system
88 complaintsOther or unknown
77 complaintsExterior lighting
60 complaintsSteering
51 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
33 complaintsBody and structure
31 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
23 complaintsVehicle speed control
15 complaintsSuspension
13 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology