There are 10 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2003 Volkswagen Passatin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
AFTER A COUPLE ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE TURNS OVER AND RUNS FOR 2-3 SECONDS THEN DIES. THIS HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE FULLY STARTING UP AND IS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. WHILE OUT OF GEAR AND CAR IS RUNNING, PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATION DOES NOTHING. CAR IS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN SHORT DISTANCES BUT STALLED AT ONE POINT GOING APPROX. 5 MPH. I WAS TOLD MY SPECIFIC VIN # IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY FOR FUEL PUMP/SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. IF THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE OF 2003 PASSAT'S ALREADY WHY WOULD SOME NOT BE COVERED? *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTION AT 72 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO DECREASE SPEED, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. SHE APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO DRIVE INTO A MEDIAN; HOWEVER, THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSED THE DRIVER TO CRASH INTO TWO METAL POLES CAUSING THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES OF POWDER BURN FROM THE AIR BAG. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INSURANCE ADJUSTER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,800.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE HESITATED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED . THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER DETERMINED THIS WAS HOW THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, IT FEELS AS THOUGH THERE IS SOMETHING FALLING OFF OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM.
I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT WITH SEVERAL CARS IN FRONT OF ME. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED AND THE CAR AHEAD OF ME MOVED AND WAS ABOUT 15 FEET IN FRONT I TOOK MY FOOT OF THE BRAKE AND THE CAR ACCELERATED FORWARD WITH OUT ME TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL. I WAS STARTLED AND I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN AT ALL AND ONLY THE REAR END OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED MY CAR. I LOOKED DOWN AT MY FOOT TO MAKE SURE I HAD HIT THE BRAKES AND NOT THE ACCELERATOR. MY FOOT WAS SQUARELY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. NORMALLY WHEN THE BRAKES ARE HIT HARD THE FRONT END OF THE CAR DIPS AND THE SUDDEN STOPPING OF THE CAR JERKS THE DRIVER FORWARD. NONE OF THIS HAPPENED UNTIL MY CAR HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. *JB
ON A SUPER HIGHWAY(315), COLUMBUS, OHIO,AT RUSH HOUR IN THE MORNING, THE ENGINE RPM SUDDENLY JUMPS FROM ABOUT 3000 TO THE RED LINE AT 7500. THE CAR QUICKLY ACCELERATES TO ALMOST 100 MILES AN HOUR. I TRY TO PRESS THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I CAN, AND MANEUVER THE CAR TO AVOID COLLISION WITH SLOWER VEHICLES. IT TAKES ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES TO SLOW THE CAR TO A RELATIVELY SAFE SPEED. IN THE MEANTIME THE ENGINE IS REVVING AT 7500 RPM ALL THE TIME. I STOP THE CAR SAFELY AND WOTHOUT COLLISION. THE CLUTCH APPEARS TO BE COMPLETELY UN-OPERATIONAL. THE CAR IS TOWED TO TO THE DEALER(MAG IN DUBLIN, OHIO). THE DEALER DIGNOSES DRIVER ERROR FOR CLUTH DAMAGE, AND NO FAULT WITH THE CAR. THEY ARE ADAMANT THAT I SIGN A LETTER ACCEPTING ALL THE BLAME. I REFUSE. THEY CHARGE ME $ 456.00 BEFORE RELEASING THE DISABLED CAR BACK TO ME. VW OF AMERICA CONFIRMS THE TWO FALSE DIGNOSES OF THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER IN WOLFSBURG IS NOT HELPFUL OR INTERESTED. I HAVE DRIVEN 7 MANUAL VW'S FOR 42 YEARS! I HAVE KEPT MANY OF THOSE CARS FOR 15 -20 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH THE CLUTCHES OR ENGINES BEFORE. THE CAR IS A MANUAL PASSAT, 2003 WITH 2400 MILES.*AK
MANUAL FIVE SPEED 2003 PASSAT TURBO'S ENGINE SUDDENLY REVS UP TO 7500 RPM, AND THE CAR JUMPS FORWARD ABOUT 13 FEET AFTER STARTING FROM A STOP AT A LIGHT FORTUNATELY, I HAD ENOUGH DISTANCE FROM THE CAR IN FRONT NOT TO HAVE A COLLISION. *AK IT TOOK ABOUT 20 -30 SECONDS OF HARD BRAKING TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN. THE RPM DROPPED TO NORMAL AT THIS TIME.
MY VOLKSWAGON PASSAT HAS MANY TIMES LUNGED FORWARD WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I HAVE FORTUNATELY NOT BEEN CLOSE TO ANOTHER CAR WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A REAR-END CRASH. *AK
WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS FOR THE PASSING GEAR, THE GAS PEDAL REMAINED STUCK TO THE FLOOR. THIS HAPPENED ON TWO DIFFERENT DAYS. THE ONLY WAY I COULD STOP WAS TO PUT THE CAR IN NATURAL,AND TURN OFF THE KEY. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ICE STUCK TO THE GAS PEDAL CABLE?????????? I ALMOST GOT KILLED WITH THE CAR GOING 100 MPH BEFORE I COULD GET IT UNDER CONTROL. *NLM
WHILE STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR A STOP SIGN VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THE DRIVER WAS PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. CONSUMER MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEALER ON SIX OCCASIONS, BUT PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING.*AK
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026