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2013 Volkswagen Eos problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2013 Volkswagen Eos has been recalled for, how often it fails the UK MOT and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 4safety recalls
- 26owner complaints
- 0crash reports
- 1fire report
- 23%fail the UK MOT
26 complaints, against an average of 35 for the other 4 Volkswagen Eos model years.
Every Volkswagen Eos model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2013 Volkswagen Eos?
The components named most often in the 26 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
Has the 2013 Volkswagen Eos been recalled?
4 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Unknown Or Other Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2016 Eos, 2012 Passat, 2012-2016 CC, 2015-2016 e-Golf, 2011-2015 Touareg, 2012-2015 and 2017 Tiguan, and 2011-2016 Golf and 2011-2013 GTI vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
Risk: If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Fix: 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.
Is the 2013 Volkswagen Eos recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
UK DVSATakata front drivers or passenger airbag replacement
Risk: Urgent Safety Warning – Do Not Drive Your Vehicle Our information shows your vehicle was originally allocated to or used for an extended period of time in a region with a climate zone considered to as HIGH RISK. Issue: The front airbag in your VW vehicle contains an ageing inflator propellant that may explode when deployed due to long-term exposure to heat and humidity. Risk: If the airbag inflator explodes metal fragments may be ejected causing life-threatening or fatal injuries to anyone in the vehicle.
Fix: The front airbag must be replaced. Immediate Action Required: Stop driving your vehicle immediately. Contact the Takata Stop Drive helpline at 0113 526 9646 (MONDAY to FRIDAY 9:00AM to 5:00PM to arrange your recall service.
UK DVSATakata Front airbag
Risk: The function of the driver airbag inflators can degrade due to air and moisture ingress.
Fix: Replace airbag
EU Safety GateThe propellant in the driver airbag may deteriorate over time.If the airbags deploy, it can result in fragments from the inflator injuring the vehicle's occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe propellant in the driver airbag may deteriorate over time.If the airbags deploy, it can result in fragments from the inflator injuring the vehicle's occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe driver airbag's gas generator may be faulty, resulting in uncontrolled inflation and the release of metal fragments.This increases the risk of injuries to the occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe propellant can deteriorate due to high humidity and temperature variations.In the event of an accident in which the front airbag is deployed, this could result in fragments from the inflator housing coming loose and injuring the vehicle’s occupants.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
How often does the 2013 Volkswagen Eos fail its MOT?
Why they failed: the share of failed tests with at least one fault in each area (a test can fail on several). Cars first registered in 2013, tested in Great Britain in 2023; first registration is usually, but not always, the model year. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, Open Government Licence v3.0.
What do 2013 Volkswagen Eos owners report?
12 of the 26 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Eos. The contact stated while having a routine check at the dealer, the mechanic informed the contact that the horn was not functioning and that the clockspring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the clockspring needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under warranty or recall. No further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 108,000.
I pressed the steering wheel to activate the HORN. The HORN did not work. My VW dealer (Valenti VW, Watertown, CT) after 1.5 hours determined the the spring on the steering wheel that activates the horn and possibly the airbag is broken. The spring is broken and is back ordered since 12/20/2021. VW IS ACUTELY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 10 years and 100,000 miles. This is a very serious safety issue.
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Eos. The contact stated that while driving, the heater inside the front passenger seat erroneously activated and malfunctioned causing the seat to burn which also caused a burn to the bottom of the front passenger seat. There was a hole on the front passenger side seat and during the incident, it burned through the passenger's undergarments and jeans causing his burn injuries. Medical treatment was not provided due to the injured passenger not being able to sit and was being treated at home. During the incident, a burning odor was present inside the vehicle…
IN NORMAL DRIVING, I TURNED STEERING WHEEL TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE AND THERE WAS A SNAP IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS SOUND WAS THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO THE STEERING WHEEL BREAKING AWAY. I LOST KEY FUNCTIONS FROM THE STEERING WHEEL INCLUDING THE AIRBAG, HORN, AND STEERING MOUNTED CONTROLS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN EOS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE HORN FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HAMILTON VOLKSWAGEN (2200 NJ-33, HAMILTON SQUARE, NJ 08690, 609-587-76000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLOCKSPRING FAILED. THE CLOCKSPRING WAS NOT REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE CLOCKSPRING WAS ALREADY REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 904,502.
TAKATA RECALL ON 10/19/18 I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP SO THAT THEY COULD INSTALL THE NEW AIRBAG INFLATOR KIT DUE TO THE RECALL. A FEW DAYS LATER I NOTICED MY HORN WAS NOT WORKING. I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 11/9/18 ONLY TO BE TOLD I NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE AIRBAG BECAUSE THE BRACKETS CONNECTING TO THE AIRBAG ARE NOT SENDING A GOOD SIGNAL TO THE HORN. HOWEVER I WENT ONLINE AND ONE OF THE ITEMS CLEARLY CALLED OUT WITH THE RECALL IS "DO NOT PULL ON THE HORN SWITCH FEED PIGTAIL WIRE TO DISENGAGE THE CONNECTOR FROM THE DRIVER AIRBAG HOUSING OR TO DISCONNECT THE HORN SWITCH TO STEERING…
I TOOK THE CAR IN AS PART OF THE TAKATA INFLATOR RECALL. EVERYTHING IN THE CAR WAS WORKING WHEN I DROPPED OFF THE CAR. NOW THE DEALERSHIP WANTS $700 PLUS TO REPAIR THE HORN, IGNITION LOCK, CONTROLS ON THE STEERING WHEEL THAT CONTROL THE VOLUME AND MENU BUTTONS ON THE DISPLAY PANEL. THESE ITEMS WERE WORKING WHEN I DROPPED OFF THE CAR. VWOA HAS STATED DUE TO THE AGE OF THE CAR AND THE MILEAGE, THESE ITEMS ARE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THEY WERE WORKING WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, MOMENTUM VOLKSWAGEN OF CLEAR LAKE. I DROPPED THE CAR OFF ON OCTOBER 16TH AT 9 AM FOR AN 9:15…
WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MILES PER HOUR, VEHICLE SHIFTED ITSELF TO NEUTRAL... SLOWLY CHANGED LANES TO EMERGENCY LANE AND CAME TO A HAULT. PLACED CAR ON PARK TESTED REVERSE AND IT WORKED...PLACE ON DRIVE AND CAR DROVE ON... A VW MECHANIC TELS ME IT COULD BE A TRANSMISION MULTISWITCH PROBLEM; DO YOU HAVE HISTORY OR RECORD OF SUCH SCARY PROBLEM WITH EOS???
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN EOS. WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. ALSO, THE SERVICE VEHICLE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT'S DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE READER PROVIDED CODE: U0103. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE LOCAL DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,500.
TAKATA RECALL WE HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL NOTICES FOR THE PAST YEAR THAT OUR AIRBAGS NEED REPLACEMENT AND THAT IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AS IS. HOWEVER, EVERY TIME WE CALL THE VW DEALER THEY TELL ME THEY DON'T HAVE PARTS. MOST RECENTLY I WAS TOLD THAT RIGHT NOW PARTS ARE NOT BEING MADE. WE NEED TO USE THIS VEHICLE. WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN EOS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WHEEL BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 13,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLKSWAGEN EOS. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,377.
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2013 Volkswagen Eos: questions owners ask
Is the 2013 Volkswagen Eos reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 26 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Volkswagen Eos; the most common categories were air bags (19, 73.1%), electrical system (4, 15.4%), engine (3, 11.5%). There are 4 safety recalls. 1 mentions a fire, 1 injury was reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Volkswagen Eos?
Across 26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are air bags (73.1% of complaints), electrical system (15.4% of complaints), engine (11.5% of complaints), power train (3.8% of complaints), steering (3.8% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2013 Volkswagen Eos have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2013 Volkswagen Eos; the most recent (campaign 18V329000, 2018-05-16) concerns Unknown Or Other. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own Eos
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA anonymised MOT results (Open Government Licence v3.0), DVSA vehicle recalls (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2013 only.