Volkswagen Owners Club Forum banner
25K views 22 replies 16 participants last post by  Mr auto 
#1 ·
I am very much enjoying my new CC sportline save for one thing... The brakes!
I find that the pedal drops substantially before responding and in fact will drop to the floor if I am applying pressure when stationary. Bought the car new in Nov 2013 and now have 10K on the odometer.

The main thing I notice is the lack of bite. When the brakes are applied when moving the pedal is squishy and takes forever to engage. When it does finally make contact with the pads, the results are inconsistant and in order to improve the feel I have found that a couple of pumps of the pedal will firm it up subtantially, reduce the pedal travel before connecting and give the car a much more direct feel.

The other thing I notice is the difficult to moduate the brakes when stopping for a stop sign . When I press the brake pedal it goes almost equal to the gas pedal and in some cases past. Where as I could easilt tell where my last car would stop, the CC tends to want to continue if I use the same constant pressure on the brake padal I am especially concerned by this when stopping behind another car...I have found myself almost rear-ending another car more than once due to this.
I was wondering if anyone else is experienceing this type of isssue?
I will say that he car reacts well in an agressive panice braking situation, but it always feels like I am stopping a fully loaded 18 wheller, not a top line german touring car.
I find it nerve wracking having this soft pedal situation and I am thinking my best option would be to get some better aftermarket brakes to try to reduce stopping distance while providing increased bite when applying the brakes.
Obviously I am frustrated because this is hands down one of the nicest cars I have owned. But...the brakes are darned un-predictable.
You comments and suggestions are welcomed
 
See less See more
#3 · (Edited)
When have you had the brake fluid last flushed? VW recommends every 3 years regardless of mileage.

Edit
Just saw your mileage and year of the car. Duh!
I would still check the brake fluid level. It's also possible you may have some unwanted fluid (water) and/or debris in the brake lines.
 
#4 ·
Considering this is a less than 6month old vehicle I'd be visiting the dealer. Tell them the brakes aren't performing like they should and ask to drive another CC to compare.
 
#8 ·
I've seen some new CC's come off the truck with air in the system. Have the dealer bleed the whole system and your pedal will be hard again.
 
#9 ·
I bought a new CC last year and had the same exact impression about the brake pedal. VW CC does take some getting used to, especially the DSG transmission and the Brakes! They do exactly as you described and it's unnerving at first. I even got on the forums and asked about it. Think of it this way, the Germans would like the ability to "modulate" the brake pedal smoothly so there is a lot of travel when using light pressure...it goes to the floor if you continue pressing after you come to a stop! How unusual right? I know of no american made cars that do this. There is an inch of travel and it stops for most cars.

Rest assured the brakes are strong and will respond quickly in a panic stop, as you noted.

I highly doubt new "brakes" will get the desired results, it has to do with the brake pedal itself and the way its designed.
 
#10 ·
I recently bought a 2013 Passat and I have the same problem. I brought it to the dealer at 1500 miles and they told me it was normal and that with some break in it may improve. Second time at the dealer with 3000 miles they told me all is operating normally and there is nothing wrong with the brakes. They said they ran computer diagnostics and found no faults or service bulletins, they've also removed the wheels and visually inspected the brakes. They refused to bleed the system and basically told me I didn't know what I was talking about. I'm planning to escalate my case as I do not accept any explanation for a soft pedal.
 
#11 ·
If the dealer is saying it's normal on two different occasions then I would believe them! The technicians drive these cars day in and day out and many of them OWN Volkswagens. If there was a safety problem with the braking system why would they NOT fix it? After all they get PAID to work on YOUR car. If you feel it's necessary drive another Passat with the same options and same year as yours and compare. If there is a significant difference then show the dealer how the two compare.

As someone who does this for a living I wish you the best VW owning/driving experience, but please do not go AWOL before driving another similar car. SOFT pedals but braking quality is great is NORMAL for most Volkswagens. A soft pedal and NO braking response is NOT normal. If the car will not do a panic stop from 60 with you jamming on the brake then I believe it's a safety issue. Do highway speeds and maintain accelerator pressure. AS FAST AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE lift off the accelerator and stab the brake as hard as you can when it's safe to do so. That boat should come to a dead stop before you wet your pants.

I'm not responsible for injury or death or damages caused by anyone following the above procedure.
 
#12 ·
I am currently dealing with a brake issue on my 2013 CC 4Motion. My Passenger side rear pads and rotor has worn down to nothing in under 20k without being subjected to hard, abnormal, or stop and go driving. on my 10k service I was in the green for all 4 corners of the car. The dealer is telling me this is normal but how can this be given my tries are still at around 6-7/32s. If I was pounding on the brakes to stop I would understand this but I don't. VW Customer Care is working with me but only time will tell but going forward I am concerned I may have this issue every 12 months which is where I am now.
 
#13 ·
if all the rear pads (both sides) were worn down to nothing, then we could deduce that it is somewhat normal behavior. however, you are stating that one side has worn substantially quicker than the other side. if this is the case, then some hardware may be at fault.

can you reply back with measurements (remaining thickness) or a photo of both sets of pads?

welcome to the VWOC.
 
#14 ·
If it's just one side the caliper may be freezing or the ebrake cable is adjusted so that it is too tight. It's not uncommon for rear brakes on VW's to go before the fronts, assuming both driver and passenger side are low. Due to how the braking system works. For light/moderate braking there is a rear bias to prevent noise dive. So going really light on braking will in fact wear the rear brakes more.

You can try getting different pads, I've got Hawk HPS pads and they seem to be wearing half as fast as the stock pads.
 
  • Like
Reactions: D3Daddy
#18 ·
Ok, to update everyone. The Dealership called VW and explained the issue and VW responded by covering all the parts 100% and the labor for 50% which I was fine with since I did get some use out of the brake pads and rotors so my portion was only $140 for all four corners. Gotta say VW stood by their product. I just hope this issue doesn't replicate itself in another 12-14 months.
 
#19 ·
Greetings....not sure if there is any mechanical differences between a 13 and my 09 but mine is a braking beast and one of the best braking cars I've ever driven. Hard breaking is about as much fun as driving the hell out it. As other have suggested recommend a bleed of the system for sure for starts. As it can be with so many issues it could just be a personal preference thing....G'Luck!
 
#20 ·
Hello, I just bought a 2014 CC R-Line and am having the exact same soft break issue. Dealer basically said the same thing about my break as Danmontreal. This is starting to worry me now. I am going to call the dealer again tomorrow and possibly file a complaint with Volkswagen also. I will post again with any new development.
 
#21 ·
I had a Sep 2010 CC from new until two weeks ago. 43000 miles. Still the original brakes. Stopped on a sixpence. Fantastic brakes.

Bought a Sep 2013 CC two weeks ago with 8000 miles on clock. Awful soft brakes. Nearly rear ended cars a few times. VW checked it over and tell me it meets legal specs. The chief technician told me that according to VW HQ people had complained the original model braked too sharply, so VW made the revamped 2013 model with softer brakes.

Madness in my opinion.
 
#22 ·
Well I feel better. I just recently purchased a used 2013 cc with 36,000 miles. Cars is fantastic.... except the brake pedal is mushy. I felt the rotors through the wheels and they're slight groved. Thought the 2 symptoms might have meant I have a brake problem. Sounds like the mushy pedal is in the design. Seems to stop fine. I'll just have to watch it I supose and see how she goes.
 
#23 ·
I am very much enjoying my new CC sportline save for one thing... The brakes!
I find that the pedal drops substantially before responding and in fact will drop to the floor if I am applying pressure when stationary. Bought the car new in Nov 2013 and now have 10K on the odometer.

The main thing I notice is the lack of bite. When the brakes are applied when moving the pedal is squishy and takes forever to engage. When it does finally make contact with the pads, the results are inconsistant and in order to improve the feel I have found that a couple of pumps of the pedal will firm it up subtantially, reduce the pedal travel before connecting and give the car a much more direct feel.

The other thing I notice is the difficult to moduate the brakes when stopping for a stop sign . When I press the brake pedal it goes almost equal to the gas pedal and in some cases past. Where as I could easilt tell where my last car would stop, the CC tends to want to continue if I use the same constant pressure on the brake padal I am especially concerned by this when stopping behind another car...I have found myself almost rear-ending another car more than once due to this.
I was wondering if anyone else is experienceing this type of isssue?
I will say that he car reacts well in an agressive panice braking situation, but it always feels like I am stopping a fully loaded 18 wheller, not a top line german touring car.
I find it nerve wracking having this soft pedal situation and I am thinking my best option would be to get some better aftermarket brakes to try to reduce stopping distance while providing increased bite when applying the brakes.
Obviously I am frustrated because this is hands down one of the nicest cars I have owned. But...the brakes are darned un-predictable.
You comments and suggestions are welcomed
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top