Volkswagen Passat Complaints

7,897 consumer complaints on file.

#11774233October 28, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Since purchase in XXX, the vehicle has intermittently illuminated the EPC warning light at startup, at which point the engine will not accelerate (reduced power/limp mode). Cycling the ignition usually clears it. Beginning in XXX, a second symptom appeared: while stopped at idle (traffic lights, stop signs), the battery warning light illuminates and the engine stalls, requiring a restart in traffic. This has occurred approximately 8 times in XXX, most recently on Saturday, XXX when it happened twice. Wet or rainy conditions appear to make it worse. Stalling in traffic results in loss of power steering and brake assist and is a safety hazard. The vehicle has been to Volkswagen dealers six times for this complaint with no lasting repair: a wiring harness repair at Freehold VW (XXX); a boost pressure sensor diagnosis (XXX); an overlay harness, ECM-related repairs, and ECM software update under emissions recall 23EO (XXX); boost pressure sensor replacement (XXX); airflow meter replacement and harness repair (XXX); and re-pinning of loose connections at the ECM connector for the G31 boost pressure sensor (XXX), all at World VW in [XXX]. Fault code P0236 (turbocharger boost sensor circuit) has been recorded on every visit; P2261 was also recorded. The check engine light, EPC light, and stalling have all returned since the XXX repair. Current mileage is approximately 27,800. Repair orders are available on request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11773926October 27, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with torque converter failure. The contact stated that the breather box was previously replaced by a local independent service center. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11772209October 19, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The vehicle was brought to Bill Jacobs Volkswagen in Naperville, IL to have three open, mandatory federal campaigns and emissions modifications completed. The dealership is actively practicing illegal 'recall steering' by holding the vehicle hostage. The service department refuses to perform the free federal campaigns unless the owner first authorizes between $2,500 and $3,000 in unrelated diagnostic and repair fees out of pocket. The dealership falsely claims that the vehicle must be 'brough to specification' at the owners expense before a federal safety or emissions campaign can be completed, which directly violates federal regulations prohibiting dealerships from conditioning or delaying mandatory factory campaign work based on customer-paid services. Furthermore, dealership staff ignored explicit, repeated verbal warnings regarding an active Adblue countdown, shut the vehicle off, bricked the car via a 'No-Start' lockout inside their active service lane, and are now refusing to release the vehicle or keys without unapproved fees. The active check engine lights on the vehicle are directly tied to the faulty emissions and NOx sensor components that the open campaigns are legally mandated to replace. Addition customer-pay repairs have been explicitly declined, and the dealer is refusing to execute the safety and emissions campaigns.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11769713October 7, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
I was driving my 2018 Volkswagen Passat when suddenly I felt the car started to lose acceleration even though my foot was still on the acceleration paddle. The car started to slow down, not knowing what was going on, I started to pull to the shoulder. I came to a complete halt and was trying to figure out what might have happened. In few seconds I saw black smoke and a lady from the other side of the road was shouting run run. I immediately ran out of the car and noted fire under the front of the car. I called 911 and police came to the scene in few minutes followed by the fire truck. In next few minutes the whole car was burnt. By God's grace I was safe but my car was lost.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11768138September 30, 2026
AIR BAGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I received a recall for the airbag. No lights were on in my car, so I brought in in for the service. I picked up my car, it seemed ok. I went to the gym. When I restarted my car every single light was on on the dashboard. When I brought it back to the dealer they said "oh its the ABS module they just go" and they are expensive to replace. I think they broke the module when they did the airbag. They offered to get me a rebuilt one, so I had it put in. Now when it rains my tires are spinning even though the tread is like new. I have to bring it in tomorrow it's probably something with the module again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764713September 16, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Door sensor is faulty, and is repeatedly giving notifications while driving that the door is open, causing the cabin lights to come on, which causes safety issues when driving at night. Car is only four years old, and a similar issue was reported for the VW ID.4 vehicles, which have a similar wiring harness and circuit board to the VW 2022 Passat
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11763407September 10, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, WHEELS
my 2020 vw passat has less than 60k mikes and i am replacing my 3rd wheel sensor. they fail without warning disabling my antilock brakes. And other safety features
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760194August 28, 2026
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
A prior recall that was supposedly fixed, broke again. Submitted several complaints with Nhtsa and Volkswagen. Volkswagen said i had to pay a fee to verify what was wrong with my vehicle because the recall had already been fixed before. Months of waiting and waiting for an appointment and then vw would still not refix the recall. So years and years went by before the recall was recalled and vw sent out notice. Only to schedule you vehicle for service months out and then call and cancel because there is a shortage of parts and no known time in getting them. Anyways the recalled recall is an air bag spring that caused all of my vehicles "functions" to stop working. No horn, no steering wheel button functions, no computer functions. And during this time of not having my vehicles safety features... I was involved in a collision where my horn would have probably been a lifesaver and a vehicle saver had I had it
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11760236August 28, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
The front information center which is responsible for the rear camera system is shutdown due to the radio / entire screen being dead without reason
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11759962August 27, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am reporting a recurring safety-related defect involving the factory-installed infotainment touchscreen in my 2017 Volkswagen Passat SE Technology. The touchscreen intermittently malfunctions in several ways. At times, the entire infotainment system freezes and becomes completely unresponsive, preventing access to any controls. The screen also has developed "dead spots" where touch inputs do not register. Additionally, it sometimes registers "phantom touches," responding to inputs when the screen is not being touched. I believe this presents a safety concern because the infotainment system is an integrated component of the vehicle and is intended to be operated by the driver. When the system freezes, fails to respond, or registers unintended inputs, the driver may have to divert their attention from the roadway to determine what is happening, attempt to operate the system, or restart it. Dead spots can also prevent the driver from accessing desired functions. Pennsylvania recognizes the safety risks associated with distracted driving, including activities that take a driver's eyes off the roadway or hands off the wheel. A malfunctioning factory-installed touchscreen can create this type of distraction even when the driver is attempting to use the vehicle's integrated system. I have found multiple reports from other 2017 Volkswagen Passat owners describing similar infotainment problems, including frozen screens and touchscreen areas that become unresponsive. This suggests that the issue may be a recurring defect rather than an isolated failure. I believe NHTSA should investigate this issue to determine whether there is a common defect affecting 2017 Volkswagen Passat infotainment systems and whether Volkswagen should provide a remedy. A factory-installed vehicle control system should respond consistently and predictably. A touchscreen that freezes, fails to register inputs, or generates unintended inputs can require additional driver attention and interaction.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11759077August 24, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving and after, we noticed gas fumes both inside and outside of vehicle. The gas tank was approximately half full. Became very concerned over the the possibility of a fire. Did research online and realized that this was and is a common problem with older models of the Passad (ours is a 2020 model that we bought new and had zero accidents) plus Jetta and Golf models. We took it to a VW Dealer (Ken Graff VW Gilbert, AZ ) nearest our home for fear of a fire hazard and safety. They repaired it stating that the gas tank had various creaks neasr the top of the tank which allowed fumes to be released. My cost to repair was approximately $1,100 which for a vehicle with some 62,000 miles and no accidents seems to be concerning. The service advisor stated not covered under warranty or not under a recall notice. Thjs is plainly wrong and is certainly a fire hazard. Thank you for looking into this important issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757658August 18, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Fuel smell in cabin lingering, strong fuel odor around passenger rear side, fuel cap area as well
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755868August 10, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags). The contact called the three closest dealers but no assistance with transporting the vehicle or offering an alternative option for repair was provided. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and refused to help. While requesting to speak with a manager, the contact was informed that a supervisor would provide the same response. The contact feared for her safety while driving the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755060August 5, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
The contact owns 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, with the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated, the vehicle failed to detect another vehicle and the vehicle was involved in a crash. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injuries sustained. A Police report was filed but the information was not provided. The vehicle was vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754408August 3, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2012 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V834000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer refused to perform the repair until the contact paid for a diagnostic test for an internal communication error code. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753554July 29, 2026
AIR BAGS
Car accident and all left side airbags deployed but not the drivers airbag which we had the recall repaired on.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753037July 27, 2026
AIR BAGS, STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Clockspring Recall. Horn not working, buttons on steering column not working, when turning steering wheel it makes a clicking noise, sounds like spring being pulled, driver side air bag light is illuminated on dash.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11752613July 24, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle has an excessive gasoline smell coming from the driver front of the vehicle- mechanics have not been able to determine the exact location of the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751998July 22, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
cracks in the fuel pump houisng cauisng vapors and fumes into my car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746104June 24, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I believe the cars FRONT END BRAKE ASSIST FAILED, resulting in a preventable accident. VW will not release data, and I have never had an accident in 32 years. There have been multiple class action lawsuits but VW refuses to announce a recall. Now, my car that is a 2022, with 50k miles on it, has major front end damage, and deployed airbags for an accident that could have been avoided. They have already been sued in 2024.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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