30 NHTSA safety recalls cover the Volkswagen Passat, across model years 2000–2021. 1 carry a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. Every recall repair is free at any Volkswagen dealer.
Is yours affected? Check your Passat by VIN — or pick your model year below for every recall, complaint and fix.
Recalls and owner complaints by model year
Of the Volkswagen Passat model years, the 2012 has the most recalls (11); the 2013 drew the most owner complaints (748).
Recalls: NHTSA campaigns covering each Volkswagen Passat model year on this page. Complaints: owner reports filed with NHTSA for that model year, including trims and variants sold under the model name (e.g. an F-150 page counts F-150 Raptor). Separate scales: compare the shape, not the heights across panels.
| Model year | Recalls | Owner complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 | no data |
| 2002 | 1 | no data |
| 2003 | 1 | no data |
| 2004 | 1 | no data |
| 2005 | 1 | no data |
| 2006 | 3 | no data |
| 2007 | 4 | no data |
| 2008 | 3 | no data |
| 2009 | 3 | no data |
| 2010 | 4 | 172 |
| 2011 | 0 | 16 |
| 2012 | 11 | 484 |
| 2013 | 9 | 748 |
| 2014 | 10 | 594 |
| 2015 | 7 | 244 |
| 2016 | 5 | 106 |
| 2017 | 7 | 110 |
| 2018 | 4 | 46 |
| 2019 | 1 | 12 |
| 2020 | 3 | 18 |
| 2021 | 1 | 18 |
| 2022 | 0 | 13 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 | 0 |
What these recalls fix, grouped by the vehicle system NHTSA files them under:
Volkswagen recalls 2019 Beetle air bags that may explode due to humidity and heat exposure, risking serious injury or death. Owners must have the air bag module replaced free by dealers.
Volkswagen recalls 2021 Atlas vehicles with potentially loose wheel bearing bolts that could cause loss of control and crash risk. Owners must have bolts inspected and replaced by dealers.
Volkswagen is recalling certain 2019 Golf R vehicles that may not meet safety standards, increasing risk of injury, crash, or fire. Owners must return vehicles for repurchase.
Volkswagen recalls 2018 Golf R vehicles that may not meet safety standards, increasing crash risk. Owners must contact customer service for repurchase.
Volkswagen is recalling 2020 Passat vehicles with passenger air bags that may deploy with too much force, increasing injury risk. Owners must have the air bag replaced free by dealers starting October 14, 2020.
When the Volkswagen Passat recalls were issued, by year — a cluster usually means one defect recalled in stages or across a platform.
Owners have filed 2,581 complaints with NHTSA about the Volkswagen Passat; the most reported area is air bags. These are reports, not recalls: they are how NHTSA spots defects.
See Volkswagen Passat complaints, TSBs and investigations by year →
We have 30 NHTSA safety recalls on record for the Volkswagen Passat, covering model years 2000–2021. The most recent was issued Oct 30, 2024 (Air Bags).
The 2012 Volkswagen Passat has the most, with 11 recalls on record. Every model year with a recall is listed on this page with links to each one.
By system: Air Bags (9), Unknown Or Other (4), Service Brakes, Hydraulic (4), Engine and Engine Cooling (3).
1 of these recalls carry an NHTSA do-not-drive or park-outside warning. If your vehicle is covered by one, follow it until the repair is done and ask the dealer about a tow or loaner. Most other recalls let you keep driving, but book the repair promptly.
Run a VIN recall check: enter your 17-character VIN to see the recalls on record for your exact year, then confirm at NHTSA.gov which are still unrepaired on your vehicle. Any Volkswagen dealer can also look it up.
Yes. Federal law requires Volkswagen to fix safety recalls free of charge at any authorized Volkswagen dealer, regardless of the vehicle’s age or how many owners it has had.