Model year record

2018 Volkswagen Passat

4 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 79 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 20V561000

Unknown or other

Component
Unknown or other
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
23
Reported to NHTSA
2020-09-16
Owners notified
2020-10-06

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R and Atlas, 2017 Golf Alltrack and E-Golf and 2016-2018 Passat vehicles. These internal use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Safety risk

Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.

Manufacturer remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. The recall began October 6, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01E9.

Recall campaignNHTSA 19V389000

Exterior lighting: headlights

Component
Exterior lighting: headlights
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
662,185
Reported to NHTSA
2019-05-22
Owners notified
2019-07-16

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Safety risk

Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L9.

Recall campaignNHTSA 18V536000

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper

Component
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
8,416
Reported to NHTSA
2018-08-15
Owners notified
2018-09-13

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat vehicles. The brake caliper bracket mounting bolts on these vehicles may not have been tightened sufficiently.

Safety risk

The loose brake bracket bolts can allow the caliper to move, reducing braking ability or causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper bracket bolt tightness, replacing and re-torque the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Additionally brake caliper fasteners, bleeder valve, and brake hose bolts will be checked and torqued to the correct specification, if necessary, free of charge. For Passat vehicles, dealers will also inspect the parking brake cable for proper connection, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46H6.

Recall campaignNHTSA 18V369000

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper

Component
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
Manufacturer
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
10,225
Reported to NHTSA
2018-06-01
Owners notified
2018-06-29

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.

Safety risk

A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Engine1374,000 mi
Service brakes1334,853 mi
Electrical system1149,900 mi
Fuel/propulsion system9
Air bags549,900 mi
Power train474,000 mi
Unknown or other440,235 mi
Vehicle speed control3
Electrical system: 12V/24V/48V battery2136,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking2
Steering246,000 mi
Suspension21,000 mi
Wheels246,000 mi
Air bags: frontal: driver clockspring/spiral cassette1
Electrical system: ignition: interlock/lockout1
Exterior lighting1
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control149,900 mi
Forward collision avoidance: warnings140,235 mi
Parking brake1
Vehicle speed control: cruise control1

The 2017 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2019 model has 4 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.