10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,967 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #9

Apr 082024

Passat

  • miles
EPC light came on & check engine light Car shakes

- Chula Vista, CA, USA

problem #8

Mar 022024

Passat

  • miles
My oil sensor started blinking while I am driving. I stoped and added oil to the car because the level was in low level. Went to the dealership to check my car in if I do have leakage or if my engine did start to burn oil. They did suggest to come visit them after 600 miles which I did. And after check up they did end up saying yes your car did burn oil around 0.25 quart. And I suggest you to come after 600 miles again. I need that issue to be fixed and they are wasting my time in this unnecessary procedure. It was confirmed that my engine burn oil and I have got extended warranty plus my car was always been serviced by the vw dealership.

- Warrensburg, MO, USA

problem #7

Feb 022024

Passat

  • miles
I received a check engine light and my mechanic diagnosed the problem and attributed it to an the air pump control valve which was connected to primary engine water pump. A slight leak in the air system was noticed since the check valve failed. The primary engine water pump began to lose pressure over time causing increased tail pipe emissions. I tried to report this issue to VW but fell on deaf years. Since the primary engine water pump was part of a recall i was explaining that the air pump control valve also had to be replaced because the open/close relay stopped working. I spent 820 $ parts + labor to get this fixed and VW does not even want to accept it as a problem. I have been constantly encountering these problems with my VW car. This is a safety issue and hence wanted to report this to NHTSA.

- Coppell, TX, USA

problem #6

Sep 102023

Passat

  • miles
First/only owner of a 2018 VW Passat GP r-line, scheduled maintenance intervals followed religiously and performed by VW; only filled with top tier fuel (mid/premium), no prev. indicator lights ever illuminated until ECM light (no accompanying warning lights) came on while driving at highway speed with Adaptive Cruise Control engaged. Immediate loss of power and shaking vibration upon any attempt to accelerate/change lanes to safely get off of roadway. Once off roadway, all systems shut down and engine turned off for several minutes. Restarted car w/o difficulty, remained parked for 5 more minutes to monitor ECM light which did not return after shut down/restart. Returned to highway while safely merging into lane with conservative acceleration. ECM warning light did not return and vibration/shutterring had ceased. No unusual or abnormal gas mileage readings found upon close monitoring. Vehicle was driven x3 (relatively short distances) with speeds no greater than 65 mph; no return of ECM or any other warning lights. On the 4th drive, while attempting to evade an idiot, accelerator was applied more aggressively so as to avoid a near-catastrophic collision (nowhere to slow down or go to shoulder safely within 0.75/sec) which triggered the ECM light accompanied with loss of power/shuttering/vibration when pressure applied to accelerator. Pulled over, shut down, waited, panicked a little, then restarted engine. ECM light did not reappear after shut down/restart. Vehicle operated flawlessly once more. Injector/fuel system cleaner added to fuel tank and driven 40 mins in Sport mode to burn corrosive buildup effectively. Fuel tank refilled at new fueling station (thinking bad gas was a differential) and no issues since. Codes not showing up when diagnostics are ran. VW won-??t fix something that isn-??t presenting itself as a problem, at that very moment. 93k miles w/ NO prev. engine/emissions/transmission probs.

- Buda, TX, USA

problem #5

Jun 302023

Passat

  • miles
Intake Manifold Runner is failing. This could suddenly put the vehicle in limp mode on the open highways, resulting in a hazardous situation due to sudden slowing. MIL light is illuminating and diagnostics from Meineke Car Care Center confirms failure of the Intake Manifold Runner. Similar issues have been noted with past VW models, with Intake Manifold warranty extension to 10 years, 120,000 miles for 2006-2008, 2008-2012, and 2013-2017 model years. It seems the problem continues through 2018 as I reached 90,000 miles with a failure. Volkswagen service specialists was quoted as "that sounds about right" so the problem clearly lingers for the 2018 model years and beyond.

- Broomfield, CO, USA

problem #4

May 032021

Passat

  • miles
Intermittent stalling. Typically at stop, when vehicle has been running a short time. Vehicle restarts. Occurs frequently, every week, but not every trip. Started in spring 2021, recurring issue. Mechanic unable to replicate.

- Somers Point , NJ, USA

problem #3

Mar 302020

Passat

  • 74,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving 8 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to local dealer douglas Volkswagen (491 morris ave, summit, NJ 07901) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the rear main seal needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.

- Jersey City,, NJ, USA

problem #2

Jan 242019

Passat

  • miles
My father was heading home when he stopped the hill down from his house. Upon trying to accelerate he noticed the vehicle did not want to go. The engine had stalled/hesitated. He pressed the gas a few times and nothing happened, the RPM ha D was the only thing moving. Then, all of a sudden, the vehicle sped off and he lost control of the vehicle because this happened at the beginning of a curve and he couldn't regain control of the vehicle and slammed into a telephone pole which broke his neck and back. There is something wrong with these Passats. My brother and his wife have told me that their 2018 Passats do the same thing (hesitation/stalling).

- Dayton, TN, USA

problem #1

Dec 062018

Passat

  • 6,700 miles
My car is under 7000 miles, don't even have the first schedule oil change and experience excessive oil consumption. I have taken it to the car dealer and just top off the oil. Something is wrong with the engine.

- Silver Spring, MD, USA