Equal-exposure complaint evidence and changes in the reported problem mix

2005 vs 2006 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Share shifts show how a vehicle's problem mix changed. They do not measure reliability, and complaint counts are not normalized for sales volume.

First 251 months on market for each model year

Exposure window calculated through Aug 22, 2026

Age-matched reports

▲ 289.7% more reports in the equal exposure window

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21

Bars start at the neutral midpoint. Left means a smaller share; right means a larger share.

View component share data as a table

Component	2005 share	2006 share	Share change
ENGINE	39.0%	16.0%	▼ 23.1 pts smaller share
AIR BAGS	2.1%	23.0%	▲ 21.0 pts larger share
STEERING	0.7%	14.9%	▲ 14.3 pts larger share
FUEL SYSTEM	13.7%	9.0%	▼ 4.7 pts smaller share
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	4.1%	8.3%	▲ 4.2 pts larger share
STRUCTURE	3.4%	1.1%	▼ 2.4 pts smaller share
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	3.4%	1.8%	▼ 1.7 pts smaller share
SUSPENSION	not reported	1.1%	▲ 1.1 pts larger share
TIRES	1.4%	0.4%	▼ 1.0 pts smaller share
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	2.7%	3.7%	▲ 1.0 pts larger share
PARKING BRAKE	not reported	0.9%	▲ 0.9 pts larger share
POWER TRAIN	6.2%	7.0%	▲ 0.9 pts larger share
SERVICE BRAKES	3.4%	4.2%	▲ 0.8 pts larger share
SEAT BELTS	1.4%	0.9%	▼ 0.5 pts smaller share
WHEELS	not reported	0.2%	▲ 0.2 pts larger share
VISIBILITY	2.7%	2.6%	▼ 0.1 pts smaller share
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	43.2%	21.1%	▼ 22.1 pts smaller share

NHTSA Safety Recalls recalls · snapshot 2026-08-22

2005 4

Campaign components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

2006 7

Campaign components: AIR BAGS, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, STEERING, and VISIBILITY

NHTSA Consumer Complaints complaints · snapshot 2026-08-21