2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 417 complaints · 4 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (79 complaints · 18.9%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 13
  • Fires 14
  • Injuries 10
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2000 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 79 of 417 owner complaints (18.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 79 complaints, 18.9% of reports ENGINE 79 · 18.9% · 6 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 59 complaints, 14.2% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 59 · 14.2% · 6 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 50 complaints, 12.0% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 50 · 12.0% FUEL SYSTEM: 40 complaints, 9.6% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 40 · 9.6% · 1 fire reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 26 complaints, 6.2% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 26 · 6.2% POWER TRAIN: 26 complaints, 6.2% of reports POWER TRAIN 26 · 6.2% VISIBILITY: 26 complaints, 6.2% of reports VISIBILITY 26 · 6.2% · 1 crash reports AIR BAGS: 22 complaints, 5.3% of reports AIR BAGS 22 · 5.3% · 9 crash reports SUSPENSION: 18 complaints, 4.3% of reports SUSPENSION 18 · 4.3% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 288 complaints, 69.1% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 288 · 69.1% · 10 crash reports 8 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 79 18.9% 0 crashes · 6 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 59 14.2% 0 crashes · 6 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 50 12.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 40 9.6% 0 crashes · 1 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 26 6.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 26 6.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 26 6.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 22 5.3% 9 crashes · 0 fires
SUSPENSION 18 4.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 288 69.1% 10 crashes · 8 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2000; the first recall shown was reported in May 2001. 2000-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2001-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2001-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2001-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2002-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2002-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2002-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2002-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2003-Q1: 24 owner reports 24 2003-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2003-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2003-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2004-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2004-Q2: 17 owner reports 17 2004-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2004-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2005-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2005-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2005-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2005-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2006-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2006-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2006-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2007-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2007-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2007-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2007-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2008-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2008-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2008-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2008-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2009-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2009-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2009-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2009-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2010-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2011-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 2000 Apr 2026 Recall campaign 01V157000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V157000 Recall campaign 02V026000 ◆ Recall campaign 02V026000 Recall campaign 08V156000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V156000 Recall campaign 14E007000 ◆ Recall campaign 14E007000 Investigation PE03021 ● Investigation PE03021 Investigation EA03020 ● Investigation EA03020 Investigation DP05004 ● Investigation DP05004 Investigation PE07024 ● Investigation PE07024 Investigation EA07014 ● Investigation EA07014 Investigation PE08008 ● Investigation PE08008 Investigation EA11002 ● Investigation EA11002
  • Campaign 02V026000 was reported 56 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 08V156000 was reported 2,320 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 14E007000 was reported 4,803 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2000-Q4 Owner reports 2
2001-Q1 Owner reports 4
2001-Q2 Owner reports 14
2001-Q3 Owner reports 5
2001-Q4 Owner reports 6
2002-Q1 Owner reports 2
2002-Q2 Owner reports 4
2002-Q3 Owner reports 14
2002-Q4 Owner reports 14
2003-Q1 Owner reports 24
2003-Q2 Owner reports 5
2003-Q3 Owner reports 11
2003-Q4 Owner reports 16
2004-Q1 Owner reports 12
2004-Q2 Owner reports 17
2004-Q3 Owner reports 14
2004-Q4 Owner reports 17
2005-Q1 Owner reports 14
2005-Q2 Owner reports 11
2005-Q3 Owner reports 12
2005-Q4 Owner reports 12
2006-Q1 Owner reports 12
2006-Q2 Owner reports 6
2006-Q3 Owner reports 9
2006-Q4 Owner reports 10
2007-Q1 Owner reports 11
2007-Q2 Owner reports 6
2007-Q3 Owner reports 9
2007-Q4 Owner reports 8
2008-Q1 Owner reports 6
2008-Q2 Owner reports 10
2008-Q3 Owner reports 8
2008-Q4 Owner reports 14
2009-Q1 Owner reports 9
2009-Q2 Owner reports 4
2009-Q3 Owner reports 8
2009-Q4 Owner reports 6
2010-Q1 Owner reports 2
2010-Q2 Owner reports 2
2010-Q3 Owner reports 3
2010-Q4 Owner reports 3
2011-Q1 Owner reports 6
2011-Q2 Owner reports 5
2011-Q4 Owner reports 3
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q2 Owner reports 2
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 2
2013-Q2 Owner reports 3
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q3 Owner reports 1
2014-Q4 Owner reports 1
2015-Q2 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 01V157000
Recall campaign 1 02V026000
Recall campaign 1 08V156000
Recall campaign 1 14E007000
Defect investigation 1 PE03021
Defect investigation 1 EA03020
Defect investigation 1 DP05004
Defect investigation 1 PE07024
Defect investigation 1 EA07014
Defect investigation 1 PE08008
Defect investigation 1 EA11002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (4)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 01V157000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    RUNNING OUT OF FUEL WITHOUT WARNING WHILE THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATES THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT FUEL IN THE TANK LEAD TO SAFETY PROBLEMS.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE EXISTING FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNITS AND REPLACE THEM WITH FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNITS USING A NEW ALLOY COMPOSED OF GOLD, SILVER, AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF NICKEL, WHICH WILL NOT CHEMICALLY REACT WITH SULFUR. VW/AUDI WILL ALSO CALL BACK VEHICLES THAT WERE REPAIRED UNDER A PREVIOUS RECALL LAST JUNE IN ORDER TO INSTALL THE UPDATED FUEL SENDING UNITS NHTSA 00V137/AUDI LB). OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 1, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT AUDI AT 1-866-892-2834.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 02V026000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    FUEL LEAKAGE CAN OCCUR INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL FIT PASSAT VEHICLES WITH A NEW WHEEL HOUSE LINER THAT WILL BETTER PROTECT THE CAR'S FILLER NECK. JETTA VEHICLES WILL BE FITTED WITH A DIFFERENT METAL SHIELD DESIGNED TO ENHANCE ABRASION PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF TIRE DISINTEGRATION. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 13, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 08V156000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    A HEAT SHIELD THAT MAY CONTACT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE. IN ADDITION, A FUEL LEAK FROM A FUEL LINE OR FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, CAN LEAD TO A VEHICLE FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL UNDERBODY HEAT SHIELDS ON VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS TO COVER THE POSSIBLY DAMAGED AREAS AND FLASH ALL 1.8T ENGINES WITH A PRECAUTIONARY SOFTWARE UPDATE. DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT AND ADJUST THE FUEL LINE ROUTING ON 1.8T VEHICLES AND THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE ON 4MOTION/ALL WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES, AND REPLACE COMPONENTS IF NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 13, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14E007000

    Report date
    Component:
    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
    Consequence:
    A failure of the timing belt may cause the engine to shut down, potentially increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
    Remedy:
    Gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during May 2014. Owners may contact The Gates Corporation at 1-303-744-1911.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 417 complaints · page 1 of 17

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources