2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 625 complaints · 4 recalls
Most-reported system: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (192 complaints · 30.7%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 10
  • Fires 46
  • Injuries 19
  • Deaths 2
Compare with 2001 →
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 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM appears in 192 of 625 owner complaints (30.7%) in this vehicle snapshot. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 192 complaints, 30.7% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 192 · 30.7% · 15 fire reports ENGINE: 128 complaints, 20.5% of reports ENGINE 128 · 20.5% · 1 crash reports 20 fire reports FUEL SYSTEM: 65 complaints, 10.4% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 65 · 10.4% · 2 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 62 complaints, 9.9% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 62 · 9.9% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 24 complaints, 3.8% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 24 · 3.8% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 22 complaints, 3.5% of reports POWER TRAIN 22 · 3.5% · 2 crash reports STRUCTURE: 22 complaints, 3.5% of reports STRUCTURE 22 · 3.5% VISIBILITY: 20 complaints, 3.2% of reports VISIBILITY 20 · 3.2% VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 11 complaints, 1.8% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 11 · 1.8% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 412 complaints, 65.9% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 412 · 65.9% · 6 crash reports 23 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)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 192 30.7% 0 crashes · 15 fires
ENGINE 128 20.5% 1 crashes · 20 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 65 10.4% 0 crashes · 2 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 62 9.9% 1 crashes · 1 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 24 3.8% 1 crashes · 1 fires
POWER TRAIN 22 3.5% 2 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 22 3.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 20 3.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 11 1.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 412 65.9% 6 crashes · 23 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 Jul 2001; the first recall shown was reported in Jan 2002. 2001-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2001-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2002-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2002-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2002-Q4: 46 owner reports 46 2003-Q1: 161 owner reports 161 2003-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2003-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2003-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2004-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2004-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2004-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2004-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2005-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2005-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2005-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2005-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2006-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2006-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2006-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2006-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2007-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2007-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2007-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2007-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2008-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2008-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2008-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2008-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2009-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2009-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2009-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2009-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2010-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2010-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2010-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2010-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2001 Jan 2026 Recall campaign 02V026000 ◆ Recall campaign 02V026000 Recall campaign 03V154000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V154000 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 PE07018 ● Investigation PE07018 Investigation PE07024 ● Investigation PE07024 Investigation EA07014 ● Investigation EA07014 Investigation PE08008 ● Investigation PE08008 Investigation PE10027 ● Investigation PE10027 Investigation EA11002 ● Investigation EA11002
  • Campaign 02V026000 was reported 8 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 08V156000 was reported 2,272 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 14E007000 was reported 4,383 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2001-Q3 Owner reports 2
2001-Q4 Owner reports 1
2002-Q1 Owner reports 4
2002-Q2 Owner reports 3
2002-Q3 Owner reports 11
2002-Q4 Owner reports 46
2003-Q1 Owner reports 161
2003-Q2 Owner reports 13
2003-Q3 Owner reports 8
2003-Q4 Owner reports 7
2004-Q1 Owner reports 12
2004-Q2 Owner reports 5
2004-Q3 Owner reports 7
2004-Q4 Owner reports 12
2005-Q1 Owner reports 12
2005-Q2 Owner reports 8
2005-Q3 Owner reports 10
2005-Q4 Owner reports 11
2006-Q1 Owner reports 14
2006-Q2 Owner reports 11
2006-Q3 Owner reports 16
2006-Q4 Owner reports 14
2007-Q1 Owner reports 11
2007-Q2 Owner reports 8
2007-Q3 Owner reports 15
2007-Q4 Owner reports 9
2008-Q1 Owner reports 11
2008-Q2 Owner reports 10
2008-Q3 Owner reports 9
2008-Q4 Owner reports 9
2009-Q1 Owner reports 9
2009-Q2 Owner reports 4
2009-Q3 Owner reports 9
2009-Q4 Owner reports 9
2010-Q1 Owner reports 13
2010-Q2 Owner reports 5
2010-Q3 Owner reports 16
2010-Q4 Owner reports 5
2011-Q1 Owner reports 9
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 5
2011-Q4 Owner reports 5
2012-Q1 Owner reports 5
2012-Q2 Owner reports 5
2012-Q3 Owner reports 3
2013-Q1 Owner reports 2
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2013-Q4 Owner reports 3
2014-Q1 Owner reports 5
2014-Q2 Owner reports 3
2014-Q3 Owner reports 2
2014-Q4 Owner reports 5
2015-Q1 Owner reports 4
2015-Q3 Owner reports 2
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q3 Owner reports 3
2016-Q4 Owner reports 3
2017-Q2 Owner reports 3
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 3
2018-Q3 Owner reports 2
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 02V026000
Recall campaign 1 03V154000
Recall campaign 1 08V156000
Recall campaign 1 14E007000
Defect investigation 1 PE03021
Defect investigation 1 EA03020
Defect investigation 1 DP05004
Defect investigation 1 PE07018
Defect investigation 1 PE07024
Defect investigation 1 EA07014
Defect investigation 1 PE08008
Defect investigation 1 PE10027
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 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 →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 03V154000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THESE VEHICLES SHOULD HAVE BEEN EQUIPPED WITH TIRES HAVING THE LOAD RATING INDEX 97H.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES WITH THE PROPER SIZE TIRES. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 19, 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 VW 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 625 complaints · page 1 of 25

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