2018 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — Owner-Reported Problems
Verdict & Safety Summary
- Crashes 5
- Fires 0
- Injuries 2
- Deaths 0
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)
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 | 8 | 17.8% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 7 | 15.6% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| ENGINE | 5 | 11.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| FUEL SYSTEM | 5 | 11.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| AIR BAGS | 3 | 6.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 3 | 6.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 | 6.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| SUSPENSION | 2 | 4.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 | 4.4% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 7 | 15.6% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
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
- Campaign 18V536000 was reported 50 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V369000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V536000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V389000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V561000 |
Safety Recalls (4)
Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 18V369000
- Report date
- Component:
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- Consequence:
- A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
- 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.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 18V536000
- Report date
- Component:
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- Consequence:
- 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.
- 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.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 19V389000
- Report date
- Component:
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Consequence:
- Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 20V561000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
- 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.
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
No complaints match the current filters.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
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.