Volkswagen Passat years to avoid
Every Volkswagen Passat model year on file (2012-2022), ranked worst to best by severity index - the share of owner complaints that report a crash, fire, injury or fatality.
2018
Worst year on file
70.5
Severity index
Service Brakes
Most-reported system
2012
Cleanest year on file
Ranked worst to best
| # | Model year | Severity | Complaints | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018 Volkswagen Passat | 70.5 Medium | 46 | Service Brakes |
| 2 | 2015 Volkswagen Passat | 66.8 Medium | 243 | Air Bags |
| 3 | 2020 Volkswagen Passat | 61.8 Medium | 18 | Unknown Or Other |
| 4 | 2017 Volkswagen Passat | 60.5 Medium | 110 | Air Bags |
| 5 | 2022 Volkswagen Passat | 57.5 Medium | 13 | Electrical System |
| 6 | 2013 Volkswagen Passat | 55.7 Medium | 749 | Air Bags |
| 7 | 2019 Volkswagen Passat | 54.4 Medium | 12 | Electrical System |
| 8 | 2016 Volkswagen Passat | 49.0 Medium | 106 | Air Bags |
| 9 | 2014 Volkswagen Passat | 39.6 Low | 594 | Air Bags |
| 10 | 2012 Volkswagen Passat | 36.8 Low | 484 | Air Bags |
A high rank here means a larger share of this year's complaints described a crash, fire or injury - not that the vehicle is unsafe to drive, and not a reliability or repair-cost rating. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold.
Volkswagen Passat complaints and recalls by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 484 | 11 | 14 | 3 | 36.8 Low | AIR BAGS |
| 2013 | 749 | 9 | 29 | 4 | 55.7 Medium | AIR BAGS |
| 2014 | 594 | 10 | 19 | 3 | 39.6 Low | AIR BAGS |
| 2015 | 243 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 66.8 Medium | AIR BAGS |
| 2016 | 106 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 49.0 Medium | AIR BAGS |
| 2017 | 110 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 60.5 Medium | AIR BAGS |
| 2018 | 46 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 70.5 Medium | SERVICE BRAKES |
| 2019 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 54.4 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| 2020 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 61.8 Medium | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2022 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 57.5 Medium | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.