2017 Volkswagen Passat: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 108 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 7 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
108
Complaints
7
Recalls
8
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
3
Injuries
57.4
Severity index
Severity index 57.4 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 136 2017 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2017 Volkswagen Passat ranks 69 of 136 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 49% of its model-year peers. See the full 2017 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 28 | 25.9% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 20 | 18.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 17 | 15.7% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 17 | 15.7% |
| STEERING | 16 | 14.8% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 15 | 13.9% |
| ENGINE | 7 | 6.5% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 6 | 5.6% |
The single most-reported system is AIR BAGS, cited in 28 of 108 complaints (25.9%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 14 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 21 |
| 2022 | 15 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 2 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20V561000 | 16/09/2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R and Atlas, 2017 Golf Alltrack and E-Golf and 2016-2018 Passat vehicles. These internal use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory require |
| 21V321000 | 05/05/2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applica |
| 18V536000 | 15/08/2018 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat vehicles. The brake caliper bracket mounting bolts on these vehicles may not have been tightened sufficiently. |
| 19V679000 | 25/09/2019 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and 2012-2013 Beetle and B |
| 19V389000 | 22/05/2019 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Fede |
| 17V075000 | 08/02/2017 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Passat vehicles. Brake fluid may leak slowly from the some of the brake line connections, resulting in a low brake fluid level. |
| 24V834000 | 30/10/2024 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE | Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring afte |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.