2017 Volkswagen Passat problems and recalls
Owners have filed 110 complaints on the 2017 Volkswagen Passat, and NHTSA has issued 7 recalls. The most cited component is the Air Bags (28 complaints).
110
Complaints
7
Recalls
9
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
3
Injuries
60.5
Severity index
Severity index 60.5 Medium. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.
Ranked 66 of 137 by severity index among 2017 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 52% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2017 ranking.
Components cited in complaints
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 28 | 25.5% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 21 | 19.1% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 18 | 16.4% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 17 | 15.5% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 16 | 14.5% |
| STEERING | 16 | 14.5% |
| ENGINE | 7 | 6.4% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 6 | 5.5% |
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) | 4 |
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 0.6x those in 2020 to 2022 (27 against 46).
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 |
Other Volkswagen Passat model years
Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 10 years side by side.
- 2012sev 36.9
- 2013sev 55.8
- 2014sev 39.6
- 2015sev 66.8
- 2016sev 49.0
- 2018sev 66.9
- 2019sev 54.4
- 2020sev 62.4
- 2022sev 58.0
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-01. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.