CSR

Volkswagen · NHTSA safety record

2016 Volkswagen Passat

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

106

Complaints

4

Crashes

0

Fires

3

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2016 Volkswagen Passat have filed 106 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2016 and May 2026. The most complained-about system is the air bags, named in 25 of them (24%). The typical failure was reported at 34,000 miles, the median across the 54 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 5 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (5)

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

21V321000 · May 5, 2021

The defect
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 applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
The risk
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
The remedy
Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 46 vehicles across all model years covered

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

20V561000 · September 16, 2020

The defect
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 requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
The risk
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
The 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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 23 vehicles across all model years covered

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

19V389000 · May 22, 2019

The defect
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 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk
Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 662,185 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL

16V403000 · June 6, 2016

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jetta vehicles manufactured October 31, 2015, to January 21, 2016, 2016 Passat vehicles, equipped with 1.8T engines manufactured November 13, 2015, to December 9, 2015, and 2016 Golf vehicles manufactured November 5, 2015, to November 11, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the fuel rail may detach from the cylinder head and result in a fuel leak.
The risk
A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.
The remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cylinder heads, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 15F7.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 55 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

15V705000 · October 26, 2015

The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.
The risk
If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 91,867 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 106.

AIR BAGS 25 24%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 22 21%
STEERING 19 18%
ENGINE 17 16%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 15 14%
SERVICE BRAKES 15 14%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13 12%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 11 10%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 7 7%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 5 5%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 5 5%
POWER TRAIN 5 5%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2018 at 16.

2016 2018 2026
2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1 injured · crash · towed · 11,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE PASSENGER IN THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AND INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER AND WAS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED FOR THE BODY DAMAGE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE VIEW MIRROR INDICATOR FAILED TO DETECT THE ONCOMING VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,000.

NHTSA complaint 10993193. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured

MY 2016 VOLKSWAGEN PASSET SE MODEL CAR APPLIES THE BRAKES WHILE IN MOTION ON ITS OWN. THIS HAS OCCURRED 6 TIMED OVER THE PAST 7 MONTHS. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON DECEMBER 12 2015. IT IS GETTING WORSE EACH TIME. ONE TIME IT HAPPENED AS I WAS ABOUT 100 FEET FROM A INTERSECTION. NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS THE ONLY ONE ON THE ROAD AT THE TIME. I WAS DURING THE DAY AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE BREAK APPLIED. REALLY SCARED ME. ANOTHER TIME IT HAPPENED APPROACHING RAILROAD TRACKS. THIS TIME THE BRAKES APPLIED REALLY HARD. IT WAS BAD EVERY THING FLEW AROUND THE CAR. A COUPLE OF TIMES I HEARD A BEEPING NOISE. LIKE A WARNING BEEP. THERE IS A ILLUMINATED CAR ON A CURVY RAD ON THE DASH WHEN THIS

NHTSA complaint 10884433, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · 46,000 miles

THE CAR HAS AUTONOMOUS BRAKING ISSUE. THE SYSTEM THAT BRAKES THE CAR IF ANOTHER CAR IS DETECTED IN FRONT OF YOU WILL BRAKE EVEN IF NO ONE IS IN FRONT OF YOU. THE CAR WAS IN AT THE DEALER FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE ABURT STOP. VW HAD MY CAR FOR 7 WEEKS AND ALL THEY COULD FIND WAS THAT THE CAR WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND THE SENSOR WAS NOT ADJUSTED PROPERLY. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS FINDING IS THAT THEY HAD ALREADY PERFORMED THAT SAME EXACT FIXED A YEAR PRIOR. THEY ALSO STATED ONE OF THE FOUR TIMES THEY HAD IT IN THE SHOP THAT THEY REPLACED THE RADAR UNIT. WHEN THE CAR DOES STOP IT GIVES NO WARNING AND THE STOP IS WAS ABURT

NHTSA complaint 11256041, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

crash · towed · 400 miles

I WAS SLOWING DOWN AND PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT IN FRONT OF A RESTAURANT FOR LUNCH. MY 2016 VW PASST V6 SUDDENLY SWIRLED TO THE LEFT, JUMPED OVER CURBS, AND BUSTED ALL FOUR TIRES BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT. TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT I COULD STEPPED ON GAS INSTEAD OF BREAK OT IT COULD BE THE PARKING ASSISTANCE TOOK OVER THE CONTROL OF THE CAR. WHEN THEY REPLACED MY TIRES,, THEY FOUND AN OPEN RECORD/CAMPAIGN AS DESCRIBED "96D6 2016-05-04 W-UPDATE - PARK ASSIST AND BLIND SPOT DETECTION (NVLW)." I AM NOT SURE WHAT THIS RECORD MEANS. IS IT RELATED TO MY INCIDENT? I WONDER IF ANYONE COULD HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS?

NHTSA complaint 10864774. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
The clock spring system failed, rendering all of the cars' steering wheel functions non-functional. The airbag light is on and the steering wheels airbag does not operate as well as the cars horn and auto cruise controls. The instrument cluster is malfunctioning as well. The safety risks associated with the malfunctions could result in great harm to the driver and passengers in the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint 11735422. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
currently leaking raw fuel under the hood (matching Recall 15F7) and stalling after fill-ups (matching Recall 24V110000). I am requesting a Specialized Safety Review and Goodwill Assistance to cover the repair because this is a documented manufacturing defect, not wear-and-tear." 2. Leverage the "Suction Jet Pump" Investigation There is a current investigation (as of early 2026) because VW’s recent fuel pump recall (24V110000) didn't include enough vehicles.

NHTSA complaint 11732738. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

115,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was a strong gasoline odor inside the cabin. The contact immediately pulled over and exited the vehicle to inspect for visible fuel leaks, but found no leaks. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and stalled repeatedly. Additionally, the brakes failed to function properly, preventing the vehicle from stopping as needed. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The independent mechanic associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V403000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however,

NHTSA complaint 11720214, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

89,000 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V403000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

NHTSA complaint 11720260. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
The vehicle has been alerting error codes 16352 for failing to communicate with ABS module causing warning lights for ABS, brake and the ESC systems to illuminate. The brake system related vehicle stabilizing functions (ABS/ESC) is not be available, increasing the risk of a loss of vehicle control and could lead to a crash causing injury and/or property damage. Please reference Safety Recall Code: 45F2

NHTSA complaint 11691060. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Smell of fuel near rear seat. Gasket OK.

NHTSA complaint 11681884. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Volkswagen Passat

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2021 18 1
2020 15 3
2019 12 1
2018 45 4
2017 109 7
2015 243 7
2014 593 10
2013 748 9 2
2012 483 11
2011 16 0 1
2010 163 4

Other 2016 Volkswagen models

Every Volkswagen on this site — 152 vehicles, 256 recall campaigns and 2 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
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