Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 18 safety complaints
about the 2021 Volkswagen Passat with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 1 mentions a fire and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the wheels.
The most complained-about system is lane departure warning,
named in 5 complaints, 28% of the total.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers June 2021 to June 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
18 complaints on file
18
Complaints
1
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
0
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
LANE DEPARTURE 5 · 28%
5 28%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 · 28%
5 28%
AIR BAGS 3 · 17%
3 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 · 17%
3 17%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 · 11%
2 11%
STEERING 2 · 11%
2 11%
ENGINE 1 · 6%
1 6%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 · 6%
1 6%
EQUIPMENT 1 · 6%
1 6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 · 6%
1 6%
STRUCTURE 1 · 6%
1 6%
TIRES 1 · 6%
1 6%
048
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 18.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2025 at 5.
8 6 4 2
212021222022232023242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2021 Volkswagen PASSAT, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
4 DR FWD Early Release
4 DR FWD Later Release
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
10.7%
10.7%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, and Passat vehicles. The front wheel bearing bolts may have been incorrectly tightened.
The risk
The bolts may loosen and cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the tightness of the wheel bearing bolts and replace the bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 40R7.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. · up to 30 vehicles across all model years covered
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
fire
I am requesting that Volkswagen open a formal case regarding a fire involving my 2021 Volkswagen Passat. On May 6, 2026, at approximately 9:30 PM, after driving about seven miles, I came to a complete stop and the vehicle began smoking before catching fire. The vehicle has been declared a total loss and is currently being stored at a salvage yard pending investigation. I am requesting that Volkswagen investigate the cause of the fire and advise whether an inspection of the vehicle will be conducted.
NHTSA complaint 11742775. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
crash · towed
The forward collision was not working on my car when someone pulled down in front of me and I hit the wall so I wouldn’t hit them.
NHTSA complaint 11604412. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
I was parking my car and then I heard a loud crack. Then I noticed my car's airbag malfunction warning notice came up on the dashboard along with other failures. I can see on the edges of the horn panel on the left that its slightly detached, so it seem the airbag has somewhat inflated. I haven't taken it to the dealer yet, but will later after work. I didn't notice any issues prior to this happening
NHTSA complaint 11701230. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
SERVICE BRAKES
Driving home from work around 1:00 am at night with street lights and no other cars in the vicinity the auto brake engaged, causing an abrupt stop. Once the auto brake ceased I was able to complete my trip. There was a light coating of water in a spot on the road but nothing else and no reason for this to occur.
NHTSA complaint 11692184. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:INFOTAINMENT
See attached document for complaint.
NHTSA complaint 11682324. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
37,995 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while stopped at a red traffic light, the engine stalled. The low oil pressure and the battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the piston ring and engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,995.
NHTSA complaint 11678501. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
Known issue in previous VW models. Broken clock spring in steering wheel from normal <100k miles no connection for all steering wheel electronics (airbags, radio controls, etc)
NHTSA complaint 11648017. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed October 15, 2021.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
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.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst