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Volkswagen · NHTSA safety record

2021 Volkswagen Passat

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

18

Complaints

1

Crashes

1

Fires

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2021 Volkswagen Passat have filed 18 safety complaints with NHTSA between June 2021 and June 2026. The most complained-about system is lane departure warning, named in 5 of them (28%). The typical failure was reported at 16,116 miles, the median across the 4 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

21V812000 · October 15, 2021

The defect
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

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 18.

LANE DEPARTURE 5 28%
SERVICE BRAKES 5 28%
AIR BAGS 3 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 17%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 11%
STEERING 2 11%
ENGINE 1 6%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 6%
EQUIPMENT 1 6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 6%
STRUCTURE 1 6%
TIRES 1 6%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 5.

2021 2025 2026
2021 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

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.

Compare

Other years of the Volkswagen Passat

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2020 15 3 —
2019 12 1 —
2018 45 4 —
2017 109 7 —
2016 106 5 —
2015 243 7 —
2014 593 10 —
2013 748 9 2
2012 483 11 —
2011 16 0 1
2010 163 4 —

Other 2021 Volkswagen models

Atlas 455 ID.4 326 Atlas Cross Sport 162 Tiguan 132 Jetta 66 Arteon 14

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
Independent developer and analyst