Most common 2000 Volkswagen Passat problems
Share of the 507 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volkswagen Passat complaints by model year
Best Passat years: 2011, 2019, 2020. Years to avoid: 2013, 2014, 2012, 1999, 2002. Compare all years →
2000 Volkswagen Passat recalls (3)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery
Volkswagen is recalling 412,000 my 1999-2005 passat (5th generation) vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and produced after June 14, 1999. These vehicles May have an underbody heat shield that can become damaged.
Remedy: Dealers will install additional underbody heat shields on vehicles with automatic transmissions to cover the possibly damaged areas and flash all 1.8t engines with a precautionary software update.
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Filler pipe and cap
On some passenger vehicles, the fuel tank filler neck can suffer abrasion damage if the rear tire goes flat and the vehicle is driven until the tire disintegrates.
Remedy: Dealers will fit passat vehicles with a new wheel house liner that will better protect the car's filler neck. Jetta vehicles will be fitted with a different metal shield designed to enhance abrasion protection in the…
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Sulfur in fuel interacts with certain additives found in widely available gasoline causing sulfur to become deposited on the contact points of three fuel sending units mounted inside the fuel tank.
Remedy: Dealers will remove the existing fuel level sending units and replace them with fuel level sending units using a new alloy composed of gold, silver, and a small amount of nickel, which will not chemically react with…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 2000 Volkswagen Passat:
Passenger/engine compartment fires
Many of the fire reports allege that the vehicle fire was attributed to ignition coil failure.vw provided additional data regarding its analysis of vehicle fires and a detailed description of the three different engines and ignition systems for the subject vehicles.odifinds the need to further investigate this issue.to facilitate acquisition and analysis of additional information, this investigationhas been upgraded…
Passenger sir door mounting stud failure
Odi opened a preliminary evaluation (pe03-021) based on two reports of failed bolt studs that attach the passenger supplemental inflatable restraint (psir) door cover to the instrument panel (ip) on the Volkswagen (vw) passat (model years 2000, 2002).vw has indicated to odi that it has no additional reports.vw implemented a process change on March 1, 2002.this process change consisted of changing the bolt…
Fuel tank puncture
The office of defects investigation opened this investigation on August 10, 2000 based on 9 reports regarding punctured fuel tanks involving the jetta, passat, and cabrio models.the reports indicate additional reports in its response to the preliminary evaluation.this investigation has been upgraded for further study.
Passenger engine compartment fires
The manufacturer notified NHTSA on 04-apr-08 that a safety recall action would be initiated to remedy the issue.in June 2008, the manufacturer issued a technical service bulletin (code 26e5/r5) regarding the specific procedures to be employed in this campaign.vehicle owner notification letters were sent beginning approximately June 13, 2008.the campaign was assigned NHTSA no.
Passenger air bag lid failure
This investigation involves the Volkswagen (vw) passenger supplemental inflatable restraint (psir) lid utilized in my 1998-2002 vw passat.the psir lid May detach from the instrument panel during air bag deployment.the office of defects investigation (odi) of the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) opened the preliminary evaluation on May 23, 2003 to determine whether alleged psir lid detachment…
Fuel tank puncture
Engine stalling
By letter received on June 24, 2005, mr. Ronald m. Strickland of raleigh, nc, submitted a petition requesting that the agency investigate the performance of the ignition coil plugs on model year (my) 2000-2003 Volkswagen jetta, golf and passat sedans.the petitioner alleges that he had experienced multiple stalling events as a result of one or more ignition coil plugs malfunctioning on his 2002 vw jetta sedan.as a…
What 2000 Volkswagen Passat owners say
Brakes all 207 →
While attempting to make an emergency stop in my 2000 vw Passat, there was a 1 to 2 second delay in braking power. The roads were wet and the brake rotors were wet due to lack of shields to prevent water from making the brake rotors wet. The 1-2 second delay (from the time I applied the brake) caused my vehicle to not stop in the typical stopping distance and caused my vehicle to impact another vehicle. Vw passats from 2003-newer seem to all have these brake rotor shields "splash shields", but not the older 1998-2002 passats. A call to the Volkswagen customer care hotline [phone]) did not address this serious safety defect to my satisfaction. The agent kept saying "there's no current open campaign for your vehicle". I know of numerous vw Passat owners who have experienced this serious issue.
I drive a 2000 volkswagon Passat glx 4motion. I have felt that I got a bad car since very early on in my lease (I now have 8 months left). On this particular occaision, I had a severe oil leak. The dealer informed me that there was a hole in my oil pan that must have been caused by a rock (I don't recall feeling anything hit the car hard enough to put a hole in anything). I was told that this was not a warranteed item, rather normal wear and tear. I have owned 5 other cars and never had this problem. I also noticed that the car was shaking when the breaks are applied. I was told by the dealer that this is due to warped rotors. I only have 20,000 miles on the vehicle and have never heard of any kind of break problems with that few miles. I was also told that is not covered by warrantee either, again, normal wear and tear. …
Engine & cooling all 101 →
I am the second owner of this 00 vw Passat . This car has been a great running and driving car. I bought it in feb 10 2012 . On sept 17 2012 my wife was driving this car to my sons football game with my mother in law. She was going about 50 MPH when it shuttered and shut off . She was able to get it off the side of the road and stopped and when she opened the car door there were flames coming from under the hood she went to the other side of the car and helped her mother out of the car. The flames were spreading so fast they were not able to get anything out of the car. By the the time they got to the other side of the road away from the car the whole car was on fire. And when the fire department got there there was nothing left but some melted things in the trunk. …
A rainy night, 10:30 pm., on the freeway returning home from a symphony concert, the engine simply quit. I, husband/driver, tried three time to restart it before yelling to my wife to turn on emergency flashers which she did. As we slowed, I remember seeing all icons on dash blinking. Both of us were knocked unconscious and do not remember being hit by the car behind. Air bags did not deploy. Injuries sustained: a contusion and minor whiplash by husband; fractured c-7 and t-1 vertebrates and concussion by my wife. She has been in a neck-to-waist brace from nov. 10, 2013 until present. We always maintained our Passat scrupulously according to vw standards at their service centers by their trained mechanics. One month earlier we had brought the car in to be checked because sometimes it would not start after driving it someplace. Twice had to wait for aaa towing. …
Fuel & propulsion system all 46 →
Heat shield caught fire while driving down the road. I had bought the car from carmax who had lied about the auto from the broken seatbelts forward on the day of sale. Vw dealership repaired auto after fire but another mishap with heatshield when it fell off and under the passenger front tire @ 65 mile per hr, while driving down turnpike. I was not injured thanks to a truck driver who assisted my navigation to the side of the road and cut off the shield so I could return home. The tie rod was damaged and had to be replaced, since the fire the car has never been the same and has been a hazard, stalling on a beltway, etc... No apparent reason for this was found on a diagnostic machine as it has been checked several times..it is when the emission light comes on and a bad sensor needs replaced or switch. But nothing fixes this car for long.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Volkswagen Passat. While driving approximately 20 MPH, smoke billowed from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact was able to safely leave the roadway, the hood was raised and flames appeared in the engine compartment. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was not towed and remained at the scene. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. An unknown dealer was notified of the fire. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 08V156000 (fuel system, gasoline). The manufacturer was not contacted. The insurance company was not made aware of the fire. The contact was unsure if the vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was unavailable.
2000 Volkswagen Passat engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 29 / 24 |
| 1.8L 4-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
| 2.8L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
| 2.8L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
| 2.8L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2000 Volkswagen Passat a good car?
Based on 507 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2000 Passat rates avoid: 2.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the Passat at the same age. It is one of the Passat years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2000 Volkswagen Passat?
The brakes — 207 complaints, 41% of all complaints for this model year, most often about antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip. Next are the engine & cooling (101) and fuel & propulsion system (46).
How many recalls does the 2000 Volkswagen Passat have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2000 Volkswagen Passat, the most recent from April 7, 2008 (delivery). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Volkswagen Passat?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2011, 2019 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2013, 2014, 2012, 1999 and 2002. See the full Volkswagen Passat years comparison.
At what mileage do 2000 Volkswagen Passat problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 70,000 miles; 22% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.