Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Volkswagen Passat owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was letting my car run for a couple of minutes for the AC to cool down the car and I went into my house. When I came out about 2 minutes later, there was a large puddle of gas under the car in front of the right rear wheel and gas was running down the driveway all the way to the street. I immediately turned off the car and the gas stopped pouring out from under the car. I was lucky the car, my house or I did not go up in flames.
To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this letter as a formal complaint regarding an authorized automobile dealer's refusal to perform an open safety recall on my vehicle. Vehicle information: * Year/Make/Model: 2002 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T GLS * VIN: [redacted] I contacted Platinum Volkswagen, of Hicksville, New York, an authorized Volkswagen dealer, on January 7, 2026, to schedule a repair for an open safety recall applicable to my vehicle. I was advised by the service manager that the owner of the dealership refused to perform the recall repair solely based on the age of the vehicle. He advised me to request service at another authorized dealership. The service manager confirmed that the parts for the recall were available or could have been ordered and that the decision was based solely on the individual VW franchise owner's discretion not to service older vehicles. …
I put gasoline in my car. I began smelling gasoline and noticed the fuel meter hadn't registered the increase in fuel. I was stopped at a stop light at this point. I heard a big boom and then people around me were shouting at me to "get out of the car". I looked to the right and noticed flames shooting up the right side of the car. I jumped out of the drivers seat to safety. A good samaritan was able to grab a fire extinguisher from a near by business; and another person came running out of a nearby business with another and the were able to extinguish the fire. The flames were primarily under the vehicle and toward the passenger side. Police and fire personnel arrived on scene. Made sure fire was completely out; then pushed car to safety. A tow truck was called, as my car was completely un-drivable (all the belts, hoses were melted, including the brake cable). …
I started my car and proceeded to drive down around city streets for about 5 minutes. I was going speed limit(25-30 MPH) during a cool night(60*f). I stopped at a red light and then my temperature gauge spiked(car was slightly below normal temperature prior(190*f; according to gauge); this gauge spike was followed by a battery indicator light which simultaneously cut off my engine. My car became immobile and I lost brake and steering function. However, my radio and car lights still worked! Luckily there was no surrounding cars and my parking brake was functional. I then turned off the car, waited a few minutes and attempted to turn over the engine once more. It did start however I am worried this May happen again under less forgiving circumstances.
Report receipt date: apr 07, 2008 NHTSA campaign number: 08V156000 component(s): fuel system, gasoline when fuel tank is more than 3/4 fuel a fuel smell appears inside the vehicle. A prior recall was done for a heat shield, fuel line and 4motion fuel tank vent valve for inspection and replace as needed. These seem to fail again. Most dealers mark recall as performed without a leak and when the leak actually occurs they try to deny the issue as performed already. This needs to be addressed so that owners of lower mileage vehicles ( under 150000) can get the repair fixed under a recall that has been on the vehicle prior.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a fuel leak. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the fuel leak originated near the rear of the exhaust. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was confirmed that there was a fuel leak in the vehicle coming from the top of the fuel tank. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 08V156000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Volkswagen Passat the contact stated that the vehicle leaked fuel without warning. The vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 08V156000 (fuel system), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the ventilation valve was fractured and caused fuel to leak. Also, the tank only leaked when it was more than half full. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. Updated 01/25/17
When fuel tank has approximately 8 gallons or more, fuel pours out from under the rear driver's side about two feet from the outer kick panel. Noticed there was a recall and vwoa said that my VIN does not qualify for the recall despite my explaining that the problem is identical to other complaints on vehicles that were recalled. This was at 118K miles and it happened to the previous owner arround 80K.
Last Saturday (feb.9, 2008) around 11:00 am, while I was picking up my two daughters from ballet school (boston ballet, 19 clarendon street, boston), the check engine lamp started to blink and I could feel my car (2002 Passat wagon, all wheel drive) was a little bit shaking. As the car manual says, I drove in low power to the closest Volkswagen dealership (boston Volkswagen, 168 western avenue, allston). While I was driving to the dealership, I saw some smoke coming out from the front hood (right front side). We (my daughters, my wife, and myself) got the dealership around 11:30 am. A sales consultant (michael petersante) and another person there saw my car, and said that my car possibly would catch on fire. We evacuated from the car, they moved all the cars around my car to the other place. The dealer called for a fire department. …
Hello, my name is robert campbell and I am a the owner of a 2002 Volkswagen Passat 4motion with an automatic transmission. I am contacting you to seek action in regards to NHTSA campaign number 08V156000, which clearly indicates a recall for faulty gas tanks on this particular make/model due to fractured ventilation valves. Upon purchasing the car as a certified used vehicle in 2006, I had to have the gas tank replaced within the first week of ownership due to this very same defect. This was covered by the two year warranty provided by the dealership. A week ago, my gas tank started to leak again. Fuel is now leaking on the exhaust system creating a severe safety hazard. Upon inspection by the dealer, they have surmised the second tank has once again failed - due to a fractured ventilation valve. …
Related recalls
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…
NHTSA investigations
Fuel tank leak
Volkswagen (vw) is recalling certain vw passat 4motion and Audi a6 quattro and allroad quattro all-wheel drive passenger cars.vw vehicles subject to recall were manufactured from November 22, 2000 through May 31, 2005 and Audi vehicles subject to recall were manufactured from June 2, 2001 to June 1, 2005.the NHTSA recall number for the vw vehicles is 08v-156 (vw also is correcting defects related to heat shield and…
Fuel System complaints in other Passat years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2002 Volkswagen Passat?
NHTSA has 74 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2002 Volkswagen Passat, 12% of the model year's 643 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Volkswagen Passat fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 08V-156 (delivery, Apr 7, 2008); NHTSA recall 02V-026 (filler pipe and cap, Jan 25, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Volkswagen Passat fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to fuel & propulsion system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.