Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Volkswagen Passat owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Volkswagen Passat. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle jerked and stalled. The vehicle inadvertently shifted in reverse and the brakes stopped working. The contact had to apply the parking brake. The contact mentioned that the gear shifter was stuck in park. Also, the check engine, tire pressure, and epc indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to heritage Volkswagen of south atlanta at [phone] (4305 jonesboro rd, union city, ga 30291) where it was diagnosed that the ignition control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that there were no recalls associated with the VIN. The contact was advised to call NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 172,000.
On or about feb. 1, 2013, I started my manual-transmission 2003 Volkswagen Passat gls (v6) and shifted into reverse to back out of my driveway. As soon as I took my foot off the brake, the car lurched backward even though I was not depressing the accelerator pedal. I quickly shifted into neutral, engaged the parking brake and turned off the ignition. When I tried to restart the car, it would not start and did not start until about an hour later. My first thought was that the accelerator could have become lodged under the floormat, but that was not the case; nor was it the case in at least four other similar incidents. Two of these incidents took place as I was driving at a low speed in a residential area. Fortunately, there were no pedestrians or other cars around me and I had the presence of mind to recognize the issue, shift into neutral and park the car. …
Brake failure light appears even after multiple brake repairs. Driver?s side rear upper brake light replaced for 29th time in less than 2 yrs. Multiple coolant leaks still present even after repair and water pump replacement. Radio/amplifier not functioning even after replacement (radio was only used twice in vehicle?s lifetime). Diagnostics show airbag malfunction. Regulator pin on rear passenger side window keeps breaking (3rd replacement since 2003). Engine cover below car keeps falling off due to rusted bolts. Homelink system keeps malfunctioning. Fuses keep blowing out. Dashboard panel lights out (odometer, fuel gauge, etc.). Ccm module keeps breaking down. Car needs to be jumpstarted when not in use for over 48 hrs. Climate control (A/C and heater) works only sporadically. All repairs performed by vw dealership, yet same issues keep reappearing just a few weeks after repairs. …
1. Driving car transmission shifted erratically when pulling out of house. Also hit another car as transmission shifted without doing anything. 2. Always when rains. 3. Sunroof drain/air plenum area dealer said was blocked and water went down b pillar. Shorted out transmission computer in passenger foot well. Water passed over junction connections in b pillar also shorted out airbag sensor and other electrical. Vw now issues service action 66c8/p9 to cover this which was not listed as maintenance. Dealer said he was not doing this. Very poor design. If drains for sun roof and plenum clog then water goes inside and shorts critical electronics. Transmission computer in passenger footwheel which filled with water costs $2000 and could of been my life. In general this car has had many recalls and is unsafe. …
I recently leased a vw passatt station wagon and things have gone wrong with it even before the car had 300 miles on it. The car has less than 5000 miles on it and it has spent some 10 days at the repair shop. Defects have included a transmission that would disengage, heated seats that would not turn off, A/C and side mirrors that would not work, a module had to be replaced, the car had to be aligned, the front spoiler fell off, a speaker had to be replaced, part of the trim on the back was falling off, the memory settings on the driver's seat were not working, and the sun roof was rattling. The sales department has responded to all my calls by saying that I need to talk to the service department or to vw corporate directly. I have done both, when I called vw corporate they responded that as long as the car was driveable they would cover it under warranty and would not replace the car. …
I own a 2003 Volkswagen Passat with a 1.8t engine. The car has 70,000 miles and I just found out it has engine sludge. I bought the car used around May 2004 with around 34,000 miles and never received any information from the dealer I bought the car from (not vw dealer) about sludge problems and never received any information from vw of America about altered oil change schedule and using fully synthetic motor oil. Being unaware of the problems these engines were having I followed the owners manual recommended oil changes of 5,000. I was not aware of saving receipts of changes and performed several myself. My display showed a stop engine low oil press message so I immediately took it to my independent mechanic who performed some tests and told me I had engine sludge. As of now I have no recourse with vw of America as far as fixing an engine they know is flawed.
Fuel pump failure while driving on the freeway the car quite running. 1.8 liter turbo in o3 vw Passat. Dealer calls and tells us our VIN number is not part of the recall. To call vw of north America and they should cover it. I talk to a women tell her the same thing as above and she ask me to hold while she submits the claim. She comes back on the line after 45 seconds or so and says that they won't cover it. The VIN number is not part of the recall. I ask to speak to a supervisor. I am told there is no one else I can speak to and this is the finally decision of vw of north America. This is not the first failure for this car. Temperature sensor replaced, brake module replaced twice, the heater core replace, the trip tronic shift replaced, instrument panel replaced, the engine flushed for sludge. Cv boots replaced. They're cracked again after 3 months.
I have a 2003 Volkswagen Passat and for a little while now it has been saying this: stop,oil pressure,stop motor,service manual. This is now happened 3 times. The first time it happened I took it to the dealer(which is not where I purchased my car) and they changed the oil filter which cost me $160. My car worked for about 2 months and it happened again,and the dealer then said it was the oil pump and wanted $965 to fix it. I,however took somewhere else got the problem fixed for $720. It has just recently happened again. I went to change the oil and transmission fluid was accidentally drained. The dealer fixed the problem and now says there is something wrong with the transmission,the car is drivable but now for long. This the second time something has gone wrong with the transmission.
I own a 2003 Passat 4-motion. I purchased it from the dealer in July of 2005 when it had 42,000 miles on it. Almost immediately I noticed two things about the car: first, it sometimes hesitates when trying to accelerate and then when it does finally take off, it "leaps" forward. Second, when shifting down sometimes, it does not do so normally but will actually jerk the car badly and make a "clunky" sound, like the transmission is failing. This seems to happen when you don't come to a complete stop and then try and accelerate again, like stop and go traffic. I have had the car back to the dealer many times and have been told that this is just a "characteristic" of the car and that there is nothing they can do about it. Overall I am very disappointed in the car.
This is a 2003 vw Passat with 27,000 miles. It is kept outside in northern california. There have been rains here recently, expected this time of year. The rear footwell was found to have water in it recently. Neither the sunroof nor windows had been left open. Although the vehicle has been maintained by vw dealers according to schedule, the bottom of the sunroof drain tube was clogged, backing water up. The resulting damage included carpet, dampened transmission control unit, wiring harness and a safety relay amounting to over $3,000 to repair. The dealer is replacing the damaged parts and unclogging the drain tube. There is no guarantee that this will fix the problem permanently. The transmission control module had an internal short
Transmission complaints in other Passat years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2003 Volkswagen Passat?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2003 Volkswagen Passat, 6% of the model year's 631 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Volkswagen Passat transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2003 Volkswagen Passat, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Volkswagen Passat transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.