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 2009 Volkswagen Passat owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On [redacted], a MIDAS shop found an alleged crack in the front part of the gas tank on the upper part of the tank by the floor board. The manager also stated that it could be a plastic seal from the fuel pump on the top part of the tank. The tank is located next to the exhaust system. My 2009 VW CC 4-Motion only has 122,xxx miles on it. I could see a wet spot and presumed I smelled gas but was not sure. He gave me a printout of what the cost would be to repair the system. I told him I would be filing a report with NHTSA. I then called Lunde's VW, W. Bell Rd., Peoria, AZ. I talked to a Tyler Rodriquez and he said there were no recalls and VW could not warrant the problem. I told him I would be filing a report with NHTSA and he did not respond to me. Both places were quite fast to elicit repairs from their business. Only MIDAS pointed out the exhaust pipes being near the gas tank. …
While driving 2009 vw Passat wagon on I-495 south in haverhill, ma, at around 5 pm, smoke suddenly began billowing out of the vents. Driver was able to pull onto the shoulder safely (near exit 48/ mile marker 105.6) and exit the car, which was engulfed in flames within a minute. No passengers, no injuries, no other cars were damaged. Up to this point, the car had been functioning normally. No overheating, no leaking, no warning lights, no other indication of impending fire. Massachusetts state police from the andover barracks responded [phone]), as did the haverhill fire department. Charred remains of the car were towed to trombly brothers, 141 sutton st north andover, ma 01845. Of note: upon arriving home, there was a recall notice from vw in the postal mail, NHTSA number 17V509, regarding the fuel pump control module.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Passat. While driving 30 MPH, the power steering failed and the vehicle stalled without warning. As a result, the vehicle was involved in a crash. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. There were no warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to garvey Volkswagen (483 quaker rd, queensbury, ny 12804, [phone]). The contact called the manufacturer twice after the crash and was informed that parts were not available, and further testing was needed on the fuel pump. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a new fuel pump was installed. One month later, the vehicle stalled again without warning. The failure mileage was 62,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
On 1 September 2017, I parked my vw in my garage. There were no engine lights on or anything, but the car had been making a loud fan like noise after I removed the key fob from the ignition. Its been doing that since I bought it. I didn't start the car back up until 5 September 2017 after returning from a weekend with family. When I started my vw up I noticed that the engine light was now illuminated. I waited about a week before I took any action hoping that the light would just go away on its own, but it didn't. On 12 September I took the car to the nearest autozone and took advantage of their free engine light diagnostic check. The error codes read "p0171 system too lean (bank 1)" and "p12a2 fuel rail pressure sensor inappropriately high." at the top of the paper it stated that the most likely solution for these error codes was to replace the fuel pump. …
On 11/15/11 @33,125 miles when accelerating intermittently shift into neutral correct back to drive "could not be replicated" by vw service. Then, car started to become "hesitant" on acceleration from a stop or when on driving. 1/16/12, hesitation more frequent; vw service took a short drive,could not replicate "it's not an issue unless MIL" (recommended new wiper blades). 3/6/12, @ 41,117 miles, continued to intermittently hesitate/wanted to stall/ neutral" no engine light (MIL); 3/14/12 @ 41,595 miles, left headlight bulb replaced. 6/7/12, while in traffic on expressway approximate speed was 20mph, car hesitated to move with flow of traffic then immediately after hesitation, 2 things occurred @same time, I was rear-ended & engine light (MIL) came on. Then car hesitated as I went to pull over. MIL went off then flickered on. …
I was having issues with my vehicle shutting off while in drive mode. My vehicle shut off when entering a busy highway. I tried to restart with no luck. I then had to call highway patrol to help me move my vehicle to a safe place. Once in a safe place off the busy highway I called a tow truck who towed my vehicle to a Volkswagen dealer. The dealer repair service scanned the system and found the fuel pump control module burned up from the fuel pump drawing too many amps. The fuel pump and fuel pump control module had to be replaced. The service repair told me I had to spend out of pocket to replace because the recall repair for the fuel pump control module was not yet available. I was told to call the customer care number on the recall notice to find out about receiving a refund on the repair since it was due to the recall. …
3 different occasions my car would loose power and shut down on the highway. I had it towed and all three times they stated it was different things and that they had to take steps in replacing good parts to find the bad ones. Just to find out that it was the fuel pump control module that they thought it was the whole time. Now there is a recall on it. Which I have summitted the paper work and they conveniently cannot find. This past weekend my car wouldn't turn over at all when I tried to start it in a parking lot so I had it towed for the 4th time in 2.5years. They are claiming that the engine motor is bad and it would cost $7500.00 to replace. The technician cannot find any oil leaks nd claim there was only about a half of court of oil in the motor. …
The company issued a recall for this issue with no remedy. My vehicle experienced this issue prior to the recall and we paid out of pocket for the repair that they recommend however, they will not reimburse us because they have not specified a "repair" on the recall although they do provide a remedy. This is a technicality on their (vw) end to not reimburse customers for repairs that they already know are needed. Prior to the repair we experienced symptoms below. Loss of power while driving and no start. We had no option but to pay for repairs out of pocket. Recall described as: fuel pump control module vw action code 20ae NHTSA recall number 17V509 start date 08-16-2017 description on certain vehicles, there could be an interruption in electrical power from the fuel pump control module. …
This vehicle had catastrophic engine failure due to a faulty cam chain tensioner. This is been known by Volkswagen as a service bulletin was issued in 2011. I was driving on a city st. And had to push the vehicle to the side. The fuel pump and sending units have also failed in this vehicle along with the turbocharger diverter valve which was a defective item. All these items have been known by Volkswagen for some time. The cost of repair on the vehicle has been over $5,000. I believe all these issues should have been a recall item. Failures on some of them have been happening at 20,000 miles. They could pose a safety hazard depending on where you were driving. Volkswagen has denied any reimbursement on most of these items. Had consumers known of these issues the cost would have been significantly less if the defective parts have been replaced. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Volkswagen Passat. While driving 65 MPH or while at a stop sign, the vehicle vibrated and stalled. The engine indicator illuminated as well. The vehicle was able to restart on the second attempt. The vehicle was taken to roseville Volkswagen (830 automall dr., roseville, ca 95661, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the engine failed. The vehicle was repaired, but the vehicle stalled while driving home from the dealer. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed as the fuel pump module. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact of NHTSA campaign number: 17V509000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The manufacturer was notified and was not able to confirm when the parts were to become available. The failure mileage was 109,307. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2016 Volkswagen CC, 2006-2010 Passat and Passat Wagon vehicles. Interruption of electrical power to the fuel pump control module may cause the fuel pump to fail.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump control module, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.
Fuel System complaints in other Passat years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2009 Volkswagen Passat?
NHTSA has 56 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2009 Volkswagen Passat, 37% of the model year's 152 complaints. The component named most often is delivery › fuel pump (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Volkswagen Passat fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-509 (fuel pump, Aug 16, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2009 Volkswagen Passat fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries 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.