Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Volkswagen Passat owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Power brakes are not functional on startup when cold -- brake pedal is very stiff and takes a lot of pedal pressure to stop the car from moving while exiting driveway. Generally, braking improves within a minute or two of driving, but sudden stops in this condition are difficult and unsafe. The dealer service department diagnosed a leaking check valve in the vacuum system and the brake booster needs to be replaced - safety-related components such as brake boosters should not be failing at such an age.
The three issues above seems to be related or affect the other and does not allow cruise control to operate. The air bag light remains on and associated component light up the dash. Surprisingly, my VIN does not show up for air bag repair. I wish I did not have to wait for possible recall announcement for my vehicle before I can get it repaired and instead to fix it now. Frustrating.
After a brake job with the replacement of brake fluid, the brake pedal is soft even after re-bleeding. Two methods were used, pressurized and new fluid fed through the reservoir tank and then manually with two people replacing the fluid in the reservoir. Working on resolution. First brake replacement at about 40,000 miles.
ABS module failure at 56,000 miles. Warning lights illuminated on dashboard are ABS, brakes, stability control, tire pressure and airbags. Local VW dealer inspected and confirmed failure of ABS module.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. While the vehicle was stationary with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle accelerated rapidly without warning. As a result, the contact's vehicle rear-ended another vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred a second time, but there was no crash. The air bags did not deploy in the first crash. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was driven away from the scene. The paul clark Volkswagen dealer was made aware of the failure, but could not diagnose the cause of the failure. The dealer test drove the vehicle in stop and go traffic and determined that the vehicle was in good working condition and was performing as designed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. …
My pregnant fiance, her 3yr old son and I were driving on a city street approximately 35mph. A vehicle cut off the truck in front of me and the truck in front of me slammed on their beaks, which made me slam on mine. I slammed on my breaks and it did not stop my vehicle, I tried to use my emergency break and did not stop the vehicle so I swerved over as much as possible to avoid my fiance's passenger side from being hit. I rear ended the truck in front of me. Everyone seatbelts locked except my fiance's. She hit the dash, insurance company totaled the vehicle and the vehicle manufacturers customer service stated it did not get hit hard enough to deploy airbags. There has been a couple times previous to the accident that I would be at a red light with my break pedal all the way down and all the sudden I would start to slowly roll, with the break pedal still all the way down.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. While driving 20 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to repond. The contact mentioned that the emergency brake was used to stop the vehicle. The malfunction indicator lamp illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the camshaft lobe sheared off and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. After the repair, the vehicle was driven and fumes of smoke appeared from the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the gasket and the vacuum pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V705000 (engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 5,700.
I bought a 2015 Passat wolfsburg edition in February of 2015. Within the first 200 miles vehicle was shimmying when brakes were applied. Dealer refused to replace the brakes under the warranty saying its wear and tear. I called vwa they advised dealer and the rotors were replaced. Not even two weeks after brakes start squealing. I return to dealership and get told its nothing. Brakes continued to squeal until I had them replaced somewhere else at 26350 miles. However while brakes were squealing and even after being replaced..vehicle bas developed a chirp on both hubs when vehicle is turned and or accelerated from a stand still. Vehicle has 27000 miles on it. There's no reason it should be having these issues. I bought the vehicle at valley auto world in fayetteville nc. Also my front suspension is making noise when hitting certain bumps. Steering still has shimmy when driving. …
2015 Volkswagen Passat erratic shifting and brakes either too soft and won't stop quickly or they lock up and I can't move the vehicle. The problems are mostly in town driving, but once occurred in highway driving going up a hill while passing. In that incident the tachometer went from 2 to 5 as the car lurched forward. While at a stop light, the engine revved up as if I were pressing the accelerator, although I was not. After the camshaft was replaced, per the recall, the vehicle performed even more poorly than before. The vehicle began shaking violently. Over the next week, the lurched at two different stops signs; the engine revved up to 5,000 RPM's without the accelerator pedal being pressed; the brake pedal locked up not allowing the vehicle to reverse; and several times, it took an extra amount of time and distance to stop the vehicle.
In December of 2015,2 months after buying car,while driving my epc light came on my car had a sudden loss of power,shuddered,and stalled. I almost caused an accident when I pulled out onto the highway and could not increase speed.fast enough. I called the vw dealership where I purchased the car and they said the car has to come in to be checked. After 2 hours of diagnostics,and they actually called Volkswagen of America re the problem. They decided that it was a connectivity issue and that they had to replace the whole wiring harness,the car has to be towed in as driving could be dangerous. Also a recall NHTSA# 15V705 just came in the mail about recall 23r1. There are a potential 3 other recalls on the vw 2015 Passat.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Passat vehicles manufactured May 18, 2015, to May 21, 2015. The affected vehicles have a brake line at the left rear wheel area that may not have been properly tightened.
Remedy: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will tighten the brake line fitting, free of charge. The recall began on June 11, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.
Brake complaints in other Passat years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2015 Volkswagen Passat?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the brakes of the 2015 Volkswagen Passat, 12% of the model year's 243 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › control unit/module (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Volkswagen Passat brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-373 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, Jun 15, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Volkswagen Passat brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 6,000 miles, and 72% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 3 injuries to brakes 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.