Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Volkswagen Passat owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, with the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated, the vehicle failed to detect another vehicle and the vehicle was involved in a crash. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injuries sustained. A Police report was filed but the information was not provided. The vehicle was vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving across a railroad track, the Forward Collision-Avoidance braking system independently engaged. The contact was able to safely cross the railroad track. The contact stated that the failure had occurred previously while the contact was driving and crossing an intersection. However, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.
The emergency breaking incident first occurred on 8 December 2019 as I was entering the parking lot for my apartment complex. There were no obstacles. The second occurrence was reported to the NHTSA on 5 May 2021. The tracking number for the issue is 11415338. The vehicle has exhibited multiple faults with its electronics, including emergency breaking enabling for no apparent reason, lane assist randomly disabling itself (including driving and overnight while parked), parking sensors alerting extreme proximity when nothing it near the vehicle, Infotainment system (failed to move from VW display, locked up, failed to display rear camera with vehicle in reverse and other failures), the rear camera has failed to display and displayed a image "rolling" vertically, wing mirrors have failed to extend or extend after considerable delay, and other issues. …
I have a 2017 Passat When it's raining hard on the road and my speed is greater than 55 mph the passenger side windshield stops right in front of my vision vision (right in the middle of the driver's side) creates a white blocking effect so I don't have a clear road visibility. In a service I discussed this detail with the service advisor at the VW agency and he did not want to understand or was misunderstood, I told him that the design of these windshields had this defect. On another occasion when I was driving in an area where there was snow the front collision alarm started to alarm for no reason, there was no obstruction, apparently one of the front sensors fails when it gets wet, I took the car to the dealer and reported this to the service advisor, they did a review of the car they said that it had nothing damaged that everything is fine. …
On starting the vehicle for the first time of the day, console display indicated Lane Assist was disabled. It was necessary to access the menu system and re-enable Lane Assist. Lane Assist was enabled when the vehicle was parked the previous day. Lane Assist has many times somehow become disabled and cleared on the menu system while the car was parked overnight. The problem and others have been reported to Volkswagen several times. After lengthy service visits since 2019, Volkswagen have been unable to correct or explain the faults. Volkswagen insist no error codes have been recorded in the system. All thing considered, the ongoing absence of error codes may be yet another fault.
While driving straight in dry weather (i.e. no rain), the lane light will change from - green - to - yellow - color in the dash and the steering wheel will jerk, usually left, sometimes right, very abruptly, as if the car is trying to find the lane with lane assist on. Note, this is on well marked city streets and on regular interstate roads with clearly marked dashed lane lines. This has been happening for at least two months (today's date Dec. 12, 2021) and only now reporting this complaint. It did almost cause me to run into the car beside me several times or turn into the center median (trees) on city streets.
I have had to have my vehicle serviced over 5 times within the last three months. There is a recurring sensor temps, Air bad error, radio not working properly, and front assist sensor light error. Everything I have had to take my vehicle to a service dealer, my wheel bearing need to be changed, my tire sensor needs to be changed, and my steering wheel is shaking. This is an urgent matter that needs to be taken care of
While driving at approximately 10 MPH, the message "Lane Assist Currently Not Available" was displayed and Lane Assist deselected in the system menu. Later, while parked, I re-enabled Lane Assist using the menu system. This problem, along with others, has been ongoing since 2019. Since 2019, Volkswagen have been unable or unwilling to correct any of the problems experienced with the vehicle.
The following warning lights will randomly turn on & off while driving: Air Bag Malfunction, ABS Brakes, ESC, Adaptive Cruise Control, Front collision, tire pressure, power steering, blind spot detection, low Key Battery detected, and indicate they are not functional. It is a random and items will go back to work while normally driving. Key fob battery has been replaced multiple times...
While stopped at an intersection with no moving traffic, the Park Assist enabled itself warning extreme proximity to something on the left side of the vehicle. As with other faults, the Park Assist faults have occurred numerous times since 2019. The Lane Assist system unexpectedly disabled itself while driving less than five MPH on a slightly inclined driveway.
Collision Avoidance complaints in other Passat years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2017 Volkswagen Passat?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 20% of the model year's 110 complaints. The component named most often is warnings (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Volkswagen Passat collision avoidance problems?
No. NHTSA lists no driver assistance recall for the 2017 Volkswagen Passat, though it has 7 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 2017 Volkswagen Passat collision avoidance problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to driver assistance 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.