Body complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | 6% | — |
| 2018 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2017 | 3 | 3% | 5,000 miles |
| 2016 | 4 | 4% | 19,000 miles |
| 2015 | 5 | 2% | 50,000 miles |
| 2014 | 12 | 2% | 45,000 miles |
| 2013 | 31 | 4% | 40,000 miles |
| 2012 | 17 | 4% | 45,000 miles |
| 2010 | 3 | 2% | 80,000 miles |
| 2009 | 2 | 1% | 75,000 miles |
| 2008 | 2 | 1% | 150,000 miles |
| 2007 | 5 | 2% | 39,000 miles |
| 2006 | 10 | 2% | 10,000 miles |
| 2005 | 6 | 4% | 48,000 miles |
| 2004 | 16 | 6% | 75,000 miles |
| 2003 | 29 | 5% | 42,000 miles |
| 2002 | 31 | 5% | 46,000 miles |
| 2001 | 24 | 6% | 69,000 miles |
| 2000 | 10 | 2% | 116,000 miles |
| 1999 | 11 | 2% | 154,000 miles |
| 1998 | 8 | 2% | — |
| 1997 | 3 | 8% | 110,000 miles |
| 1996 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 1995 | 6 | 6% | 114,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I preface this by saying this is my first keyless car and I don't like it. It is sometimes confusing as to whether the car is running or off and the ignition button looks identical in both scenarios. On June 12, I parked my car (it was stationary) and took my dog into her day care center. While I was in there, my car apparently rolled out of the lot and came to rest on a sidewalk. Thankfully, no one was injured and only the bumper and rear light were impacted. While I thought I put the car in park, I May have accidentally have left the car in drive when I turned the car off and this is my concern. With keyed systems, the safety mechanism is that one cannot remove the key until the car is properly in park (I assume others have done this). With the keyless, I parked, pulled the emergency brake, took my keys, locked the door and left the car. …
This past Sunday, my son was driving on 95 and the driver's side front wheel exploded off the car while driving. He did not hit anything, nor did he get a flat tire. The metal holding the tire literally broke, the wheel came off the car causing the car to drop on the front axle while he was doing 65 MPH on the highway.
I was slowing down and pulling into a parking spot in front of a restaurant for lunch. My 2016 vw passt v6 suddenly swirled to the left, jumped over curbs, and busted all four tires because of the impact. Towed to the dealer and was told that I could stepped on gas instead of break ot it could be the parking assistance took over the control of the car. When they replaced my tires,, they found an open record/campaign as described "96d6 2016-05-04 w-update - park assist and blind spot detection (nvlw)." I am not sure what this record means. Is it related to my incident? I wonder if anyone could help me understand this?
2016 vw Passat. Driver's side door latch freezes shut in temperatures below freezing. The key-less entry fob unlocks the door but the door cannot be opened when pulling the handle. Also, the inside handle will not open the door. All of the other door latches work normally. Weather conditions are good... No ice, snow or freezing rain. Just the temperature is below freezing. This is a potential life threatening safety issue if someone were to drive the car and not be able to exit in an emergency. It is possible to enter the car from the passenger side, slide over to the driver's side and drive the car. When the temperature rises above freezing, the latch works.
I I was in a car wreck in my 2015 wolf burg edition Passat on July 16, 2020 and my vehicle received major damages while the car was in motion on west thomas street in hammond louisiana, but the air bags didn't deploy at any time! My car was totaled by my insurance company. My air bags didn't provide any assistance related to my safety! I want to know if their are any recalls on the air bags for this vehicle.model.
Driver's side mirror becomes loose and a loud whistling sound is made when driving over 30 miles per hour. This is a manufacturer defect as it just started happening a couple of weeks after purchasing the car as a certified used vehicle. The dealer told me the warranty would not cover it. The door panel would have to be removed and a new mirror installed with no guarantee that it would not do it after replacement.
In 2022 I was in an accident on the highway; a dear hit my car while I was traveling at 70 MPH. My airbags did not deploy and I ended up hitting my head on the driver side window really hard and it gave me a concussion and I injured one of the disks in my back. I almost got hit by semi trucks traveling behind me as well. Again, my airbags didn't deploy after this and I've seen many recalls on the 2014 VW Passat specifically about the vehicles airbag deployment being that they're also Takata airbags that had major recalls too. They should've deployed on a head on collision. My insurance didn't total my car but I have proof that the entire frame was bent from the accident and my entire front headlight, fender and bumper are smashed in and wires for my transmission were severed. I still haven't settled this claim yet. I'm considering getting a lawyer about it.
Door latch failed to lock driver door. Door can't lock and will fly open when your operating. Acted up on a cold day where it wouldn't open then got stuck in the open position and wouldn't lock afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
Which Volkswagen Passat years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2002 (31), 2013 (31), 2003 (29), 2001 (24) and 2012 (17) model years. Body complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 2002.
Is there a recall for Volkswagen Passat body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for any Volkswagen Passat model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Volkswagen Passat body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles; 50% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body (122 mentions), followed by the body › door (19).
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.