NHTSA vehicle safety data

2015 Volkswagen Passat Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2015 Volkswagen Passat has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns and 243 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Volkswagen dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2015 Volkswagen Passat, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2015 Volkswagen Passat owner complaints

Owners have filed 243 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Volkswagen Passat, describing incidents dated October 4, 2014 to July 23, 2026.

Most-cited components

Air Bags 88 complaints
Engine 54 complaints
Electrical System 48 complaints
Unknown or Other 40 complaints
Service Brakes 28 complaints
Steering 26 complaints

Of the 243 complaints on file, 11 report a crash and 2 a fire; across all 243 complaints, owners report 14 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11752613 · Filed July 24, 2026
Vehicle has an excessive gasoline smell coming from the driver front of the vehicle- mechanics have not been able to determine the exact location of the problem.
ODI #11716751 · Filed February 9, 2026
While driving on the highway my car suddenly began to stall. It lost power later after that & when I got an oil change then tried to drive it later I was stopped by another driver told something is leaking. While driving to a Autozone I noticed the gears jump while shifting from 1 to 2 and I now…
ODI #11715795 · Filed February 5, 2026
The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle sputtered intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that fuel was leaking into the engine compartment, causing engine failure. The…

Read all 243 complaints

Driver Side Air Bag Inflator May Explode

NHTSA #19V862000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Driver Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported December 4, 2019 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 226 vehicles

Repair completion: 65.04% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Volkswagen campaign 69R6,69Q8,69Q9,69Y5 · Owners notified December 20, 2019 · Vehicles built July 7, 2011 – May 27, 2015 (per NHTSA)

Recall group: Takata airbag inflators

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Safety consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Headlights can be Adjusted/FMVSS 108

NHTSA #19V389000 · Exterior Lighting — Headlights · NHTSA notice

Reported May 22, 2019 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 662,185 vehicles

Repair completion: 68.8% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Volkswagen campaign 94L9 · Owners notified July 16, 2019 · Vehicles built December 23, 2010 – October 2, 2015 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Safety consequence

Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L9.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Driver's Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture

NHTSA #19V014000 · Air Bags — Frontal — Driver Side — Inflator Module · NHTSA notice

Reported January 11, 2019 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 119,394 vehicles

Repair completion: 81.92% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Volkswagen campaign 69S8/69Y5 · Owners notified March 4, 2019 · Vehicles built November 14, 2013 – October 2, 2015 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Recall group: Takata airbag inflators

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Passat, 2015-2016 Eos, 2015-2017 CC, 2016-2017 TT Roadster, TT Coupe, 2017 Audi R8 Coupe, and R8 Spyder vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.

Safety consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Manufacturer remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298; Audi owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69S8 (Audi) and 69Y5 (Volkswagen).

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Loss of Power Brakes due to Camshaft Lobe Fracture

NHTSA #15V705000 · Engine and Engine Cooling — Engine · NHTSA notice

Reported October 26, 2015 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 91,867 vehicles

Repair completion: 92.86% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Volkswagen campaign 23R1 · Owners notified March 9, 2016 · Vehicles built November 17, 2014 – August 26, 2015 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.

Safety consequence

If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Left Rear Brake Line may be Loose

NHTSA #15V373000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Foundation Components — Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings · NHTSA notice

Reported June 15, 2015 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 62 vehicles

Repair completion: 100% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Volkswagen campaign 47M3 · Owners notified June 11, 2015 · Vehicles built May 18, 2015 – May 21, 2015 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

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.

Safety consequence

If the brake line was not properly tightened, it may leak brake fluid, causing a reduction in braking performance, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of crash.

Manufacturer 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. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47M3.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Fuel Leaking Into Engine Compartment

NHTSA #15V028000 · Fuel System, Gasoline — Fuel Injection System — Fuel Rail · NHTSA notice

Reported January 23, 2015 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 44,658 vehicles

Repair completion: 94.32% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Volkswagen campaign 24BL · Owners notified February 9, 2015 · Vehicles built April 7, 2014 – November 18, 2014 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to November 24, 2014, 2014-2015 Passat vehicles manufactured April 7, 2014, to November 18, 2014, 2015 Golf and GTI vehicles manufactured July 1, 2014, to November 20, 2014, and 2014-2015 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles manufactured March 31, 2014, to November 27, 2014. A sealing cap at the fuel rail may fail, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment.

Safety consequence

A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.

Manufacturer remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails with new parts, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24BL. Note: This recall expands and supersedes recall 14V-809 (Volkswagen recall number 24Bi) and only affects vehicles not previously repaired under that campaign.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Possible Movement of Seatback

NHTSA #14V670000 · Seats · NHTSA notice

Reported October 24, 2014 · Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Potentially affected: 393 vehicles

Repair completion: 96.95% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Volkswagen campaign 72F1 · Owners notified November 19, 2014 · Vehicles built September 23, 2014 – October 9, 2014 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Volkswagen Jetta and Passat vehicles manufactured September 23, 2014, to October 9, 2014, and equipped with manual front seatback recliners. In the affected vehicles, the seatback recliner retaining bracket may not engage correctly, resulting in unexpected movement of the seatback.

Safety consequence

Unexpected movement of the driver's seatback may distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the assembly of the seatback recliner retaining bracket, correcting it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 72F1.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2015 Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Frontal Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Crash

Driver: 4, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Rollover

11% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control

243 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Volkswagen Passat.

Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11752613

Incident: July 23, 2026 · Filed: July 24, 2026

Vehicle has an excessive gasoline smell coming from the driver front of the vehicle- mechanics have not been able to determine the exact location of the problem.

Power Train; Vehicle Speed Control; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11716751

Incident: February 6, 2026 · Filed: February 9, 2026

While driving on the highway my car suddenly began to stall. It lost power later after that & when I got an oil change then tried to drive it later I was stopped by another driver told something is leaking. While driving to a Autozone I noticed the gears jump while shifting from 1 to 2 and I now can’t past 20 mph. I’ve already gotten the camshaft replaced and while researching I learned my cars make and model is being recalled for everything my car is going through. The vin says it’s not eligible for any recalls. Its maintenance is unkept.

Fuel System, Gasoline; Engine

ODI #11715795

Incident: July 5, 2024 · Filed: February 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle sputtered intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that fuel was leaking into the engine compartment, causing engine failure. The contact stated that the dealer had repaired the vehicle and possibly cleaned the engine. The dealer had informed the contact that the engine would last 4-6 months before complete engine failure. The vehicle was returned to the contact; however, while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle sputtered and then lost power. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts to continue driving. The vehicle was returned to the dealer but was not repaired. The dealer suggested that a new vehicle be purchased. The contact searched online and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V028000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was unknown.

Air Bags; Unknown or Other

ODI #11713332

Crash

Incident: January 22, 2026 · Filed: January 26, 2026

The vehicle was rear-ended, lost control, traveled approximately 500 feet, and rolled multiple times. Side and curtain airbags deployed; however, the front airbags did not deploy. The vehicle was declared a total loss. The driver exited the vehicle without assistance. The vehicle is currently preserved at a tow lot.

Visibility/Wiper

ODI #11703926

Incident: December 1, 2025 · Filed: December 9, 2025

The heater core becomes clogged and limits heat available for windshield defogging and defrosting. This creates a visibility hazard during inclement weather and makes the cabin uncomfortable during cold weather. The heater core was diagnosed and replaced on this vehicle in December 2024. The same symptoms have returned in December 2025. Volkwagen issued TSB VWP-16-05 to remedy this same issue in 2013-2014 Passats. I own a 2015 Passat. 2015 Passats have the same symptoms and problems.

Visibility/Wiper

ODI #11703917

Incident: December 1, 2024 · Filed: December 9, 2025

The heater core becomes clogged and limits heat available for defrosting the windshield. The heat available is insufficient to defrost and maintain visibility while driving under adverse conditions. The cabin also becomes uncomfortable because of limited heat during cold weather operation. Volkwagen issued TSB VWP-16-05 for this issue for this model for the model year prior to my car. I had this issue repaired in December 2024. The same problem and symptoms have returned in December 2025.

Electrical System; Visibility

ODI #11702531

Incident: November 17, 2025 · Filed: December 2, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that cool air was being blown inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the heater failed to heat the passenger’s side of the vehicle. Additionally, the defroster failed to properly defrost the windshield while activated. The contact linked the failure to VWP:16‑05; (Heater Core Limited Warranty Extension). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

Electrical System; Air Bags

ODI #11699627

Incident: August 20, 2025 · Filed: November 16, 2025

The airbag system/clockspring assembly in the steering column appears to have failed. The airbag warning light turned on and all steering-wheel controls stopped working at the same time, which indicates that the driver airbag may not function in a crash. The vehicle can be inspected upon request. This is a major safety risk because the primary airbag might not deploy during a collision, putting the driver at high risk of injury. The issue has remained constant since it first appeared. I had the vehicle inspected by a highly reputable independent repair shop, and their assessment was that the clockspring/airbag component has failed. They advised that the necessary replacement part is unavailable to order, leaving the vehicle without a functional airbag system. I have also seen many other owners of similar 2015 Passat models reporting the same failure online, which suggests this may be a widespread defect. The airbag light is the only warning I received. It turned on a few months ago and has stayed on continuously since. UNKNOWN if there are other related electrical faults.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11695340

Incident: October 1, 2025 · Filed: October 23, 2025

Gas smell inside vehicle Plastic canister under back seat leaking gas smell /has cracked

Engine

ODI #11693419

Incident: October 8, 2025 · Filed: October 14, 2025

My vehicle is a MY2015 Passat TDI SEL with the EA288 (CVCA) diesel engine. Water Pump Failure Occurred at 99488 miles. Leaking coolant from underneath the engine and the expansion tank bottle became empty. Vehicle was parked after a quick 8 min drive to work from home in the morning (~8:45AM) and when I came back at 12PM around 1 quart of coolant had leaked out. Luckily I was not on the freeway or driving the vehicle where it would ride on its torque curve increasing probability of catastrophic failures even after there are usually software induced engine protection derates in place. Official service interval for water pump and timing belt on this engine is 130000 miles but there have been numerous field incidents of pre-mature water pump failures which can be very expensive to fix (~2500 USD). Volkswagen/Audi already have a class action lawsuit against them on their 2.0 TFSI (EA888) water pump failures and I'm wondering why their MY2015 2.0 TDI (EA288) diesel engine has not been investigated for the same. This engine was only available in certain MY2015 VW/Audi vehicles but just because the cumulative number of vehicles with this engine are lower does not mean that it shouldn't be investigated for a very similar manufacturing/design defect of the water pump. I would strongly urge NHTSA to do a similar investigation on this 2.0 TDI engine and hold the manufacturer accountable.

Other Volkswagen Passat model years

Check your 2015 Volkswagen Passat VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Volkswagen Passat at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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