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2018 Volkswagen Passat

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 110.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 17 of 45 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

What owners actually said

45 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 7, 2024
Fuel/propulsion System

Fuel pump Leak. Strong order of gasoline has been coming from the car. I had a check and the fuel pump is leaking. Other vehicles have been recalled due to this, but the Passat has not been included. This problem has been reported out in several cars including a fire….

NHTSA ODI #11613209

Mileage unknown · Apr 8, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion System

EPC light came on & check engine light Car shakes

NHTSA ODI #11581815

Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 2024
Engine

My oil sensor started blinking while I am driving. I stoped and added oil to the car because the level was in low level. Went to the dealership to check my car in if I do have leakage or if my engine did start to burn oil. They did suggest to come visit them after 600 miles which I did. And after check up they did end up saying …

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My oil sensor started blinking while I am driving. I stoped and added oil to the car because the level was in low level. Went to the dealership to check my car in if I do have leakage or if my engine did start to burn oil. They did suggest to come visit them after 600 miles which I did. And after check up they did end up saying yes your car did burn oil around 0.25 quart. And I suggest you to come after 600 miles again. I need that issue to be fixed and they are wasting my time in this unnecessary procedure. It was confirmed that my engine burn oil and I have got extended warranty plus my car was always been serviced by the vw dealership.

NHTSA ODI #11579645

Mileage unknown · Feb 8, 2024
Engine

I received a check engine light and my mechanic diagnosed the problem and attributed it to an the air pump control valve which was connected to primary engine water pump. A slight leak in the air system was noticed since the check valve failed. The primary engine water pump began to lose pressure over time causing increased t…

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I received a check engine light and my mechanic diagnosed the problem and attributed it to an the air pump control valve which was connected to primary engine water pump. A slight leak in the air system was noticed since the check valve failed. The primary engine water pump began to lose pressure over time causing increased tail pipe emissions. I tried to report this issue to VW but fell on deaf years. Since the primary engine water pump was part of a recall i was explaining that the air pump control valve also had to be replaced because the open/close relay stopped working. I spent 820 $ parts + labor to get this fixed and VW does not even want to accept it as a problem. I have been constantly encountering these problems with my VW car. This is a safety issue and hence wanted to report this to NHTSA.

NHTSA ODI #11570751

Mileage unknown · Jan 6, 2024
Air BagsCrash

Collision around 45 to 50 mph. Airbags frontal and side airbags didnt deployed Two vehicles invaded my lane and I ran into the second vehicle .

NHTSA ODI #11563910

Mileage unknown · Sep 20, 2023
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

First/only owner of a 2018 VW Passat GP r-line, scheduled maintenance intervals followed religiously and performed by VW; only filled with top tier fuel (mid/premium), no prev. indicator lights ever illuminated until ECM light (no accompanying warning lights) came on while driving at highway speed with Adaptive Cruise Control en…

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First/only owner of a 2018 VW Passat GP r-line, scheduled maintenance intervals followed religiously and performed by VW; only filled with top tier fuel (mid/premium), no prev. indicator lights ever illuminated until ECM light (no accompanying warning lights) came on while driving at highway speed with Adaptive Cruise Control engaged. Immediate loss of power and shaking vibration upon any attempt to accelerate/change lanes to safely get off of roadway. Once off roadway, all systems shut down and engine turned off for several minutes. Restarted car w/o difficulty, remained parked for 5 more minutes to monitor ECM light which did not return after shut down/restart. Returned to highway while safely merging into lane with conservative acceleration. ECM warning light did not return and vibration/shutterring had ceased. No unusual or abnormal gas mileage readings found upon close monitoring. Vehicle was driven x3 (relatively short distances) with speeds no greater than 65 mph; no return of ECM or any other warning lights. On the 4th drive, while attempting to evade an idiot, accelerator was applied more aggressively so as to avoid a near-catastrophic collision (nowhere to slow down or go to shoulder safely within 0.75/sec) which triggered the ECM light accompanied with loss of power/shuttering/vibration when pressure applied to accelerator. Pulled over, shut down, waited, panicked a little, then restarted engine. ECM light did not reappear after shut down/restart. Vehicle operated flawlessly once more. Injector/fuel system cleaner added to fuel tank and driven 40 mins in Sport mode to burn corrosive buildup effectively. Fuel tank refilled at new fueling station (thinking bad gas was a differential) and no issues since. Codes not showing up when diagnostics are ran. VW won’t fix something that isn’t presenting itself as a problem, at that very moment. 93k miles w/ NO prev. engine/emissions/transmission probs.

NHTSA ODI #11545705

Mileage unknown · Jul 7, 2023
Engine

Intake Manifold Runner is failing. This could suddenly put the vehicle in limp mode on the open highways, resulting in a hazardous situation due to sudden slowing. MIL light is illuminating and diagnostics from Meineke Car Care Center confirms failure of the Intake Manifold Runner. Similar issues have been noted with past VW mo…

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Intake Manifold Runner is failing. This could suddenly put the vehicle in limp mode on the open highways, resulting in a hazardous situation due to sudden slowing. MIL light is illuminating and diagnostics from Meineke Car Care Center confirms failure of the Intake Manifold Runner. Similar issues have been noted with past VW models, with Intake Manifold warranty extension to 10 years, 120,000 miles for 2006-2008, 2008-2012, and 2013-2017 model years. It seems the problem continues through 2018 as I reached 90,000 miles with a failure. Volkswagen service specialists was quoted as "that sounds about right" so the problem clearly lingers for the 2018 model years and beyond.

NHTSA ODI #11530921

35,000 miles · Apr 5, 2023
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced unstated electrical failures while driving at various speeds. Additionally, the rear-view camera would activate while the vehicle was in drive(D). The…

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The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced unstated electrical failures while driving at various speeds. Additionally, the rear-view camera would activate while the vehicle was in drive(D). The contact stated that the passenger occupant air bag sensor was flashing on and off without a passenger being seated in passenger’s side seat. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was determined that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

NHTSA ODI #11515663

25,000 miles · Feb 7, 2023
Service BrakesSuspension

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH or at various speeds, there was a delay while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle was also pulling to the left and the right while depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the susp…

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The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH or at various speeds, there was a delay while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle was also pulling to the left and the right while depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the suspension was loose while driving over bumps in the roadway causing the vehicle to bounce. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the front wheel bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

NHTSA ODI #11506122

Mileage unknown · Jun 14, 2022
Air Bags

Clockspring. Failed 1st time under recall and was replaced by dealer. Failed 2nd time and replaced outside of recall by indepenent. Failed 3rd time and has not been replaced. This has affected the adaptive cruise control, the electronic stability control, and now it engages the brake system when not called for.

NHTSA ODI #11469260

Official recalls

4

20V561000 · Unknown Or Other

Sep 16, 2020

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R and Atlas, 2017 Golf Alltrack and E-Golf and 2016-2018 Passat vehicles. These internal use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. The recall began October 6, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01E9.

19V389000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

May 22, 2019

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."

Consequence & remedy

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

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.

18V536000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper

Aug 15, 2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat vehicles. The brake caliper bracket mounting bolts on these vehicles may not have been tightened sufficiently.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The loose brake bracket bolts can allow the caliper to move, reducing braking ability or causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper bracket bolt tightness, replacing and re-torque the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Additionally brake caliper fasteners, bleeder valve, and brake hose bolts will be checked and torqued to the correct specification, if necessary, free of charge. For Passat vehicles, dealers will also inspect the parking brake cable for proper connection, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46H6.

18V369000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper

Jun 1, 2018

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.