Volkswagen Passat Engine Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Some, but not unusually many. Owners have filed 501 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2022 Volkswagen Passat. For the Volkswagen Passat, that's 0.34 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2020 cohorts, close to the 0.44 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2013, 2014 and 2009.
Engine complaints
501
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2022 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.34
2015–2020 cohorts
Share of all complaints
17.4%
of 2,872 complaints for this model
Engine recalls
3
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Volkswagen Passat engine complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Engine complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Engine recalls | Engine TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 53 | — | 30.5% | 5 | 08V235000 | 204 |
| 2009WORST | 65 | — | 42.8% | 9 | — | 238 |
| 2010 | 44 | — | 25.6% | 0 | — | 244 |
| 2011 | 6 | — | 40% | 0 | — | 158 |
| 2012 | 43 | — | 8.9% | 2 | 17V309000 | 411 |
| 2013WORST | 109 | — | 14.6% | 6 | 17V309000 | 421 |
| 2014WORST | 80 | — | 13.5% | 1 | 17V309000 | 425 |
| 2015 | 54 | 0.69 | 22.2% | 1 | 15V705000 | 290 |
| 2016 | 19 | 0.26 | 17.9% | 0 | 15V705000 | 207 |
| 2017 | 7 | 0.12 | 6.5% | 0 | — | 193 |
| 2018 | 11 | 0.27 | 24.4% | 1 | — | 165 |
| 2019 | 2 | 0.14 | 16.7% | 0 | — | 165 |
| 2020 | 5 | 0.2 | 33.3% | 0 | — | 148 |
| 2022 | 3 | — | 27.3% | 0 | — | 88 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- No row for 2021: NHTSA's complaints data returned no records for that year under this model's names.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.
Common Volkswagen Passat engine problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 501 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Volkswagen Passat years to avoid for the engine
2013 Volkswagen Passat
109 engine complaints (14.6% of the year's 747). Most often described: misfire or check-engine light. Covered by engine recall 17V309000.
2014 Volkswagen Passat
80 engine complaints (13.5% of the year's 592). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving. Covered by engine recall 17V309000.
2009 Volkswagen Passat
65 engine complaints (42.8% of the year's 152). Most often described: timing chain or belt.
Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Volkswagen Passat years to avoid.
Volkswagen Passat engine recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Volkswagen Passat model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
- 17V309000 · 2017-05-11 · 2012–2014 models
The vehicle's underbody heat shield may not be long enough to protect the right half-shaft grease boot from heat, potentially resulting in a grease leak.
- 15V705000 · 2015-10-26 · 2015–2016 models
In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.
- 08V235000 · 2008-05-28 · 2008 models
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 4,079 MY 2008 PASSAT AND 2,500 MY 2009 TIGUAN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2.0T FSI ULEV II ENGINES. THESE VEHICLES HAVE AN ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) CONTAINING SOFTWARE THAT MAY NOT PROPERLY CONTROL ENGINE IDLE WITH THE AIR…
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Frequently asked questions
Does the 2013 Volkswagen Passat have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 109 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat, 14.6% of all 747 complaints for that year. The most common description is "misfire or check-engine light" (26 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 17V309000. 6 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2014 Volkswagen Passat have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 80 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2014 Volkswagen Passat, 13.5% of all 592 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (16 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 17V309000. 1 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2009 Volkswagen Passat have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 65 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2009 Volkswagen Passat, 42.8% of all 152 complaints for that year. The most common description is "timing chain or belt" (16 complaints). 9 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Volkswagen Passat years have the most engine complaints?
2013 (109), 2014 (80) and 2009 (65), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Volkswagen Passat engine problems?
In the 501 engine complaints, owners most often describe misfire or check-engine light (21.8%), stalling or shutting off while driving (19.6%) and timing chain or belt (13.8%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a engine failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Volkswagen Passat model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration