Volkswagen Passat Transmission Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Not unusually. Owners have filed 171 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2022 Volkswagen Passat. For the Volkswagen Passat, that's 0.09 transmission complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2020 cohorts, below the 0.28 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2014, 2010 and 2013.
Transmission complaints
171
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2022 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.09
2015–2020 cohorts
Share of all complaints
6%
of 2,872 complaints for this model
Transmission recalls
1
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Volkswagen Passat transmission complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline), and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Transmission complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Transmission recalls | Transmission TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 12 | — | 6.9% | 0 | — | 40 |
| 2009 | 10 | — | 6.6% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2010WORST | 34 | — | 19.8% | 0 | — | 53 |
| 2011 | 1 | — | 6.7% | 0 | — | 45 |
| 2012 | 15 | — | 3.1% | 1 | — | 134 |
| 2013WORST | 33 | — | 4.4% | 2 | — | 124 |
| 2014WORST | 37 | — | 6.3% | 0 | 14V182000 | 115 |
| 2015 | 12 | 0.15 | 4.9% | 1 | — | 55 |
| 2016 | 5 | 0.07 | 4.7% | 0 | — | 43 |
| 2017 | 5 | 0.08 | 4.7% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 | 0.07 | 6.7% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 | 0.14 | 16.7% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | — | 21 |
| 2022 | 2 | — | 18.2% | 0 | — | 12 |
- 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 transmission.
Common Volkswagen Passat transmission problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 171 transmission 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 transmission
2014 Volkswagen Passat
37 transmission complaints (6.3% of the year's 592). Most often described: loss of power or limp mode. Covered by transmission recall 14V182000.
2010 Volkswagen Passat
34 transmission complaints (19.8% of the year's 172). Most often described: jerking, lurching or harsh shifts.
2013 Volkswagen Passat
33 transmission complaints (4.4% of the year's 747). Most often described: loss of power or limp mode.
Worst years are those with at least 10 transmission 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 transmission recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Power Train for any Volkswagen Passat model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
- 14V182000 · 2014-04-15 · 2014 models
In the affected vehicles, the O-ring seals between the oil cooler and the transmission may leak fluid.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2014 Volkswagen Passat have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 37 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2014 Volkswagen Passat, 6.3% of all 592 complaints for that year. The most common description is "loss of power or limp mode" (5 complaints). One transmission-related recall covers it: 14V182000.
Does the 2010 Volkswagen Passat have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 34 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2010 Volkswagen Passat, 19.8% of all 172 complaints for that year. The most common description is "jerking, lurching or harsh shifts" (9 complaints).
Does the 2013 Volkswagen Passat have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 33 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 Volkswagen Passat, 4.4% of all 747 complaints for that year. The most common description is "loss of power or limp mode" (10 complaints). 2 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Volkswagen Passat years have the most transmission complaints?
2014 (37), 2010 (34) and 2013 (33), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the transmission. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Volkswagen Passat transmission problems?
In the 171 transmission complaints, owners most often describe loss of power or limp mode (14%), jerking, lurching or harsh shifts (12.9%) and hesitation or delayed engagement (8.8%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a transmission 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 transmission complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline).
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 transmission 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