Fuel system
Filed Jul 7, 2017
WHEN IN MOTION CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING
- NHTSA ID
- 11003542
- Incident
- Jun 5, 2017
- Mileage
- 121,353 mi
2003 Volkswagen Passat Wagon
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest Jul 7, 2017
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported
Overview
Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2003 Volkswagen Passat Wagon, most frequently naming the fuel system, electrical and interior & seats categories. 111 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 3 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Fuel system250.0%
- Electrical125.0%
- Interior & seats125.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
ElectricalInterior & seats
Filed Feb 17, 2016
Fire reported1 injury reported
MY FRONT DRIVER SEAT WARMER WAS TURNED ON LOW. I COULD FEEL THE SEAT GETTING WARMER AND CHECKED TO BE SURE THE SETTING WAS NOT ON HIGH WHICH IT WASN'T. I THOUGHT MAYBE I WAS BEING SENSITIVE AND STUCK MY MITTEN UNDER MY THIGH. I THEN NOTICED A FUNNY SMELL AND SUDDENLY THINGS GOT VERY HOT AND STARTED TO BURN MY LEG AS I WAS DRIVING. I LOOKED DOWN AND ACTUALLY STARTED TO SEE SMOKE. I WAS NOT ABLE TO JUST PULL OVER BUT QUICKLY TURNED THE SEAT OFF. I PULLED OUT MY MITTEN AND FLEECE WAS ACTUALLY MELTED. I WAS A BLOCK OR TWO FROM WORK AND TRIED TO KEEP FROM SITTING COMPLETELY DOWN AS IT BURNED. I ARRIVED AND JUMPED OUT TO SEE A BLACKENED AREA AND HOLE IN MY SEAT!! THE CAR WAS SMELLING AND I AM STILL IN SHOCK OVER THIS. I HAVE LOOKED AND CAN'T FIND A RECALL ON THE SEAT. THIS IS VERY DISTURBING AND DANGEROUS. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN NO MATTER HOW OLD THE CAR IS.
- NHTSA ID
- 10836594
- Incident
- Jan 15, 2016
- Mileage
- 165,459 mi
Fuel system
Filed May 3, 2013
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED A LEAK FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE LEAK WAS NOTICED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 02V026000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 10510560
- Incident
- Apr 26, 2013
- Mileage
- 115,000 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
V171901201285565
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards
V171901201285562
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION
Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
V171901201285560
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OIL/LUBRICATION
Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
V941901201152119
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
Update model year applicability to include 2023.
V271901201189422
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Battery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger. Updated to include additional model year applicability.
A002155201173212
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
This bulletin contains general instructions for software updates.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.