2014 Volkswagen Passat Fuel system Problems

The vehicle experienced repeated catastrophic engine failures, including failure of a replacement engine. Approximately six months after purchase and at around 80,000 miles, the engine failed and required a complete engine replacement through Volkswagen and the MaxCare service contract. Approximately one to one and a half years later, at around 120,000 miles, the replacement engine also failed. The vehicle developed rough idle conditions, check engine light warnings, timing chain and camshaft-related issues, lubrication-related concerns, and severe engine performance problems. Volkswagen later recommended another complete engine rebuild or replacement along with additional engine-related repairs. The vehicle became non-operable and could no longer be safely or reliably driven. The repeated failure of both the original engine and replacement engine suggests an ongoing defect-related condition rather than normal wear or an isolated mechanical failure. The problems were confirmed and documented by Volkswagen service personnel. Similar engine-related concerns involving oil consumption, lubrication issues, timing system concerns, and engine performance problems are also reflected in Volkswagen Technical Service Bulletins involving this type of engine.

NHTSA ID

11737686

Incident

Nov 1, 2025

Local dealership requesting for Volkswagen to authorize an inspection at no charge due to excessive oil consumption. Please see attachment from dealership.

NHTSA ID

11663975

Incident

May 30, 2025

There has been an excessive oil consumption in this vehicle , and reading other reports there maybe an issue, also this vehicle has been part of several recalls previously and I am concerned and I don’t feel safe to drive it . I would like for VW to inspect the car free of charge for this particular issue.

NHTSA ID

11645121

Incident

Jan 1, 2025

Car started to stall, the spark plugs, injectors, sensors all replaced. I go to pickup the car on three different occasions and it won't go 1/10 of a mile without stalling and refuses to start. The garage I was dealing with refuses to work on it any more. I think this seems to be a common problem with the 2014 Passats, but I don't see where anyone's has been fixed. The stalling has happened on multiple dates. Now it's at a garage and can't even get it to dealer and have already spent over 1000.00

NHTSA ID

11564783

Incident

Nov 3, 2022

To Whom It May Concern. Good afternoon. I really need your help on this. This particular vehicle has a defective DEF emission system that renders the car inoperable when the DEF sensors start acting up. Between 2022-2023, I took this vehicle to the Volkswagen dealership on numerous times, over ten different times. This vehicle was still protected under a factory emissions DEF extended warranty. The engine mounted diesel injection pump was changed by me when the Volkswagen dealer refused to honor the defective diesel injection pump. The DEF emissions systems has had numerous issues including shutting off on the freeway due to defective DEF sensors. Between 2022-2023 I was forced to keep the vehicle on for up to 96 hours costing me considerable expenses in fuel, and abnormally high mechanical wear and tear on my vehicle because I was unable to turn the vehicle off due to a Volkswagen diesel no-restart emissions issue that can only be repaired at the Volkswagen dealership. VWOA has acted in extremely bad faith causing unnecessary hardship on their customers that erroneously purchased a Volkswagen Passat diesel with the DEF emission system. Volkswagen ripped me off by selling a defective vehicle, then refusing to honor their factory extended emissions warranty on the defective DEF systems. Please intervene. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11550534

Incident

Oct 5, 2022

High pressure fuel pump failed contaminating entire fuel system. Causing about $4,000 in damage. Have 108,000 miles. Passats up to 2012 are warrantied up to 120,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11512534

Incident

Mar 9, 2023

Bought my car in November 2019 from an individual after bout 6 months i noticed that my car would slighty cut out when slowing down or cominv to a stop but it wasnt often til bout another 6 months that it began to cut out when slowing down and stopping more and aggressively and it would die then it does it just idling and even when im driving at a low speed as long as i stay at a higher speed ot isnt as bad theres no warning or check engine lights that come on at all when it dies sometime i dont even know it did until i see thr red battery light illuminated car will start back up but if i dont give it high speed it again will cut out aggressively and die if im going 40mph in mid drive it does it. Ive had thr spark plugs changed oil changed thr cam position sensor changed the alternator and battery check they were fine i do however sometime after turninv my car off hear the fuel pump still on so i have to turn key over and back off for it to go off it throws no coded an last mechanic said it did ok aftet clearing all codes but wasnt sure if it would fix it whivh it didnt ive seen online car blogs of anothers with same year make an model having same issue and some said it was the fuel pump control module/fuel pump there is a recall but my car is not under it its dangerous risking driving because any slow speed or having to stop slow doen to turn my car will stall and shut off instantly which can lead to accidents its said this is an issue among same year make an model but cars like mine arent under the recall for the fuel pump issues it needs to be addressed please thank you

NHTSA ID

11509434

Incident

May 6, 2020

Hi , My 2014 Passat driven by a family member struck a parked truck. Luckily, nobody was hurt! The parked car was not occupied and the driver of the Passat was able to exit the vehicle unharmed. The speed was about 35 mph and the air bags deployed. This front collision resulted in a major fire that totally destroyed the car. The insurance company (Progressive) is currently in the possession of the car. And one other important thing to note is that, about 2 years ago, this car was also involved in a different accident when it reared a car. That collision did not result in the deployment of the air bags but caused lots of damage. The radiator and lots of the plastic in the front needed replacement at that time. I don't recall the exact amount for the damage, but we ended up paying the full 2k deductible to get the car back.

NHTSA ID

11502721

Incident

Jan 13, 2023

My gas tank is leaking gas out of the top onto the ground and fumes are coming into the cabin.

NHTSA ID

11498803

Incident

Jun 1, 2021

Check engine comes on 2014 VW Passat TDI 68,000 miles. Dealer code shows NOx sensor is bad. This car is covered through 2024 and 120000 miles by VW extended emissions warranty due to Diesel emissions fraud settlement with US Government. VW refusing to honor warranty and make repair.

NHTSA ID

11486034

Incident

Sep 20, 2022

2014 VW Passat: EPC light and Engine light went on, 1/11/2022. Car stalled. Called AAA and waited awhile. Tried again and car started so I drove.... 0.4 miles and it happened again. AAA driver said it wasn't the battery (lights were still on). Towed to my mechanic. He changed the oil and gave me a new battery. I drove 600 miles roundtrip the next day. Then, on 1/22/2022 same thing happened. EPC light, Engine light went on and Car stalled. The fix: I needed a new Fuel Pump Control Module. Interestingly enough, my OTHER VW Passat (2006) had a recall on the Fuel Pump.

NHTSA ID

11454123

Incident

Jan 11, 2022

I bought an extended warranty on this car and it does not cover ESC light coming on . Car is burning oil. I’m afraid to drive due to the ESC also car misfires hardly

NHTSA ID

11452967

Incident

Feb 1, 2022

Took vehicle to shop report oil leak no warning signs causing timing chain problems what is the cause of oil leak is the recall issue on the engine?

NHTSA ID

11452632

Incident

Feb 3, 2022

Catastrophic failure of high pressure fuel pump sent metal shards into my fuel system on my vw tdi 2014 diesel car . Unknown high dollar repair costs. This is a known issue with this make model year and engine but when I call vw customer care they say my specific car isn’t covered. I don’t understand how that is possible. I also found an extension to cover this exact issue published by NHTSA.gov and yet vw still says my car isn’t covered and I have to foot all the bills. Please help

NHTSA ID

11452266

Incident

Feb 13, 2022

Vehicle engine abruptly stopped running on roadway. No prior symptoms. Would not restart although starter properly engaged. MIL light did not illuminate prior to stoppage. BlueDriver device showed no stored codes. Tow required. VW dealer service department was backed up and stated they could not even begin diagnosis for 2 to 3 weeks. Independent service technician diagnosed problem as failure of fuel pump control module and replaced the module.

NHTSA ID

11445759

Incident

Dec 27, 2021

After having parked the car long enough to eat dinner out, I pulled out onto the main street and the car engine showed clear signs of distress, sputtering, missing and ultimately going into what seemed to be limp mode. I was able to pull off the main lanes before the car died and would not re-engage after three attempts to restart. On the third attempt, the car stopped attempting to crank and the dash lights all began to blink until the only extra light that was left was the coil (glow plug indicator). We were left stranded in the street for a while until we could safely exit to push it out of the road and to a safe place. I later had the car towed to my mechanic where the issues were accessed and diagnosed. The causation of the failure is a combination of the first fuel pump failing and disintegrating then dispersing medal shards throughout the fuel system and ruining it entirety. I have never had any indicators or issues with this vehicle. There were no prior warnings or problems with the car. I was very blind sided and stranded in the road then felt forced to put myself in harms way to get it pushed out of danger and prevent an accident with another vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11434632

Incident

Sep 24, 2021

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO IN ARIZONA. IT HAS ONLY EVER BEEN SERVICED BY VOLKWAGEN DEALERSHIPS. SINCE HAVING THE CAR, I HAVE HAD TO HAVE ITS TURBO REPAIRED, NEW FUEL LINES PUT IN, SEVERAL ELECTRONIC PARTS, AND FINALLY ON MY WAY TO SCHOOL FROM BOSTON TO PITTSBURGH, MY ENGINE STARTS SMOKING. AFTER THIS INCIDENT IT WENT TO 'MINUTEMAN VOLKSWAGEN' JUST OUTSIDE OF BOSTON, WHERE THE ISSUE WAS STILL NOT ABLE TO BE RESOLVED. I THEN HAD TO HAVE THE CAR SHIPPED OUT OF POCKET TO A VOLKWAGEN DEALERSHIP IN PITTSBURGH WHERE A NEW ELECTRONICS UNIT WAS PUT IN. I WAS ASSURED AFTER THIS ELECTRONIC UNIT WAS INSTALLED, MY CAR WOULD BE BACK TO NORMAL, AS THIS WAS NOT AN ENGINE ISSUE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. TODAY I RECEIVE A CALL INFORMING ME THAT THE ELECTRONICS UNIT WAS INSTALLED AND IT TURNS OUT THAT IT IS, IN FACT, AN ENGINE ISSUE. I WAS IN SERIOUS DANGER AT THE TIME MY ENGINE STARTED SMOKING. MY FAMILY HAS FUNDS AND ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO TAKE WHATEVER STEPS NECESSARY TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. MY MOTHER DIED IN A CAR ACCIDENT IN 2018 IN A CAR ADVERTISING EXCEPTIONAL SAFETY (JUST LIKE THIS ONE). IT HAS PROVIDED ME WITH THE OPPOSITE. I FEEL CONSTANTLY UNSAFE IN THE VEHICLE, AND THE SMOKING ENGINE WAS THE TIPPING POINT FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. THIS ISSUE WILL BE ADDRESSED.

NHTSA ID

11398787

Incident

Dec 26, 2020

Mileage

70,000 mi

2ND TIME IN AS MANY WEEKS. SHOP CLEARED ERRORS. REAPPEARED TODAY. 200 MILE WARNING DOES NOT REDUCE WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE A SECOND APPOINTMENT WITH SHOP TO FIX.

NHTSA ID

11395476

Incident

Feb 9, 2021

Mileage

47,000 mi

VEHICLE STALLS AT RED LIGHTS OR WHEN IDLE. EPC LIGHT CONTINUES TO LIGHT UP. CONTINUE TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALERS EACH TIME THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIX STATING CHANGE THE OIL IT IS BAD. AT THIS TIME WE ARE REPLACING ENGINE AT 86,000 MILES, FUEL PUMP WAS ALSO CHANGED IN DECEMBER 2020.

NHTSA ID

11389622

Incident

May 1, 2020

THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A MAJOR CITY THOROUGHFARE WHEN IT SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN AND STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, IN TRAFFIC. IT WOULD NOT RESTART AND HAD TO BE MOVED OUT OF THE STREET. IT WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE FUEL PUMP AND CONTROL UNIT ARE DEFECTIVE AND MADE THE CAR INOPERABLE.

NHTSA ID

11372818

Incident

Oct 26, 2020

Mileage

57,026 mi

I TOOK MY CAR TO VOLKSWAGEN ONLY FOR THEM TO TELL ME THAT THE COOLANT NEEDED TO BE FLUSHED DUE TO THE EPC LIGHT I SPENT 300 BUCKS AND A WEEK LATER THEY TOLD ME THAT THE FUEL PUMP OR FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE CLEANED TAKE THE GAS OUT AND PUT MORE GAS IN AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SPARK PLUGS WHICH IS ANOTHER 800 BUCKS THAT IS ALMOST 1000 WITHIN TWO WEEKS FOR A EPC LIGHT

NHTSA ID

11366745

Incident

Oct 27, 2020

CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD. CHARCOAL CANISTER IS JUNK COMING FROM VW. THEY KNOW IT, AND IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED, AND VW NEEDS TO PAY FOR IT.

NHTSA ID

11364519

Incident

Sep 18, 2020

Mileage

59,000 mi

DRAINS NEW BATTERY OVERNIGHT... HEAR ELECTRIC COMPONENT RUNNING WHEN OPENING DRIVER SIDE DOOR GAS SMELL IN ENCLOSE ENVIRONMENT (GARAGE) ALTHOUGH NO LEAK FOUND ON THE FLOOR. ONGOING PROBLEM, IT CAN GO A COUPLE OF WEEKS WITHOUT RECHARGING BATTERY, BUT SUDDENLY IS DEAD...

NHTSA ID

11289137

Incident

Dec 15, 2019

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE VEHICLE SUFFERED A SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 43K ON IT AND WAS JUST PURCHASED AFTER RECEIVING THE TDI UPDATE 3K MILES AGO. THE FUEL PUMP FAILURE OCCURRED AROUND 60-70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND LEAD TO THE VEHICLE LOSING ALL POWER AND BARELY MAKING IT TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I HAVE NOW LEARNED THAT THIS FAILURE HAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED MY FUEL SYSTEM AND IS NOT COVERED BY VW EVEN THOUGHTHEY ARE USING THE SAME PART THAT THEY ARE COVERING FOR THE 2010-2013 MODEL YEARS THEY OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON. NOT ONLY IS THIS INCREDIBLY UNSAFE, AS A CONSUMER THIS TYPE OF UNPREDICTABLE AND COMMON FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE.

NHTSA ID

11281805

Incident

Nov 21, 2019

Mileage

43,000 mi

DEC 26 2018 THE CAR STALLED AS I WAS BACKING UP OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE, PUSHED THE CAR BACK INTO THE SPACE AND WAITED 20 MINUTES AND THE CAR STARTED AND I DROVE IT TO THE VW DEALER AND WAS TOLD DO NOT USE WAWA GAS. JUNE 21 2019 THE CAR STALLED AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT TRADER JOES PUSHED THE CAR BACK INTO SPACE .WAITED 20 MINUTES STARTED CAR WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS CAR HAD 69,050 MILES STILL UNDER WARRANTY. OCTOBER 1 ST BACKING OUT OF TRADER JOES PARKING LOT AND CAR STALLS AGAIN WAIT 30 MINUTES AND THEN DRIVE TO THE DEALER AND I AM TOLD I NEED A FUEL PUMP AND MODULE. AND NOW THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY.. I HAVE READ THAT SEVERAL MODELS OF VW HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE FUEL PUMP BUT MINE WAS NOT INCLUDED.

NHTSA ID

11266579

Incident

Oct 1, 2019

Mileage

71,000 mi