RoadVitals

2017 Volkswagen Passat

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.
110
Latest Aug 27, 2026
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.
7
Latest Oct 30, 2024
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.
10
3 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 110 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2017 Volkswagen Passat, most frequently naming the airbags, driver assistance and electrical categories. 7 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 677 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

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

7 campaigns cover this model year

View all 7

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
24V834000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

Oct 30, 2024
248,330 units potentially affected
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
The risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69EG, 69GQ, and 69E6.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number 69EG,69GQ,69E6View on NHTSA.gov
21V321000

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

May 5, 2021
46 units potentially affected
The defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas 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.
The risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
The remedy: Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number 01F1View on NHTSA.gov
20V561000

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Sep 16, 2020
23 units potentially affected
The defect: 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.
The risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
The 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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.Manufacturer number 01E9View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 110
Electrical
Filed Aug 27, 2026

I am reporting a recurring safety-related defect involving the factory-installed infotainment touchscreen in my 2017 Volkswagen Passat SE Technology. The touchscreen intermittently malfunctions in several ways. At times, the entire infotainment system freezes and becomes completely unresponsive, preventing access to any controls. The screen also has developed "dead spots" where touch inputs do not register. Additionally, it sometimes registers "phantom touches," responding to inputs when the screen is not being touched. I believe this presents a safety concern because the infotainment system is an integrated component of the vehicle and is intended to be operated by the driver. When the system freezes, fails to respond, or registers unintended inputs, the driver may have to divert their attention from the roadway to determine what is happening, attempt to operate the system, or restart it. Dead spots can also prevent the driver from accessing desired functions. Pennsylvania recognizes the safety risks associated with distracted driving, including activities that take a driver's eyes off the roadway or hands off the wheel. A malfunctioning factory-installed touchscreen can create this type of distraction even when the driver is attempting to use the vehicle's integrated system. I have found multiple reports from other 2017 Volkswagen Passat owners describing similar infotainment problems, including frozen screens and touchscreen areas that become unresponsive. This suggests that the issue may be a recurring defect rather than an isolated failure. I believe NHTSA should investigate this issue to determine whether there is a common defect affecting 2017 Volkswagen Passat infotainment systems and whether Volkswagen should provide a remedy. A factory-installed vehicle control system should respond consistently and predictably. A touchscreen that freezes, fails to register inputs, or generates unintended inputs can require additional driver attention and interaction.

NHTSA ID
11759962
Incident
Aug 26, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 5, 2026
Crash reported

The contact owns 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, with the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated, the vehicle failed to detect another vehicle and the vehicle was involved in a crash. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injuries sustained. A Police report was filed but the information was not provided. The vehicle was vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,000.

NHTSA ID
11755060
Incident
May 12, 2026
Mileage
114,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jul 22, 2026

cracks in the fuel pump houisng cauisng vapors and fumes into my car.

NHTSA ID
11751998
Incident
May 11, 2022
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Jan 15, 2026

ABS sensor has failed. Air bag sensor is faulty due to abs

NHTSA ID
11711118
Incident
Jan 5, 2026
Brakes
Filed Dec 3, 2025

said vehicle started making a grinding sound and all of a sudden the brake pad or shoe they'll completely off of the vehicle and the caliper for disc brake was the wrong calipers on my front end of my vehicle and now it's upside down and backwards and it's not the right calipers for my vehicle

NHTSA ID
11702816
Incident
Dec 31, 1969
Filed Dec 3, 2025

while in cruise control and going up a incline or a hill The EPC light will come on and the car will start lugging down very badly and have no power, they've said vehicle has done this for a year now and we have not been able to get any kind of acknowledgment of it from another dealership or the actual company I've said make and model of vehicle Volkswagen Passat

NHTSA ID
11702812
Incident
Dec 1, 2025
ElectricalEngine
Filed Nov 10, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power, with the check engine warning light and an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to intermittently start and stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure could be related to an electrical malfunction. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 355,000.

NHTSA ID
11698579
Incident
Nov 10, 2025
Mileage
355,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Oct 12, 2025

began smelling fuel in the cockpit about 2 months ago but thought not much about why until it kept getting stronger. Looked under the car a saw fuel dripping in front of rear passenger wheel and directly under tank.

NHTSA ID
11692933
Incident
Sep 28, 2025

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SM 35-2026

ENGINE

This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward.

TT 00-13-04_7

Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order

V0026012081638_2

Differences between a leak and seepage

VOS-26-42

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 - Hotfix 12-V battery test(s) – No battery diagnosis - Inconclusive test result.

V1718062017813_24

ENGINE

Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement

TT 10-18-02_2

ENGINE

Lubricating engine components before reassembly.

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

Volkswagen Passat by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2025000—
2024000—
2023000—
2022130044.3
2021181048.7
2020183055.1
2019121030.5
2018454059.7
2017Viewing1107056.8
20161065051.5
20152437052.6
201459410359.1
20137489358.5
201248311359.4
2011160253.8
20101634354.9
20091464157.8
20081684047.4
20072627152.9
20065767153.3
20051484361.4
20042794362.2
20036347667.2
20026364963.1
20014304760.2
20005075762.0
19996646858.6
19983315658.1
1997701245.7
19961421448.2
1995931246.2
1994251243.2
1993683364.3
1992391042.3
1991241037.0
1990342050.1
1989010—
1988010—

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.