2021 Volkswagen Passat Owner Complaints

I am requesting that Volkswagen open a formal case regarding a fire involving my 2021 Volkswagen Passat. On May 6, 2026, at approximately 9:30 PM, after driving about seven miles, I came to a complete stop and the vehicle began smoking before catching fire. The vehicle has been declared a total loss and is currently being stored at a salvage yard pending investigation. I am requesting that Volkswagen investigate the cause of the fire and advise whether an inspection of the vehicle will be conducted.

NHTSA ID

11742775

Incident

Jun 6, 2026

I was parking my car and then I heard a loud crack. Then I noticed my car's airbag malfunction warning notice came up on the dashboard along with other failures. I can see on the edges of the horn panel on the left that its slightly detached, so it seem the airbag has somewhat inflated. I haven't taken it to the dealer yet, but will later after work. I didn't notice any issues prior to this happening

NHTSA ID

11701230

Incident

Nov 24, 2025

Driving home from work around 1:00 am at night with street lights and no other cars in the vicinity the auto brake engaged, causing an abrupt stop. Once the auto brake ceased I was able to complete my trip. There was a light coating of water in a spot on the road but nothing else and no reason for this to occur.

NHTSA ID

11692184

Incident

Oct 7, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11682324

Incident

Aug 4, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while stopped at a red traffic light, the engine stalled. The low oil pressure and the battery warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the piston ring and engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,995.

NHTSA ID

11678501

Incident

Aug 4, 2025

Mileage

37,995 mi

Known issue in previous VW models. Broken clock spring in steering wheel from normal <100k miles no connection for all steering wheel electronics (airbags, radio controls, etc)

NHTSA ID

11648017

Incident

Mar 13, 2025

There is a headlight chrome accent piece right above the left headlight that one day just blew off the vehicle when driving down the highway. Oddly enough, I live in a small town of Mason City, IA and I saw another VW Passat (same year) missing the same exact piece so I know this is a vehicle defect. You also can not just replace this one part, it costs over $1,000 to replace the full headlight assemble. I hope others report this defect as this is very dangerous when you have chrome pieces flying off your vehicle when it is not even windy and the vehicle has never had any other damage.

NHTSA ID

11627446

Incident

Nov 1, 2024

The forward collision was not working on my car when someone pulled down in front of me and I hit the wall so I wouldn’t hit them.

NHTSA ID

11604412

Incident

May 25, 2024

I own a 2021 Volkswagen Passat R-Line that has GITI 235/40R19 Comfort tires, I have had bubbles on two of the tires that blew out going down the interstate. I now have a third tire with the same issue.

NHTSA ID

11569898

Incident

Feb 3, 2024

I have encountered severe and unresolved issues with the vehicle, and despite multiple visits to Serramonte VW dealership, the problems persist. I leased this car from VW Serramonte on 8/29/2021, and their contact information is as follows: Serramonte Volkswagen 711 Serramonte Blvd. Colma, CA 94014 (650) 756- 9000 www.serramontevw.com To provide context, the vehicle began experiencing unresolved electrical problems at just 7,000 miles. Despite repeated attempts for repairs at the dealership, these issues persist. Additionally, at only 9,000 miles, abnormal wear on the rear brake pads and rotors was discovered, requiring replacement. The dealership acknowledged the unusual nature of this problem, stating that it typically occurs after 30,000 miles in a typical car. The combination of these issues in a new vehicle with such low mileage is concerning and raises questions about the vehicle's quality and safety standards.

NHTSA ID

11549058

Incident

Jul 1, 2023

Rear brakes needed to be replaced at less than 20k miles The dealer comped it since we lease 2 different 2021 VW Passats and they both needed their rear wheels replaced at sub 20k miles

NHTSA ID

11542363

Incident

Sep 2, 2023

Rear brakes needed to be replaced at 17,000 miles. Same thing happened to my wife’s 2021 Passat.

NHTSA ID

11542362

Incident

Aug 31, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that the rear brake pads were generating an excessive amount of brake dust. The dealer was notified. The contact stated that he was informed a year later at a vehicle State Inspection, that the rear brakes were significantly worn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was an uneven brake wear as the rear brakes were prematurely worn while the front brakes were in very good condition. The dealer notified the manufacturer, who informed the dealer that there would be no assistance as the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

NHTSA ID

11530411

Incident

Jun 29, 2022

Mileage

5,000 mi

The vehicle lane assistance feature for my 2021 Volkswagen Passat nearly caused me to collide with another vehicle on two separate occasions. While driving home on my regular route, there are many cross streets where intersecting traffic may cross in order to facilitate a left turn. On one such occasion a vehicle pulling a utility trailer crossed in front of me but did not proceed through entirely, leaving the trailer sticking out into the lane ahead of me. As I approached I attempted to pilot the car into the right lane adjacent to me, in order to avoid a collision. The lane assist feature took control of the vehicle's steering, pulling me back on a collision-course toward the trailer and other vehicle. I was forced to wrest control of the wheel in order to avoid the other vehicle resulting in a near-miss. Several days later a similar occurrence happened, causing me to lose confidence in the vehicle entirely. This feature can not be permanently disabled, meaning that each and every time I start the car, I am forced to actively disable it. Should I forget to do so, I am in danger of another similar incident. A phone call to Volkswagen confirmed that there is no way to disable this feature permanently, and there is no intent to make an update to vehicle software. This feature, rather than assisting in the safety of individuals, is actively putting lives at risk! Volkswagen refused to offer a vehicle buy-back. I think that the dangers posed here are enough to investigate and also to mandate that manufacturers offer an option to permanently disable the active lane assist feature.

NHTSA ID

11493921

Incident

Nov 3, 2022

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving in the rain at an undisclosed speed, the Lane Departure Assist malfunctioned, causing the steering wheel to inadvertently move to the right or left. Additionally, the high-beam headlights were aimed too high upwards, making it difficult for the contact to see the road ahead. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer informed the contact that the Lane Departure Assist function could not be deactivated and that the high-beam headlights could not be adjusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100.

NHTSA ID

11442406

Incident

Oct 20, 2021

Mileage

100 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving through a pedestrian intersection with thick white lines, the vehicle automatically veered to the left or right. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving 30 to 45 MPH. The contact had not contacted the manufacturer or the dealer. The failure mileage was 27,232.

NHTSA ID

11441566

Incident

Nov 24, 2021

Mileage

27,232 mi

The assisted lane control is working terribly on my car and cannot be turned off permanently. The take over steering must be turned off before I drive the car every single time. It does not work properly. Last week I went to steer around a pothole and almost went in the ditch because the steering control was "fighting" with me to not let me steer where I needed to go. The previous incident I was trying to go around a cyclist and had to literally fight with my steering to keep it from hitting the biker. It is terrible. The dealer told me it could not be permanently disabled. It is a hazard and someone is going to get hurt. The service rep told me that NHTSA has made it mandatory for the car manufacturers to have these safety features disabled by default with no way to permanently turn them off. I want to stress how unsafe this is. I truly believe there are many things government can help us with but to get in the middle of me steering my car is not one of them. This is government overreach. The VW customer care person I spoke to also told me they have been plagued with complaints from owners who want the steering control disabled. There is a setting to disable it, but I have to remember to turn it off every single time I start my car. I want the NHTSA to (1) put pressure on VW to fix the steering assist problem and allow for steering changes to safely pass bikers and other vehicles on the shoulder without needing the directional signal and (2) make the assist something that can be turned off by default. I do like to use it when I am on a long highway drive, but never around town. It is terrible and beeps and takes control of the steering and I am tired of fighting with my car. Someone will get killed if you leave it like this. People need to decide for themselves if they want the steering assist or not. Default ON needs to end when a person turns it off - it stays off until they turn explicitly it back on.

NHTSA ID

11427609

Incident

Aug 3, 2021

VW Lane Assist is on when the vehicle is turned on. It must be turned off by the driver which I forget to do. Driving on country two lanes I've encountered joggers, bikers in the designated bike lane, service vehicles on the right shoulder. When I give them some extra room to avoid them the Active Lane Assist steers the car towards the people I'm trying to avoid. If the road is pitched enough the Lane Assist steering is rather abrupt. There is no feature that allows Lane Assist to be disabled and manually re-enabled when needed. The best solution would be to allow lane assist only when the Active Cruise control is active.

NHTSA ID

11422091

Incident

Jun 24, 2021