Volkswagen bulletin SM 35-2026
What it saysThis special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Volkswagen filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated Aug 21, 2026, received Sep 4, 2026, about the engine. It names 9 model years (2016–2022). A manufacturer communication is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SM 35-2026 | Other | Aug 21, 2026 | 11036867 |
What the document itself lists
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 03C-907-660-S | — | — | |
| 03C-907-660-AA | — | — | |
| 03C-907-660-AB | — | — | |
| 03C-907-660-AC | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (1 page), read Oct 5, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Volkswagen’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 9 model years this bulletin names have filed 355 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 44 of them name Engine — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with torque converter failure. The contact stated that the breather box was previously replaced by a local independent service center.
2021 Volkswagen Passat · Engine · filed with NHTSA Oct 27, 2026 · ODI 11773926
The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle idled with the EPC light and the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was belabored while shifting gears and at low speeds. There was an abnormal sound coming from the engine.
2019 Volkswagen Passat · Engine · filed with NHTSA Feb 5, 2020 · ODI 11307253
2016 Volkswagen Passat, driving in the rain and the car slowed to a near stop and could not ascend a small incline on interstate 95 southbound at or about stratford, connecticut. The car was towed to a local VW dealership in stratford ct. When put into gear the engine shook violently and there was no power.
2016 Volkswagen Passat · Engine · filed with NHTSA Sep 20, 2018 · ODI 11130453
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the engine
Source: same model, same component group27 other manufacturer communications filed against these Volkswagen models under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Volkswagen list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| V0116152014815_20 | Service bulletin | Sep 17, 2026 | Suggested fuel additive |
| V1718062017813_24 | Service bulletin | Jul 9, 2026 | Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement |
| TT 13-20-01_3 | Service bulletin | Jun 18, 2026 | Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start. |
| TT 10-18-02_2 | Other | Jun 18, 2026 | Lubricating engine components before reassembly. |
| V1719012012855_81 | Service bulletin | Jun 4, 2026 | Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards |
| VOS-26-21 | Service bulletin | Mar 27, 2026 | This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A… |
| WLA-25-11 | Service bulletin | Oct 17, 2025 | Coolant Bleed Procedure |
| V1917012022548_15 | Service bulletin | Oct 14, 2025 | G12Evo can now be mixed with previous coolants. |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Volkswagen, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Volkswagen SM 35-2026 a recall?
No. A manufacturer communication is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the SM 35-2026 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Volkswagen warranty extension on file lists the ones Volkswagen has filed.
Which vehicles does SM 35-2026 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 9 model years: 2017 Volkswagen CC, 2016 Volkswagen CC, 2022 Volkswagen Passat, 2021 Volkswagen Passat, 2020 Volkswagen Passat, 2019 Volkswagen Passat and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.