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Active NHTSA advisory: do not drive. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

Volkswagen · Midsize Sedan

2018 Volkswagen Passat

Gas

Midsize Cars
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

72 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 4

Complaints5 crash · 1 fire · 2 injured reported 46

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 29 mpg

2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2018 Volkswagen Passat is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Passat, is EPA-rated at 29 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 46 complaints, most often about the service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Volkswagen Passat — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Volkswagen Passat · Photo: Jengtingchen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Passat	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	25	36	29	$2,300
Passat	Gas	FWD	3.6L 6-cyl	19	28	22	$3,050

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38938, 39505.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Passat	7 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Passat	3 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 / California LEV-II ULEV	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2 L
Engine configuration	V-Shaped

Engine Output

Horsepower

174 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	FWD/Front-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	6

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning

Optional: Adaptive cruise control, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Parking assist

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: GT, S, R-Line, SE, SE w/ Technology, SEL Premium). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	191.7 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	72.4 in
Height	57.9 in
Wheelbase	110.2 in
Track, front	61.4 in
Track, rear	60.2 in
Curb weight	3,263–3,446 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	59/41 to 60/40

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: 2.0L Tsi 4-door Sedan, VR6 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (4)

Source: NHTSA recall database

●moderate

Unknown Or Other

01E9

23 vehicles 74% reported repaired

Problem 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. Risk Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants. Fix 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.

Filed with NHTSARemedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 20V561000 reported Sep 16, 2020 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

○minor

Exterior Lighting

94L9

662,185 vehicles 69% reported repaired built Apr 20, 2015 – Jan 14, 2019

Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." Risk Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L9.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 19V389000 reported May 22, 2019 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

46H6

8,416 vehicles 96% reported repaired built Oct 26, 2016 – Jun 12, 2018

Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat vehicles. The brake caliper bracket mounting bolts on these vehicles may not have been tightened sufficiently. Risk The loose brake bracket bolts can allow the caliper to move, reducing braking ability or causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper bracket bolt tightness, replacing and re-torque the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Additionally brake caliper fasteners, bleeder valve, and brake hose bolts will be checked and torqued to the correct specification, if necessary, free of charge. For Passat vehicles, dealers will also inspect the parking brake cable for proper connection, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volksw

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 18V536000 reported Aug 15, 2018 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

47N8, 47N9, 47N6

Do not drive 10,225 vehicles 99% reported repaired built Apr 9, 2018 – Jun 4, 2018

Problem Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance. Risk A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash. Fix Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.

NHTSA campaign 18V369000 reported Jun 1, 2018 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Passat

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Volkswagen publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Volkswagen’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 Volkswagen Passat, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

46complaints filed

5 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

11 per 10,000 built · Volkswagen reported 41,801 Passat built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 5 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 8 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 7

Most-cited components

Service Brakes 12

Engine 11

Electrical System 10

Fuel/Propulsion System 6

Air Bags 5

Vehicle Speed Control 4

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Airbag error notice and cracking sound when turning steering wheel. Error light for cruise control, front end assistance. This is the second time this has occured. It was previously fixed in 2018

Air Bags Apr 25, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11462069

I was driving down the road and the wheel locked up and I lost control of the car. I thought it was just a flat tire. I noticed the tire was flat and brake caliber was lying on the inside of the rim. There was extensive damage to the vehicle, tire, rim, suspension components and brake components.

Service Brakes Dec 29, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11445457

Purchased on 08/05/2021. The suspension in the rear right passenger side. Went on a 5 minute test drive with Yancey Cobb who stated there was nothing wrong with the car and that I needed to call the Finance company and finalize the deal or I wouldn't have a car. Meaning I couldn't get my traded car back either.

Wheels Oct 21, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11437719

The vehicle can be turned off while in drive, and gives no extra signals (beeps, flashing lights, etc.) with the exception of a brief message on the dash and single ding (same ding for door open, and other low importance messages).

Electrical System Aug 11, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11428647

The 2018 vw Passat se is only 3 years old and the transmission went out. The mileage was just a little over 98,000. The car has been kept up with as far as oil change, routine maintenance, and extras, such as tires and brakes. We have been given no reason to why the transmission would have went out like it did.

Power Train Jul 23, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11426230

Intermittent stalling. Typically at stop, when vehicle has been running a short time. Vehicle restarts. Occurs frequently, every week, but not every trip. Started in spring 2021, recurring issue. Mechanic unable to replicate

Engine Jul 20, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11425683

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Volkswagen itself: 13 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 15 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 31 per 100,000 built. Every Passat model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 35k

miles, typically

Half the 17 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 7,000 and 55,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 17 on file: 5 under 10k, 1 10k–20k, 1 20k–30k, 2 30k–40k, 3 40k–50k, 2 50k–60k, 2 70k–80k, 1 100k–150k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Volkswagen warranty extension VWP-24-04These documents are for the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Limited Warranty Extension as part of the Class Action Settlement

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Volkswagen warranty extension (9) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 600

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-17

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 586 service bulletins, 12 others, 2 warranty extensions

Most often about: Equipment, Engine, Electrical System, Visibility/Wiper, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility.

V0116152014815_20 Service bulletin
2026-09-17 · Engine
Suggested fuel additive
SM 39-2026 Other
2026-09-09 · Unknown Or Other
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
V4622022067177_5 Service bulletin
2026-08-27 · Service Brakes
Repair or Replace Information
SM 35-2026 Other
2026-08-21 · Engine
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward.
V4015022033347_8 Service bulletin
2026-08-10 · Power Train
Replacement instruction
TT 00-13-04_7 Other
2026-08-06 · Unknown Or Other
Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order
V0026012081638_2 Service bulletin
2026-08-04 · Unknown Or Other
Differences between a leak and seepage
V4823022072282_3 Service bulletin
2026-08-03 · Steering
Clean and install an additional plastic "ring" to prevent ingress of dirt,hair. Foreign bodies into the clock spring.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0496 P0496 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	20 bulletins
P11AD P11AD on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	20 bulletins
P11AE P11AE on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	20 bulletins
P11AF P11AF on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	20 bulletins
P0456 P0456 on Volkswagen →	A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Equipment · Gas cap →	18 bulletins
P0116 P0116 on Volkswagen →	The engine coolant temperature sensor reading does not track the engine's actual warm-up.	Equipment	9 bulletins
P1429 P1429 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	8 bulletins
P0111 P0111 on Volkswagen →	The intake air temperature sensor is reporting a temperature that does not fit the conditions.	Equipment	7 bulletins
P0197 P0197 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	7 bulletins
P11A1 P11A1 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	7 bulletins
P11A2 P11A2 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	7 bulletins
P11A3 P11A3 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	7 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 1.9%

failed emissions

1,127 initial inspections of 1,099 vehicles.

Measure	The 2018 Passat	Every 2018 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	1.9%	3.0%	1,124
Failed the safety inspection	2.3%	1.9%	1,127
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.18%	0.22%	1,127
Miles driven a year	9,726	10,002	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	80,646	82,833	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Passat by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2022 A 0 13 28 mpg 2021 A 1 18 28 mpg 2020 B 3 18 27 mpg 2019 A 1 12 29 mpg 2018 this page C 4 46 Do not drive 2017 D 7 110 27 mpg 2016 C 5 106 29 mpg

Common questions about the 2018 Passat

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 Volkswagen Passat have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 18V369000, covering Service Brakes, Hydraulic. There is an active do not drive advisory — act on it before driving. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

NHTSA gave the 2018 Volkswagen Passat 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it C (72/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 Volkswagen Passat, the best EPA combined figure is 29 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

Transport Canada measured it at 191.7 in long, 72.4 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.9 in tall, on a 110.2 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,263–3,446 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Volkswagen Passat, most often about service brakes, engine, electrical system. Of those, 5 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 2 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat runs 3 to 7 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-II ULEV, California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

The manufacturer has filed 600 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat, most often covering equipment, engine, electrical system. The most recent is dated 2026-09-17. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2018 Volkswagen Passat do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Volkswagen Passat failed the emissions check on 1.9% of first inspections — lower than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.3% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	2 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	4	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	46	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	600	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	13 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

JSON for this page · API

2018 Volkswagen Passat

Specs & fuel economy

Emissions & certification

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Dimensions Exterior

Engine Basics

Engine Output

Fuel Economy

Seating

Transmission

Driver assistance

Dimensions & weight

Factory warranty running out?

Recalls (4)

Unknown Or Other

Exterior Lighting

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Whether any of this applies to one specific Passat

Hear about a recall before the letter does

Parts & accessories for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat

Owner complaints

Most-cited components

In owners' own words

When owners reported it

miles, typically

Crash ratings

Service bulletins & campaigns

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

At the New York inspection station

failed emissions

Passat by model year

Common questions about the 2018 Passat

Does the 2018 Volkswagen Passat have any recalls?

How safe is the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

How clean is the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

How does the 2018 Volkswagen Passat do at state inspection?

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Where to go next

Sources & method