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2019 Volkswagen Passat

Gas

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

Safety Signal

97 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaintsnone reporting a crash, fire or injury 12

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 29 mpg

2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2019 Volkswagen Passat is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan. The most efficient version, the Passat, is EPA-rated at 29 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 12 complaints, most often about the electrical system. 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

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 40494.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Passat	7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30	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 Output

Horsepower

174 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	6

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane keeping 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: SE R-Line, Wolfsburg). 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 (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

○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 →

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 2019 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 2019 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

12complaints filed

0 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

8.6 per 10,000 built · Volkswagen reported 14,019 Passat built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2019: 8 · 2020: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2025: 1

Most-cited components

Electrical System 4

Service Brakes 3

Power Train 2

Engine 2

Fuel/Propulsion System 2

Visibility/Wiper 1

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.

Brake issues that consist of brakes not engaging immediately as I press the brake pedal. Brake pedal also doesn't return as fast as my foot lets off of it. It could be inspected upon request. If the brakes dont engage immediately then there is a potential for an accident if I need to brake at a moments notice.

Service Brakes Mar 16, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11648532

The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking and then lost motive power. The contact pushed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel injector needed to be replaced. The mechanic replaced the fuel injector.

Fuel/Propulsion System at 40,000 miles Oct 13, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11489175

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.

Engine at 6,000 miles Feb 5, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11307253

Vehicle was sold with remote start feature. Dealer and salesman knew the remote start did not work. This was a selling point on the car. They keep putting off fixing the issue with the car

Electrical System Dec 17, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11289555

When the vehicle is at slower speeds, it is constantly shifting to try and save on fuel. This results in the vehicle not providing a consistent ride. The noise when it shifts is very loud and can sometimes be felt through a jerking motion.

Power Train at 300 miles Nov 26, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11282392

On 11/10/2019 while driving I constantly felt burning sensation on my right thigh while on the highway at speeds around 70 miles. The next day on 11/11/2019 with the family and kids my right thigh started feeling like its burning.

Seats at 17,200 miles Nov 12, 2019 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11279616

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: 2 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 3 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 14 per 100,000 built. Every Passat model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

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

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

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 528

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-09-17

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 514 service bulletins, 12 others, 2 warranty extensions

Most often about: Equipment, Engine, Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, 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
VOS-26-42 Service bulletin
2026-07-15 · 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.

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	43 bulletins
P11AD P11AD on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	33 bulletins
P11AE P11AE on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	33 bulletins
P11AF P11AF on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	33 bulletins
P0463 P0463 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Engine	23 bulletins
P0456 P0456 on Volkswagen →	A very small leak in the evaporative emissions system.	Equipment · Gas cap →	19 bulletins
P11A1 P11A1 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	19 bulletins
P11A2 P11A2 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	19 bulletins
P11A3 P11A3 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	19 bulletins
P11A4 P11A4 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	19 bulletins
P11A5 P11A5 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	19 bulletins
P11A6 P11A6 on Volkswagen →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	19 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 2.9%

failed emissions

378 initial inspections of 372 vehicles.

Measure	The 2019 Passat	Every 2019 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	2.9%	2.7%	378
Failed the safety inspection	1.6%	1.7%	378
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.20%	378
Miles driven a year	9,076	9,904	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	66,328	72,084	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 2019 vehicle” is every 2019 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 this page A 1 12 29 mpg 2018 C 4 46 Do not drive 2017 D 7 110 27 mpg 2016 C 5 106 29 mpg

Common questions about the 2019 Passat

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2019 Volkswagen Passat have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2019 Volkswagen Passat. The most serious on file is 19V389000, covering Exterior Lighting. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2019 Volkswagen Passat?

NHTSA gave the 2019 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 A (97/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2019 Volkswagen Passat?

For the 2019 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 2019 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 2019 Volkswagen Passat?

Owners have filed 12 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Volkswagen Passat, most often about electrical system, service brakes, power train. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2019 Volkswagen Passat?

The EPA smog rating for the 2019 Volkswagen Passat is 7 out of 10. 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-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2019 Volkswagen Passat?

The manufacturer has filed 528 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2019 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 2019 Volkswagen Passat do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2019 Volkswagen Passat failed the emissions check on 2.9% of first inspections — close to the 2.7% for every 2019 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.6% (every 2019 vehicle: 1.7%). 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	1 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	1 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	12	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	528	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	11 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.

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