- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 4
- on record
- MPG
- 22
- combined
Do not drive until repaired
1 active "park it" recall — NHTSA advises against driving this vehicle until the remedy is complete.
Vehicle Summary
2018 Volkswagen Passat
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 45
- Complaints citing a crash
- 5
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
4 Recalls on Record
1 of these is high-severity. Some may require you to stop driving the vehicle until repaired.
Safety recalls
4 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 18V536000high
Brake system issue
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
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.
Consequence
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.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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 Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46H6.
- 18V369000critical Do not drive
Brake system issue
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
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.
Consequence
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 19V389000high
Lighting issue
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
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."
Consequence
Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 20V561000high
Miscellaneous issue
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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.
Consequence
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 4 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 10.7%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2018 Volkswagen Passat 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 16 comparable 2018 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 10.7% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
19
City
28
Hwy
22
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,800
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 396 g/mi
How this compares
At 22 MPG combined, the 2018 Volkswagen Passat ranks 23rd of 24 midsize cars EPA rated for 2018 — 4.5 MPG short of the 26.5 MPG median for that group.
That places it among the thirstiest vehicles in its class. If annual mileage is high, the running-cost gap against a class-average rival compounds quickly.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,800, $200 more than the $2,600 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $14,000, a $1,000 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 396 grams per mile — about 5.9 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
45 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 45
- Total
- 5
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE13
- BRAKES13
- ELECTRICAL7
- AIR BAGS5
- FUEL SYSTEM4
Notable Issues
45 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 2 reports involve injuries. 5 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat, newest first.
- Recall
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
- Recall
Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
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.
- Do not drive
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Midsize Cars
- Drive type
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 3.6L 6-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (AM-S6)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
19
City
28
Hwy
22
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,800
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
- Recall
Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
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.
- Do not drive
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.