Skip to content

Free public service · Official NHTSA & EPA data

2016 Volkswagen Passat

Verified July 23, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
5
on record
MPG
23
combined

Open recalls on record

5 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2016 Volkswagen Passat

5 recalls
106 complaints
23 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Check all recalls are completed
Review consumer complaints
Verify no crash-related complaints
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
5
Owner complaints
106
Complaints citing a crash
4

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalised 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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

5 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

5 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 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."

  • 16V403000high

    Fuel system issue

    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jetta vehicles manufactured October 31, 2015, to January 21, 2016, 2016 Passat vehicles, equipped with 1.8T engines manufactured November 13, 2015, to December 9, 2015, and 2016 Golf vehicles manufactured November 5, 2015, to November 11, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the fuel rail may detach from the cylinder head and result in a fuel leak.

  • 15V705000high

    Engine issue

    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.

  • 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.

  • 21V321000high

    Miscellaneous issue

    UNKNOWN OR OTHER

    Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas 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.

Consumer complaints

106 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

106
Total
4
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries

Most reported components

  • AIR BAGS25
  • ENGINE17
  • BRAKES16
  • FUEL SYSTEM15
  • OTHER12

Notable Issues

106 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 3 reports involve injuries. 4 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

airbag concerns (warning light, deployment issues)25
engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)17
brake problems (soft pedal, noise, failure)16

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

20

City

28

Hwy

23

Comb

Annual cost
$2,600
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 21V321000

    Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.

  2. Recall

    Recall 20V561000

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

  3. Recall

    Recall 19V389000

    Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

  4. Recall

    Recall 16V403000

    A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.

  5. Recall

    Recall 15V705000

    If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.