- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 7
- on record
- MPG
- 23
- combined
Open recalls on record
7 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2017 Volkswagen Passat
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 7
- Owner complaints
- 108
- Complaints citing a crash
- 8
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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
7 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
7 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 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.
- 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.
Consequence
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.
- 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.
- 19V679000high
Miscellaneous issue
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 2018 Tiguan LWB, 2007-2009 Jetta Sedan, 2011-2013, 2015 and 2019 Jetta, 2013 Jetta Hybrid, 2008-2009 Jetta Sportwagen, 2015 Golf Sportwagen, 2013 Golf, 2008-2010 and 2012-2013 Beetle and Beetle Convertible, 2008-2010 Beetle, and Beetle Convertible vehicles. Modifications made while the vehicles were in an internal evaluation period may cause the affected vehicles to not comply with all of the applicable regulatory requirements.
Consequence
If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Volkswagen will notify owners and repurchase the affected vehicles. The recall began November 6, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01D7. Note: This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 18V-329.
- 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.
- 17V075000high
Brake system issue
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Passat vehicles. Brake fluid may leak slowly from the some of the brake line connections, resulting in a low brake fluid level.
Consequence
A low brake fluid level may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected brake lines, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47N3.
- 24V834000high
Airbag system issue
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Consequence
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69EG, 69GQ, and 69E6.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2017 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 2017 Volkswagen Passat 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 18 comparable 2017 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 2017 Volkswagen Passat, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
20
City
28
Hwy
23
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,650
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 390 g/mi
How this compares
At 23 MPG combined, the 2017 Volkswagen Passat ranks 19th of 25 midsize cars EPA rated for 2017 — 2 MPG short of the 25 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 $2,650, $75 more than the $2,575 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $13,250, a $375 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 390 grams per mile — about 5.9 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
108 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 108
- Total
- 8
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
Most reported components
- AIR BAGS28
- OTHER17
- BRAKES16
- ENGINE10
- FUEL SYSTEM7
Notable Issues
108 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 3 reports involve injuries. 8 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2017 Volkswagen Passat, newest first.
- Recall
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Recall
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
- Recall
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
- Recall
If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
- 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.
- Recall
A low brake fluid level may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing 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
20
City
28
Hwy
23
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,650
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Recall
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
- Recall
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
- Recall
If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.
- Recall
Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.