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2018 Volkswagen Passat

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

Compare
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

4 recalls
45 complaints
22 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

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Verify no crash-related complaints
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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 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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

4 Recalls on Record

1 of these is high-severity. Some may require you to stop driving the vehicle until repaired.

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

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.

  • 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.

  • 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."

  • 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.

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

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)13
brake problems (soft pedal, noise, failure)13
electrical issues (battery, wiring, infotainment)7

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
$2,750
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 20V561000

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

  2. 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.

  3. Recall

    Recall 18V536000

    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.

  4. Do not drive

    Do-not-drive recall 18V369000

    A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.