Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Volkswagen Eos, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags10
- Electrical system2
- Unknown or other2
- Power train2
- Service brakes2
- Engine1
- Structure1
- Forward collision avoidance1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2011 Volkswagen Eos failed the safety check 1.37% of the time — 45% less often than the average 2011 passenger car (2.49%). Median odometer at inspection: 82,365 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2011
11,238 new Volkswagen Eos cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2011; the largest markets were Germany (6,061), France (1,652), the United Kingdom (1,567).
- Average mass
- 1,568 kg
- Average power
- 114 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Petrol 54% · Diesel 46%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
Engines
The most common engines in 2011 Volkswagen Eos cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (90 kW, 121 hp), 2.0 petrol (155 kW, 208 hp) and 1.4 petrol (118 kW, 158 hp).
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 petrol | 90 kW 121 hp | 169 |
| 2.0 petrol | 155 kW 208 hp | 64 |
| 1.4 petrol | 118 kW 158 hp | 52 |
RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars
In the Netherlands
301 first registered in 2011 are on Dutch roads; 59% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €39,073.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde154
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld101
- Band onvoldoende profiel81
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm48
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd37
- Band beschadigd35
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht29
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage28
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
1,217 cars built in 2011 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 101 more were declared off the road (SORN).
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,377 of these cars first registered in 2011 took their annual MOT test. 71% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2011 the figure was 63%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 14.6% | 14.1% |
| Brakes | 7.5% | 8.6% |
| Tyres | 7.3% | 7.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.9% | 16.0% |
| Visibility | 2.5% | 5.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.3% | 3.6% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In Finland
6 of these cars first registered in 2011 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 172,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
42 2011 cars are on the New Zealand register; 2% arrived as used imports, 98% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; not yet fully rated. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Volkswagen EOS C FWD | — | 0.0 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- —
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 9.6–9.9 L/100 km (about 24–25 mpg US), CO₂ 221–228 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eos · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 10.9 | 8.0 | 9.6 |
| Eos · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 11.4 | 8.0 | 9.9 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
3 Transport Canada recalls for the 2011 Volkswagen Eos.
| 2018111 6 Mar 2018 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 2016064 9 Feb 2016 | Airbag On certain vehicles, the driver frontal airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure during airbag deployment. Increased pressure may cause the inf… |
| 2015344 31 Jul 2015 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles, the steering wheel clock spring could become contaminated with long hair or long fibers which may cause a displacement of the internal guid… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 2011 Volkswagen Eos: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11010024 | Lack of paint under roof |
| 11010022 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11010021 | Additional reporting |
| 11010011 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11008861 | Fluid requirements |
| 11008858 | A list of engine oil that meet Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards |
| 11008857 | How to perform the engine oil consumption measurement |
| 11008856 | Checking Engine Oil and correctly reading dip stick |
| 11008853 | How to manage software versions using VW diagnostic Tool |
| 11008852 | Recommended Gasoline Quality |
| 11008851 | Engine Misfire Diagnostic Aid |
| 11008850 | Fuel additive to help with misfire faults |
| 11008846 | Wind & Water Leak Checking |
| 11007398 | Battery testing |
| 11007393 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11005825 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11005820 | Engine Assembly Tip |
| 11005819 | Engine Replacement Tip |
| 11002875 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11001508 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253483 | Engine Exhaust Flap Limited Warranty Extension |
| 10253439 | Volkswagen Carefree Maintenance Program ? Gasoline Engines (Except Routan) - REVISED |
| 10253262 | VW Engine oil quality standards |
| 10253216 | Keyless Entry Inoperative after Access / Start (KESSY) Module Replacement |
| 10253215 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
Air Bag Clockspring Failure
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation