Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1997 Volkswagen Passat, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Visibility16
- Electrical system13
- Engine and engine cooling7
- Latches/locks/linkages4
- Equipment3
- Structure3
- Exterior lighting2
- Unknown or other2
- Seat belts1
- Air bags1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 2 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 1997 Volkswagen Passat failed the safety check 3.77% of the time — 136% more often than the average 1997 passenger car (1.60%). Median odometer at inspection: 216,179 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
149 first registered in 1997 are on Dutch roads; 6% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €25,495.
Most common APK defects
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen48
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde40
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm32
- Stuur- of fuseekogel met slijtage kleiner of gelijk 1,0 mm29
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af29
- Band onvoldoende profiel19
- Licht- donkerscheiding dimlicht onduidelijk17
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht12
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
56 cars built in 1997 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 492 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, 115 of these cars first registered in 1997 took their annual MOT test. 60% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1997 the figure was 64%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 1997 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 21.7% | 16.1% |
| Suspension | 13.9% | 12.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 13.0% | 9.7% |
| Brakes | 10.4% | 11.8% |
| Visibility | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| Steering | 5.2% | 3.5% |
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
230 of these cars first registered in 1997 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 319,000 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
6 1997 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 12.1–12.8 L/100 km (about 18–19 mpg US), CO₂ 278–294 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passat GLX · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 13.9 | 9.9 | 12.1 |
| Passat GLX · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 14.8 | 10.3 | 12.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 1997 Volkswagen Passat.
| 2002239 13 Dec 2002 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles equipped with seat heating units, the front seat back heaters may supply concentrated heat in a localized area of the seat back or produce e… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 1997 Volkswagen Passat.
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 1997 Volkswagen Passat: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 621613 | SUBJECT REGARDING LATCH SYSTEM LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS FOR CHILDREN, INSTALLING / RETROFITTING. *TT |
| 603351 | SUBJECT ON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID ( ATF ), CHECKING 01 TRANSMISSION. *YC |
| 601872 | SUBJECT ON MAINTENANCE INTERVALS. *YC |
| 54133 | CONDITION WITH VEHICLES SHIFTER LEVER VIBRATING/KNOCKING IN 1ST, 2ND, 3RD OR 4TH GEARS. *YC |
| 53651 | DUE TO A PRINTING ERROR, SOME COPIES OF PASSAT WIRING DIAGRAM NO. 38 MAY BE MISSING WIRING DIAGRAM PAGE 38/5. *YC |
| 53618 | VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH NEW AIRBAG WARNING LABELS. *YC |
| 53616 | TOOTHED BELT RUNS TOWARDS OUTSIDE, WEARS OUT/ JUMPS OFF, AND CRACKS. *AK |
| 53606 | DIFFICULTIES WITH SHIFT LEVER AND TRANSMISSION IS HARD TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE GEAR. *YC |
| 53605 | TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF GEAR/SHIFTER FEELS LIKE IT HAS A DOUBLE DETENT WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR, AND WILL NOT MAINTAIN SHIFT ADJUSTMENT. *AK |
| 10241340 | Engine Oils Which Meet Volkswagen Oil Quality Standard VW 502 00/505 00/505 01 and VW 504 00/507 00 |
| 10241266 | Squeaks, Rattles, Noise, Repair Materials |
| 10241265 | Fuel Additive to Help Prevent Sporadic Misfire Faults |
| 10241177 | Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards |
| 10239789 | To detect which line(s) is inoperative, utilize a volt meter to check for 0 V, which will be present after the open in the grid line. The check must be performed with the engine running and heated rear window switched on. Switch OFF the ignition and visually locate the damage. Proceed with checking any other lines as necessary. Once the damaged line is identified, repair utilizing the Repair kit by Permatex ITEM 09117. |
| 10239592 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10239591 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10239590 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10238568 | For long crank/ difficulty starting with the engine hot: Before replacing any components for this complaint, drain the fuel from the vehicle and replace with known good diesel fuel from a reputable source. If the complaint still exists, check fuel pressure and injector timing. |
| 10237427 | Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments. |
| 10235138 | Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments. |
| 10213836 | Airbag Issues. |
| 10174476 | Updated to include additional models and model year applicability. |
| 10159016 | Engine Oils Which Meet Volkswagen Oil Quality Standards |
| 10159014 | Alternative method for radio code retrieval. |
| 10159010 | The part number listed in the document is to be returned if it meets the criteria provided. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
FUEL TANK PUNCTURE
FUEL TANK PUNCTURE
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation