Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2007 Volkswagen Passat, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags106
- Electrical system34
- Engine and engine cooling32
- Fuel/propulsion system31
- Engine28
- Steering15
- Power train13
- Fuel system, gasoline12
- Service brakes10
- Unknown or other8
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
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 10 2007 Passat vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 7 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2007 Volkswagen Passat failed the safety check 3.36% of the time — 39% more often than the average 2007 passenger car (2.42%). Median odometer at inspection: 129,422 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Engines
The most common engines in 2007 Volkswagen Passat cars on Dutch roads are the 2.0 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp), 1.6 petrol (85 kW, 114 hp) and 2.0 petrol (147 kW, 197 hp), out of 8 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 682 |
| 1.6 petrol | 85 kW 114 hp | 140 |
| 2.0 petrol | 147 kW 197 hp | 110 |
| 2.0 diesel | 103 kW 138 hp | 102 |
| 1.9 diesel | 77 kW 103 hp | 99 |
| 3.2 petrol | 184 kW 247 hp | 87 |
| 2.0 diesel | 125 kW 168 hp | 26 |
| 1.6 petrol | 75 kW 101 hp | 22 |
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
1,286 first registered in 2007 are on Dutch roads; 15% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €44,330.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde638
- Band onvoldoende profiel572
- Veer gebroken of gescheurd357
- Stofhoes aandrijfas beschadigd en dicht niet af341
- Uitlaatsysteem niet gasdicht / onveilige afvoer uitlaatgasse316
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm284
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld272
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen271
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
5,389 cars built in 2007 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 3,984 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, 10,490 of these cars first registered in 2007 took their annual MOT test. 59% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2007 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2007 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 17.4% | 17.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.4% | 20.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.1% | 7.8% |
| Tyres | 10.6% | 7.5% |
| Brakes | 8.3% | 11.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.6% | 6.4% |
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
1,617 of these cars first registered in 2007 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 333,000 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
527 2007 cars are on the New Zealand register; 64% arrived as used imports, 32% 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 5 variants: combined 10.0–12.3 L/100 km (about 19–24 mpg US), CO₂ 230–283 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passat · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 11.5 | 8.1 | 10.0 |
| Passat · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 12.2 | 8.5 | 10.5 |
| Passat · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 13.9 | 9.1 | 11.8 |
| Passat 4MOTION · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.4 | 9.8 | 12.3 |
| Passat 4MOTION Wagon · Station wagon: Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 14.4 | 9.8 | 12.3 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
8 Transport Canada recalls for the 2007 Volkswagen Passat.
| 2024649 30 Oct 2024 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the p… |
| 2018192 18 Apr 2018 | Airbag On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, could eventually degrade the propella… |
| 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… |
| 2017398 16 Aug 2017 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, there could be an interruption in electrical power to the fuel pump control module. This could result in the fuel pump running continuously… |
| 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… |
| 2016065 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… |
| 2006340 6 Dec 2006 | Brakes On certain Passat and Passat wagon, a vacuum line may fracture and become disconnected at low ambient temperatures. If this happens, brake power assist could … |
| 2006339 6 Dec 2006 | Electrical On certain Passat and Passat wagon, the wiper motor may fail during heavy rain due to moisture intrusion. This could lead to reduced visibility and a crash wit… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2007 Volkswagen Passat sedan and wagon 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 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 2009-2016 Volkswagen CC, 2006-2010 Passat and Passat Wagon vehicles. Interruption of electrical power to the fuel pump control module may cause the fuel pump to fail.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.0L ENGINE WITH 147 KW MAY HAVE A VACUUM LINE THAT MAY FRACTURE AND BECOME DISCONNECTED AT LOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURES.
ON CERTAIN '6' GENERATION PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DURING HEAVY RAIN DUE TO EXCESSIVE MOISTURE ENTERING THE WIPER MOTOR. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE WIPERS CAN BECOME INOPERATIVE.
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 2007 Volkswagen Passat: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10253215 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253214 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253213 | Exterior Lights, Moisture Accumulation |
| 10253204 | Customer States Windshield Wipers Streak or Smear |
| 10253180 | Antenna Diagnosis Overview |
| 10253177 | Satellite Radio Overview |
| 10252942 | Damage to Data Link Connector (DLC) from Aftermarket Devices (Cannot Communicate with Vehicle OBD System) |
| 10252220 | All Vehicles with Bluetooth Phone Kit Installed ? Streaming Audio from Phone to Radio |
| 10243066 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243065 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243043 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243037 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243036 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243035 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243034 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243017 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243008 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10243001 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242998 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242997 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242996 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242682 | ODIS Service Update |
| 10242404 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242403 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
| 10242400 | VW Elsa Newsletter |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Engine Compartment Fire
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation