Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2015 Volkswagen Passat, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Air bags88
- Engine53
- Electrical system48
- Unknown or other40
- Steering26
- Service brakes26
- Fuel/propulsion system21
- Suspension16
- Power train12
- Vehicle speed control10
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 14 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 53 2015 Passat vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 27 people died inside them, and 4 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 2015 Volkswagen Passat failed the safety check 2.63% of the time — 26% more often than the average 2015 passenger car (2.08%). Median odometer at inspection: 92,683 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2015
219,615 new Volkswagen Passat cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2015; the largest markets were Germany (94,831), the United Kingdom (20,321), Sweden (14,372).
- Average mass
- 1,549 kg
- Average power
- 118 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 90% · Petrol 7.9% · Petrol/electric 2.0%
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 2015 Volkswagen Passat cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 hybrid (115 kW, 154 hp), 1.6 diesel (88 kW, 118 hp) and 1.4 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp), out of 9 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 hybrid | 115 kW 154 hp | 3,084 |
| 1.6 diesel | 88 kW 118 hp | 1,641 |
| 1.4 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 1,038 |
| 2.0 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 1,036 |
| 1.4 petrol | 92 kW 123 hp | 335 |
| 2.0 diesel | 140 kW 188 hp | 139 |
| 1.8 petrol | 132 kW 177 hp | 100 |
| 2.0 diesel | 176 kW 236 hp | 76 |
| 2.0 petrol | 162 kW 217 hp | 20 |
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
7,504 first registered in 2015 are on Dutch roads; 35% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €47,260.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde4,193
- Band onvoldoende profiel2,978
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm1,669
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld1,532
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage720
- Remschijf ernstig gecorrodeerd693
- Band beschadigd597
- Gordel beschadigd438
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
15,418 cars built in 2015 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 590 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, 16,321 of these cars first registered in 2015 took their annual MOT test. 79% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2015 the figure was 75%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2015 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 6.8% | 6.6% |
| Suspension | 6.4% | 6.4% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.4% | 7.7% |
| Brakes | 3.4% | 5.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.1% | 2.1% |
| Visibility | 1.4% | 3.9% |
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
4,109 of these cars first registered in 2015 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 224,000 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
476 2015 cars are on the New Zealand register; 12% arrived as used imports, 87% 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; 1 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 10.7 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 3 variants: combined 8.3–10.4 L/100 km (about 23–28 mpg US), CO₂ 191–239 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passat · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 9.7 | 6.6 | 8.3 |
| Passat · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 9.8 | 6.7 | 8.4 |
| Passat · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 11.9 | 8.5 | 10.4 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2015 Volkswagen Passat.
| 2020353 4 Aug 2020 | Label Issue: On certain vehicles, the warning label for the engine block heater cable is written in English only. As a result, a French user may not receive importa… |
| 2019242 23 May 2019 | Lights And Instruments Issue: Certain vehicles were built with headlights that may allow horizontal adjustment. This is not allowed under Canadian regulations. Safety Risk: He… |
| 2019002 3 Jan 2019 | Airbag Issue: On certain vehicles, long-term exposure to high absolute humidity and temperature, combined with high temperature cycling, may eventually degrade the pr… |
| 2015504 23 Oct 2015 | Engine On certain vehicles, the camshaft lobe which actuates the vacuum pump may fail, causing the pump to fail to deliver further vacuum supply to the brake booster, … |
| 2014575 17 Dec 2014 | Fuel System On certain vehicles, a sealing cap at the fuel rail may fail to seal, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment during engine operation. Leaking fuel, … |
| 2014469 22 Oct 2014 | Seats And Restraints On certain vehicles equipped with manual front seatback recliners, the retaining bracket may have been improperly assembled and may not engage correctly. This … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side 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 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."
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Passat, 2015-2016 Eos, 2015-2017 CC, 2016-2017 TT Roadster, TT Coupe, 2017 Audi R8 Coupe, and R8 Spyder 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 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Passat vehicles manufactured May 18, 2015, to May 21, 2015. The affected vehicles have a brake line at the left rear wheel area that may not have been properly tightened.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to November 24, 2014, 2014-2015 Passat vehicles manufactured April 7, 2014, to November 18, 2014, 2015 Golf and GTI vehicles manufactured July 1, 2014, to November 20, 2014, and 2014-2015 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles manufactured March 31, 2014, to November 27, 2014. A sealing cap at the fuel rail may fail, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Volkswagen Jetta and Passat vehicles manufactured September 23, 2014, to October 9, 2014, and equipped with manual front seatback recliners. In the affected vehicles, the seatback recliner retaining bracket may not engage correctly, resulting in unexpected movement of the seatback.
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 2015 Volkswagen Passat: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011377 | This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication for the airbag control module. For trouble code DTC B10001B. Driver airbag igniter resistance too high -N95 |
| 11011373 | Instruction for replacement of Diesel Particulate Filter |
| 11010024 | Lack of paint under roof |
| 11010022 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11010021 | Additional reporting |
| 11010011 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11008861 | Fluid requirements |
| 11008860 | Manual transmission noise diagnosing |
| 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 |
| 11007402 | Multiple Update closures: 20AH Atlas Quality Package 1, 24AE 1.8T ECM/TCM SW, 24BG Jetta Hybrid ECM SW, 24BM 2.0L Jetta MPI SW Update, 24X7 Jetta ECM SW, 24X8 CC ECM/TCM SW, 24Y4 MPI Jetta SW, 24Z5 Jetta Hybrid System SW, 27G2 Battery, 37H3 DSG SW, 37J2 TCM SW, 69V7 Atlas Quality Package 3, 87F6 Atlas Quality Package 2, 91P3 Adaptive Cruise Calibration |
| 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 |
| 10253481 | Carefree Maintenance and VW Care Maintenance Plans Interim AdBlue Refills -? Diesel Engines Model Year 2015 and Newer |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)