Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Volkswagen Passat, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Service brakes12
- Engine11
- Electrical system10
- Fuel/propulsion system6
- Air bags5
- Vehicle speed control4
- Power train3
- Forward collision avoidance3
- Unknown or other3
- Wheels2
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, 18 2018 Passat vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 8 people died inside them. 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 2018 Volkswagen Passat failed the safety check 1.84% of the time — 12% more often than the average 2018 passenger car (1.65%). Median odometer at inspection: 53,202 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2018
152,268 new Volkswagen Passat cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2018; the largest markets were Germany (68,643), Sweden (13,625), the United Kingdom (12,389).
- Average mass
- 1,555 kg
- Average CO₂
- 149 g/km (WLTP)
- Average power
- 115 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 72% · Petrol 22% · Petrol/electric 6.2%
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 2018 Volkswagen Passat cars on Dutch roads are the 1.4 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp), 1.4 petrol (92 kW, 123 hp) and 1.6 diesel (88 kW, 118 hp), out of 9 versions with at least 20 cars.
| Engine | Power | Cars |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 985 |
| 1.4 petrol | 92 kW 123 hp | 602 |
| 1.6 diesel | 88 kW 118 hp | 351 |
| 2.0 diesel | 110 kW 148 hp | 336 |
| 1.4 hybrid | 115 kW 154 hp | 334 |
| 1.5 petrol | 110 kW 148 hp | 135 |
| 1.8 petrol | 132 kW 177 hp | 111 |
| 2.0 diesel | 140 kW 188 hp | 31 |
| 2.0 petrol | 162 kW 217 hp | 30 |
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
2,939 first registered in 2018 are on Dutch roads; 48% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €43,960.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde1,166
- Band onvoldoende profiel800
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld474
- Band(en) aanwezig met een profieldiepte van 1,6 t/m 2,5 mm412
- Mechanische delen van het remsysteem vertonen slijtage251
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht142
- Band beschadigd130
- Remschijf ernstig gecorrodeerd104
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
10,519 cars built in 2018 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 282 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, 11,249 of these cars first registered in 2018 took their annual MOT test. 86% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2018 the figure was 84%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 6.8% | 5.2% |
| Brakes | 2.6% | 2.9% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.0% | 4.0% |
| Suspension | 1.9% | 1.6% |
| Visibility | 1.6% | 3.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.5% | 1.0% |
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
3,214 of these cars first registered in 2018 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 153,000 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
164 2018 cars are on the New Zealand register; 7% arrived as used imports, 93% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 10.7 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- 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 2 variants: combined 8.1–10.6 L/100 km (about 22–29 mpg US), CO₂ 188–246 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passat · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 9.3 | 6.5 | 8.1 |
| Passat · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 12.2 | 8.5 | 10.6 |
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 2018 Volkswagen Passat.
| 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… |
| 2018429 15 Aug 2018 | Brakes On certain vehicles, the brake caliper bracket bolts may not be properly tightened and could loosen, allowing the caliper to move. This could cause increased st… |
| 2018292 1 Jun 2018 | Brakes On certain vehicles, a problem with the brake system may cause gas bubbles to form in the brake fluid. This could cause a soft brake pedal feel and a reduction … |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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.
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 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat vehicles. The brake caliper bracket mounting bolts on these vehicles may not have been tightened sufficiently.
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.
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 2018 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 |
| 11011374 | HVAC duct cleaning and deodorizing |
| 11010024 | Lack of paint under roof |
| 11010022 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11010021 | Additional reporting |
| 11010011 | Vehicle Concerns Before Recall Repair Available |
| 11008866 | Inspecting sensors for damage |
| 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 |
| 11007398 | Battery testing |
| 11007393 | Engine Oil Standards |
| 11005825 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11005820 | Engine Assembly Tip |
| 11005819 | Engine Replacement Tip |
| 11005818 | Engine No Start, ECM shorted due to incorrect battery removal |
| 11002875 | Engine oil quality standards |
| 11001522 | These documents are for the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) Limited Warranty Extension as part of the Class Action Settlement |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)