Model year
2016 Volkswagen Passat
NHTSA lists 5 recalls and 106 complaints for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat (recall file dated Oct 23, 2026; complaint file dated Oct 23, 2026). The components listed on the most complaints are AIR BAGS (22), ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (22), STEERING (19). NHTSA rated the 4 DR FWD 5 stars overall. EPA rates it 23–29 mpg combined depending on configuration (fuel economy file dated Sep 29, 2026). EPA's annual fuel-cost figures for these configurations are $2,300–$2,900, based on 15,000 miles and 55% city driving.
- 2000 507 complaints
- 2001 430 complaints
- 2002 636 complaints
- 2003 628 complaints
- 2004 279 complaints
- 2005 148 complaints
- 2006 576 complaints
- 2007 262 complaints
- 2008 168 complaints
- 2009 146 complaints
- 2010 163 complaints
- 2012 484 complaints
- 2013 749 complaints
- 2014 594 complaints
- 2015 243 complaints
- 2016 106 complaints
- 2017 110 complaints
- 2018 46 complaints
- 2019 12 complaints
- 2020 18 complaints
- 2021 18 complaints
- 2022 13 complaints
Recalls
21V321000 · May 5, 2021
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all…
20V561000 · Sep 16, 2020
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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…
19V389000 · May 22, 2019
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
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…
16V403000 · Jun 6, 2016
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jetta vehicles manufactured October 31, 2015, to January 21, 2016, 2016 Passat vehicles, equipped with 1.8T engines manufactured November 13, 2015, to December 9, 2015, and 2016 Golf vehicles…
15V705000 · Oct 26, 2015
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM
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…
Complaints
106 distinct complaints. Crash flag on 4, fire flag on 0, injury field 3, deaths field 0. A complaint can be counted under more than one component. The injury and death figures are the file's numbers (the highest value on each complaint, then added), not a separate verified count of people.
Investigations
No investigations are matched to this name.
Safety ratings
| Variant | Overall | Front | Side | Pole | Rollover | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 DR FWD | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 · possibility 0.107 | NHTSA photo |
Fuel economy
| Configuration | Fuel | City | Hwy | Comb | kWh/100 mi | Range | Annual fuel cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passat · 3.6L · Automatic (AM-S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 20 | 28 | 23 | — | — | $2,900 |
| Passat · 1.8L · Automatic (S6) · Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 25 | 36 | 29 | — | — | $2,300 |
Open this model year in the fuel-cost calculator. The calculator starts with no fuel price filled in.
Check a vehicle
This page is not a VIN lookup. NHTSA's recall tool checks a specific vehicle: nhtsa.gov/recalls. NHTSA's page for this model year is 2016 Volkswagen Passat at NHTSA. Complaint narratives stay on NHTSA's site and are not copied here.