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2015 Volkswagen Passat

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Passat years

Owner complaints for the 2015 Volkswagen Passat are substantially higher than the model-year median of 110.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

132 reports with mileage · 111 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Air Bags. Review the 88 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

11 crash reports2 fire reports7 injury reports

What owners actually said

243 reports
Mileage unknown · Feb 12, 2023
Unknown Or Other

Heater core big problem on 2015 vw passat Early models from 2012 to 2014 have a recall on heater core, and they have extended warranty. But problem still occurs on 2015 models, but still no recall or covered warranty, big problem and constantly Heater core broking

NHTSA ODI #11506865

113,000 miles · Feb 1, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the defroster failed and became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the heater core needed to be replaced. …

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The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the defroster failed and became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the heater core needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. There was a previous coolant flush and timing belt replacement at approximately 80,000. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

NHTSA ODI #11504919

Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2023
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

Mice and rodents just love eating various electrical wires, vacuum lines, diesel fuel lines (both from tank to engine & return lines), etc. Never once had any animals issues with my other vehicles. Discovered that VWoA thought it would be a brilliant idea to use Soy in the manufacturing of electrical insulation, fuel hoses, va…

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Mice and rodents just love eating various electrical wires, vacuum lines, diesel fuel lines (both from tank to engine & return lines), etc. Never once had any animals issues with my other vehicles. Discovered that VWoA thought it would be a brilliant idea to use Soy in the manufacturing of electrical insulation, fuel hoses, vacuum lines, etc. ANIMALS LIKE EATING SOY. Very frustrating. My vehicle has been disabled before and one time I sprang a nice leak, leaving a trail of diesel behind me. Since all repairs and parts were ordered and conducted at local VW dealership. All records are both on carfax & stored in VWoA servers.

NHTSA ODI #11502406

Mileage unknown · Jan 17, 2023
Steering

The Clock Spring issue that was recalled on 2012-2014 Passat's occurred on my vehicle which was manufactured July 2014 as a 2015. The car only has 60k miles on it. Clicking while turning the wheel, no steering wheel controls work and air bag light is on meaning it will not deploy and my vehicle will not pass inspection. I have s…

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The Clock Spring issue that was recalled on 2012-2014 Passat's occurred on my vehicle which was manufactured July 2014 as a 2015. The car only has 60k miles on it. Clicking while turning the wheel, no steering wheel controls work and air bag light is on meaning it will not deploy and my vehicle will not pass inspection. I have spent days calling the dealer and left messages but they are not returning my calls. From the my research it appears that my vehicle is not covered by the current recall so in addition the safety concern I will pay a large sum to fix this issue and have no idea how long it will last. I've read where some of the clock springs fail at 30k.

NHTSA ODI #11502249

Mileage unknown · Dec 5, 2022
Air Bags

Clockspring is bad as noted by many other owners. Airbag light is lit and horn doesn’t work

NHTSA ODI #11496102

Mileage unknown · Nov 18, 2022
Air BagsElectrical SystemSeat Belts

I purchased this car from what I believed was a private individual for my 15 year old daughter as her first car. This individual knew the purpose of this sale and was accutely aware that a new driver would be the primary driver. Before allowing her to drive this car, I had a detailed safety and condition inspection completed by …

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I purchased this car from what I believed was a private individual for my 15 year old daughter as her first car. This individual knew the purpose of this sale and was accutely aware that a new driver would be the primary driver. Before allowing her to drive this car, I had a detailed safety and condition inspection completed by a local import repair specialist. They found that there had been a deployment of the air bags resulting in the clock spring and front seat belt retractors being unusable. In addition, the air bag warning light had been removed from the instrument cluster and the bulb was removed, disguising the fact that there was an issue with the air bags. Further inspection showed overspray on one headlight lens from the repairs, the ac condenser was bent upwards, none of the splash shields under the front were intact or completely missing, body panels do not line up, and there is an issue with the front brakes. It is the opinion of the inspector and the business owner that this car had been reconditioned for a quick sale, intentionally hiding the fact the air bags had been deployed and the air bag system was rendered unusable. The CarFax shows minor damage to the rear and left rear, nothing about front end. The title reflects this car was at Adesa in Jacksonville FL (a car reconditioner) and sold to NES Enterprises of Jacksonville, then sold to Performance Motor Group, who sold it to me, all between 9/22/2022 and 10/31/2023. The individual I was dealing with was not involved in this sale.

NHTSA ODI #11494168

79,000 miles · Nov 4, 2022
Engine

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving 5 mph and making a left turn, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road of oncoming traffic. The contact placed the vehicle into park and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle would shud…

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The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving 5 mph and making a left turn, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road of oncoming traffic. The contact placed the vehicle into park and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle would shudder and idle at a high RPM when she started the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that a fuel pump sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the stalling failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was also illuminated. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA ODI #11492331

Mileage unknown · Nov 2, 2022
Service BrakesService Brakes, Hydraulic

Power brakes are not functional on startup when cold -- brake pedal is very stiff and takes a lot of pedal pressure to stop the car from moving while exiting driveway. Generally, braking improves within a minute or two of driving, but sudden stops in this condition are difficult and unsafe. The dealer service department diag…

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Power brakes are not functional on startup when cold -- brake pedal is very stiff and takes a lot of pedal pressure to stop the car from moving while exiting driveway. Generally, braking improves within a minute or two of driving, but sudden stops in this condition are difficult and unsafe. The dealer service department diagnosed a leaking check valve in the vacuum system and the brake booster needs to be replaced - safety-related components such as brake boosters should not be failing at such an age.

NHTSA ODI #11491877

Mileage unknown · Nov 1, 2022
Air BagsCrashInjury

In a multi-vehicle rear end collision, the airbags in the vehicle did not deploy. My vehicle was totaled and I sustained medical injuries.

NHTSA ODI #11491742

64,000 miles · Nov 1, 2022
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated his wife was unable to insert the key into the ignition to start the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed the key was faulty. The vehicle w…

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The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated his wife was unable to insert the key into the ignition to start the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed the key was faulty. The vehicle was repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

NHTSA ODI #11491738

Official recalls

7

19V862000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Dec 4, 2019

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.

19V389000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights

May 22, 2019

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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L9.

19V014000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Jan 11, 2019

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298; Audi owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69S8 (Audi) and 69Y5 (Volkswagen).

15V705000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum

Oct 26, 2015

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine

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.

Consequence: If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.

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 loss of brake assist.

Consequence: If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.

15V373000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Jun 15, 2015

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the brake line was not properly tightened, it may leak brake fluid, causing a reduction in braking performance, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will tighten the brake line fitting, free of charge. The recall began on June 11, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47M3.

15V028000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:fuel Rail

Jan 23, 2015

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails with new parts, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24BL. Note: This recall expands and supersedes recall 14V-809 (Volkswagen recall number 24Bi) and only affects vehicles not previously repaired under that campaign.

14V670000 · Seats

Oct 24, 2014

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Unexpected movement of the driver's seatback may distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the assembly of the seatback recliner retaining bracket, correcting it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 72F1.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.