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2018 Volkswagen Passat

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 110.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 17 of 45 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports

Power Train complaints

3 reports
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Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 2025
Power Train

The catalytic converter on my 2018 Volkswagen Passat failed and the vehicle has been at an authorized Volkswagen dealership since May 16, 2025. The dealership confirmed that the catalytic converter is defective and must be replaced, but the part has been on national backorder with no estimated delivery date for several months. T…

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The catalytic converter on my 2018 Volkswagen Passat failed and the vehicle has been at an authorized Volkswagen dealership since May 16, 2025. The dealership confirmed that the catalytic converter is defective and must be replaced, but the part has been on national backorder with no estimated delivery date for several months. The vehicle cannot be safely driven in its current condition and has been unavailable for all normal use. The issue has been confirmed by the dealership and the vehicle is available for inspection. There were warning lights related to emissions prior to the failure. Volkswagen has not been able to provide a timeline for repair, which has created an ongoing safety and reliability concern.

NHTSA ODI #11701576

Mileage unknown · Jul 23, 2021
Power Train

The 2018 vw Passat se is only 3 years old and the transmission went out. The mileage was just a little over 98,000. The car has been kept up with as far as oil change, routine maintenance, and extras, such as tires and brakes. We have been given no reason to why the transmission would have went out like it did. But we are stuck …

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The 2018 vw Passat se is only 3 years old and the transmission went out. The mileage was just a little over 98,000. The car has been kept up with as far as oil change, routine maintenance, and extras, such as tires and brakes. We have been given no reason to why the transmission would have went out like it did. But we are stuck making payments on it and the cost of repair from the dealership itself is $4,500

NHTSA ODI #11426230

74,000 miles · Apr 3, 2020
EnginePower Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 8 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER DOUGLAS VOLKSWAGEN (491 MORRIS AVE, SUMMIT, NJ 07901) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 8 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER DOUGLAS VOLKSWAGEN (491 MORRIS AVE, SUMMIT, NJ 07901) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR MAIN SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

NHTSA ODI #11320140

Official recalls

4

20V561000 · Unknown Or Other

Sep 16, 2020

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners and will repurchase the vehicles. The recall began October 6, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01E9.

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.

18V536000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper

Aug 15, 2018

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The loose brake bracket bolts can allow the caliper to move, reducing braking ability or causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper bracket bolt tightness, replacing and re-torque the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Additionally brake caliper fasteners, bleeder valve, and brake hose bolts will be checked and torqued to the correct specification, if necessary, free of charge. For Passat vehicles, dealers will also inspect the parking brake cable for proper connection, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46H6.

18V369000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper

Jun 1, 2018

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.

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.