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2016 Volkswagen Passat Recalls, Complaints & Specs

5 safety recalls list the 2016 Volkswagen Passat, and owners have filed 106 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

5
safety recalls
106
owner complaints to NHTSA
4 / 0
complaints citing a crash / fire
23–29
MPG combined (EPA)

5 safety recalls for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Unknown or other

    NHTSA 21V321000 Reported 46 vehicles potentially affected Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

    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 applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified…

    Remedy: Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.

  2. Unknown or other

    NHTSA 20V561000 Reported 23 vehicles potentially affected Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

    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,…

    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.

  3. Headlights (exterior lighting)

    NHTSA 19V389000 Reported 662,185 vehicles potentially affected Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

    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,…

    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…

  4. Fuel rail (fuel system)

    NHTSA 16V403000 Reported 55 vehicles potentially affected Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

    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 manufactured November 5, 2015, to November 11, 2015. In the…

    Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cylinder heads, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…

  5. Engine (engine and engine cooling) and vacuum (service brakes)

    NHTSA 15V705000 Reported 91,867 vehicles potentially affected Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

    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.

    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.

106 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2016 Volkswagen Passat have filed 106 complaints with NHTSA; 4 describe a crash. Reports cite 3 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 41,247 miles. Complaints peaked in 2018 with 16 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“The clock spring system failed, rendering all of the cars' steering wheel functions non-functional. The airbag light is on and the steering wheels airbag does not operate as well as the cars horn and”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 3, 2026 · Air bags

“currently leaking raw fuel under the hood (matching Recall 15F7) and stalling after fill-ups (matching Recall 24V110000). I am requesting a Specialized Safety Review and Goodwill Assistance to cover t”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 21, 2026 · Fuel/propulsion system

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat. Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined23–29 mpg
City / Highway20–25 / 28–36
FuelRegular
EPA classMidsize Cars
Engine4/6 cyl, 1.8/3.6 L
TransmissionAutomatic (AM-S6); Automatic (S6)

Compare Volkswagen Passat model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Volkswagen Passat model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1988 Volkswagen Passat10
1989 Volkswagen Passat10
1990 Volkswagen Passat234
1991 Volkswagen Passat124
1992 Volkswagen Passat139
1993 Volkswagen Passat368
1994 Volkswagen Passat125
1995 Volkswagen Passat193
1996 Volkswagen Passat140
1997 Volkswagen Passat037
1998 Volkswagen Passat4331
1999 Volkswagen Passat5664
2000 Volkswagen Passat3507
2001 Volkswagen Passat3430
2002 Volkswagen Passat3636
2003 Volkswagen Passat6628
2004 Volkswagen Passat3279
2005 Volkswagen Passat3148
2006 Volkswagen Passat7576
2007 Volkswagen Passat7262
2008 Volkswagen Passat4168
2009 Volkswagen Passat4146
2010 Volkswagen Passat4163
2011 Volkswagen Passat016
2012 Volkswagen Passat11484
2013 Volkswagen Passat9748
2014 Volkswagen Passat10594
2015 Volkswagen Passat7243
2016 Volkswagen Passat5106
2017 Volkswagen Passat7110
2018 Volkswagen Passat445
2019 Volkswagen Passat112
2020 Volkswagen Passat318
2021 Volkswagen Passat118
2022 Volkswagen Passat013

Checking a specific 2016 Volkswagen Passat

How do I know if my 2016 Volkswagen Passat has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 5 campaigns currently list the 2016 Volkswagen Passat; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Volkswagen dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 15V705000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Volkswagen models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.