Worst 2015 Volkswagen Passat Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Airbags
Engine Problems
Electrical Faults
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2015 Volkswagen Passat.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags | 86 | 8 | — | 54,789 mi | |
| Engine Problems | 53 | — | 1 | 49,410 mi | |
| Electrical Faults | 44 | 1 | 1 | 50,471 mi | |
| Brakes | 26 | 2 | 1 | 22,080 mi | |
| Steering Defects | 26 | — | — | 49,638 mi | |
| Fuel System | 20 | — | — | 44,294 mi | |
| Suspension Failures | 15 | — | — | 41,957 mi | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 12 | 1 | — | 44,408 mi | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 9 | 2 | — | 27,079 mi | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 6 | 1 | 1 | 16,671 mi | |
| Wipers & Visibility | 6 | — | — | 81,660 mi | |
| Body Structure | 5 | 1 | — | 57,771 mi | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Tire Defects | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Clockspring/Spiral Cassette | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Visibility:Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Electrical System:Horn | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Engine & Cooling | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Gasoline Fuel System | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Sunroof/Moonroof | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Suspension:Front:Springs:Coil Springs | 1 | — | — | — |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2015 Volkswagen Passat. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2015 Volkswagen Passat
7 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~918,785 vehicles.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Other Volkswagen Passat Years
2015 Volkswagen Passat — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2015 Volkswagen Passat reliable?
What are common problems with the 2015 Volkswagen Passat?
At what mileage do problems start on the 2015 Volkswagen Passat?
How safe is the 2015 Volkswagen Passat?
Does the 2015 Volkswagen Passat have any recalls?
Should I buy a 2015 Volkswagen Passat?
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.
Wider context: See the full Volkswagen Passat reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2015 Volkswagen Passat
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