2001 Volkswagen Passat Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Passat years
- Far more complaints than other years 9th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 430 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Volkswagen Passat. That ranks 9th out of 28 Passat model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (92 complaints, 21%), typically at around 62,000 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 14 fires, 11 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 7 defect investigations involving it.
- 430owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 7NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 Volkswagen Passat problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 92 | 21% | 62,000 | “oil sludge” (16%) | $2,950 |
| Electrical System problems | 73 | 17% | 39,500 | “ignition coils” (10%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 48 | 11% | 68,400 | — | — |
| Power Train | 34 | 8% | 36,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 31 | 7% | 55,635 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 30 | 7% | 69,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 28 | 7% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 26 | 6% | 64,445 | — | — |
| Suspension | 25 | 6% | 52,510 | — | — |
| Structure | 23 | 5% | 67,849 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 19 | 4% | 39,490 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 3% | 59,100 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 11 | 3% | 30,258 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 2% | 128,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 2% | 38,573 | — | — |
| Seats | 7 | 2% | 80,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 2% | 37,450 | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 1% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 1% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 1% | 130,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 68,891 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1% | 53,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 4 | 1% | 117,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 0% | 48,550 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 160,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 Volkswagen Passat recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery
Problem: Volkswagen is recalling 412,000 my 1999-2005 passat (5th generation) vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and produced after june 14, 1999. These vehicles may have an underbody heat shield that can become damaged. In addition, affected vehicles with automatic or manual transmissions may have a fuel line (1.8t engines only) or fuel tank ventilation valve (4motion/all wheel drive only) that can leak due to fracture.
Risk: A heat shield that may contact the exhaust system can result in a vehicle fire. In addition, a fuel leak from a fuel line or fuel tank ventilation valve, in the presence of an ignition source, can lead to a vehicle fire.
Fix: Dealers will install additional underbody heat shields on vehicles with automatic transmissions to cover the possibly damaged areas and flash all 1.8t engines with a precautionary software update. Dealers will also inspect and adjust the fuel line routing on 1.8t vehicles and the fuel tank ventilation valve on 4motion/all wheel drive vehicles, and replace components if necessary free of charge. The recall began on june 13, 2008. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:filler pipe and cap
Problem: On some passenger vehicles, the fuel tank filler neck can suffer abrasion damage if the rear tire goes flat and the vehicle is driven until the tire disintegrates.
Risk: Fuel leakage can occur increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will fit passat vehicles with a new wheel house liner that will better protect the car's filler neck. Jetta vehicles will be fitted with a different metal shield designed to enhance abrasion protection in the event of tire disintegration. Owner notification began june 13, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Sulfur in fuel interacts with certain additives found in widely available gasoline causing sulfur to become deposited on the contact points of three fuel sending units mounted inside the fuel tank. This could cause the fuel gauge to read full while the fuel tank may not in fact be full or could be empty.
Risk: Running out of fuel without warning while the fuel gauge indicates that there is sufficient fuel in the tank lead to safety problems.
Fix: Dealers will remove the existing fuel level sending units and replace them with fuel level sending units using a new alloy composed of gold, silver, and a small amount of nickel, which will not chemically react with sulfur. Vw/audi will also call back vehicles that were repaired under a previous recall last june in order to install the updated fuel sending units nhtsa 00v137/audi lb). Owner notification began may 1, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact audi at 1-866-892-2834.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine Compartment Fire (EA11002) — opened Jan 26, 2011, closed Feb 17, 2012.
- Fuel tank leak (PE08008) — opened Jan 31, 2008, closed May 30, 2008, led to recall 08V156000.
- Passenger engine compartment fires (EA07014) — opened Sep 28, 2007, closed Jul 7, 2008, led to recall 08V156000.
- Passenger/engine compartment fires (PE07024) — opened May 10, 2007, closed Sep 28, 2007.
- Engine stalling (DP05004) — opened Aug 11, 2005, closed Dec 8, 2005.
- Passenger air bag lid failure (EA03020) — opened Oct 7, 2003, closed Apr 23, 2004.
- Passenger sir door mounting stud failure (PE03021) — opened May 23, 2003, closed Oct 7, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My fuses keep blowing, this is leading to replacing the Brake switch which I believe was recalled. If it was replaced,it's not working.
The driver's side airbag of my 2001 VW Passat spontaneously deployed while I drove on Hwy 494 in Woodbury MN. Sometime within 24 hours before the airbag deployed, the airbag fault light turned on in the car's dashboard display. Within 15 minutes before the incident, the car's automatic locking…
Took car to vw dealer to have timing belt replaced and was notified that there were several open recalls and they offered to take care of them free of charge. However, they were unable to perform recall #08v156. Manufacturer #26e5. They installed the heat shield but could not perform software…
Abs light on and break light flashing
Started smelling gas and mileage started droppi g bad around the end of november. We see that there has been recalls on the gas tank and fuel lines for 01 volkswagen passats but unfortunately not for this vin # which happens to be my sons car. Now its at the shop because its gas mileage went way…
Other Volkswagen Passat years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Passat | 13 | 0 |
| 2021 Passat | 18 | 1 |
| 2020 Passat | 18 | 3 |
| 2019 Passat | 12 | 1 |
| 2018 Passat | 46 | 4 |
| 2017 Passat | 110 | 7 |
| 2016 Passat | 106 | 5 |
| 2015 Passat | 243 | 7 |
| 2014 Passat | 594 | 10 |
| 2013 Passat | 748 | 9 |
| 2012 Passat | 484 | 11 |
| 2011 Passat | 16 | 0 |
| 2010 Passat | 163 | 4 |
| 2009 Passat | 146 | 4 |
| 2008 Passat | 168 | 4 |
| 2007 Passat | 262 | 7 |
| 2006 Passat | 576 | 7 |
| 2005 Passat | 148 | 3 |
| 2004 Passat | 279 | 3 |
| 2003 Passat | 628 | 6 |
| 2002 Passat | 636 | 3 |
| 2001 | 430 | 3 |
| 2000 Passat | 507 | 3 |
| 1999 Passat | 664 | 5 |
| 1998 Passat | 331 | 4 |
| 1997 Passat | 37 | 0 |
| 1996 Passat | 40 | 1 |
| 1995 Passat | 93 | 1 |
See all Volkswagen Passat problems by year, every Volkswagen model, or the Volkswagen VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Volkswagen Passat?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 92 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Volkswagen Passat?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 Volkswagen Passat a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Passat model years, the 2001 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.