2010 Volkswagen Passat Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Passat years
- About as many complaints as other years 15th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 163 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Volkswagen Passat. That ranks 15th out of 28 Passat model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (45 complaints, 28%), typically at around 62,500 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 1 fire, 2 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 163owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2010 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 45 | 28% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 41 | 25% | 91,449 | — | — |
| Power Train | 34 | 21% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 25 | 15% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 21 | 13% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 8% | 81,700 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 13 | 8% | 61,899 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 5% | 88,749 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 2% | 61,899 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 2% | 156,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 2% | 68,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 2% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 64,118 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 28,800 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 44,756 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | 102,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 84,369 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 2,380 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 44,756 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2010 Volkswagen Passat recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2016 Volkswagen CC, 2006-2010 Passat and Passat Wagon vehicles. Interruption of electrical power to the fuel pump control module may cause the fuel pump to fail.
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump control module, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AE.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
Risk: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.
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
- Air Bag Clockspring Failure (EA18003) — opened Apr 18, 2018, still open.
- Air Bag Clockspring Failure (RQ17009) — opened Nov 13, 2017, closed May 4, 2018.
- Air Bag Clockspring Failure (PE15010) — opened Mar 24, 2015, closed Sep 28, 2015, led to recall 15V483000.
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 2010 Volkswagen CC became completely inoperable because of the active fuel pump control module recall (NHTSA 17V509). The vehicle stalled and nearly caused an accident. The check engine light came on just before I noticed a burning smell coming from the backseat of my car immediately after…
I purchased a used vehicle but have found out the oxygen sensor is feeding false error codes to the main OBC causing leaks into driver compartment causing engine to stall while auto in motion and most importantly causing steering wheel to lock, have spoken with VWoA but they have no direct…
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a strong fuel odor inside and outside the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure persisted while the vehicle was parked and turned off. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The…
The contact owns a 2010 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. The check engine warning light…
Replaced cracked fuel pump 3 times. Electrical problem to fuel pump ; also all were cracked from pressure. Thx !! Dr.
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 | 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 Passat | 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 2010 Volkswagen Passat?
Owners most often report air bags, engine, power train problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 45 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2010 Volkswagen Passat?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2010 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 2010 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.