2016 Volkswagen Passat Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Passat years
- Fewer complaints than other years 19th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 106 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Volkswagen Passat. That ranks 19th out of 28 Passat model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (25 complaints, 24%), typically at around 46,000 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 3 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 106owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 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 | 25 | 24% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 22 | 21% | 6,100 | — | — |
| Steering | 19 | 18% | 41,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 17 | 16% | 86,334 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 15 | 14% | 47,124 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 15 | 14% | 24,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 13 | 12% | 25,604 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 10% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 7% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 5% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 5% | 800 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 5% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 4% | 18,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 3% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 2% | 71,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 2% | 50 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 2% | 400 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Volkswagen Passat recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Unknown or other
Problem: 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 prior to sale. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of various Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
Fix: 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.
Unknown or other
Problem: 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.
Risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
Fix: 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.
Exterior lighting:headlights
Problem: 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."
Risk: Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system:fuel rail
Problem: 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 affected vehicles, the fuel rail may detach from the cylinder head and result in a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.
Fix: 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 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 15F7.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum; engine and engine cooling:engine
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
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 auto cruise controls. The instrument cluster is malfunctioning as well. The safety risks associated…
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 the repair because this is a documented manufacturing defect, not wear-and-tear." 2. Leverage the…
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was a strong gasoline odor inside the cabin. The contact immediately pulled over and exited the vehicle to inspect for visible fuel leaks, but found no leaks. While attempting to restart the vehicle…
The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. Upon investigation, the contact…
The vehicle has been alerting error codes 16352 for failing to communicate with ABS module causing warning lights for ABS, brake and the ESC systems to illuminate. The brake system related vehicle stabilizing functions (ABS/ESC) is not be available, increasing the risk of a loss of vehicle control…
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 | 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 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 2016 Volkswagen Passat?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, steering problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 25 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Volkswagen Passat?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 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 2016 has fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.