Volkswagen Passat Seats Problems
Owners have filed 210 complaints with NHTSA about seats problems on the Volkswagen Passat across 17 model years. The 2003 model year has the most (97). The words owners use most often: “seat heater” (31% of reports).
- 210seats complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 56mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $1,350typical repair cost reported by owners
- 27%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Seat heater: mentioned in 66 of 210 complaints (31%)
- Burned through: mentioned in 32 of 210 complaints (15%)
- Heated seats: mentioned in 23 of 210 complaints (11%)
- Burning sensation: mentioned in 13 of 210 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical seats repair on the Volkswagen Passat at $1,350, and half of them between $1,200 and $1,400.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2011), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do seats problems happen?
Based on 150 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 210 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 79 a fire, 56 an injury.
Volkswagen Passat seats complaints by model year
| Model year | Seats complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Passat | 1 | 8% | 17,200 |
| 2017 Passat | 1 | 1% | 50,000 |
| 2015 Passat | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2013 Passat | 3 | 0% | 25,000 |
| 2012 Passat | 3 | 1% | 21,299 |
| 2010 Passat | 1 | 1% | 84,369 |
| 2008 Passat | 3 | 2% | 90,000 |
| 2007 Passat | 2 | 1% | 30,289 |
| 2006 Passat | 5 | 1% | 100,000 |
| 2005 Passat | 13 | 9% | 81,500 |
| 2004 Passat | 34 | 12% | 78,000 |
| 2003 Passat | 97 | 15% | 46,400 |
| 2002 Passat | 15 | 2% | 49,108 |
| 2001 Passat | 7 | 2% | 80,500 |
| 2000 Passat | 3 | 1% | 43,500 |
| 1999 Passat | 10 | 2% | 52,376 |
| 1998 Passat | 11 | 3% | 91,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Seats
Model years: 2015
Problem: 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.
Risk: Unexpected movement of the driver's seatback may distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the assembly of the seatback recliner retaining bracket, correcting it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 72F1.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
A coil for heated seats has melted a hole in the driver's side seat. This caused pain and confusion while driving on the highway. The seat now has an ugly melted hole in it.
My son was driving (in motion) on hwy 17 in miller county mo with seat heater on saturday nov. 28, 2020. Seat caught on fire. I had noticed when i had seat heater on previously it became so hot as to burn legs. This is a serious problem. It could have burned my car completely. Very dangerous.
While driving on a highway, the driver seat suddenly overheated (the seat warmer was turned on). It started with a burning smell. Excessive heat burned my leg a bit (some skin redness), before i realized what is happening and turned the seat warmer off. The seat leather now appears stiff and…
Driver seat moves back and forth on its own while driving. All lumbar and seat supports also move without warning while operating vehicle in motion.
The car stalled in the road. Pulled over. Turned the car off and it would not restart full tank of gas.
Frequently asked questions
Do all Volkswagen Passats have seats problems?
No. NHTSA has 210 owner complaints about seats for the Volkswagen Passat. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Volkswagen Passat seats?
Yes: 1 safety recall list seats. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix seats problems on the Volkswagen Passat?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,350 (half paid between $1,200 and $1,400), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about seats problems on the Volkswagen Passat?
The most frequent phrase is “seat heater”, in 66 of 210 complaints, followed by “burned through” (32).
Other Volkswagen Passat problems
- Air Bags problems (1,652)
- Electrical System problems (1,136)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (847)
- Engine problems (643)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (605)
- Steering problems (570)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (471)
- Power Train problems (452)
See all Volkswagen Passat problems.