2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
4/5
Safety Rating
26
Owner Complaints
1
Recall
15
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
The 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT has received a total of 26 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 2 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS, SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING. 15 technical service bulletins have been issued by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Service Brakes (5 complaints), Lane Departure Assist (4 complaints), and Air Bags (3 complaints).
Recalls for the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
NHTSA has recorded 2 recalls for the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT, potentially affecting up to 60 vehicles.
Recall 21V812000 — WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
| 30 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, and Passat vehicles. The front wheel bearing bolts may have been incorrectly tightened.
Consequence: The bolts may loosen and cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tightness of the wheel bearing bolts and replace the bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall...
View full details →Recall 21V812000 — SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
| 30 vehicles affected
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021 Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, and Passat vehicles. The front wheel bearing bolts may have been incorrectly tightened.
Consequence: The bolts may loosen and cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tightness of the wheel bearing bolts and replace the bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
26 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Assist | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipmentelectricalinfotainment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Lane Keep Automatic Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tiressidewall | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
I was parking my car and then I heard a loud crack. Then I noticed my car's airbag malfunction warning notice came up on the dashboard along with other failures. I can see on the edges of the horn panel on the left that its slightly detached, so it seem the airbag has somewhat inflated. I haven't taken it to the dealer yet, but will later after work. I didn't notice any issues prior to this happening
Driving home from work around 1:00 am at night with street lights and no other cars in the vicinity the auto brake engaged, causing an abrupt stop. Once the auto brake ceased I was able to complete my trip. There was a light coating of water in a spot on the road but nothing else and no reason for this to occur.
Driving home from work around 1:00 am at night with street lights and no other cars in the vicinity the auto brake engaged, causing an abrupt stop. Once the auto brake ceased I was able to complete my trip. There was a light coating of water in a spot on the road but nothing else and no reason for this to occur.
See attached document for complaint.
Safety Rating for the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
The 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. has issued 15 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
Circular 23EO — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)
RECALL - Engine Control Module (ECM) Software
Dealer 23EO — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)
RECALL - Engine Control Module (ECM) Software
V4016012043146_2 — STRUCTURE
Strut or Shock leak assessment.
Bulletin 97FX — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
UPDATE - Alternator Cable (NVLW)
Dealer 97FX — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
UPDATE - Alternator Cable (NVLW)
V001901204059010 — EQUIPMENT
Water under transportation wrapping appears as paint defect. Update model year applicability.
VIN4APIN20211101 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
Customer states MIL-on with P0087 P0149 P053F in the ECM Customer states MIL-on with any combination of P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P1D74 and/or P1D75 in the ECM Customer states rattle noise from the underbody heat shields Customer states noise from front suspension Customer states noise during clutch pedal operation...
DC_Passatremst — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This dealer memo is an informational memo regarding that MY21 Passats will only have Remote Start capability through the key fob and will not have Remote Start access through the VW Car-Net App
VSP-21-01 — STRUCTURE
New document
Dealer 69BS — SEAT BELTS
Although the front passenger seat belt is compliant with regulatory requirements, Volkswagen has developed a software update that will (1) adjust the front passenger's seat belt load limiter timing and (2) increase the robustness of the system by decreasing the front passenger's potential chest acceleration during a frontal crash.
Showing 10 of 15 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
- 2016 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — 173 complaints
- 2017 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — 173 complaints
- 2018 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — 62 complaints
- 2019 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — 18 complaints
- 2020 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — 22 complaints
- 2021 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT (current)
- 2022 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT — 14 complaints
Other VOLKSWAGEN Models
- VOLKSWAGEN JETTA — 13,715 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE — 3,613 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN — 3,104 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS — 2,635 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN GOLF — 1,991 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN GTI — 1,916 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 — 1,568 total complaints
- VOLKSWAGEN CC — 1,356 total complaints