2018 Volkswagen Passat

2018 Volkswagen Passat recalls (4)

• SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat vehicles. The brake caliper bracket mounting bolts on these vehicles may not have been tightened sufficiently.

  Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper bracket bolt tightness, replacing and re-torque the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Additionally brake caliper fasteners, bleeder valve, and brake hose bolts will be checked and torqued to the correct specification, if necessary, free of charge. For Passat vehicles, dealers will also inspect the parking brake cable for proper connection, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46H6.

• SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

  Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.

  Remedy: Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.

• EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

  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."

  Remedy: 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.

• UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  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.

  Remedy: 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.

2018 Volkswagen Passat safety ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP ratings.

2018 Volkswagen Passat owner complaints (15)

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  A major engineering and material design failure occurred involving internal fluid containment seals, resulting in a severe electrical safety hazard. Pressurized engine coolant breached an internal component seal and began migrating internally directly through the vehicle's engine wiring harness via capillary/siphoning action. The fluid used the sealed wiring loom as a literal pipeline, traveling inside the wire insulation to bypass all outer weather seals and completely flood the Engine Control Module (ECM) pin connectors. The vehicle's dealership service department documented extensive galvanic corrosion and shorting inside the primary vehicle computer pins due to this blue-green fluid pooling. Because the dealership has not yet completed the full repair, the exact originating component source of the leak (e.g., the engine coolant temperature sensor or the coolant expansion tank housing barrier) remains unconfirmed. However, the physical mechanism of the coolant migration through the sealed harness into the primary electrical architecture is fully verified. This defect presents a critical safety risk. The sudden flooding and short-circuiting of the Engine Control Module can cause an immediate and unexpected loss of engine propulsion, power steering assist, and electrical control while driving at highway speeds, creating an imminent risk of a high-speed collision.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the infotainment screen failed to respond to touch commands, preventing the contact from viewing the GPS feature. The contact performed a hard reset on the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

  The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was unable to restart and was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with battery failure. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then towed to a different dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 136,000.

• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  I initially brought my vehicle in for service due to a strong gasoline odor and the vehicle failing to start. At that time, I was informed that no gasoline smell was detected and that the issue was instead a faulty starter, which I authorized for repair. Approximately two weeks later, my vehicle again would not start. I was then informed that the issue was a lower fuel injector, which required additional repairs. Just three days after that service, the vehicle once again failed to start, and I was told this time that the upper fuel injector was the cause. As a result of these events, I incurred a total of $3,946.96 in repair costs across two service visits and was forced to have my vehicle towed three separate times. Before the third visit, I was informed that I would need to pay an additional $1,500, on top of the nearly $4,000 I had already paid. I challenged the accuracy and consistency of the diagnoses at that point, and ultimately, the vehicle was repaired without charging me the additional $1,500. While I appreciate that the final repair was completed without further cost, I am deeply concerned about the pattern of repeated breakdowns, inconsistent diagnoses, and the financial burden placed on me as a customer. The original concern of a gasoline smell appears to have been valid from the outset, yet it took multiple failures, repairs, and significant expense before the underlying issue was resolved.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

  The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and failed to accelerate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a wiring harness failure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact had received an unknown notice, which was related to the failure. The manufacturer was contacted for reimbursement, and a case was filed. The contact sent the requested documents to the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer failed to call back as the manufacturer had stated. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  Battery drains overnight. Started with a boost all dashboard warning lights on, vehicle runs fine all day with many starts and stops, battery dies again overnight. Diagnosed with a bad fuel pump control module that continues to run and does not shut off until all battery power is drained. Mechanic changed the fuel pump control module, cleared all fault codes, and vehicle fixed. I saw a Carfax report for an identical 2018, SEL Premium Passat to mine with the exact same issue of a bad fuel control module in that vehicle Carfax report and realized it was a much bigger issue. I am aware of a similar recall for vehicles up till 2016 model year, but this issue is wider for higher model years. Besides the other identical problem listed below in the Carfax report, I am aware of many other fuel pump control module problems reported to online VW forums and online. The identical Passat vehicle information is below: 2018 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.0T SEL PREMIUM VIN: [XXX] XXX SEDAN 4 DR 2L I4 F DOHC 16V GASOLINE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE 06/27/2025 69,955 mi Piazza Volkswagen Ardmore Ardmore, PennsylvaniaArdmore, PA Ardmore, XXX [XXX] 4.6 / 5.0 88 Verified Reviews 2,091 Vehicle serviced Maintenance inspection completed Fuel pump module replaced Vehicle washed/detailed URL for this vehicle Carfax report is below: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• POWER TRAIN

  The catalytic converter on my 2018 Volkswagen Passat failed and the vehicle has been at an authorized Volkswagen dealership since May 16, 2025. The dealership confirmed that the catalytic converter is defective and must be replaced, but the part has been on national backorder with no estimated delivery date for several months. The vehicle cannot be safely driven in its current condition and has been unavailable for all normal use. The issue has been confirmed by the dealership and the vehicle is available for inspection. There were warning lights related to emissions prior to the failure. Volkswagen has not been able to provide a timeline for repair, which has created an ongoing safety and reliability concern.

• SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

  ABS sensor warning lights are coming on showing there is an issue.

• AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER

  We have been having numerous sensor issues. Sensors showing air bag malfunction and with passenger side seat belt on the front right side. We bought the car in used condition from pat lobb toyota of mckinney less than a year ago. Constantly having sensor issues with it.

• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  Car Fuel Pump Leaking. Fuel pump Module failure. There was a recall for this issue on other Volkswagens, but not on the Passat. There are hundreds of cars online with the same issue.

• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  Fuel pump Leak. Strong order of gasoline has been coming from the car. I had a check and the fuel pump is leaking. Other vehicles have been recalled due to this, but the Passat has not been included. This problem has been reported out in several cars including a fire….

• ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

  EPC light came on & check engine light Car shakes

• ENGINE

  My oil sensor started blinking while I am driving. I stoped and added oil to the car because the level was in low level. Went to the dealership to check my car in if I do have leakage or if my engine did start to burn oil. They did suggest to come visit them after 600 miles which I did. And after check up they did end up saying yes your car did burn oil around 0.25 quart. And I suggest you to come after 600 miles again. I need that issue to be fixed and they are wasting my time in this unnecessary procedure. It was confirmed that my engine burn oil and I have got extended warranty plus my car was always been serviced by the vw dealership.

• ENGINE

  I received a check engine light and my mechanic diagnosed the problem and attributed it to an the air pump control valve which was connected to primary engine water pump. A slight leak in the air system was noticed since the check valve failed. The primary engine water pump began to lose pressure over time causing increased tail pipe emissions. I tried to report this issue to VW but fell on deaf years. Since the primary engine water pump was part of a recall i was explaining that the air pump control valve also had to be replaced because the open/close relay stopped working. I spent 820 $ parts + labor to get this fixed and VW does not even want to accept it as a problem. I have been constantly encountering these problems with my VW car. This is a safety issue and hence wanted to report this to NHTSA.

• AIR BAGS

  Collision around 45 to 50 mph. Airbags frontal and side airbags didnt deployed Two vehicles invaded my lane and I ran into the second vehicle .