Recalls (5)
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗
Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.
Check on NHTSA ↗Modifications to Vehicles Made Them Noncompliant
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
- Remedy
- 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.
Modifications to Vehicles Made Them Noncompliant
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
- 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.
Headlights can be Adjusted/FMVSS 108
- Summary
- 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."
- Consequence
- Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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.
Fuel Rail may Detach and Leak
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- 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.
Loss of Power Brakes due to Camshaft Lobe Fracture
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.
Owner complaints (106)
106 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The air bags is mentioned most often.
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 106 |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 25 | 23.6% |
| Electrical system | 22 | 20.8% |
| Steering | 19 | 17.9% |
| Engine | 17 | 16% |
| Service brakes | 17 | 16% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 15 | 14.2% |
| Unknown or other | 13 | 12.3% |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 10.4% |
| Forward collision avoidance | 7 | 6.6% |
| Electronic stability control | 5 | 4.7% |
How 2016 compares with other Passat years
Best and worst Passat years →| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 484 | 11 |
| 2013 | 748 | 9 |
| 2014 | 594 | 10 |
| 2015 | 243 | 7 |
| 2016 | 106 | 5 |
| 2017 | 110 | 7 |
| 2018 | 45 | 4 |
| 2019 | 12 | 1 |
| 2020 | 18 | 3 |
| 2021 | 18 | 1 |
Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Crash tests: 5 stars overall
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2016 Volkswagen Passat 4 dr fwd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Fuel economy: up to 29 mpg combined
- EPA annual fuel cost
- $2,300
- CO₂ tailpipe
- 306 g/mi
- EPA class
- Midsize Cars
What it costs you to run
Miles ÷ 29 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.
EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.
Specs by configuration
| Engine · transmission | Drive | City / Hwy / Comb | EPA $/yr | CO₂ g/mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.8 L 4-cyl · 6-speed automatic | Front-Wheel Drive | 25 / 36 / 29 | $2,300 | 306 |
| 3.6 L 6-cyl · Automatic | Front-Wheel Drive | 20 / 28 / 23 | $2,900 | 390 |
Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.
Looking at a 2016 Passat for sale?
Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.
Where to next
2016 Volkswagen Passat FAQ
How many recalls does the 2016 Volkswagen Passat have?
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns: 21V321000 (unknown or other), 20V561000 (unknown or other), 19V389000 (lighting), 16V403000 (fuel system), 15V705000 (brake). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2016 Volkswagen Passat problems?
Owners filed 106 complaints with NHTSA. Air bags (25), Electrical system (22), Steering (19) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
What mpg does the 2016 Volkswagen Passat get?
EPA rates the 1.8 L 4-cyl · 6-speed automatic version at 25 city, 36 highway and 29 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.
What safety rating did the 2016 Volkswagen Passat get?
NHTSA rated the 2016 Volkswagen Passat 4 dr fwd 5 stars overall, with 4 stars frontal, 5 stars side and 4 stars rollover (10.7% rollover risk).
How does the 2016 Passat compare with other years?
Among the 2012–2021 Volkswagen Passat model years at least five years old, the 2019 drew the fewest complaints (12) and the 2013 the most (748). The 2016 drew 106. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.
How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes
Data sources
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - US DOT recall completion rates (data.transportation.gov)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA ODI owner complaints
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - NHTSA NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EPA fuel economy data (licence confirmation pending)
Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 - EIA weekly retail gasoline prices
Weekly, all taxes included
Processing
- Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
- Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.
Limitations
- Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
- Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
- Recent model years are still collecting reports.
Review
Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.
Changelog
- 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.