Recalls (4)
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2018 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 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.
Brake Caliper Bracket Bolts may be Loose
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- The loose brake bracket bolts can allow the caliper to move, reducing braking ability or causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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.
Insufficient Coating on Brake Caliper Pistons
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
- 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.
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 (45)
45 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The service brakes is mentioned most often.
As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.
Most-reported components
| Component | Complaints | % of 45 |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 12 | 26.7% |
| Engine | 11 | 24.4% |
| Electrical system | 10 | 22.2% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | 13.3% |
| Air bags | 5 | 11.1% |
| Vehicle speed control | 4 | 8.9% |
| Forward collision avoidance | 3 | 6.7% |
| Power train | 3 | 6.7% |
| Unknown or other | 3 | 6.7% |
| Steering | 2 | 4.4% |
How 2018 compares with other Passat years
Best and worst Passat years →| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2022 | 13 | 0 |
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), 2018 Volkswagen Passat 4 dr fwd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.
Fuel economy: up to 29 mpg combined
- EPA annual fuel cost
- $2,300
- CO₂ tailpipe
- 302 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 L 4-cyl · 6-speed automatic | Front-Wheel Drive | 25 / 36 / 29 | $2,300 | 302 |
| 3.6 L 6-cyl · Automatic | Front-Wheel Drive | 19 / 28 / 22 | $3,050 | 396 |
Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.
Looking at a 2018 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
2018 Volkswagen Passat FAQ
How many recalls does the 2018 Volkswagen Passat have?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns: 20V561000 (unknown or other), 19V389000 (lighting), 18V536000 (brake), 18V369000 (brake). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.
What are the most common 2018 Volkswagen Passat problems?
Owners filed 45 complaints with NHTSA. Service brakes (12), Engine (11), Electrical system (10) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.
What mpg does the 2018 Volkswagen Passat get?
EPA rates the 2 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 2018 Volkswagen Passat get?
NHTSA rated the 2018 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 2018 Passat compare with other years?
Among the 2013–2021 Volkswagen Passat model years at least five years old, the 2019 drew the fewest complaints (12) and the 2013 the most (748). The 2018 drew 45. 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.