2015 Volkswagen Passat Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2015 Volkswagen Passat has 243 NHTSA complaints and 7 recalls, with a Complaint Index of 76 and a rank of 5th worst out of 18 model years, earning an Avoid verdict. Airbags are the top problem area, making up 36% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 76/100
- #5 of 18 Passat years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 243
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 7
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 11
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 14
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 28
- 24 city / 35 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 14 / 0
Top 2015 Volkswagen Passat problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags88 (36%)
- Engine62 (26%)
- Electrical System51 (21%)
- Other40 (16%)
- Brakes32 (13%)
- Steering26 (11%)
- Fuel System23 (9%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires21 (9%)
- Transmission & Powertrain12 (5%)
- Visibility & Wipers9 (4%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbags reportedly deployed inadvertently at low speed, in one case causing a crash into a tree.
- Owners describe airbags failing to deploy during a crash, including a case where the vehicle rolled away and struck a tree.
- Brake pedals reportedly failed to respond at low speed, forcing use of the emergency brake to stop.
- Some owners report the vehicle rapidly and unexpectedly accelerated while stationary with the brake pedal depressed, leading to a rear-end collision.
- Electrical system complaints include a main wiring harness malfunction that disabled instrument cluster lighting.
- One owner reported the sunroof glass shattered spontaneously while driving on the highway.
2015 Volkswagen Passat recalls
7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 19V862000Dec 4, 2019Airbags226 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.
- NHTSA 19V389000May 22, 2019Electrical System662,185 vehicles
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."
Risk: 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.
- NHTSA 19V014000Jan 11, 2019Airbags119,394 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Passat, 2015-2016 Eos, 2015-2017 CC, 2016-2017 TT Roadster, TT Coupe, 2017 Audi R8 Coupe, and R8 Spyder vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298; Audi owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69S8 (Audi) and 69Y5 (Volkswagen).
2015 Volkswagen Passat fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 24 MPG
- Highway
- 35 MPG
- Combined
- 28 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,800
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2015 compared with other Passat years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2015 Volkswagen Passat reliable?
- NHTSA data shows the 2015 Passat has a Complaint Index of 76, ranking 5th worst among 18 model years of the Passat, with an Avoid verdict. Airbags, engine, and electrical system are the top problem areas.
- Does the 2015 Volkswagen Passat have a Takata airbag recall?
- Yes. Recall 19V014000 covers driver's frontal airbag inflators that can rupture, and recall 19V862000 covers previously repaired Takata inflators on diesel Passats.
- What is the biggest problem area for the 2015 Passat?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 88 of 243 complaints (36%), with a median failure mileage of 53,000 miles.
- How many recalls does the 2015 Passat have?
- NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2015 Passat, covering airbags, electrical headlight aim, engine camshaft, brakes, fuel system, and seatback recliners.
- How does the 2015 Passat compare to other Passat years?
- The 2015 Passat's Complaint Index of 76 is lower than 2013 (100) and 2012 (88) but higher than most other years, placing it 5th worst of 18 model years and earning an Avoid verdict.