2015 Volkswagen Passat Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
75/100
#4 most-complained of 13 Passat years
The 2015 Volkswagen Passat has 243 NHTSA complaints, 7 recalls, and a complaint index of 75, ranking 4th worst among 13 model years with an 'Avoid' verdict. Airbags are the top problem area, with 88 complaints and a median failure mileage of 53,000.
- Complaints
- 243
- Recalls
- 7
- Crashes / fires
- 11 / 2
- Injuries / deaths
- 14 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 28
- 24 city / 35 hwy
Top 2015 Volkswagen Passat problems
NHTSA owner 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%)
What owners report
- Driver-side airbags have deployed unexpectedly at low speeds, sometimes causing loss of control and crashes.
- Brake pedals reportedly failed to respond or locked up suddenly, forcing use of the emergency brake to stop.
- Some vehicles rolled away unexpectedly in park with the parking brake engaged.
- Electrical harness or instrument cluster malfunctions caused illumination lights to stop working.
- Owners report engine parts like the turbo kit, turbocharger, and glow plugs failing repeatedly, causing sudden loss of power.
- Sunroof glass has reportedly shattered spontaneously while driving with no visible impact.
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
- Should I avoid the 2015 Volkswagen Passat?
- NHTSA data ranks the 2015 Passat 4th worst out of 13 model years, with a complaint index of 75 and a verdict of 'Avoid' relative to other Passat years. Airbags are the leading problem area with 88 complaints.
- Does the 2015 Volkswagen Passat have airbag recalls?
- Yes. NHTSA lists two airbag-related recalls for the 2015 Passat, both tied to Takata inflator replacements, alongside 5 other recalls covering engine, brakes, fuel system, electrical, and body components.
- What is the most common problem on the 2015 Passat?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 36% of complaints (88 of 243), with a median failure mileage of 53,000 and involvement in 8 crashes.
- How does the 2015 Passat compare to other years?
- The 2015 Passat's complaint index of 75 is lower than 2012, 2013, and 2014, which score 83, 100, and 92, but higher than the 2016-2022 model years, most of which are rated 'Caution', 'Good', or 'Best'.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2015 Volkswagen Passat?
- EPA rates the 2015 Passat at 28 mpg combined (24 city / 35 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,800.