2017 Volkswagen Passat Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2017 Volkswagen Passat has a Complaint Index of 47 and ranks 10th out of 18 model years, earning a Good verdict. NHTSA lists 110 complaints, 7 recalls, and 9 crashes, with airbags the top problem area at 25% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 47/100
- #10 of 18 Passat years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 110
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 7
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 9
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 3
- Top issue
- Airbags
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 25
- 21.5 city / 31 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 3 / 0
Top 2017 Volkswagen Passat problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags28 (25%)
- Other22 (20%)
- Electrical System19 (17%)
- Brakes18 (16%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras18 (16%)
- Steering16 (15%)
- Engine10 (9%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires8 (7%)
- Fuel System7 (6%)
- Lane Departure6 (5%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Airbags failed to deploy in front and rear-end collisions, including a deer strike at about 40 mph and a rear-impact crash in stopped traffic.
- A rear wheel and control components made an abnormal banging sound at 70 mph before the vehicle spun out and crashed.
- A front wheel separated from the vehicle at highway speed after the metal wheel mount broke, dropping the car onto its front axle.
- The Forward Collision Avoidance system failed to detect another vehicle at low speed and did not prevent a crash.
- Aftermarket tire blowouts on the rear caused loss of traction and a crash into a wooded area.
- The transmission unexpectedly shifted itself from automatic to manual mode during early low-gear acceleration.
2017 Volkswagen Passat recalls
7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 24V834000Oct 30, 2024Airbags248,330 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal 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: Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69EG, 69GQ, and 69E6.
- NHTSA 21V321000May 5, 2021Other46 vehicles
Unknown or other
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.
Risk: 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.
- NHTSA 20V561000Sep 16, 2020Other23 vehicles
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.
Risk: 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.
2017 Volkswagen Passat fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21.5 MPG
- Highway
- 31 MPG
- Combined
- 25 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,600
- 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.
2017 compared with other Passat years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2017 Volkswagen Passat reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2017 Passat a Complaint Index of 47 and a Good verdict, ranking 10th out of 18 model years for this model. It has fewer reported problems than higher-index years like 2013 (100) or 2012 (88).
- What are the main problems with the 2017 Volkswagen Passat?
- Airbags are the top problem area, making up 25% of complaints, followed by electrical system issues (17%), brakes (16%), and collision avoidance/camera system complaints (16%).
- Does the 2017 Volkswagen Passat have a recall?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2017 Passat, covering airbags, brakes, electrical headlight aim, and other issues. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2017 Passat compare to other Passat years?
- With a Complaint Index of 47, the 2017 Passat ranks better than years like 2013, 2012, 2014, and 2006, all rated Avoid, but worse than years like 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, which rate Best.
- What mileage do 2017 Passat problems typically show up at?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage at failure of 32,000 miles overall, with airbag and steering complaints centered around 33,750 miles and brake complaints around 20,550 miles.