2014 Volkswagen Passat reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 594 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Volkswagen Passat over 13 years — 74 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 11 Passat years on this site. NHTSA has 10 recalls on file, including Inflator, Headlights, and Diesel.

2012 Volkswagen Passat — Photo by Alexander-93, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

594

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (354 of 594), then Engine (77) and Electrical system (74). Those filings include 19 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 11 that report an injury.

Next to 2013 and 2015

The 2013 Passat has 748 complaints, 41 per year, and the 2015 has 243 complaints, 19 per year. The 2014 has more complaints per year than the 2013. The 2014 has more complaints per year than the 2015.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2014 Volkswagen Passat. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (10)

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2024-10-30 · NHTSA campaign 24V834000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2019-12-04 · NHTSA campaign 19V862000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall exterior lighting, headlights 2019-05-22 · NHTSA campaign 19V389000

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."

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.

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2018-03-06 · NHTSA campaign 18V148000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.

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 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.

Recall engine and cooling, engine, diesel 2017-05-11 · NHTSA campaign 17V309000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2014 Passat vehicles, equipped with diesel engines and Direct-Shift Transmissions (DSG). The vehicle's underbody heat shield may not be long enough to protect the right half-shaft grease boot from heat, potentially resulting in a grease leak.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driveshaft heat shield, free of charge. The recall began on July 7, 2017. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23W5.

Recall electrical system, wiring 2016-03-24 · NHTSA campaign 16V171000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Passat vehicles equipped with TDI engines. Due to improperly assembled wire seals in a connector for an underbody sensor, water may enter and corrode the electrical connectors of the sensor, causing an electrical short.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the connector, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in September. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23T3.

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2016-02-10 · NHTSA campaign 16V078000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.

Recall air bags, frontal 2015-08-04 · NHTSA campaign 15V483000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.

Recall gasoline fuel system, fuel injection, fuel rail 2015-01-23 · NHTSA campaign 15V028000

Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to November 24, 2014, 2014-2015 Passat vehicles manufactured April 7, 2014, to November 18, 2014, 2015 Golf and GTI vehicles manufactured July 1, 2014, to November 20, 2014, and 2014-2015 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles manufactured March 31, 2014, to November 27, 2014. A sealing cap at the fuel rail may fail, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails with new parts, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24BL. Note: This recall expands and supersedes recall 14V-809 (Volkswagen recall number 24Bi) and only affects vehicles not previously repaired under that campaign.

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, cooling unit and lines 2014-04-15 · NHTSA campaign 14V182000

Summary Volkswagen of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, and Passat vehicles equipped with a 1.8T engine and torque converter automatic transmission. In the affected vehicles, the O-ring seals between the oil cooler and the transmission may leak fluid.

Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the O-ring seals in the transmission oil cooler, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on April 16, 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 38B9/9V.

Complaints by component (594 total)

Air bags

354

Engine

Electrical system

Fuel and propulsion system

Steering

Powertrain

Speed control

Structure

Visibility and wipers

Exterior lighting

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Service brakes

Suspension

Wheels

Engine and engine cooling

Visibility

Seat belts

Tires

Adaptive and mobility equipment

Equipment

Fuel system, gasoline

Diesel fuel system

Forward collision avoidance

Hydraulic brakes

Show 16 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"A prior recall that was supposedly fixed, broke again. Submitted several complaints with Nhtsa and Volkswagen. Volkswagen said i had to pay a fee to verify what was wrong with my vehicle because the recall had already…"
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Air bags · filed 2026-08-28
"Clockspring Recall. Horn not working, buttons on steering column not working, when turning steering wheel it makes a clicking noise, sounds like spring being pulled, driver side air bag light is illuminated on dash."
Steering, Electrical system, Air bags · filed 2026-07-27
"The contact owns a 2014 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the Check Engine warning light illuminated, and there was no heat coming from the front passenger’s or driver’s side air vents. A…"
Engine and engine cooling, Engine · filed 2026-06-16
"I was driving and the airbag light randomly came on out of the blue. While trying to parallel park I noticed my steering wheel clicking. We ran codes on the car and we are confident that the clock spring failed. My horn…"
Steering, Air bags, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-06-11
"Early in 2024 my VW Passat TDI SEL the airbag light would not go off after starting and operating the car. The steering wheel controls were also operation incorrectly -- the horn didn't work, nor did the cruise control,…"
Air bags · filed 2026-05-15

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Passat	3.6L, 6-cyl	Automatic (AM-S6)	Front-wheel drive	20	28	23 MPG	$3450
Passat	1.8L, 4-cyl	Manual 5-speed	Front-wheel drive	24	35	28 MPG	$2300
Passat	2.5L, 5-cyl	Manual 5-speed	Front-wheel drive	22	32	26 MPG	$2500
Passat	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AM-S6)	Front-wheel drive	30	40	34 MPG	$2800
Passat	1.8L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	24	34	28 MPG	$2300
Passat	2.5L, 5-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	31	25 MPG	$2600

Specs and fitment

B7 (NMS), 2012–2015

Body styles Sedan

Oil VW 502.00 5W-30 or 5W-40 (engine dependent) , 4.8 qt capacity

Tire size 235/45R18, 215/55R17, 215/60R16 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 19V014000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that 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. 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).

Compare

Previous year 2013 Volkswagen Passat Next year 2015 Volkswagen Passat See every Volkswagen Passat model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 Volkswagen Passat reliable?

What are common problems with a 2014 Volkswagen Passat?

Is the 2014 Volkswagen Passat more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2014 Volkswagen Passat been recalled?

The 2014 Volkswagen Passat has 10 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2014 Volkswagen Passat?

Owners have filed 594 complaints about the 2014 Volkswagen Passat with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2014 Volkswagen Passat get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2014 Volkswagen Passat is 27.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Volkswagen Passat use?

VW 502.00 5W-30 or 5W-40 (engine dependent)

What does NHTSA recall 19V-014 cover on the Volkswagen Passat?

NHTSA safety recall 19V014000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

What generation is the 2013 Volkswagen Passat?

B7 (NMS) (2012-2015).