Reliable Auto DB

2016 Volkswagen Passat reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2016 Volkswagen Passat has 106 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 10 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Passat years here — over the median of the other years, which is 8. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Unknown or other, Headlights, and Fuel rail.

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

106

Per year

10

Recalls

5

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (25 of 106), then Electrical system (22) and Steering (19). Those filings include 4 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Passat has 243 complaints, 19 per year, and the 2017 has 110 complaints, 11 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

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 2016 Volkswagen Passat. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall Unknown or other 2021-05-05 · NHTSA campaign 21V321000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall Unknown or other 2020-09-16 · NHTSA campaign 20V561000
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.
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.
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 gasoline fuel system, fuel injection, fuel rail 2016-06-06 · NHTSA campaign 16V403000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jetta vehicles manufactured October 31, 2015, to January 21, 2016, 2016 Passat vehicles, equipped with 1.8T engines manufactured November 13, 2015, to December 9, 2015, and 2016 Golf vehicles manufactured November 5, 2015, to November 11, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the fuel rail may detach from the cylinder head and result in a fuel leak.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cylinder heads, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 15F7.
Recall Engine 2015-10-26 · NHTSA campaign 15V705000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.
Remedy Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.

Complaints by component (106 total)

Air bags
25
Electrical system
22
Steering
19
Engine
17
Fuel and propulsion system
15
Service brakes
15
Speed control
11
Forward collision avoidance
7
Electronic stability control (ESC)
5
Exterior lighting
5
Powertrain
5
Structure
4
Fuel system, gasoline
3
Engine and engine cooling
2
Seat belts
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Wheels
2
Air brakes
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Lane departure
1
Suspension
1
Visibility
1
Show 14 more Show less
Crash-flagged

4

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

6201672017162018132019102020112021820221120231120249202542026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The clock spring system failed, rendering all of the cars' steering wheel functions non-functional. The airbag light is on and the steering wheels airbag does not operate as well as the cars horn and auto cruise…"
    Steering, Electrical system, Air bags · filed 2026-05-03
  • "currently leaking raw fuel under the hood (matching Recall 15F7) and stalling after fill-ups (matching Recall 24V110000). I am requesting a Specialized Safety Review and Goodwill Assistance to cover the repair because…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-04-21
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was…"
    Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-02-24
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was a strong gasoline odor inside the cabin. The contact immediately pulled over and exited the vehicle to inspect for…"
    Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-02-24
  • "The vehicle has been alerting error codes 16352 for failing to communicate with ABS module causing warning lights for ABS, brake and the ESC systems to illuminate. The brake system related vehicle stabilizing functions…"
    Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2025-10-02

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 $2800
Passat 1.8L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 25 36 29 MPG $2250

Specs and fitment

B8 (NMS refresh), 2016–2022
Body styles Sedan
Oil VW 502.00/504.00 5W-30 or 0W-20 (engine dependent) , 4.8 qt capacity
Tire size 215/55R17

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 19V389000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that 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.". 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.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Volkswagen Passat Next year 2017 Volkswagen Passat See every Volkswagen Passat model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Volkswagen Passat reliable?

The 2016 Volkswagen Passat has 106 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 10 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Passat years here — over the median of the other years, which is 8. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Unknown or other, Headlights, and Fuel rail.

What are common problems with a 2016 Volkswagen Passat?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (25 of 106), then Electrical system (22) and Steering (19). Those filings include 4 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Volkswagen Passat more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Passat has 243 complaints, 19 per year, and the 2017 has 110 complaints, 11 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Volkswagen Passat been recalled?

The 2016 Volkswagen Passat has 5 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 2016 Volkswagen Passat?

Owners have filed 106 complaints about the 2016 Volkswagen Passat with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Volkswagen Passat get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat is 26 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).