Reliable Auto DB

2018 Volkswagen Passat reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Volkswagen Passat holds 45 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 5 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Passat years here — under the median of the other years, which is 10. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Unknown or other, Headlights, and Caliper.

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

45

Per year

5

Recalls

4

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (12 of 45), then Engine (11) and Electrical system (10). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Passat has 110 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2019 has 12 complaints, 3 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

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 2018 Volkswagen Passat. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (4)

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 hydraulic brakes, foundation components, disc, caliper 2018-08-15 · NHTSA campaign 18V536000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat vehicles. The brake caliper bracket mounting bolts on these vehicles may not have been tightened sufficiently.
Remedy Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper bracket bolt tightness, replacing and re-torque the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Additionally brake caliper fasteners, bleeder valve, and brake hose bolts will be checked and torqued to the correct specification, if necessary, free of charge. For Passat vehicles, dealers will also inspect the parking brake cable for proper connection, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46H6.
Recall hydraulic brakes, foundation components, disc, caliper 2018-06-01 · NHTSA campaign 18V369000
Summary Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.
Remedy Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.

Complaints by component (45 total)

Service brakes
12
Engine
11
Electrical system
10
Fuel and propulsion system
6
Air bags
5
Speed control
4
Forward collision avoidance
3
Powertrain
3
Steering
2
Suspension
2
Wheels
2
Exterior lighting
1
Parking brake
1
Show 5 more Show less
Crash-flagged

5

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

2

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

520184201972020820212202242023520244202562026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "A major engineering and material design failure occurred involving internal fluid containment seals, resulting in a severe electrical safety hazard. Pressurized engine coolant breached an internal component seal and…"
    Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-06-03
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the infotainment screen failed to respond to touch commands, preventing the contact from viewing the GPS feature.…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-04-15
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was unable to restart and was towed to…"
    Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-02-05
  • "I initially brought my vehicle in for service due to a strong gasoline odor and the vehicle failing to start. At that time, I was informed that no gasoline smell was detected and that the issue was instead a faulty…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-02-03
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and failed to accelerate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-01-30

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Passat 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 19 28 22 MPG $2950
Passat 2L, 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 2017 Volkswagen Passat Next year 2019 Volkswagen Passat See every Volkswagen Passat model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Volkswagen Passat reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Volkswagen Passat holds 45 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 5 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Passat years here — under the median of the other years, which is 10. NHTSA has 4 recalls on file, including Unknown or other, Headlights, and Caliper.

What are common problems with a 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (12 of 45), then Engine (11) and Electrical system (10). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Volkswagen Passat more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Passat has 110 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2019 has 12 complaints, 3 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Volkswagen Passat been recalled?

The 2018 Volkswagen Passat has 4 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 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

Owners have filed 45 complaints about the 2018 Volkswagen Passat with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Volkswagen Passat get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat is 25.5 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).