Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year per car on the road, against this model's usual year.
2010AVOIDSerious complaints 2.6× usual, mostly air bags and engine Extended coverage
160 serious complaints of 172, the most about air bags (48) and engine (44); per car on the road, 2.6× this model's usual year. 4 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA18003: air bag clockspring failure. NHTSA investigation RQ17009: air bag clockspring failure.
What owners report
“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 volkswagen passat. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v078000 (air bags); however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, Jan 2017
“2010 volkswagen passat wagon. 88k miles. Check engine came on as I was driving it in the city. Within one hour of check engine light appearing I stopped the car. When I tried to restart 30 minutes later it refused to start. Promptly had it towed to dealer.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the engine, Nov 2018
Fixes and extended coverage
- Extended coverage Warranty Information (Policies and Procedures Bulletin): Volkswagen has extended the warranty for the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) under specific conditions to 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle's original in-service date, for certain 2009 - 2012 Model Year (MY)… (VWP-15, Jun 2015)
- Extended coverage This document advises dealers regarding the Timing Chain/Timing Chain Tensioner Limited Warranty Extension (VWP-18, Aug 2018)
- Extended coverage The Vehicle Maintenance Declaration has been added back to WISE for the Timing Chain Warranty Extension. (Vehicle, Jan 2019)
- Extended coverage This Document informs dealers on the the new Water Pump Limited Warranty Extension (VWP-19, Dec 2019)
- Extended coverage This Document was revised. (VWP-18-11, Apr 2023)
- Extended coverage This supporting FAQ is for the Turbocharger Limited Warranty Extension Class Action Settlement. (Turbocharger, Sep 2025)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
172 owner complaints · 4 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 25 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated · 2010 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 2.0L 4-cyl turbo · Drive: FWD
2010 Passat trims
| Komfort | Luxury | Sport | VR6 4Motion | VR6 Sport |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Volkswagen reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Volkswagen aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 174 hp | FWD | 28 mpg | 4 of 5 | 0 | 13 | Electrical system (3) | — |
| 2021 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 174 hp | FWD | 28 mpg | 4–5 of 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — |
| 2020 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 174 hp | FWD | 27 mpg | 5 of 5 | 3 | 18 | Unknown or other (4) | — |
| 2019 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 174 hp | FWD | 29 mpg | 5 of 5 | 1 | 12 | Electrical system (4) | — |
| 2018 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, 174 hp 3.6L 6-cyl, 280 hp | FWD | 22–29 mpg | 5 of 5 | 4 | 45 | Service brakes (12) | — |
| 2017 | 1.8L 4-cyl turbo, 170 hp 3.6L 6-cyl, 280 hp | FWD | 23–27 mpg | 5 of 5 | 7 | 110 | Air bags (28) | — |
| 2016 | 1.8L 4-cyl turbo, 170 hp 3.6L 6-cyl, 280 hp | FWD | 23–29 mpg | 5 of 5 | 5 | 106 | Air bags (25) | — |
| 2015 | 1.8L 4-cyl turbo 2.0L 4-cyl turbo diesel 3.6L 6-cyl manual available | FWD | 23–34 mpg | 5 of 5 | 7 | 244 | Air bags (88) | — |
| 2014 | 1.8L 4-cyl turbo 2.0L 4-cyl turbo diesel 2.5L 5-cyl 3.6L 6-cyl manual available | FWD | 23–34 mpg | 5 of 5 | 10 | 594 | Air bags (354) | — |
| 2013 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo diesel 2.5L 5-cyl 3.6L 6-cyl manual available | FWD | 23–34 mpg | 5 of 5 | 9 | 748 | Air bags (382) | — |
| 2012 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo diesel 2.5L 5-cyl 3.6L 6-cyl manual available | FWD | 23–34 mpg | 5 of 5 | 11 | 484 | Air bags (296) | — |
| 2010 | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | FWD | 25 mpg | Not rated | 4 | 172 | Air bags (48) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Which years have…
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | 4 | Standard | Standard | 0 | 13 |
| 2021 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD Later Release | 4 | Standard | Optional | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD Early Release | 5 | Standard | Optional | 1 | 18 |
| 2020 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | 5 | No | Optional | 3 | 18 |
| 2019 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 1 | 12 |
| 2018 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | 5 | Standard | Optional | 4 | 45 |
| 2017 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | 5 | Standard | Optional | 7 | 110 |
| 2016 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | 5 | Optional | Optional | 5 | 106 |
| 2015 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | 5 | No | No | 7 | 243 |
| 2014 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | 5 | No | No | 10 | 594 |
| 2013 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | 5 | No | No | 9 | 748 |
| 2012 | Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD | 5 | No | No | 11 | 484 |
| 2010 | Volkswagen Passat 4-DR. w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 4 | 163 |
| 2010 | Volkswagen Passat Wagon w/SAB | Not Rated | No | No | 2 | 9 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Passat | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 28 |
| 2021 | Passat | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 28 |
| 2020 | Passat | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 27 |
| 2019 | Passat | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2018 | Passat | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
22–29 |
| 2017 | Passat | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
23–27 |
| 2016 | Passat | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
23–29 |
| 2015 | Passat | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Auto (AM-S6), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
23–34 |
| 2014 | Passat | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.8 L, Turbo Man 5-spd, 5 cyl, 2.5 L Auto (S6), 5 cyl, 2.5 L Auto (AM-S6), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
23–34 |
| 2013 | Passat | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Man 5-spd, 5 cyl, 2.5 L Auto (S6), 5 cyl, 2.5 L Auto (AM-S6), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
23–34 |
| 2012 | Passat | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Diesel, Turbo Man 5-spd, 5 cyl, 2.5 L Auto (S6), 5 cyl, 2.5 L Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.6 L |
23–34 |
| 2010 | Passat | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 25 |
| 2010 | Passat Wagon | Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.0 L, Turbo | 25 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.