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.
2012CAREFULSerious complaints 2.0× usual, mostly air bags and steering Extended coverage
425 serious complaints of 484, the most about air bags (296) and steering (46); per car on the road, 2.0× this model's usual year. 11 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA18003: air bag clockspring failure. NHTSA investigation RQ17009: air bag clockspring failure.
What owners report
“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 volkswagen passat. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v078000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the air bags, Feb 2017
“The contact owns a 2012 volkswagen passat. While driving 5 mph and attempting to make a turn, there was an abnormal noise coming from the steering wheel. In addition, the controls on the steering wheel failed to function. The seat belt and the air bag warning lights illuminated.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the steering, Sep 2015
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 Warranty Extension for High-Pressure Fuel Pump: Volkswagen informed customers of a decision to extend the warranty for the high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP) in the TDI® Clean Diesel engine vehicle under specific conditions to 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever occurs first, from the vehicle's… (Customer, Jun 2015)
- Extended coverage This Document informs dealers on VWP-18-11 for the Steering Wheel Clock Spring Limited Warranty Extension (VWP-18-11, Oct 2018)
- Extended coverage Volkswagen: tsb contains an owner's notification letter. (SB-48326, Nov 2015)
- Extended coverage VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP COMMUNICATION: Volkswagen announced a warranty extension program to cover the High Pressure Fuel Pump on 2009-2012 model year TDI Clean Diesel Engine vehicles (Dealer, Apr 2015)
- Extended coverage This bulletin informs dealers of a warranty extension on the AdBlue heater. (VWP-16, Oct 2016)
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.
484 owner complaints · 11 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 23–34 mpg · NHTSA: 5 of 5 stars · 2012 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 diesel; 2.5L 5-cyl; 3.6L 6-cyl · Drive: FWD
2012 Passat trims
| S | SE | SEL |
|---|
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.