Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2014 Volkswagen Passat: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 594 safety complaints about the 2014 Volkswagen Passat with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

594
Complaints
10
Recalls
3
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 19 crashes, 3 fires, 15 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Airbags & restraints issues dominate. They appear in 60% of the 594 complaints on file — an unusually concentrated failure pattern.
  2. One recall is a do-over. NHTSA records show recall repairs that were previously performed incorrectly — worth a VIN check even if you had recall work done.
  3. 3 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2014 Volkswagen Passat, airbags & restraints issues stand far above everything else.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 594 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Airbags & restraints
355
Engine & cooling
80
Electrical
74
Other / unspecified
63
Fuel & propulsion
50
Steering
44
Power train / transmission
37
Visibility & lighting
26

"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."

Owner complaint filed July 2026 · Steering,Electrical System,Air Bags · NHTSA ODI 11753037

"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 and cruise control also no longer work."

Owner complaint filed June 2026 · Steering,Air Bags,Forward Collision Avoidance · NHTSA ODI 11743564

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2014 Volkswagen Passat over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2014 Volkswagen Passat
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
2
27
25
169
104
55
42
28
25
34
17
19
39
8
1314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

How the 2014 compares with other model years

Across the Volkswagen Passat model years we track, the 2013 has the most complaints on file (748); the 2014 ranks 2 of 3.

Total complaints by model year — Volkswagen Passat
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
483
748
2014
594
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 10 recalls, including a do-over

10 recalls apply to some or all 2014 Volkswagen Passat vehicles. Note the flagged campaign: it covers vehicles whose earlier recall repairs were performed incorrectly.

Apr 201414V-182
Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Cooling Unit And Lines

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 lea…

Jan 201515V-028
Fuel System, Gasoline:Fuel Injection System:Fuel Rail

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,…

Aug 201515V-483
Air Bags:Frontal

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 woun…

Feb 201616V-078
Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

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 …

Mar 201616V-171
Electrical System:Wiring

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 electrica…

May 201717V-309
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel

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…

Mar 201818V-148
Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

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.

May 201919V-389
Exterior Lighting:Headlights

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 Safe…

Dec 201919V-862Repair done incorrectly
Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

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 degradati…

Oct 202424V-834
Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

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 …

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★★
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2014 Volkswagen Passat have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 594 complaints about the 2014 Volkswagen Passat with NHTSA. The most-reported system is airbags & restraints.

How many recalls does the 2014 Volkswagen Passat have?

The 2014 Volkswagen Passat has 10 NHTSA recalls on file. One recall reopens earlier campaigns whose repairs were performed incorrectly. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2014 Volkswagen Passat safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2014 Volkswagen Passat an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.