The 2015 Volkswagen Passat is associated with 243 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 7 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Air Bags, accounting for 37 reports (15% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 5 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2l 4-cyl, 1.8l 4-cyl, and 3.6l 6-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 23 to 34 MPG combined. The 2015 Volkswagen Passat belongs to the north american nms generation (NMS / Typ A32) Passat platform spanning model years 2015–2022.
Key Data Findings
- • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 243 reports
- • Safety Recall Campaigns: 7 campaigns
- • Top Reported Defect Area: Air Bags (37 / 15%)
- • Safety Incident Signals: 11 crash / 2 fire / 7 injury reports
- • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
- • EPA Efficiency: 23–34 MPG (5 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
| Variant | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Highway | Combined | EV Range | Est. Annual Fuel Cost |
| Passat Diesel | 2L 4-Cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 6-spd | 30 MPG | 42 MPG | 34 MPG | — | $2,350 / yr |
| Passat Diesel | 2L 4-Cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S6) | 29 MPG | 40 MPG | 33 MPG | — | $2,400 / yr |
| Passat | 1.8L 4-Cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Manual 5-spd | 24 MPG | 34 MPG | 28 MPG | — | $2,200 / yr |
| Passat | 1.8L 4-Cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 24 MPG | 35 MPG | 28 MPG | — | $2,200 / yr |
| Passat | 3.6L 6-Cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S6) | 20 MPG | 28 MPG | 23 MPG | — | $3,300 / yr |
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.
| Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant | Overall Rating | Frontal Crash | Side Crash | Rollover Rating | Rollover Risk |
| 4 DR FWD | | | | | 10.7% |
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as No and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as No in official NHTSA records for tested 2015 Volkswagen Passat models.
View complete 2015 Volkswagen Passat crash test & safety breakdown →
Top Reported Problem Categories
Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA
Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.
View all 2015 Volkswagen Passat problems & component breakdown (76 categories) →
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Defect Summary: 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 degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Free Manufacturer Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.
Affected Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Defect 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."
Free Manufacturer 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.
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Defect Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Passat, 2015-2016 Eos, 2015-2017 CC, 2016-2017 TT Roadster, TT Coupe, 2017 Audi R8 Coupe, and R8 Spyder vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Free Manufacturer Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298; Audi owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69S8 (Audi) and 69Y5 (Volkswagen).
View all 2015 Volkswagen Passat recalls & campaign history (7 campaigns) →