The 2017 Volkswagen Passat is associated with 110 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 7 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Other / Uncategorized, accounting for 11 reports (10% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 2 certified vehicle configurations spanning 1.8l 4-cyl and 3.6l 6-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 23 to 27 MPG combined. The 2017 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: 110 reports
- • Safety Recall Campaigns: 7 campaigns
- • Top Reported Defect Area: Other / Uncategorized (11 / 10%)
- • Safety Incident Signals: 9 crash / 1 fire / 2 injury reports
- • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
- • EPA Efficiency: 23–27 MPG (2 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 | 1.8L 4-Cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (S6) | 23 MPG | 34 MPG | 27 MPG | — | $2,300 / yr |
| Passat | 3.6L 6-Cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic (AM-S6) | 20 MPG | 28 MPG | 23 MPG | — | $2,650 / 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 Standard and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2017 Volkswagen Passat models.
View complete 2017 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 2017 Volkswagen Passat problems & component breakdown (50 categories) →
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Defect Summary: 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 to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69EG, 69GQ, and 69E6.
Affected Component: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Defect Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas 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.
Free Manufacturer Remedy: Volkswagen will repurchase the vehicles. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2021. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 01F1.
Affected Component: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Defect 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.
Free Manufacturer 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.
View all 2017 Volkswagen Passat recalls & campaign history (7 campaigns) →