AutoUtility currently tracks 106 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat. Air Bags & Restraints issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 27 complaints (25.5% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 4 filings cite a crash, 3 report one or more injuries. The 2016 Volkswagen Passat belongs to the North American NMS Generation (NMS / Typ A32) platform.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
27 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
22 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
21 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
19 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The clock spring system failed, rendering all of the cars' steering wheel functions non-functional. The airbag light is on and the steering wheels airbag does not operate as well as the cars horn and auto cruise controls. The instrument cluster is malfunctioning as well. The safety risks associated..."
"currently leaking raw fuel under the hood (matching Recall 15F7) and stalling after fill-ups (matching Recall 24V110000). I am requesting a Specialized Safety Review and Goodwill Assistance to cover the repair because this is a documented manufacturing defect, not wear-and-tear." 2. Leverage the..."
"The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. Upon investigation, the contact..."
"The contact owns a 2016 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was a strong gasoline odor inside the cabin. The contact immediately pulled over and exited the vehicle to inspect for visible fuel leaks, but found no leaks. While attempting to restart the vehicle,..."
"The vehicle has been alerting error codes 16352 for failing to communicate with ABS module causing warning lights for ABS, brake and the ESC systems to illuminate. The brake system related vehicle stabilizing functions (ABS/ESC) is not be available, increasing the risk of a loss of vehicle control..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2022)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Volkswagen Passat | 243 | 11 | 7 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Volkswagen Passat Current Page | 106 | 4 | 5 | Current |
| 2017 Volkswagen Passat | 110 | 9 | 7 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Volkswagen Passat | 45 | 5 | 4 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Volkswagen Passat | 12 | 0 | 1 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Volkswagen Passat | 16 | 1 | 3 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Volkswagen Passat | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Volkswagen Passat | 12 | 1 | 0 | View 2022 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 53 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SEAT BELTS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat is Air Bags & Restraints, appearing in 27 records (25.5% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Electrical System (22) and Brakes & Traction Control (21).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 106 consumer defect complaints and 5 safety recall campaigns for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat, 4 filings cite a crash, 0 cite smoke or fire, and 3 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.