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Recall Campaigns
4
Federal recall campaigns
Urgent Safety Directives
1
Do Not Drive / Park Outside
Affected Subsystems
3
Brakes & Traction Control, Exterior Lighting
Authorized Remedy
100% Free
Mandated dealer repair by law
Federal Safety Campaign Analysis

Executive Recall Findings

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists 4 official safety recall campaigns for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat in AutoUtility's current federal dataset. The primary affected vehicle systems include Brakes & Traction Control, Exterior Lighting, Other / Miscellaneous. NHTSA records include 1 campaign carrying an official Do Not Drive safety advisory. The 2018 Volkswagen Passat belongs to the North American NMS Generation (NMS / Typ A32) platform.

VIN Specificity Notice: Safety recall campaigns apply to specific production date ranges and vehicle identification numbers (VINs). Check your 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov or with an authorized dealer to verify whether a safety repair is open.
Campaign Status & Legal Rights
  • • Federal Authority: Recalls administered under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301.
  • • Free Dealer Remedy: Under federal law, safety defect repairs are performed free of charge by franchised dealers.
  • • High-Priority Warnings: 1 campaign(s) include urgent Do Not Drive or Park Outside instructions.
  • • Latest Campaign Filing: Recorded on September 16, 2020.
Federal Directives

Official NHTSA Recall Campaigns (4)

Complete safety campaign filings including defect descriptions, safety hazards, and free dealer remedies

🛑 DO NOT DRIVE ADVISORY — Cease operating vehicle until authorized remedy is completed.
NHTSA Campaign #18V369000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
Filed: June 1, 2018

What is defective?

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, Passat, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen and GTI and Audi Q5 and SQ5 vehicles. The brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have insufficient coating, potentially reducing the brake performance.

Safety Risk / Consequence

A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

Authorized Free Dealer Remedy

Volkswagen and Audi will notify their owners. Audi dealers will bleed the rear brakes. Volkswagen dealers will bleed the front and rear brake calipers. Note: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the brake system has been checked. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 and Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 47N8, 47N9, and 47N6.

Manufacturer Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #20V561000 UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Filed: September 16, 2020

What is defective?

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.

Safety Risk / Consequence

Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.

Authorized Free Dealer 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.

Manufacturer Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #19V389000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Filed: May 22, 2019

What is defective?

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."

Safety Risk / Consequence

Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Authorized Free Dealer 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.

Manufacturer Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #18V536000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
Filed: August 15, 2018

What is defective?

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Atlas and 2017-2018 Volkswagen Passat vehicles. The brake caliper bracket mounting bolts on these vehicles may not have been tightened sufficiently.

Safety Risk / Consequence

The loose brake bracket bolts can allow the caliper to move, reducing braking ability or causing a loss of vehicle control and increasing the risk of a crash.

Authorized Free Dealer Remedy

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper bracket bolt tightness, replacing and re-torque the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Additionally brake caliper fasteners, bleeder valve, and brake hose bolts will be checked and torqued to the correct specification, if necessary, free of charge. For Passat vehicles, dealers will also inspect the parking brake cable for proper connection, free of charge. The recall began September 14, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 46H6.

Manufacturer Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Subsystem Scope

Vehicle Systems Involved in Recalls for 2018 Volkswagen Passat

Distribution of official safety recall campaigns across automotive subsystem domains

01 2 CAMPAIGNS

Brakes & Traction Control

Safety campaign directives specifically targeting components within the Brakes & Traction Control subsystem.

13 Consumer Complaints →
02 1 CAMPAIGN

Exterior Lighting

Safety campaign directives specifically targeting components within the Exterior Lighting subsystem.

1 Consumer Complaints →
03 1 CAMPAIGN

Other / Miscellaneous

Safety campaign directives specifically targeting components within the Other / Miscellaneous subsystem.

1 Consumer Complaints →
Fleet History

Recall History for Volkswagen Passat

Official safety recall campaign volume across sibling model years (2015–2022)

Model Year NHTSA Recalls NHTSA Complaints Detailed Report
2015 Volkswagen Passat 7 243 View 2015 Recalls →
2016 Volkswagen Passat 5 106 View 2016 Recalls →
2017 Volkswagen Passat 7 110 View 2017 Recalls →
2018 Volkswagen Passat Current Page 4 45 Current
2019 Volkswagen Passat 1 12 View 2019 Recalls →
2020 Volkswagen Passat 3 16 View 2020 Recalls →
2021 Volkswagen Passat 1 0 View 2021 Recalls →
2022 Volkswagen Passat 0 12 View 2022 Recalls →
Consumer Checklist

VIN-Specific Recall Verification

How to confirm whether an individual vehicle requires an authorized safety repair

Safety recall campaigns apply to specific vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and manufacturing date ranges. To verify if your individual vehicle has an uncompleted safety recall:

  • Locate your 17-character VIN on the driver's side door jamb or dashboard.
  • Enter the VIN into the official NHTSA recall lookup at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
  • Contact any franchised Volkswagen dealership to schedule a free remedy appointment.
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 711)
Related Workstations

Related Official Reports for 2018 Volkswagen Passat

Explore owner problem reports and crash safety ratings for this model year

← 2018 Volkswagen Passat Overview

Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.

2018 Volkswagen Passat Owner Complaints (45) →

NHTSA defect complaints breakdown across all vehicle subsystems and recurring symptoms.

2018 Volkswagen Passat Safety & Crash Ratings →

NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover ratings.

2018 Volkswagen Passat MPG & Range →

EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Safety Recalls & Federal Directives for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat

How many safety recalls are on file for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

The 2018 Volkswagen Passat is associated with 4 official NHTSA safety recall campaigns, affecting systems including Brakes & Traction Control, Exterior Lighting, Other / Miscellaneous.

A recall campaign listing indicates that a safety defect or noncompliance standard was determined for specific production runs of this vehicle model year.

Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

Are there urgent 'Do Not Drive' or 'Park Outside' warnings for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

Yes. Federal recall records for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat include 1 campaign with high-priority safety directives including a Do Not Drive advisory.

Urgent directives are issued when an unreasonable risk of severe injury or fire exists prior to authorized dealer repair.

Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database

Are recall repairs free for the 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

If your individual vehicle is affected by an open safety recall, NHTSA advises owners to contact an authorized franchised dealership for the recall remedy at no charge.

Federal law (49 U.S.C. Chapter 301) requires manufacturers and franchised dealers to provide authorized safety recall repairs at no cost to the vehicle owner. Because campaigns apply to specific production runs and option packages, vehicle owners must verify their 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls or through an authorized dealership to confirm individual applicability.

Source: National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (49 U.S.C. Chapter 301)

Does a recall campaign apply to every 2018 Volkswagen Passat?

Not necessarily. Model-year recall campaigns typically apply to specific vehicle production date ranges, assembly plants, or optional equipment packages.

AutoUtility's model-year records describe campaign scope; owners must check their individual 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls or through an authorized dealership to confirm if an open recall applies to their specific vehicle.

Source: NHTSA VIN Lookup Service
Official US Government Data Provenance

Recall records published on this page are retrieved directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Safety Recalls Database under 49 U.S.C. 30118.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.