Fuel Economy
27MPG
Gas & Hybrid options available
NHTSA Complaints
16
1 crash report • 1 reporting injuries
Safety Recalls
3
3 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
Not Rated / Pending

EPA Fuel Economy & Powertrain Specifications

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by powertrain configuration

Powertrain Group Engine / Drivetrain City MPG Hwy MPG Combined MPG Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Standard 2L 4-Cyl Regular
Automatic (S6) • Front-Wheel Drive
23 34 27 MPG $2,300 / yr

NHTSA NCAP Crash Test & Safety Ratings

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NHTSA 5-Star NCAP laboratory crash evaluations are not currently on file for the 2020 Volkswagen Passat.

Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Not Specified and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Not Specified in official NHTSA records for tested 2020 Volkswagen Passat models.
View complete 2020 Volkswagen Passat crash test & safety breakdown →

Reported Problems & Owner Complaints Summary (16)

Summary of 16 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
16
Crash Reports
1
Fire Reports
0
Complaints w/ Injury
1
Total Injuries
1

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Engine 2 complaints
Fuel & Propulsion System 2 complaints
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 complaints
AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 complaint
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 complaint (1 crash)

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 2020 Volkswagen Passat problems & component breakdown (12 categories) →

Official Safety Recalls (3)

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #19V389000 Active Recall
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.
NHTSA Campaign #19V218000 Active Recall
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

Defect Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas and 2020 Passat vehicles. An incorrect driver and/or front passenger side impact air bag may have been installed.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Volkswagen has inspected and replaced the side air bags, free of charge. The recall was completed in April 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Y8.
NHTSA Campaign #20V533000 Active Recall
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:PASSENGER SIDE FRONTAL:CUSHION

Defect Summary: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Passat vehicles. The passenger frontal air bag may have been folded incorrectly affecting its deployment force. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began October 14, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69AY.
View all 2020 Volkswagen Passat recalls & campaign history (3 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

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