2019 Volkswagen Passat: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 12 owner complaints on record; most reports concern service brakes.
Data updated weekly · latest recall May 2019
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Brake issues that consist of brakes not engaging immediately as I press the brake pedal. Brake pedal also doesn't return as fast as my foot lets off of it. It could be inspected upon request. If the brakes dont engage immediately then there is a potential for an accident if I need to brake at a moments notice. Yes the problem has been confirmed. No it hasn't been inspected. No there isn't a warning.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jan 2025
“The contact owns a 2019 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking and then lost motive power. The contact pushed the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel injector needed to be replaced. The mechanic replaced the fuel injector. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Oct 2022
“Tl* the contact owns a 2019 volkswagen passat. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the collision avoidance system independently activated causing the vehicle to abruptly stop even though there were no vehicles or objects nearby. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer fairfield vw located at 5071 lycoming mall dr, montoursville, pa 17754 however, the cause of the failure was not determined. Additionally, on several occasions the vehicle would not start when pushing the start/stop button and the message "no key detected" was sometimes displayed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 15,000.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Feb 2020
Show 7 more owner reports
“When the vehicle is off, the factory remote start does not function. The car will turn over, but immediately die. Vw has known about this since late 2018, but has not done anything to fix the issue. I purchased my vehicle in june of 2019, and the vehicle was sold to me without the dealership letting me know the remote start would not work. I had to find out myself on a cold morning. I even called to let them know what was going on and they had me bring it in even though they already knew there was an issue. How can vw get away with selling a feature on a vehicle that does not work a year after they are aware of it?”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2019
“Car hesitates erratically and unpredictably when accelerating most noticeably from a dead stop, and at slow speeds while turning. Attempting to accelerate from a stop to cross a street in busy traffic the car will just sit unresponsive for seconds and barely accelerate and then unpredictably accelerate. Due to the vehicle being the r-line, it drifts all over the road. I have had 4 wheel alignments on the car with only 6400 miles on it.”Owner report · Steering · Oct 2019
“Windshield began cracking in the middle from passenger side toward driver side. No rock or other debris hit windshield. It is a continuous crack that is a fine link crack that continues to spread.”Owner report · Visibility/Wiper · Jul 2019
“When the vehicle is at slower speeds, it is constantly shifting to try and save on fuel. This results in the vehicle not providing a consistent ride. The noise when it shifts is very loud and can sometimes be felt through a jerking motion. Bringing the vehicle in to the dealership resulted in them saying they know it's an issue and hopefully vw comes out with a software fix. It's not comforting knowing that the dealership knows there's an issue and nothing is being done.”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2019
“Speedometer reads 2 mph lower than actual speed at 70 mph as measured by radar instruments on road and my gps which reads the same as the radar. I also am drinking a loaner vehicle of the same make and model and reads 1 mph slower at 70 mph. Also have had many problems with the vehicle air conditioning. They also lied about the fuel economy posted on the windshield. It is consistently lower than the mileage listed both for city, highway, and average. This is also true on the loaner vehicle. Almost like the diesel emissions problem they had with my 2015 passat!”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2019
“Normal heel toe relationship between gas pedal and brake impossible. While driving, I went to step on brake. Position of pedal way ahead of gas pedal. Result I was pushing down on fire wall. When I tried to step on brake, my foot was trapped behind the brake pedal.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Apr 2019
“Vehicle was sold with remote start feature. Dealer and salesman knew the remote start did not work. This was a selling point on the car. They keep putting off fixing the issue with the car.”Owner report · Engine · Feb 2019
Recalls - 1 campaign
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."
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.
How other years compare
Check your exact Passat by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2019 Volkswagen Passat reliable?
NHTSA has 12 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2019 Volkswagen Passat. The most complained-about area is service brakes.
Does the 2019 Volkswagen Passat have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning exterior lighting:headlights. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.