2015 Volkswagen Passat: problems, recalls and what it’s worth
7 recall campaigns to confirm with a dealer. A lot of owner complaints, 36% about airbags.
Ask for the VIN and check it, then get a pre-purchase inspection.
Known problems on the 2015 Volkswagen Passat
No generation-wide weak spot is flagged in GarageIntel’s research for this year and model. A specific car can still have its own problems, so get it inspected.
2015 Volkswagen Passat recalls
NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2015 Volkswagen Passat. Repairs are free at a dealer for the brand, and a dealer can confirm by VIN which were already done.
- Fuel systemFire risk
A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.
Details 15V028000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jetta vehicles manufactured March 28, 2014, to November 24, 2014, 2014-2015 Passat vehicles manufactured April 7, 2014, to November 18, 2014, 2015 Golf and GTI vehicles manufactured July 1, 2014, to November 20, 2014, and 2014-2015 Beetle and Beetle Convertible vehicles manufactured March 31, 2014, to November 27, 2014. A sealing cap at the fuel rail may fail, allowing fuel to leak into the engine compartment.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel rails with new parts, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 24BL. Note: This recall expands and supersedes recall 14V-809 (Volkswagen recall number 24Bi) and only affects vehicles not previously repaired under that campaign.
- Airbags
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Details 19V014000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2015 Passat, 2015-2016 Eos, 2015-2017 CC, 2016-2017 TT Roadster, TT Coupe, 2017 Audi R8 Coupe, and R8 Spyder vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298; Audi owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69S8 (Audi) and 69Y5 (Volkswagen).
- Lights
Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Details 19V389000
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."
Fix: 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.
- Airbags
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Details 19V862000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2015 Passat, 2011-2014 Golf A6, and 2011-2013 Audi A3 diesel vehicles, thought to have been previously repaired under one of the Takata air bag recalls. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's side air bag inflators, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298 or Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's numbers for this recall are 69R6, 69Q8, 69Q9, and 69Y5.
- Brakes
If the brake line was not properly tightened, it may leak brake fluid, causing a reduction in braking performance, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of crash.
Details 15V373000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Passat vehicles manufactured May 18, 2015, to May 21, 2015. The affected vehicles have a brake line at the left rear wheel area that may not have been properly tightened.
Fix: Volkswagen has notified owners, and dealers will tighten the brake line fitting, free of charge. The recall began on June 11, 2015. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 47M3.
- Engine & cooling
If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Details 15V705000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.
Fix: Volkswagen dealer will update the engine control module (ECM) software. The recall began March 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 23R1.
Show all 7
- Seats
Unexpected movement of the driver's seatback may distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Details 14V670000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015 Volkswagen Jetta and Passat vehicles manufactured September 23, 2014, to October 9, 2014, and equipped with manual front seatback recliners. In the affected vehicles, the seatback recliner retaining bracket may not engage correctly, resulting in unexpected movement of the seatback.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the assembly of the seatback recliner retaining bracket, correcting it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 72F1.
2015 Volkswagen Passat safety investigations and free repairs
No open safety investigations.
Free repairs to ask about (warranty extensions):
- Steering: The model year chat was removed for VWP-18-11 for the Steering Wheel Clock Spring Limited Warranty Extension
- Exhaust and emissions: This document informs dealers of a revision to the claim coding for the "Extended Emissions Warranty" Limited Warranty Extension for certain 2.0L TDI GEN 3 vehicles.
A dealer for the brand can check these by VIN.
Source: NHTSA, Sep 24, 2026.
2015 Volkswagen Passat safety and fuel
From NHTSA’s crash tests and the EPA’s fueleconomy.gov.
What owners complain about
243 complaints filed with NHTSA for this year and model, which is a lot.
Share of complaints that mention each area. One complaint can mention several.
What a 2015 Volkswagen Passat is worth
Rough trade-in values — roughly what a dealer would pay — by mileage, from published trade-in guides. Private sales and dealer prices run higher. For the exact car, add its VIN.
| Mileage | Trade-in (rough) |
|---|---|
| 40,000 mi | $5,275 |
| 120,000 mi | $4,250 |
From new to now
What each Volkswagen Passat model year trades in for today at typical mileage.
Typical mileage = 12,000 miles a year; values between two published mileages are estimated in a straight line.
Other Volkswagen Passat years
Printable inspection checklist · Out-the-door price calculator