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2003 Volkswagen PassatProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 628 owner complaints about the 2003 Volkswagen Passat, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 18V-406 the manufacturer reports only 8% of affected cars repaired.

2003 Volkswagen Passat
17
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid4.9× the Passat median · #1 of 33 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 8%Owner complaints628153 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage60kFuel system, gasoline, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 26, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: OSX, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2003 Volkswagen Passat has problems

628 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Fuel system, gasoline1372
Engine and engine cooling13124
Seats9762
Electrical system9014
Exterior lighting391
Power train351
Structure291
Service brakes, hydraulic280
Fuel/propulsion system240
19 other systems16632

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2003 Volkswagen Passat recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

8%repaired · 2020 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 18V-406 · Jun 13, 2018 · 2,564 vehicles · 213 repaired

Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the driver or other…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Fuel system, gasoline: delivery

Recall 08V-156 · Apr 7, 2008 · 412,000 vehicles

Risk. A HEAT SHIELD THAT MAY CONTACT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Delivery: fuel pump

Recall 07V-375 · Aug 28, 2007 · 34,358 vehicles

Risk. IF FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE IS INTERRUPTED, THE VEHICLE COULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING AND THUS PRESENT A POTENTIAL RISK OF CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
–no report yet

Delivery: fuel pump

Recall 06V-017 · Jan 23, 2006 · 74,000 vehicles

Risk. IF FUEL FLOW TO THE ENGINE IS INTERRUPTED, THE VEHICLE COULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING AND THUS PRESENT A POTENTIAL RISK OF CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Volkswagen.

Mileage at failure

When do fuel system, gasoline problems start?

60kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 120 fuel system, gasoline complaints. 85% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
13under 30k miles102under 100k miles18100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

17 owners mentioned a cost

$3,000median

Middle half: $1,200 – $10,217

Fuel system, gasoline

8 owners mentioned a cost

$515median

Middle half: $185 – $786

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2003 vs. every other Passat year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Passat median. How we score

'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2003 Volkswagen Passat safety ratings

2003 Volkswagen Passat 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2003 Volkswagen Passat frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
6 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2003 Volkswagen Passat, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE STALLINGDP05004 · closed Dec 8, 2005
    No recall
  2. PASSENGER ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA07014 · closed Jul 7, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-156
  3. Engine Compartment FireEA11002 · closed Feb 17, 2012
    No recall
  4. PASSENGER/ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESPE07024 · closed Sep 28, 2007
    No recall
  5. FUEL TANK LEAKPE08008 · closed May 30, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-156
  6. Engine Compartment FirePE10027 · closed Feb 7, 2011
    No recall
In owners' words

What Passat owners report

Recent fuel system, gasoline complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2003 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The manufacturer…
Complaint 11701679 · Nov 26, 2025 · 133,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Volkswagen Passat. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V017000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…
Complaint 11649242 · Mar 19, 2025
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE REFUELING THE VEHICLE, IT STARTED TO LEAK FUEL FROM UNDERNEATH THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT…
Complaint 10713631 · Apr 29, 2015 · 82,500 miles

Own a 2003 Passat?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.