repaired · 2026 Q3
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
2014 Volkswagen PassatProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 594 owner complaints about the 2014 Volkswagen Passat, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 10 safety recalls, and for recall 17V-309 the manufacturer reports only 21% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 28, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Dennis Elzinga, CC BY 2.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2014 Volkswagen Passat has problems
594 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
354Air bags13 crash/fire/injury
77Engine1 crash/fire/injury
74Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury
47Fuel/propulsion system4 crash/fire/injury
44Steering1 crash/fire/injury
37Power train
13Vehicle speed control
12Visibility/wiper
12Structure
5915 other systems6 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 354 | 13 |
| Engine | 77 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 74 | 3 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 47 | 4 |
| Steering | 44 | 1 |
| Power train | 37 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 13 | 4 |
| Visibility/wiper | 12 | 0 |
| Structure | 12 | 5 |
| 15 other systems | 59 | 6 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
10 recalls
2014 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.
repaired · 2021 Q1
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2020 Q4
Exterior lighting: headlights
Risk. Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2019 Q4
Driver side: inflator module
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 vehicle…
Show 6 more recalls
repaired · 2018 Q4
Engine: diesel
Risk. If the leaking grease contacts a heated surface, such as the exhaust system and/or the diesel particulate filter (DPF), it could increase the risk of fire.
repaired · 2017 Q4
Electrical system: wiring
Risk. An electrical short can cause the electrical connectors of the sensor to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.
repaired · 2018 Q2
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
repaired · 2017 Q2
Air bags: frontal
Risk. A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of…
repaired · 2016 Q2
Fuel injection system: fuel rail
Risk. A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.
repaired · 2015 Q3
Automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines
Risk. The leaking transmission fluid could contact a hot surface and result in a vehicle fire.
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 air bags problems start?
50kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 88 air bags complaints. 89% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 43% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
22under 30k miles78under 100k miles10100k 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.
Air bags
11 owners mentioned a cost$720median
Middle half: $623 – $838
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
2014 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
2014 Volkswagen Passat safety ratings
2014 Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (10.7% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2014 Volkswagen Passat, and the recalls they led to.
- Clockspring failureNo recall
- Air Bag Clockspring FailureLed to recall 15V-483
- Air Bag Clockspring FailureNo recall
In owners' words
What Passat owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
A prior recall that was supposedly fixed, broke again. Submitted several complaints with Nhtsa and Volkswagen. Volkswagen said i had to pay a fee to verify what was wrong with my vehicle because the recall had already been fixed before. Months of waiting and waiting for an appointment and then vw…
Clockspring Recall. Horn not working, buttons on steering column not working, when turning steering wheel it makes a clicking noise, sounds like spring being pulled, driver side air bag light is illuminated on dash.
I was driving and the airbag light randomly came on out of the blue. While trying to parallel park I noticed my steering wheel clicking. We ran codes on the car and we are confident that the clock spring failed. My horn and cruise control also no longer work.
Own a 2014 Passat?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.