2001 Volkswagen Passat Vehicle speed control Problems
- Complaints
- 19about this part
- Share
- 4%of 430 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 39,490miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 19 complaints about the vehicle speed control of the 2001 Volkswagen Passat, 4% of the 430 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 39,490 miles. 4 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Windshield wipers do not work on rainy days making it difficult to see out the windshield. A lady hit my car on the right side collapsing that side along the doors and some of the rear and the air bag did not deploy. I put my feet on accelerator for speed and the car refuses to respond. The more I accelerate the slower the car goes.”
NHTSA complaint #10010846, filed 2003-03, 5,000 miles“Car has twice, spontaneously and forcefully (july10 and july 12), accelerated as I removed my foot from the accelerator to prepare for a stop. Dealership service cannot evaluate the problem until july 22. Service rep can't tell me whether it's safe to drive the car, because she has no idea what may have caused the problem. There are several incident reports on this website, describing exactly the same problem, and in one case there was an accident-related injury. …”
NHTSA complaint #10081066, filed 2004-07, 55,760 miles“When driving the vehicle, the cruise control kicks on by itself. I don't know what the maximum speed that the cruise control is set, but I let the vehicle get up to over 85 MPH yesterday before I 'canceled' the cruise control. The 'cancel' button only temporarily solves the problem - a few minutes later, the cruise control kicks on again. It does not matter if I'm on a highway or a residential street - the car will suddenly kick in and increase speed. I have not taken it to a dealer yet.”
NHTSA complaint #10082830, filed 2004-07, 28,980 miles“Car went into passing gear while passing slow vehicle on two-lane road. When pass was completed and foot was lifted from accelerator pedal, car continued to accelerate dangerously even though accelerator pedal returned to normal position. Only by shifting into neutral, braking with both foot and hand brake and switching ignition off was driver able to bring vehicle under control avoiding collision with other car ahead in same lane. After a minute, driver attempted to resume journey and restarted engine in park. Engine raced to full RPM. …”
NHTSA complaint #10010783, filed 2003-03, 19,000 miles“On acceleration, the accelerator pedal stuck to the floor, causing rapid acceleration. Had I not put the vehicle into neutral, it would have caused a crash. Accelerator remained floored for 15-20 seconds; it repeated consistently when I re-tested it.”
NHTSA complaint #761037, filed 2002-04Related service bulletins
- 10236450Feb 17, 2016Corrosion on hood edge.
Vehicle speed control: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 4 | 9% |
| 2017 | 3 | 3% |
| 2016 | 11 | 10% |
| 2015 | 10 | 4% |
| 2014 | 13 | 2% |
| 2013 | 15 | 2% |
| 2012 | 14 | 3% |
| 2010 | 3 | 2% |
| 2009 | 2 | 1% |
| 2008 | 4 | 2% |
| 2007 | 7 | 3% |
| 2006 | 32 | 6% |
| 2005 | 5 | 3% |
| 2004 | 6 | 2% |
| 2003 | 14 | 2% |
| 2002 | 16 | 3% |
| 2001 | 19 | 4% |
| 2000 | 15 | 3% |
| 1999 | 32 | 5% |
| 1998 | 3 | 1% |
| 1996 | 2 | 5% |
| 1995 | 5 | 5% |
| 1994 | 1 | 4% |
| 1993 | 1 | 1% |
| 1992 | 4 | 10% |
Other parts of the 2001 Volkswagen Passat
92 complaintsElectrical system
73 complaintsBrakes
63 complaintsFuel system
44 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
34 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
31 complaintsExterior lighting
30 complaintsAir bags
26 complaintsSuspension
25 complaintsBody and structure
23 complaintsSteering
13 complaintsOther or unknown
9 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2001 Volkswagen Passat
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology