2006 Volkswagen Passat Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 79about this part
- Share
- 14%of 576 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 59,122miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 79 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Volkswagen Passat, 14% of the 576 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 59,122 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 2 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“When starting the car this morning the engine cranked hard before starting. The battery is low. When trying to drive it this morning the car told me I needed to depress my clutch peddle. The car is an automatic, there is no clutch. The car is unusable. I was in my driveway at the time.”
NHTSA complaint #11042709, filed 2017-11, 120,000 miles“I have a vos wagon 2016 and I have an electrical problem. They changed a model that goes before the bomb of the gasoline. That a recall that occurred in the dealer. I know the car has an electrical problem, but I do not know the cause. I checked the bomb manually and it works. There seems to be no electricity and the only thing that works are the lights and the sunroof. Parts of the car inside do not work. When I was checking the vehicle, on the carpet in the driver's seat, it was humid. There was water in revising the cause. …”
NHTSA complaint #11233336, filed 2019-07, 155,000 miles“Car has been running rough for a while and epc , traction control, and engine light keep popping up time to time, when lights appear car barely runs at all. Lately it has been shutting off completely while driving at any speed! (highway, street , or parking lot!) feel like I qualify for the recall that came out august 16, 2017 (NHTSA campaign number: 17v509000 fuel pump failure cause engine stall if the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.) do to my symptom but did not receive a notice!”
NHTSA complaint #11100500, filed 2018-06, 110,000 miles“The problem that I am having with my 2006 Volkswagen Passat is that while I am driving the car shuts down completely. This has happened to me about five times this year. It has almost caused me to be in two accidents and to have to quickly pull off the road. The dealer wants me to pay $1,700 to repair it.”
NHTSA complaint #10370478, filed 2010-12, 55,328 miles“My car has had starting issues since I have had it. Sometimes, everytime I would try to start it would not start and give me the locked steering column message. It would stop doing this for several months and then start again. Finally, after 100,000 it stopped completely and would not start. It is $600 to fix it but it seems like a lot of people have this issue and they had a recall on the steering column. What can I do?”
NHTSA complaint #10358488, filed 2010-09, 50,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10228178Dec 6, 2022Battery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger. Updated to include additional model year applicability.
- 10204722Dec 15, 2021This bulletin contains general instructions for software updates.
- 10205518Dec 6, 2021Battery testing using VW special tools, updated to include additional model year applicability and include I.D.4.
- 10203476Nov 8, 2021Update to model year applicability.
- 10198233Jun 21, 2021Software Version Management (SVM)
- 10186978Feb 8, 2021Software Version Management (SVM) instruction updated to include model year 2021
- 10185676Jan 14, 2021Battery testing. Updated to include additional model and model year applicability.
- 10169135Dec 5, 2019Update model applicability to MY 2020.
- 10163542Jul 29, 2019Update vehicle metadata to include pull ahead models. Also includes R32 2002-2007 and 2002-2006 Jetta Wagon.
- 10159014Mar 22, 2019Alternative method for radio code retrieval.
Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3 | 23% |
| 2021 | 4 | 20% |
| 2020 | 3 | 17% |
| 2019 | 4 | 33% |
| 2018 | 10 | 22% |
| 2017 | 18 | 16% |
| 2016 | 22 | 21% |
| 2015 | 48 | 20% |
| 2014 | 74 | 12% |
| 2013 | 93 | 12% |
| 2012 | 95 | 20% |
| 2011 | 4 | 25% |
| 2010 | 21 | 13% |
| 2009 | 18 | 12% |
| 2008 | 21 | 13% |
| 2007 | 34 | 13% |
| 2006 | 79 | 14% |
| 2005 | 9 | 6% |
| 2004 | 23 | 8% |
| 2003 | 90 | 14% |
| 2002 | 220 | 35% |
| 2001 | 73 | 17% |
| 2000 | 43 | 8% |
| 1999 | 58 | 9% |
| 1998 | 28 | 8% |
| 1997 | 13 | 35% |
| 1996 | 14 | 35% |
| 1995 | 15 | 16% |
| 1994 | 5 | 20% |
| 1993 | 14 | 21% |
| 1992 | 3 | 8% |
| 1991 | 2 | 8% |
| 1990 | 2 | 6% |
Other parts of the 2006 Volkswagen Passat
148 complaintsSteering
112 complaintsEngine cooling
66 complaintsEngine
64 complaintsFuel system
64 complaintsBrakes
49 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
47 complaintsVehicle speed control
32 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
21 complaintsOther or unknown
13 complaintsExterior lighting
12 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
11 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2006 Volkswagen Passat
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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