2015 Volkswagen Passat Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 12about this part
- Share
- 5%of 243 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 25,573miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 12 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2015 Volkswagen Passat, 5% of the 243 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 25,573 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I got a recall notice regarding the cam issue with this vehicle. They are tell me the fix is to change the software in the ECM. However doing so will change the timing on my car which will affect the performance, gas mileage and emission that my pzev car puts out. Vw refuses to give me a straight answer on what they are changing. I believe that said changes will cause my vechile to pollute more and get worse mileage as they must be adjusting the timing to change the amount of vacuum the cam shaft makes.”
NHTSA complaint #10882700, filed 2016-07, 15,000 miles“Vehicle lost power while driving. Several warning lights appear. This occurred three other times, even after they car had been in for repair. Various engine parts have been replaced, such the turbo kit, turbo charger, glow plugs. The last incident occurred on dec 5 after picking the vehicle up and assured that it was fully repaired. While exiting the dealership, the car lost power and I was almost t-boned. The dealer continues to replace parts on the advice of the vw regional service manager. Yet we have serious concerns about the safety of the vehicle when in motion. …”
NHTSA complaint #10663582, filed 2014-12, 300 miles“My daughter was driving her 2015 vw Passat and car was operating fine until turning left onto county highway off of state highway. After turning, car would not shift out of gear it was in; the engine just revved higher rpms. Top speed was approximately 30 MPH. The intersection she was turning at is a very busy one.”
NHTSA complaint #11297182, filed 2020-01, 120,000 miles“Transmission leaking major car randomly shut off while in drive while stopped in traffic rough idling. Can cause an accident if there's busy traffic on major side street and you not paying attention”
NHTSA complaint #11282008, filed 2019-11, 82,000 miles“Timing chain elongated heard light noise and around 60000 miles I have been taking it to dealer I even asked them to let me know what all is wrong with car at 90000 miles never said anything until switch dealer at 110000 miles tells me that it may fail at anytime and will cause engine to loose power”
NHTSA complaint #11097693, filed 2018-05Related service bulletins
- 11025440Oct 14, 2025Cautions about using aftermarket transmission flush machines and aftermarket transmission fluids.
- 11025439Oct 9, 2025Diagnosing Manual Transmission Noise
- 11008861Sep 17, 2024Fluid requirements
- 11008851Sep 17, 2024Engine Misfire Diagnostic Aid
- 11008860Sep 11, 2024Manual transmission noise diagnosing
- 10238310Jun 21, 2023Automatic Transmission Fluid Requirements
- 10238309Jun 15, 2023Noise Diagnostic for Manual Transmission vehicles.
- 10218953Aug 25, 2022Manual transmission noise diagnostic assistance
- 10214473Jun 14, 2022Auto Trans fluid requirements.
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2 | 15% |
| 2019 | 2 | 17% |
| 2018 | 3 | 7% |
| 2017 | 5 | 5% |
| 2016 | 5 | 5% |
| 2015 | 12 | 5% |
| 2014 | 37 | 6% |
| 2013 | 33 | 4% |
| 2012 | 15 | 3% |
| 2011 | 1 | 6% |
| 2010 | 34 | 21% |
| 2009 | 10 | 7% |
| 2008 | 12 | 7% |
| 2007 | 13 | 5% |
| 2006 | 47 | 8% |
| 2005 | 13 | 9% |
| 2004 | 38 | 14% |
| 2003 | 35 | 6% |
| 2002 | 25 | 4% |
| 2001 | 34 | 8% |
| 2000 | 19 | 4% |
| 1999 | 29 | 4% |
| 1998 | 16 | 5% |
| 1996 | 2 | 5% |
| 1995 | 10 | 11% |
| 1994 | 4 | 16% |
| 1993 | 4 | 6% |
| 1992 | 7 | 18% |
| 1991 | 2 | 8% |
| 1990 | 8 | 24% |
Other parts of the 2015 Volkswagen Passat
88 complaintsEngine
53 complaintsElectrical system
48 complaintsOther or unknown
40 complaintsBrakes
28 complaintsSteering
26 complaintsFuel system
23 complaintsSuspension
16 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
12 complaintsVehicle speed control
10 complaintsExterior lighting
6 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2015 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