2017 Volkswagen Passat Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 7about this part
- Share
- 6%of 110 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 32,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 7 complaints about the engine of the 2017 Volkswagen Passat, 6% of the 110 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 32,000 miles.
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.
“Rattle noises while driving on asphalt roads from rear of vehicle underneath car and/or front. Loose bolts or missing welds maybe. Dealer replace front sway bar and problem did not go away so wallas Volkswagen put the original oem part back on last month and did not charge us for the service. They told us it's unknown why the rattling continued.”
NHTSA complaint #11414854, filed 2021-05, 22,000 miles“On 6 separate occasions while operating my vehicle it randomly stops running. The first two were at 40 mph and I was told it was a battery issue. It happened twice less than 4 days after the battery was replaced, once at 25 mph and once at 15 mph. I then had the fuel pump replaced. Less than 4 days later it happened twice again. Once at 10 mph and another time at 45 mph.”
NHTSA complaint #11589895, filed 2024-05“I notice that the “turbo” cuts in and out when it wants to . That’s known as a. Turbo lag. As for my brakes , my rotors have grooves on them and when braking it shakes my steering wheel, scared that I’ll lose control of wheel so I have to pump my breaks to avoid costs of accident. And my air bag light is on , on the dash so my guess would be that the airbags don’t work .”
NHTSA complaint #11423991, filed 2021-07“The Passat stalls when traveling at low speed and/or from a stop, battery light turns on and loses all engine power, and will not restart for a period of time (10mins to 2 hours). This has happened on a residental street and on the highway when merging onto an on-ramp. There is no loss of electrical power and the starter attempts to turn the engine over but the car will not start. After multiple starting attempts the cars ECP light will turn on. My safety was put at risk when this occured on the highway and I needed to be push the car to the shoulder. …”
NHTSA complaint #11553274, filed 2023-11“The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power, with the check engine warning light and an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to intermittently start and stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure could be related to an electrical malfunction. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. …”
NHTSA complaint #11698579, filed 2025-11, 355,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11038146Sep 17, 2026Suggested fuel additive
- 11036867Aug 21, 2026This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward.
- 11035762Jul 9, 2026Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement
- 11034614Jun 18, 2026Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start.
- 11034613Jun 18, 2026Lubricating engine components before reassembly.
- 11034617Jun 4, 2026Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards
- 11030847Mar 27, 2026This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the…
- 11025452Oct 17, 2025Coolant Bleed Procedure
- 11025437Oct 14, 2025G12Evo can now be mixed with previous coolants.
- 11025430Oct 14, 2025Engine misfire diagnostic aid.
Engine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 3 | 23% |
| 2021 | 1 | 6% |
| 2020 | 4 | 22% |
| 2019 | 2 | 17% |
| 2018 | 11 | 24% |
| 2017 | 7 | 6% |
| 2016 | 17 | 16% |
| 2015 | 53 | 22% |
| 2014 | 77 | 13% |
| 2013 | 105 | 14% |
| 2012 | 40 | 8% |
| 2011 | 6 | 38% |
| 2010 | 41 | 25% |
| 2009 | 60 | 41% |
| 2008 | 43 | 26% |
| 2007 | 28 | 11% |
| 2006 | 64 | 11% |
| 2005 | 12 | 8% |
| 2004 | 18 | 6% |
| 2003 | 23 | 4% |
| 2002 | 13 | 2% |
| 2001 | 5 | 1% |
| 2000 | 8 | 2% |
| 1999 | 2 | 0% |
| 1998 | 1 | 0% |
Other parts of the 2017 Volkswagen Passat
28 complaintsOther or unknown
22 complaintsElectrical system
18 complaintsBrakes
17 complaintsForward collision avoidance
16 complaintsSteering
16 complaintsFuel system
7 complaintsLane departure
6 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
6 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
5 complaintsWheels
4 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2017 Volkswagen Passat
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 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