Total Complaints
60 filings
Volkswagen Passat · model year
1992 Volkswagen Passat
60 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 60
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1992 Volkswagen Passat posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 30%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1992VolkswagenPassat carries 60 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 crashes, 1 fire, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1992 Passat is engine and engine cooling:engine with 12 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly (4) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (4). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 1992 Passat, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
60
Complaints
4
Crashes
1
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1992 Volkswagen Passat
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
Crashes Reported
4 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 12 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 4 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 3 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 3 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 2 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20070904VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
THROTTLE CABLE MELTS THEN IT JAMS, USUALLY IN A HIGH REVVING POSITION. I HAVE GONE THROUGH 3 NEW THROTTLE CABLES, EACH TIME THEY MELT AND STICK. *JB
Mileage: 87,500
20040504VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH HEATER CORE BLEW OUT. AS A RESULT WHITE STEAM FILLED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHICH IMPAIRED THE VISIBILITY OF THE DRIVER. *AK *NM
Mileage: 120,000
20031002ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
HEAT EXCHANGER (CORE) LEAKED WHILE DRIVING, STEAMING UP THE VEHICLE INTERIOR TO IMPAIR VISIBILITY. HOT COOLANT LEAKED INTO PASSENGER'S FOOT AREA. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE ALREADY ISSUED RECALL # 96V115000. MY CAR IS 1992 VW PASSAT: [XXX]. *JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Mileage: 140,000
20021220VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
WHILE DRIVING GAS AND FUMES BEGAN EMITTING FROM VENTS CAUSING WINDOWS TO FOG ELIMINATING CONSUMER'S VISIBILITY. DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT HAD A BROKEN HEATER CORE. TS
20011217VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
HEATING SYSTEM SMELLS OF ANTIFREEZE WHEN USING FRONT VENTS AND DEFROST. 2 - 3 FAN SELECTION USED AND HEATER SET TO MEDIUM WARM SETTING ANTIFREEZE FUMES STARTED TO BLOWOUT, WHICH FOGGED FRONT WINDOW AND BREATHING IN HAZMAT ANTIFREEZE.*AK
20011214VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
HEATING SYSTEM SMELLS OF ANTIFREEZE WHEN USING FRONT VENTS AND DEFROST. 2 - 3 FAN SELECTION USED AND HEATER SET TO MEDIUM WARM SETTING ANTIFREEZE FUMES STARTED TO BLOWOUT, WHICH FOGGED FRONT WINDOW AND BREATHING IN HAZMAT ANTIFREEZE.*AK
20001219ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE ENGINE VALVES AND TIMING BELT FAILED WHILE DRIVING CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN. *MJS
20001107LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LOCK
TRUNK LATCH BROKE.*ET
20001107VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
HEATER CORE FAILED.*ET
20001107POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION FAILED.*ET
20001107ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE GASKETS LEAKED.*ET
20001107SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
MASTER CYLINDER FAILED.*ET
20001107ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE MOUNTS FAILED.*ET
20001107SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
MASTER CYLINDER FAILED.*ET
20001107VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
ACCELERATOR STICKS AND CAUSES SUDDEN ACCELERATION OR HESITATES. *ET
20000926POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE IN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. *MJS
20000908ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
ENGINE OVERHEATING THE DEALER FIXED THE PROBLEM BUT IT HAPPEND AGAIN. YH
20000731ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE IS CONSTANTLY OVERHEATING (6 TIMES).*ET
20000313ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHEN IT'S COLD VEHICLE WILL START FAST AND RUN WELL. BUT AFTER CAR HAS BEEN WARMED UP, PARKED AND STARTED AGAIN, IT'S HARD TO START. THEN, WHEN GOING DOWN THE STREET AND SLOWING DOWN, VEHICLE WILL STALL. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, HOWEVER CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS. *AK
20000202FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
THERE IS FUEL LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, INCLUDING: -AUTOMATIC ACCELERATION, THROTTLE STICKS WHEN ACCELERATING -HEATER CORE EXPLODED -BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR -CV JOINTS BAD -TRUNK LATCH WILL NOT OPEN -OIL LEAK -TRANSMISSION FAILURES -EXHAUST PROBLEMS -STARTING PROBLEMS, IGNITION -FRESH AIR CONTROL DOES NOT WORK -STEERING WHEEL LOST SCREWS *AK *ML
Compare 1992VolkswagenPassat to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA24004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
RQ24010Recall QueryClosed
Inadvertent Door Opening
RQ23007Recall QueryClosed
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
PE23017Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
EQ22001EQClosed
LGES High Voltage Battery Failures
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1992 Volkswagen Passat have?▼
The 1992 Volkswagen Passat has 60 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 1 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1992 Volkswagen Passat?▼
The most-complained component for the 1992 Volkswagen Passat is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 12 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE.
Is the 1992 Volkswagen Passat safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1992 Volkswagen Passat; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.