VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT · model year

2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

772 NHTSA complaints, 15 crash reports, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002VOLKSWAGENPASSAT carries 772 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 15 crashes, 53 fires, 23 injuries, and 4 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 PASSAT is electrical system:ignition with 134 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling (56) and electrical system (52). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2002 PASSAT, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

772
Complaints
15
Crashes
53
Fires
23
Injuries
4
Deaths

Total Complaints

772 filings

Crashes Reported

15 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION134
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING56
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM52
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE45
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE28
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC24
UNKNOWN OR OTHER18
STRUCTURE17
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS17
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE15
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM15
SERVICE BRAKES15
ENGINE13
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL12
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER11

Recalls (4)

02V02600025/01/2002

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP

ON SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL TANK FILLER NECK CAN SUFFER ABRASION DAMAGE IF THE REAR TIRE GOES FLAT AND THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN UNTIL THE TIRE DISINTEGRATES.

03V15400022/04/2003

TIRES

CERTAIN SEDANS AND STATION WAGONS EQUIPPED WITH 4.0L W8 ENGINES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THE AFFECTED VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRES OF THE MAXIMUM LOAD RATING INDEX 93H; HOWEVER, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN EQUIPP

08V15600007/04/2008

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 412,000 MY 1999-2005 PASSAT (5TH GENERATION) VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AND PRODUCED AFTER JUNE 14, 1999. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE AN UNDERBODY HEAT SHIELD THAT CAN BECOME DAMAGED. IN ADDITION, AFFECTED VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS MAY

14E00700007/03/2014

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

The Gates Corporation (Gates) is recalling certain aftermarket Tru-Flow Water Pumps, part number TFW 41127, sold at certain NAPA Auto Parts and/or installed by automotive service technicians after November 1, 2013 (and manufactured August 2013 through October 2013) that have a black-colored pulley/s

Recent Complaints

20260107FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this letter as a formal complaint regarding an authorized automobile dealer’s refusal to perform an open safety recall on my vehicle. Vehicle information: * Year/Make/Model: 2002 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T GLS * VIN: [XXX] I contacted Platinum Volkswagen, of Hicksville, New York, an authorized Volkswagen dealer, on January 7, 2026, to schedule a repair for an open safety recall applicable to my vehicle. I was advised by the service manager that the owner of the dealership refused to perform the recall repair solely based on the age of the vehicle. He advised me to request service at another authorized dealership. The service manager confirmed that the parts for the recall were available or could have been ordered and that the decision was based solely on the individual VW franchise owner's discretion not to service older vehicles. My understanding of federal motor vehicle safety law is that open safety recalls do not expire due to vehicle age

20230726FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I was letting my car run for a couple of minutes for the AC to cool down the car and I went into my house. When I came out about 2 minutes later, there was a large puddle of gas under the car in front of the right rear wheel and gas was running down the driveway all the way to the street. I immediately turned off the car and the gas stopped pouring out from under the car. I was lucky the car, my house or I did not go up in flames.

20191007AIR BAGS

WHILE DRIVING INTO THE MALL PARKING LOT AT SPEED OF 20 MPH ALL AIRBAGS EXPLODED EXCEPT THE STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG AND MY DAUGHTER SUFFERED FROM ARM AND AIR INJURIES

Mileage: 179,000

20190214STRUCTURE:BODY

WHEN IT RAINS THE CAR GETS FLOODED CAUSING THE WHOLE WIRING SYSTEM THROUGH THE CAR TO GET DAMAGE. THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY LOSE POWER AND DIE AS YOUR DRIVING. SEEMS TO HAPPEN. WHEN ON HIGHWAY MOST. THE CAR WILL NOT START OR CRANK. I'VE HAD TO VACUUM THE FLOOR BOARDS AND TRUNK, SEARCH FOR DAMAGED WIRES, CHANGE RELAYS AS WELL AS CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, AND FUEL PUMP.AS WELL AS SENSORS. TRYING TO GET IT RUNNING AGAIN. ALSO THE TRANSMISSION JERKS VERY HARD WHEN TRYING TO GO INTO REVERSE AND MOST OF THE TIME IN SLIPS OUT OF GEAR WITHIN1OR 2 SECONDS.

Mileage: 200,000

20190214ENGINE

WHEN IT RAINS THE CAR GETS FLOODED CAUSING THE WHOLE WIRING SYSTEM THROUGH THE CAR TO GET DAMAGE. THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY LOSE POWER AND DIE AS YOUR DRIVING. SEEMS TO HAPPEN. WHEN ON HIGHWAY MOST. THE CAR WILL NOT START OR CRANK. I'VE HAD TO VACUUM THE FLOOR BOARDS AND TRUNK, SEARCH FOR DAMAGED WIRES, CHANGE RELAYS AS WELL AS CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, AND FUEL PUMP.AS WELL AS SENSORS. TRYING TO GET IT RUNNING AGAIN. ALSO THE TRANSMISSION JERKS VERY HARD WHEN TRYING TO GO INTO REVERSE AND MOST OF THE TIME IN SLIPS OUT OF GEAR WITHIN1OR 2 SECONDS.

Mileage: 200,000

20190214POWER TRAIN

WHEN IT RAINS THE CAR GETS FLOODED CAUSING THE WHOLE WIRING SYSTEM THROUGH THE CAR TO GET DAMAGE. THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY LOSE POWER AND DIE AS YOUR DRIVING. SEEMS TO HAPPEN. WHEN ON HIGHWAY MOST. THE CAR WILL NOT START OR CRANK. I'VE HAD TO VACUUM THE FLOOR BOARDS AND TRUNK, SEARCH FOR DAMAGED WIRES, CHANGE RELAYS AS WELL AS CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, AND FUEL PUMP.AS WELL AS SENSORS. TRYING TO GET IT RUNNING AGAIN. ALSO THE TRANSMISSION JERKS VERY HARD WHEN TRYING TO GO INTO REVERSE AND MOST OF THE TIME IN SLIPS OUT OF GEAR WITHIN1OR 2 SECONDS.

Mileage: 200,000

20180828FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

HEADLIGHT PIGTAILS HAVE MELTED ,FUEL PUMP HAS GONE ,AND THE PLASTIC RESERVOIR PEICE FROM MY COOLANT PUMP HAS MELTED OFF DRIVER SIDE WIPER ARM BAR HAS MALFUNCTIONED

Mileage: 174,000

20180828SUSPENSION

HEADLIGHT PIGTAILS HAVE MELTED ,FUEL PUMP HAS GONE ,AND THE PLASTIC RESERVOIR PEICE FROM MY COOLANT PUMP HAS MELTED OFF DRIVER SIDE WIPER ARM BAR HAS MALFUNCTIONED

Mileage: 174,000

20180828EXTERIOR LIGHTING

HEADLIGHT PIGTAILS HAVE MELTED ,FUEL PUMP HAS GONE ,AND THE PLASTIC RESERVOIR PEICE FROM MY COOLANT PUMP HAS MELTED OFF DRIVER SIDE WIPER ARM BAR HAS MALFUNCTIONED

Mileage: 174,000

20180721SERVICE BRAKES

THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND BRAKE LIGHT IS FLASHING RED. THE ABS MODULE SEEMS TO BE BAD. THE VEHICLE HAS THESE LIGHTS WHEN ITS MOVING AND STATIONARY

Mileage: 120,000

20171219FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I PURCHASED A 2002 PASSAT W8 4-MOTION, HAVING ONLY 126,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, IN OCTOBER 2017 OFTEN AFTER REFUELING THE VEHICLE, I WOULD NOTICE THE FAINT SCENT OF GASOLINE. UPON INVESTIGATING WHERE THE GASOLINE SMELL WAS ORIGINATING, I FOUND IT HAD DEVELOPED A VERY LARGE FUEL LEAK FROM WHICH FUEL COULD BE SEEN DRIPPING ON THE FORWARD, LEFT SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK. AFTER PERFORMING SOME BRIEF RESEARCH, I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE PASSAT 4-MOTIONS, DATED APRIL 2008, IN REGARDS TO A VENTILATION VALVE ON THE FUEL TANK. I PROMPTLY MADE A APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL VW DEALER FOR DEC 4TH. ON DECEMBER 6, 2017, I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP ASKING JAY, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE VW DEALERSHIP, IF THEY FOUND THE VENT VALVE TO BE LEAKING. I WAS TOLD THAT THE VALVE WAS IN FACT LEAKING AT THE BONDED VALVE POINT. AFTER HEARING NOTHING THE NEXT TWO DAYS, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM VW STATING THAT THEY FOUND THE UNDER-BODY DAMAGE TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE LEAK. I REQUESTED TO SEE THE PICTURE

Mileage: 126,000

20171217SERVICE BRAKES

THE ABS BRAKES ARE FAULTY....THEY WORK RANDOMLY. FROM WHAT I HAVE RESEARCH THIS PARTICULAR MODULAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FACTORY RECALL.....

20171210SERVICE BRAKES

I GET AN AUDIO AND VISUAL ALERT ON MY DASH STATING TO 'STOP, BRAKE FAILURE' IT HAS OCCURRED MANY TIMES WHILE DRIVING, TURNING, AND PARKED WITH THE CAR ON. THE CAR'S BRAKES HAVE NEVER FAILED TO BRAKE APPROPRIATELY. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO MY MECHANIC. THE OBD 2 SCAN SHOWS NO FAULTS AND MY MECHANIC SAYS THE BRAKES ARE FINE AND THESE CARS ARE KNOWN TO HAVE A FAULTY ELECTRONIC BOARD WHICH FALSELY ALERTS OF A BRAKE FAILURE.

Mileage: 75,000

20170826SERVICE BRAKES

ABS LIGHT IS ON

20170626AIR BAGS

AIR BAG FAULT MESSAGE WHEN STARTING MY CAR EVERYTIME.

Mileage: 115,000

20170604FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHEN FUEL TANK HAS APPROXIMATELY 8 GALLONS OR MORE, FUEL POURS OUT FROM UNDER THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE ABOUT TWO FEET FROM THE OUTER KICK PANEL. NOTICED THERE WAS A RECALL AND VWOA SAID THAT MY VIN DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL DESPITE MY EXPLAINING THAT THE PROBLEM IS IDENTICAL TO OTHER COMPLAINTS ON VEHICLES THAT WERE RECALLED. THIS WAS AT 118K MILES AND IT HAPPENED TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER ARROUND 80K.

Mileage: 118,000

20170510FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

THE GAS TANK IS LEAKING ON THE UPPER SIDE BEHIND THE REAR SEATS WHEN IS FULL. I THINK VOLKSWAGEN RECALLED SOME VEHICLES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE PAST.

Mileage: 104,750

20170510UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE GAS TANK IS LEAKING ON THE UPPER SIDE BEHIND THE REAR SEATS WHEN IS FULL. I THINK VOLKSWAGEN RECALLED SOME VEHICLES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE PAST.

Mileage: 104,750

20161228FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FUEL LEAK AFTER FILLING GAS TANK. LEAK ON DRIVER SIDE UNDER REAR DOOR. STOPS AFTER GAGE IS BELOW 3/4 FULL.

Mileage: 93,000

20161105SERVICE BRAKES

PERIODICALLY, WHEN DRIVING, THE "ABS", "BRAKE", AND THE "ANTI SLIP REGULATION" LIGHTS WILL FLASH WITH AN ALARM SOUND THAT LASTS AROUND THREE SECONDS AND THE LIGHTS GO OFF. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING AND HAS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY AND WHILE STOPPED. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THE CAR HANDLES, DRIVES, OR BRAKES DURING AND AFTER THIS OCCURS. ON ONE INSTANCE THE "ANTI SLIP REGULATION" LIGHT STAYED ON AND I HAD TO STOP AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. WHEN I STARTED IT AGAIN, THE LIGHT WAS EXTINGUISHED. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 3-4 MONTHS AND ONLY HAPPENS ABOUT ONCE A WEEK.

Mileage: 150,000

Compare 2002VOLKSWAGENPASSAT to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT have?
The 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT has 772 NHTSA complaints, 15 crashes, 53 fires, 23 injuries, and 4 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT?
Yes, the 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT?
The most-complained component for the 2002 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION with 134 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2002 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.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. 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.