Total Complaints
1 filings
VOLKSWAGEN PHAETON · model year
2005 VOLKSWAGEN PHAETON
1 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2005VOLKSWAGENPHAETON carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 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 2005 PHAETON is air bags with 1 filings. 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.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 2005 PHAETON, 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.
1
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20171107CrashAIR BAGS
DURING A ROLLOVER CRASH ON 14 SEP 2017 NONE OF THE AIRBAGS IN THE AUTO DEPLOYED. THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE IN THE CAR'S FRONT SEATS - DRIVER AND PASSENGER. THE AUTO WAS TOTALED IN THE CRASH. THE CRASH OCCURRED DURING DRY WEATHER DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS AT ABOUT 50 MPH ON THE GERMAN AUTOBAHN. THIS IS A US SPEC MODEL VW PHAETON. MY WIFE IN THE PASSENGER SEAT SUSTAINED INJURIES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HER BODY TO INCLUDE A BROKEN SHOULDER BLADE AND 4 BROKEN (C1-C4) LOWER SPINAL PROCESSES ON THE RIGHT SIDE. I BELIEVE THESE INJURIES MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN SO SEVERE HAD THE SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER'S INJURIES CONSISTED PRIMARILY OF WHIPLASH AND CUTS TO HIS HEAD, RIGHT HAND AND LEFT ARM FROM BROKEN GLASS. FORTUNATELY NEITHER WERE INJURED IN A PERMANENT WAY. MY CONCERN IS THAT I BELIEVE THE AIRBAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED DURING THE ROLLOVER AND HAD THEY DONE SO OUR INJURIES WOULD HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY LESS - PERHAPS BRUISING INSTEAD OF BROKEN BONES FOR THE PASSENGER AND A LOT FEWER GLASS CUTS
Mileage: 162,000
Compare 2005VOLKSWAGENPHAETON 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
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PHAETON have?▼
The 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PHAETON has 1 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PHAETON?▼
The most-complained component for the 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PHAETON is AIR BAGS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2005 VOLKSWAGEN PHAETON 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.