2000 Volkswagen Passat Problems, Recalls & Reliability
625 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2000 Volkswagen Passat, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 7 defect investigations. It scores 60/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 70,412 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2000 Volkswagen Passat sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990–1997, 2005, 2009–2010, 2016–2018.
Avoid
Where 2000 sits among all Passat years
What owners report
“Failiure of abs brake module on a 2000 vw passat (pn 8e0614111ah). Module failure causes rear wheels to lock during emergency braking situations.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Passat
“Check engine light has been on since purchasing of car ~ electra auto sales was aware of this and noted this was their records they would be responsible. They have been given me the run around because of the faulty engine system. My daughter and i were subjected to almost being killed on the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Passat
“Consumer states while driving the ignition coil broke causing lost of acceleration. Please provide any additional information. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Passat
“Fuel sender unit fails to record proper level of fuel in tank. Manufacturer has been contacted and they have refused to address the issues despite a recall on same vehicle with different 'trim' level. Fuel guage will read full for 250 of approximately 300 total miles then rocket down to empty.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Passat
“Upper control arm bushings (4 upper control arms, 2 per side) are torn and suspension has play coupled with loose steering resulting in noise.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Passat
“While driving on the highway, we started smelling gasoline in the cabin. We pulled over and checked under the hood. A fuel line attached to the firewall had a leak directly above the exhaust system, and was spraying gasoline everywhere in the engine bay, including the catalytic converter and…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Passat
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 412 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 70,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 51,000 and 94,395 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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…
Fix: Gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during May 2014. Owners may contact The Gates Corporation at 1-303-744-1911.
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
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…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL UNDERBODY HEAT SHIELDS ON VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS TO COVER THE POSSIBLY DAMAGED AREAS AND FLASH ALL 1.8T ENGINES WITH A PRECAUTIONARY SOFTWARE UPDATE.…
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.
Fix: DEALERS WILL FIT PASSAT VEHICLES WITH A NEW WHEEL HOUSE LINER THAT WILL BETTER PROTECT THE CAR'S FILLER NECK. JETTA VEHICLES WILL BE FITTED WITH A DIFFERENT METAL SHIELD DESIGNED TO ENHANCE ABRASION…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SULFUR IN FUEL INTERACTS WITH CERTAIN ADDITIVES FOUND IN WIDELY AVAILABLE GASOLINE CAUSING SULFUR TO BECOME DEPOSITED ON THE CONTACT POINTS OF THREE FUEL SENDING UNITS MOUNTED INSIDE THE FUEL TANK. THIS COULD CAUSE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE EXISTING FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNITS AND REPLACE THEM WITH FUEL LEVEL SENDING UNITS USING A NEW ALLOY COMPOSED OF GOLD, SILVER, AND A SMALL AMOUNT OF NICKEL, WHICH WILL NOT…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 08V156000.
Led to recall campaign 02V026000.
Technical service bulletins
196 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2000 Volkswagen Passat. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2000 Passat TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2000 Volkswagen Passat reliable?
The 2000 Volkswagen Passat drew 625 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 60/100, scored against the model's worst year (2003).
What are the most common 2000 Volkswagen Passat problems?
The top reported problems for the 2000 Volkswagen Passat are brakes & stability (205 complaints), engine (109), and electrical (55).
At what mileage do 2000 Volkswagen Passat problems show up?
Owners most often report 2000 Volkswagen Passat problems around 70,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 51,000 and 94,395 miles.
Does the 2000 Volkswagen Passat have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2000 Volkswagen Passat. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.