2007 Volkswagen Passat Problems, Recalls & Reliability
341 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2007 Volkswagen Passat, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 28/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 100,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2007 sits among all Passat years
What owners report
“Takata recall the recall is over a year old and vw can not give any time when it can be fixed. Makes selling car difficult”— owner report to NHTSA, 2007 Passat
“Complete/catastrophic engine failure at approx 1,800 miles. Dealer stated bolt relating to timing chain failed, causing serious internal engine damage. Vehichle was replaced, but new vehicle has same engine, and many others with same engine are having similar failures.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2007 Passat
“There is an outstanding safety recall that opened 08-16-2017 involving the fuel pump control module. Volkswagen says a repair is not yet available - after nine months! This is unacceptable.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2007 Passat
“I was driving the vehicle at night when the driver side headlight went out. Took vehicle to volkswagen dealer to fix problem the next day. The dealer told me the insulation came off the wires inside the driver head light assembly. The 2 exposed wires touched and shorted out the control module. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2007 Passat
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 223 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 76,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 45,000 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles. The driver's side frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant…
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's side front air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 4, 2024. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2006-2007 Volkswagen Passat sedan and wagon vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began on April 30, 2018. Owners may contact…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2016 Volkswagen CC, 2006-2010 Passat and Passat Wagon vehicles. Interruption of electrical power to the fuel pump control module may cause the fuel pump to fail.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump control module, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at…
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles.…
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a…
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 2.0L ENGINE WITH 147 KW MAY HAVE A VACUUM LINE THAT MAY FRACTURE AND BECOME DISCONNECTED AT LOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURES.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE NEWLY DESIGNED VACUUM LINE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 12, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-893-5298.
ON CERTAIN '6' GENERATION PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE WIPER MOTOR MAY FAIL DURING HEAVY RAIN DUE TO EXCESSIVE MOISTURE ENTERING THE WIPER MOTOR. IF THIS HAPPENS, THE WIPERS CAN BECOME INOPERATIVE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPECIAL COVER AND SEALING KIT. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 12, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-893-5298.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
540 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2007 Volkswagen Passat. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2007 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 2007 Volkswagen Passat reliable?
The 2007 Volkswagen Passat drew 341 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 28/100, scored against the model's worst year (2003).
What are the most common 2007 Volkswagen Passat problems?
The top reported problems for the 2007 Volkswagen Passat are airbags (106 complaints), engine (60), and fuel system (43).
At what mileage do 2007 Volkswagen Passat problems show up?
Owners most often report 2007 Volkswagen Passat problems around 76,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 45,000 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 2007 Volkswagen Passat have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2007 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.