2009 Volkswagen Passat Problems, Recalls & Reliability
211 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 Volkswagen Passat, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 20/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports, typically around 78,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2009 Volkswagen Passat has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2009 sits among all Passat years
What owners report
“Stopped running at traffic light- towed to dealership -timing chain/tensioner issue”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Passat
“Fuel pump has gone out. Volkswagen indicates my particular car doesn't qualify under the recall for the recall report 17v-509. This is an obvious issue with the 2009 passat.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Passat
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 160 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 75,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 46,400 and 105,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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…
VW IS RECALLING 130 MY 2009 PASSAT, PASSAT WAGON, AND PASSAT CC VEHICLES. SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE AN ELECTROMECHANICAL STEERING GEAR CONTROL UNIT THAT CAN MALFUNCTION DUE TO A DAMAGED CAPACITOR. IF THIS MALFUNCTION OCCURS, THE DRIVER'S STEERING INPUT IS NOT…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING GEAR IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 5, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW AT 1-800-822-8987.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
749 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2009 Volkswagen Passat. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 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 2009 Volkswagen Passat reliable?
The 2009 Volkswagen Passat drew 211 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 20/100, scored against the model's worst year (2003).
What are the most common 2009 Volkswagen Passat problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 Volkswagen Passat are engine (64 complaints), fuel system (53), and steering (20).
At what mileage do 2009 Volkswagen Passat problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 Volkswagen Passat problems around 75,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 46,400 and 105,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Volkswagen Passat have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 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.