1,022 of the 10,333 complaints filed about the Volkswagen Passat are about the braking system — 10% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 1999.
1,022
Complaints
10%
Share of all complaints
33
Crashes
7
Fires
SERVICE BRAKES
My fuses keep blowing, this is leading to replacing the Brake switch which I believe was recalled. If it was replaced,it's not working.
NHTSA complaint #11745122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
I am reporting what appears to be a serious, chronic safety issue with this vehicle (not just this particular car, but all M/Y 2020~2022 (and possibly 2012~2019 as well if they use the same brake components). Since new, my car has had chronic brake problems and these ongoing issues keep arising, pointing to defective brake caliper design. They have not caused an accident (for me anyway), but should be investigated because they have the potential to do so. I'll list dates, mileage and details here because they are numerous: 05/22/2023 - 40,805 - Heard brake (dragging) noise. Found one pad in rear driver side completely worn with no perceptible wear on other rear pads or on front pads. Dealer diagnosed seized caliper on driver side and repaired under warranty. 02/05/2024 - 59,631 - During dealer inspection, dealer noticed passenger side rear caliper seized. Replaced caliper under warranty but I had to pay $220 labor. 11/23/2024 - 83,100 (approx.) - During another recent brake issue, dealer diagnosed a bad ABS module. Part was ordered and replaced on this day. 03/07/2026 - 115,275 - Heard early signs of brake wear so checked pads. Front pads still have zero wear on them (115,000+ miles and still has factory original pads -- no front brake actuation?). Rears are completely worn down. While checking, found guide pins on both front calipers seized as well as one guide pin on rear passenger side caliper. This vehicle has been stopping on only the rear brakes since new, and has chronic problems with seized calipers. I'm sure that it's not something limited to just my particular vehicle. I believe this brake caliper design is defective and all models using these calipers should be investigated for a potential recall situation.
NHTSA complaint #11722806 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
said vehicle started making a grinding sound and all of a sudden the brake pad or shoe they'll completely off of the vehicle and the caliper for disc brake was the wrong calipers on my front end of my vehicle and now it's upside down and backwards and it's not the right calipers for my vehicle
NHTSA complaint #11702816 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Driving home from work around 1:00 am at night with street lights and no other cars in the vicinity the auto brake engaged, causing an abrupt stop. Once the auto brake ceased I was able to complete my trip. There was a light coating of water in a spot on the road but nothing else and no reason for this to occur.
NHTSA complaint #11692184 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
The vehicle has been alerting error codes 16352 for failing to communicate with ABS module causing warning lights for ABS, brake and the ESC systems to illuminate. The brake system related vehicle stabilizing functions (ABS/ESC) is not be available, increasing the risk of a loss of vehicle control and could lead to a crash causing injury and/or property damage. Please reference Safety Recall Code: 45F2
NHTSA complaint #11691060 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
ABS sensor warning lights are coming on showing there is an issue.
NHTSA complaint #11682521 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
My car stalled on me while I was driving and would not start. I was told I need a new feul pump module. I took it to the dealership to get it replace and the feul pump but the car will not start.
NHTSA complaint #11671276 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Unknown my water pump failed and all out of nowhere
NHTSA complaint #11649135 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Brake issues that consist of brakes not engaging immediately as I press the brake pedal. Brake pedal also doesn't return as fast as my foot lets off of it. It could be inspected upon request. If the brakes dont engage immediately then there is a potential for an accident if I need to brake at a moments notice. Yes the problem has been confirmed. No it hasn't been inspected. No there isn't a warning.
NHTSA complaint #11648532 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
In May of 2023, I reported that the driver side rear brake caliper appeared to be sticking as one pad at that corner was completely worn down and making contact with the rotor, while the other pad at that same corner had no visible wear. Dealer replaced the rear left rotor under warranty (40,805 miles). Warranty also covered both rear rotors and rear pads due to rotor damage. In February of 2024, dealer inspection noticed the exact same issue on rear right brake caliper and replaced it under the extended warranty (59,631 miles). Although rear right rotor was damaged again, the extended warranty did NOT cover rear rotors or pads and I had to cover the cost out of pocket. In November of 2024 with approximately 80,000 miles, I performed a full brake inspection and noticed that even at this mileage, there was NO visible wear to the factory installed front brake pads (which at this mileage was odd and concerning), and while inspecting the rear pads I noticed that there was no visible wear to the rear left pads, but the rear right pads were worn down almost to the rotor. This uneven wear was shown to the dealer and after a day of "diagnosis", the dealer tech found no issues. They claimed fluid was flowing freely and the brake pistons were not sticking (pointing to the ABS module applying significantly more braking force to the rear right corner, in my opinion). I pressed the issue and after another day of diagnosis, they claimed the ABS module was defective and submitted the claim to the extended warranty. Claim was approved and part is no order, but I do not trust the braking system on this car with brake pads wearing unevenly down to the rotors every 20,000 miles and no perceivable braking force taking place on the front brakes. I, again will have to cover the costs to replace the rear pads and rotors due to continued related and warrantied part failures. I also raised the issue to VW Customer CARE, who created a case and is investigating with the dealer.
NHTSA complaint #11624685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2013 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The brake pedal was depressed several times before the vehicle came to a complete stop. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.
NHTSA complaint #11566262 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
The three issues above seems to be related or affect the other and does not allow cruise control to operate. The air bag light remains on and associated component light up the dash. Surprisingly, my VIN does not show up for air bag repair. I wish I did not have to wait for possible recall announcement for my vehicle before I can get it repaired and instead to fix it now. Frustrating.
NHTSA complaint #11558662 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
I have encountered severe and unresolved issues with the vehicle, and despite multiple visits to Serramonte VW dealership, the problems persist. I leased this car from VW Serramonte on 8/29/2021, and their contact information is as follows: Serramonte Volkswagen 711 Serramonte Blvd. Colma, CA 94014 (650) 756- 9000 www.serramontevw.com To provide context, the vehicle began experiencing unresolved electrical problems at just 7,000 miles. Despite repeated attempts for repairs at the dealership, these issues persist. Additionally, at only 9,000 miles, abnormal wear on the rear brake pads and rotors was discovered, requiring replacement. The dealership acknowledged the unusual nature of this problem, stating that it typically occurs after 30,000 miles in a typical car. The combination of these issues in a new vehicle with such low mileage is concerning and raises questions about the vehicle's quality and safety standards.
NHTSA complaint #11549058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Brakes are on this care are failing well in advance of typical cars. My car's rear brakes are measuring at a 2 with just over 20,000 miles on the vehicle. When we asked the dealership about this, they said the Passat is just "hard on rear brakes." We had a previous Passat and did not experience this issue. This is unsafe and unreasonable to expect these brakes wearing out at less than half of what is expected. Ironically, my husband's Taos - of the same model year - is doing the same.
NHTSA complaint #11546562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Rear brakes needed to be replaced at 17,000 miles. Same thing happened to my wife’s 2021 Passat.
NHTSA complaint #11542362 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
Rear brakes needed to be replaced at less than 20k miles The dealer comped it since we lease 2 different 2021 VW Passats and they both needed their rear wheels replaced at sub 20k miles
NHTSA complaint #11542363 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that the rear brake pads were generating an excessive amount of brake dust. The dealer was notified. The contact stated that he was informed a year later at a vehicle State Inspection, that the rear brakes were significantly worn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was an uneven brake wear as the rear brakes were prematurely worn while the front brakes were in very good condition. The dealer notified the manufacturer, who informed the dealer that there would be no assistance as the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
NHTSA complaint #11530411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake fluid warning light illuminated. The contact then stated that he became aware that brake fluid had leaked from an unknown location and that the brake fluid reservoir needed to be refilled. The contact stated that after driving for a few blocks, he had to refill the reservoir again. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V075000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) as a possible cause for the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10.
NHTSA complaint #11517645 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
The following warning lights will randomly turn on & off while driving: Air Bag Malfunction, ABS Brakes, ESC, Adaptive Cruise Control, Front collision, tire pressure, power steering, blind spot detection, low Key Battery detected, and indicate they are not functional. It is a random and items will go back to work while normally driving. Key fob battery has been replaced multiple times...
NHTSA complaint #11512585 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH or at various speeds, there was a delay while depressing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle was also pulling to the left and the right while depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that the suspension was loose while driving over bumps in the roadway causing the vehicle to bounce. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the front wheel bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
NHTSA complaint #11506122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.