NHTSA Safety Recalls
2002 Volkswagen Passat Recalls
The 2002 Volkswagen Passat has 4 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on April 7, 2008.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2002 Volkswagen Passat. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 4
- Owner complaints
- 636
- Crashes reported
- 10
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
46 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2002 Volkswagen Passat, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
4 recalls on the 2002 Volkswagen Passat
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery
- Campaign
- 08V156000
- Reported
- April 7, 2008
- Vehicles affected
- up to 412,000
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2000–2001, 2003–2005 Passat
Tires
- Campaign
- 03V154000
- Reported
- April 22, 2003
- Vehicles affected
- up to 11
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 110, tire selection and rims
- Same campaign
- only the 2002 Volkswagen Passat
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
- Campaign
- 02V026000
- Reported
- January 25, 2002
- Vehicles affected
- up to 487,284
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2000–2001, 2003 Passat
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- Campaign
- 14E007000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2000–2001, 2003–2005 Passat, 4 other models
2002 Volkswagen Passat complaints by year
NHTSA has received 636 owner complaints about the 2002 Volkswagen Passat, the newest on January 7, 2026. Of these, 10 describe a crash (2%) and 46 a fire; owners reported 19 injuries and 2 deaths.
In complaints about the 2002 Volkswagen Passat, the component group named most often is the electrical system (35%), followed by the engine and engine cooling (21%) and the fuel system, gasoline (9%).
1 of the 2002 Volkswagen Passat's 4 recalls also concerns the engine and engine cooling.
Where 2002 Volkswagen Passat owners gave the mileage (456 complaints), the median was 48,946 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Electrical System220
- Engine And Engine Cooling135
- Fuel System, Gasoline55
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic47
- Exterior Lighting32
- Structure30
Complaints received, by year
| 2001 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 66 | |
| 2003 | 193 | |
| 2004 | 37 | |
| 2005 | 41 | |
| 2006 | 55 | |
| 2007 | 43 | |
| 2008 | 41 | |
| 2009 | 32 | |
| 2010 | 40 | |
| 2011 | 21 | |
| 2012 | 13 | |
| 2013 | 8 | |
| 2014 | 15 | |
| 2015 | 7 | |
| 2016 | 8 | |
| 2017 | 7 | |
| 2018 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2002 Volkswagen Passat peaked in 2003, when NHTSA received 193. 53% arrived between 2001 and 2005, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2002 vehicles, the 2002 Volkswagen Passat drew 3.8× the complaints of the median Volkswagen Passat year in the same window: 3rd highest of the 20 ranked years.
That makes 2002 one of the Volkswagen Passat years to avoid by our method.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 5/5
The 636 complaints about the 2002 Volkswagen Passat are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Volkswagen Passat by model year
Other 2002 Volkswagen models
Newest record on this page: January 7, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted