NHTSA Safety Recalls
2012 Volkswagen Passat Recalls
The 2012 Volkswagen Passat has 11 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on October 30, 2024.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2012 Volkswagen Passat. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 11
- Owner complaints
- 484
- Crashes reported
- 14
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
3 fires
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2012 Volkswagen Passat, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
11 recalls on the 2012 Volkswagen Passat
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 24V834000
- Reported
- October 30, 2024
- Vehicles affected
- up to 248,330
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2006–2007, 2013–2014, 2017 Passat, 1 other model
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 19V862000
- Reported
- December 4, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 226
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2013–2015 Passat, 2 other models
Exterior lighting: headlights
- Campaign
- 19V389000
- Reported
- May 22, 2019
- Vehicles affected
- up to 662,185
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 108, lamps and reflective devices
- Same campaign
- also 2013–2020 Passat, 1 other model
Unknown or other
- Campaign
- 18V329000
- Reported
- May 16, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 252
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, fire and injury
- Same campaign
- also 7 other models
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 18V148000
- Reported
- March 6, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 363,713
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2007–2010, 2013–2014 Passat, 4 other models
Engine and engine cooling: engine: diesel
- Campaign
- 17V309000
- Reported
- May 11, 2017
- Vehicles affected
- up to 84,262
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2013–2014 Passat
Electrical system: wiring
- Campaign
- 16V171000
- Reported
- March 24, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 91,442
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2013–2014 Passat
Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
- Campaign
- 16V078000
- Reported
- February 10, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 659,493
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash, injury and death
- Same campaign
- also 2007–2010, 2013–2014 Passat, 7 other models
Air bags: frontal
- Campaign
- 15V483000
- Reported
- August 4, 2015
- Vehicles affected
- up to 415,825
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2010, 2013–2014 Passat, 6 other models
Exterior lighting: headlights
- Campaign
- 14V125000
- Reported
- March 17, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 150,201
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2013 Passat
Fuel system, diesel
- Campaign
- 12V146000
- Reported
- April 5, 2012
- Vehicles affected
- up to 153
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- only the 2012 Volkswagen Passat
2012 Volkswagen Passat complaints by year
NHTSA has received 484 owner complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Passat, the newest on September 30, 2026. Of these, 14 describe a crash (3%) and 3 a fire; owners reported 10 injuries.
In complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Passat, the component group named most often is the air bags (61%), followed by the electrical system (20%) and the steering (10%).
5 of the 2012 Volkswagen Passat's 11 recalls also concern the air bags.
Where 2012 Volkswagen Passat owners gave the mileage (254 complaints), the median was 58,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Air Bags296
- Electrical System95
- Steering46
- Engine40
- Fuel/Propulsion System32
- Unknown Or Other31
Complaints received, by year
| 2011 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 15 | |
| 2013 | 14 | |
| 2014 | 39 | |
| 2015 | 57 | |
| 2016 | 114 | |
| 2017 | 95 | |
| 2018 | 48 | |
| 2019 | 22 | |
| 2020 | 14 | |
| 2021 | 10 | |
| 2022 | 22 | |
| 2023 | 4 | |
| 2024 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 20 | |
| 2026 | 6 |
Complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Passat peaked in 2016, when NHTSA received 114. 26% arrived between 2011 and 2015, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2012 vehicles, the 2012 Volkswagen Passat drew 1.9× the complaints of the median Volkswagen Passat year in the same window: 7th highest of the 20 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★★
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 4/5
The 484 complaints about the 2012 Volkswagen Passat are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Volkswagen Passat by model year
Other 2012 Volkswagen models
Newest record on this page: September 30, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted