Problems · by component

2006 Volkswagen Passat power train problems

47 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2006 Volkswagen Passat cite power train, 8% of all 576 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
47
8% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the power train

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“We owned vehicle approx 8yrs and in late 2022 will driving/on highway 55mph or local roads like Broadway 15-20mph the vehicle goes into neutral. VErY dangerous it wil work as it should after a restart”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 4, 2023Power trainODI 11500131
“HAVE REPLACED NUMEROUS PARTS ...THE EPX LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON WHICH MAY REFERENCE TO THE OIL PUMP BOLT FAILING...CRANKSHAFT AND CAM SHAFTS CODES KEEP COMING ON EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE REPLACED...TRANSMISSION SHIFTING SLIGHTLY HARD.. OVERHEATING EVEN THOUGH NEW PARTS WERE INSTALLED...AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON..BRAKES HAVE BEEN BLEED OVER 10 TIMES AND ARE STILL TOO SOFT CAUSE ME TO BRAKE AT A FURTHER DISTANCE TO AVOID A WRECK....I AM ON A FIXED INCOME AND CANT AFFORD A MASSAGE BILL TO FIX IT AND VW IS AWARE OVER THESE YEARS OF THE ISSUES AND WONT RECALL TO REPAIR ANY OF THE ISSUES...I HAVE ALL RECEIPTS FOR THE PARTS REPLACED... *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 17, 2020Power train, Service brakes, EngineODI 11329365
“THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS USED IN THE B6 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.0T ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER VW MODELS ARE NOTORIOUSLY PROBLEMATIC. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT NEEDING A SOFTWARE UPDATE WHICH WAS DONE ON MY VEHICLE, HOWEVER THIS DOES NOT ADDRESS THE REAL ISSUE WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS. THE WIDESPREAD AND MORE SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS IS THE VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY PART OF THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING HARD SHIFTS USUALLY BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND OR THIRD AND FOURTH GEAR. THESE HARD SHIFTS CAUSE THE ENTIRE CAR AND IT'S PASSENGERS TO JERK VIOLENTLY DURING UPSHIFTS AND SOMETIMES DOWNSHIFTS BETWEEN THESE GEARS. AT ONLY 91,000 MILES AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF MY CAR HAS DEVELOPED THIS PROBLEM BETWEEN THIRD AND FOURTH GEAR MAKING IT FEEL VERY DANGEROUS AND UNSETTLING FOR THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS OF THE VEHICLE WHEN GETTING UP TO SPEED ESPECIALLY ON ON-RAMPS TO THE HIGHWAY. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS DESTROYED MY MOTOR MOUNTS AS WELL. VW SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART OF THE TRANSMISSION SIMILAR TO THE WAY HONDA DID WITH THEIR ODYSSEY, ONLY THIS DOES NOT REQUIRE THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED LIKE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 27, 2020Power trainODI 11326103
“MISSES SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO SECOND SPEED AND 2ND TO 3RD. ROUGH SHIFTS. DIFFICULTY TO ENGAGE IN THE NEXT SPEED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE PROPULSION. MALFUNCTION OBSERVED WHEN IN MOTION.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 28, 2019Power trainODI 11183061
“THIS IS MY 2ND TIME WRITING ONLY BECAUSE THE PROBLEM SEEMS AS IF IT MAY BE MORE THEN JUST ONE THING! THINKING IT WAS ECM OR SOMETHING ELECTRICAL, NOW MAY BE THE TIMING CHAIN OR FUEL PUMP OR COMBINATION OF ALL! THE CAR JUST RANDOMLY SHUTS OFF! ON THE HIGHWAY, OR AT A STOP, OR JUST AT CURSING SPEED! SOME TIMES IT COMES BACK ON, OTHER TIME IT TURNS OVER AND SHUTS RIGHT OFF AGAIN! I NOTICED A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL, ALSO NOTICED A RECALL FOR EXACT SYMPTOM MY CAR HAS, AND FOR THE SAME MAKE MODEL AND YEAR AS MY CAR BUT MY VIN IS NOT LISTED IN THE RECALL??? HOPE SOMETHING IS DONE TO FIX THIS SITUATION SOON SO THAT I CAN REMAIN A LOYAL VOLKWAGEN CUSTOMER!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 14, 2018Power train, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11119806
“WHEN STARTING THE CAR THIS MORNING THE ENGINE CRANKED HARD BEFORE STARTING. THE BATTERY IS LOW. WHEN TRYING TO DRIVE IT THIS MORNING THE CAR TOLD ME I NEEDED TO DEPRESS MY CLUTCH PEDDLE. THE CAR IS AN AUTOMATIC, THERE IS NO CLUTCH. THE CAR IS UNUSABLE. I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY AT THE TIME.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 2, 2017Power train, Electrical systemODI 11042709

Showing 6 of 47 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.