Problems · by component
2007 Volkswagen Passat engine problems
28 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2007 Volkswagen Passat cite engine, 10% of all 273 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
28
10% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The timing belt is terrible on this vehicle. This is the same model and engine as the last recall but mine didn’t qualify because it is a 2007 not a 2008. The belt is and chain are completely unstable and prone to catastrophic failure that can happen anytime while driving especially on the highway. This could cause a huge accident. There is also a major issue with the fuel pumps and the hoses. My fuel tank is leaking gas above 3/4 of a tank and can cause a severe fire even if someone dropped a lit cigarette under the car while I am driving.”
“To start off, this car has common failures of the High Pressure Fuel Pump Cam Follower. This poses serious risk of damage to the engine when the follower is blown throw and the car goes into limp mode and if this happens on road it could be catastrophic. There were no warnings that this was the issue besides researching videos on YouTube while getting a fuel pressure code to find out the cam follower was completely blown throw which means my engine has MANY METAL pieces inside of my engine. If I did not catch this soon the next failure would’ve been the CAMSHAFT. The camshaft going bad at and given moment could also be catastrophic on the road and possibly even spark a fire. Another issue is with the timing chain on specific FSI engines. If this chain snaps mid drive then your engine could potentially blow in the middle of the road causing an accident. This problem is known by Volkswagen and they have yet to take serious action in regards to this safety hazard. Another potential for catastrophic events is the wiring harness specifically the one that runs under the Vacuum pump. These wires are covered in oil from the vacuum pump being prone to leaking and any…”
“MY 16 BOUGHT A CAR FROM BOMMARITO VW HAZELWOOD, THEY TOLD US IT HAD PRIOR ENGINE WORK AND THE CUSTOMER COULDN'T PAY FOR THE CHARGES SO THEY SOLD US THE CAR. WHEN TEST DRIVING WE HEARD A CLUNK EVERY TIME YOU WOULD EXCEL. THE SALESMAN SAID IT WAS STUFF IN THE TRUNK. COME TO FIND OUT THERE ARE NO MOTOR MOUNTS HOLDING THE MOTOR AND THE MOTOR GOES UP IN THE AIR WHEN YOU GIVE THE CAR GAS, THE MOTOR HIT THE EXHAUST AND BROKE IT. THERE IS NO WAY THIS CAR PASSED INSPECTION WITH A MOTOR HANGING THERE, YOU CAN'T SEE THROUGH THE BACK WINDOW BECAUSE THE TINT IS SO BAD. A DEALERSHIP SHOULD NOT OF SOLD A VEHICLE WITH A MOTOR LIKE THIS, IT'S A BIT DANGEROUS TO PUT A YOUNG GIRL IN. IT HAS TAKEN ME TWO WEEKS FOR SOMEONE TO CALL ME BACK. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2007 VW PASSAT SEDAN. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, WHEN HE HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND SEEN FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT STATED IMMEDIATLEY STOPPED THE VEHICEL AND ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE HOOD BUT WAS UNABLE DUE TO THE FLAMES. THE CONTACT STATED HE BURNT HIS HANDS. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF A FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT WAS FILED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED OIL ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. CAMEL BACK VOLKSWAGEN (1499 E. CAMEL BACK RD, PHOENIX, AZ) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.”
“THE WELD BEADS ON THE DOWN PIPE FLANGE ADJACENT TO THE TURBO CHARGER FAILED AND RESULTED IN A HUGE EXHAUST LEAK. THE HEAT (COMING OUT FROM THE OPENING) GOT TRAPPED IN THE ENGINE BAY AND MELTED THE VACUUM HOSE CONNECTED WITH THE BRAKE BOOSTER. AS A RESULT, POWER DECREASED BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, BREAKING POWER WAS LOST AS WELL. THIS HAPPENED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. LUCKILY, I WAS NOT DRIVING FAST AND JUST EXITED THE HIGHWAY. VERY DANGEROUS AND THE DEFECT ON THIS MODEL IS ACTUALLY NOT UNCOMMON. LOW QUALITY FACTORY WELDS ON THE COMPONENTS SHOULD BE RE-WELDED AND THE CHEAP HARD PLASTIC HOSES SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH BETTER QUALITY AND MORE RELIABLE HOSES.”
Showing 6 of 28 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.