Problems · NHTSA complaints
2017 Volkswagen Passat problems
Owners filed 110 complaints about the 2017 Volkswagen Passat with NHTSA between Mar 2017 and Aug 2026. The most-cited component is air bags (28).
Complaints
110
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
9
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Air bags28
- Electrical system18
- Forward collision avoidance16
- Steering16
- Service brakes15
- Engine7
- Fuel/propulsion system6
- Lane departure6
- Power train5
- Wheels4
- Visibility/wiper4
- Vehicle speed control3
- Tires3
- Back over prevention3
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
8
14
11
10
21
15
11
9
7
4
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 14 |
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 21 |
| 2022 | 15 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2025 | 7 |
| 2026 | 4 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Air bags
28 reports3 crashes1 related recall
“While backing into a parking spot there was a crunching sound in the steering column. Following this noise the air bag light came on and all steering wheel control buttons nonfunctional including the horn. I reached out to a Volkswagen dealer as I had seen recalls for the clockspring, I was told my vehicle was not included in the recall. This is a 2017 Passat and had approximately 130,000 miles when this occurred. The closest dealer is over 2 hours away, and the service department is only open Monday-Friday.”
Electrical system
18 reports
“I am reporting a recurring safety-related defect involving the factory-installed infotainment touchscreen in my 2017 Volkswagen Passat SE Technology. The touchscreen intermittently malfunctions in several ways. At times, the entire infotainment system freezes and becomes completely unresponsive, preventing access to any controls. The screen also has developed "dead spots" where touch inputs do not register. Additionally, it sometimes registers "phantom touches," responding to inputs when the screen is not being touched. I believe this presents a safety concern because the infotainment system is an integrated component of the vehicle and is intended to be operated by the driver. When the system freezes, fails to respond, or registers unintended inputs, the driver may have to divert their attention from the roadway to determine what is happening, attempt to operate the system, or restart it. Dead spots can also prevent the driver from accessing desired functions. Pennsylvania recognizes the safety risks associated with distracted driving, including activities that take a driver's eyes off the roadway or hands off the wheel. A malfunctioning factory-installed…”
Forward collision avoidance
16 reports1 crash
“The contact owns 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, with the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated, the vehicle failed to detect another vehicle and the vehicle was involved in a crash. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injuries sustained. A Police report was filed but the information was not provided. The vehicle was vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,000.”
Steering
16 reports
“Today, as my wife was driving home, she heard a "crunch" noise while making a turn. Afterwards, the Airbag light came on, and her steering wheel botton functions are not working, including her car horn. This all relates to the clockspring. This will be the third time we have had the clockspring replaced. This is extremely inconvenient, as the dealership is an hour away. The original clockspring didn't break until October 2023. The second broke and replaced in August of 2024. Now, we are scheduling to have the clockspring replaced again, 6 months later. I am unsure why the part is so unreliable. Whomever manufactures the part needs to do a FAR better job. This was our first new car, and now we regret the purchase due to this headache.”
Service brakes
15 reports1 crash
“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”
Engine
7 reports
“The contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power, with the check engine warning light and an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to intermittently start and stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure could be related to an electrical malfunction. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 355,000.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.