Problems · NHTSA complaints

2022 Volkswagen Passat problems

Owners filed 13 complaints about the 2022 Volkswagen Passat with NHTSA between Oct 2021 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (3).

Complaints
13
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system3
  2. Engine3
  3. Service brakes3
  4. Lane departure2
  5. Power train2
  6. Steering2
  7. Fuel/propulsion system1
  8. Forward collision avoidance1
  9. Latches/locks/linkages1
  10. Other / unknown1

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
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20211
20221
20232
20243
20251
20265

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.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

3 reports
“Door sensor is faulty, and is repeatedly giving notifications while driving that the door is open, causing the cabin lights to come on, which causes safety issues when driving at night. Car is only four years old, and a similar issue was reported for the VW ID.4 vehicles, which have a similar wiring harness and circuit board to the VW 2022 Passat”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 16, 2026Electrical systemODI 11764713

Engine

3 reports
“My car consumes an over abundant amount of oil about 1 quart every 1000 to 1500 miles. There is a civil lawsuit right now about the piston rings having low tension and my car has every symptom of this. This could lead to turbo issues, and several thousands of dollars in repair costs. I’ve already had to replace my oil pan, timing cover, and pcv and the car only has 80,000 miles on it.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 21, 2026EngineODI 11745509

Service brakes

3 reports
“I am reporting what appears to be a serious, chronic safety issue with this vehicle (not just this particular car, but all M/Y 2020~2022 (and possibly 2012~2019 as well if they use the same brake components). Since new, my car has had chronic brake problems and these ongoing issues keep arising, pointing to defective brake caliper design. They have not caused an accident (for me anyway), but should be investigated because they have the potential to do so. I'll list dates, mileage and details here because they are numerous: 05/22/2023 - 40,805 - Heard brake (dragging) noise. Found one pad in rear driver side completely worn with no perceptible wear on other rear pads or on front pads. Dealer diagnosed seized caliper on driver side and repaired under warranty. 02/05/2024 - 59,631 - During dealer inspection, dealer noticed passenger side rear caliper seized. Replaced caliper under warranty but I had to pay $220 labor. 11/23/2024 - 83,100 (approx.) - During another recent brake issue, dealer diagnosed a bad ABS module. Part was ordered and replaced on this day. 03/07/2026 - 115,275 - Heard early signs of brake wear so checked pads. Front pads still have zero wear…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 8, 2026Service brakesODI 11722806

Lane departure

2 reports1 crash
“I believe the cars FRONT END BRAKE ASSIST FAILED, resulting in a preventable accident. VW will not release data, and I have never had an accident in 32 years. There have been multiple class action lawsuits but VW refuses to announce a recall. Now, my car that is a 2022, with 50k miles on it, has major front end damage, and deployed airbags for an accident that could have been avoided. They have already been sued in 2024.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 24, 2026Lane departure, Forward collision avoidanceCrash reportedODI 11746104

Power train

2 reports
“While driving car began to jerk and had odd smell. Stopped at a Midas to have car looked at and all of the transmission fluid leaked out. Techs at Midas state the gasket that hold the fluid in came out and caused all the fluid to leak out. Had no issues while driving previous to this, this just happened randomly in the middle of our drive. We did jot hit or run over anything and the road we were traveling on was in good paved condition.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 15, 2024Power trainODI 11602398

Steering

2 reports
“I keep adding oil and the dealership says there’s nothing wrong. For electric problems the speakers have static noise and the screen goes black and turns on hours later. I took in my recently they said there wasn’t any problems with the car but I literally deal with it everyday. I told them my car shakes when I brake on high speed they said they checked car but found no issues I personally do not feel safe driving my car at all.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 21, 2024Steering, Electrical system, EngineODI 11566743
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.