2020 Volkswagen Passat problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Wheels (2) · Steering (2) · Fuel/Propulsion System (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Volkswagen Passat model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (3)
Air Bags:passenger Side Frontal:cushion 2020-09-02 · campaign 20V533000 · 1,829 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2020 Passat vehicles. The passenger frontal air bag may have been folded incorrectly affecting its deployment force. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: An incorrectly folded air bag can deploy with too much force, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag, free of charge. The recall began October 14, 2020. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-888-241-2289. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69AY.
Exterior Lighting:headlights 2019-05-22 · campaign 19V389000 · 662,185 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L9.
Air Bags:side/Window 2019-03-20 · campaign 19V218000 · 3 vehicles
Defect: Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2019 Atlas and 2020 Passat vehicles. An incorrect driver and/or front passenger side impact air bag may have been installed.
Risk: In an event of a side impact crash, an incorrect side airbag may not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volkswagen has inspected and replaced the side air bags, free of charge. The recall was completed in April 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Y8.
Service bulletins (455)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-09-17 · V0116152014815_20 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
suggested fuel additive
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-09 · SM 39-2026 · Other
this special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
Service Brakes 2026-08-27 · V4622022067177_5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
repair or replace information
Engine 2026-08-21 · SM 35-2026 · Other
this special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward.
Power Train 2026-08-10 · V4015022033347_8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
replacement instruction
Unknown Or Other 2026-08-06 · TT 00-13-04_7 · Other
permission to change daily order upgraded to red order
Showing the 6 most recent of 455 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-10 · Wheels“my 2020 vw passat has less than 60k mikes and i am replacing my 3rd wheel sensor. they fail without warning disabling my antilock brakes. and other safety features…”
2026-08-28 · Visibility/Wiper“the front information center which is responsible for the rear camera system is shutdown due to the radio / entire screen being dead without reason…”
2026-08-24 · Fuel/Propulsion System“while driving and after, we noticed gas fumes both inside and outside of vehicle. the gas tank was approximately half full. became very concerned over the the possibility of a fire. did research online and realized that this was and is a common problem with older models of the passad (ours is a 2020 model that we bought new and had zero accidents) …”
2026-03-23 · Unknown Or Other“2020 volkswagen passat se 2.0l vin: [xxx] complaint summary: i am reporting a persistent and unresolved fault involving the secondary air injection system (dtc p0491 – insufficient airflow) that has resulted in repeated, conflicting diagnoses across multiple repair facilities. this raises concerns about a potential systemic defect affecting this …”
2025-12-18 · Steering“steering wheel controls stopped working, no horn either. probably no airbag but haven't got into an accident. there was recall on the same part for the until 2018, but the new part i was going to install lists that if fits cars 2016-2022 part # 5k0-953-569-bc recall from vw. number: vwp-18-11, will replace part for my fiance, …”
2025-03-17 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings“error message alerted to maintenance needed and the air bag light has turned on and remained on. also said message that front assist inls unavailable. …”
2024-10-06 · Engine“oil pressure sensor fails. causing high oil pressure. causing the valve cover to be destroyed and the oil pan to leak. draining the car oil.…”
2024-04-22 · Unknown Or Other“vin: [xxx] dealership: vanguard volkswagen 6900 burnet rd austin, tx 78757 i bought 2020 passat back in aug 2020 with carnet included. it was showing that carnet will be installed later when available at no cost. so in 2021 they installed carnet and everything was working fine up until 2024. the light turned off and no connection to the car.…”
2024-04-19 · Engine“bought car from dealer. vw manhattan. 42000miles. 8 months later at 53000 miles. engine problems. went to vw service. head gasket. lemon car. warranty till 50000 miles. cost? 4800$ worse car possible. …”
2024-03-07 · Unknown Or Other“our vehicle will not speed up after accelerating but you can hear the engine making noise like it’s trying to speed up. we have taken our vehicle 3-4 times back to the dealership and they have told us they found nothing. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.