There are 23 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2015 Volkswagen Passatin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
My vehicle is a MY2015 Passat TDI SEL with the EA288 (CVCA) diesel engine. Water Pump Failure Occurred at 99488 miles. Leaking coolant from underneath the engine and the expansion tank bottle became empty. Vehicle was parked after a quick 8 min drive to work from home in the morning (~8:45AM) and when I came back at 12PM around 1 quart of coolant had leaked out. Luckily I was not on the freeway or driving the vehicle where it would ride on its torque curve increasing probability of catastrophic failures even after there are usually software induced engine protection derates in place. Official service interval for water pump and timing belt on this engine is 130000 miles but there have been numerous field incidents of pre-mature water pump failures which can be very expensive to fix (~2500 USD). Volkswagen/Audi already have a class action lawsuit against them on their 2.0 TFSI (EA888) water pump failures and I'm wondering why their MY2015 2.0 TDI (EA288) diesel engine has not been investigated for the same. This engine was only available in certain MY2015 VW/Audi vehicles but just because the cumulative number of vehicles with this engine are lower does not mean that it shouldn't be investigated for a very similar manufacturing/design defect of the water pump. I would strongly urge NHTSA to do a similar investigation on this 2.0 TDI engine and hold the manufacturer accountable.
The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and veering to the left, the vehicle stalled. The battery warning light was illuminated. A towing service performed a diagnostic test on the vehicle and informed the contact that the failure was not related to the battery and the alternator. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed. The dealer replaced the battery and serviced the cooling system; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,300.
After having the government approved and MANDATED Phase 1 and 2 Dieselgate fixes performed on my VW Passat TDI it has randomly lost power and or stalled while at highway speeds at least 6 times. The last time my 16 year old son was left stranded in the middle of a busy four lane highway narrowly avoiding being hit and seriously injured and/or killed. Apparently there are thousands of these cases (a class action lawsuit filed in 2018) on the road. Why haven't I been notified? This mandatory fix is much more dangerous then the original issue it seeks to address. From what I understand, the fix is causing the DPF regeneration sequence to occur much more often and much hotter, thereby cooking/melting/boiling the entire cooling system and shutting the engine down without warning. My vehicle has been in the service dept of VW for over 6 months (this last time) because they cannot figure how to fix it permanently. VW Corporate is very aware of the situation and has fed me a bunch of [XXXX] not even a child would believe and has refused my suggestion to self report the problems to NTHSA and CARB. If the cars are not taken off the road this issue will definitely (if not already) result in major injuries and likely death. I have done my duty notifying this government agency and now if a tragedy occurs there will have been actual notice as required by the law. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I have no heat on the passenger side of the vehicle from any of the vents. The windshield would ice up due to this. The drivers side works fine. This car does not have Climatronic. It has manual controls. I have been told the heater core is clogging by my mechanic. This is a 2015. VW extended the warranty for 2012-14 Passat TDI's with the CKRA engine however this is a 2015 with the CVCA TDI engine. Is there any extended coverage for this generation engine? I don't want this to develop into a larger issue with deficient EGR cooling problems. The heater core in the 2015 is the same part number used in previous model years which are covered by the recall.
Engine cylinder number one piston broke while driving. Vehicle has only 91,000 miles on it and now entire engine needs replacing. Ironically, it was taken to a VW dealership only a few weeks ago for normal servicing, and no problems detected.
The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the defroster failed and became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the heater core needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. There was a previous coolant flush and timing belt replacement at approximately 80,000. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
Subject: Request for VIN Review and Recall Inclusion – Camshaft/Vacuum Pump Failure (Recall 23R1) Dear Volkswagen Customer Care / NHTSA Representative, I am writing to formally request a manual review of my vehicle’s VIN in relation to Recall 23R1, which addresses camshaft lobe interference with the brake vacuum pump in certain 2015 Volkswagen Passat models. My vehicle, a 2015 Passat, recently experienced a failure of the **brake vacuum pump**, which required replacement. Upon inspection, it was determined that the **camshaft was interfering with the pump**, consistent with the failure mode described in Recall 23R1. Despite this, my VIN does not currently show an open recall. Given the alignment of symptoms—including camshaft-related damage and vacuum pump failure—I believe my vehicle should be included in the scope of this recall. I am requesting: - A manual review of my VIN and production batch - Consideration for inclusion in Recall 23R1 - Reimbursement or goodwill support for the repair costs already incurred I have documentation of the repair and am happy to provide technician notes that confirm the nature of the failure. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your response.
Subject: Request for VIN Review and Recall Inclusion – Camshaft/Vacuum Pump Failure (Recall 23R1) Dear Volkswagen Customer Care / NHTSA Representative, I am writing to formally request a manual review of my vehicle’s VIN in relation to Recall 23R1, which addresses camshaft lobe interference with the brake vacuum pump in certain 2015 Volkswagen Passat models. My vehicle, a 2015 Passat, recently experienced a failure of the brake vacuum pump, which required replacement. Upon inspection, it was determined that the camshaft was interfering with the pump, consistent with the failure mode described in Recall 23R1. Despite this, my VIN does not currently show an open recall. Given the alignment of symptoms, including camshaft-related damage and vacuum pump failure, I believe my vehicle should be included in the scope of this recall. I am requesting: - A manual review of my VIN and production batch - Consideration for inclusion in Recall 23R1 - Reimbursement or goodwill support for the repair costs already incurred I have documentation of the repair and am happy to provide technician notes that confirm the nature of the failure. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your response.
The contact owns a 2015 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated while driving 5 mph and making a left turn, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road of oncoming traffic. The contact placed the vehicle into park and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle would shudder and idle at a high RPM when she started the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that a fuel pump sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the stalling failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was also illuminated. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
The car consumes one quart of oil per week. Also, the Electronic Stabilization Control and ABS cause the car to sputter and stop. This happened in 2019 and now it is happening again in 2022.
I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE AT DRIVETIME IN PITTSBURGH (NORTH HILLS) WITH 36,000 MILES. THE ENGINE HAD A LOUD SOUND FROM THE MOMENT THAT I TOOK IT OFF THE LOT. I WAS TOLD "THAT IS HOW VWS SOUND". PROGRESSIVELY IT HAS GOT WORSE, NOW I HAVE AN ESTIMATE TO REPLACE A TIMING CHAIN AND CAMSHAFT WITH ONLY 82,987 MILES. THIS IS INSANE. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN BAD, AND I AM FURIOUS.
HEATER NOT HEATING AS SHOULD. HEATER CORE SEEMS TO PLUGGED, SIMILAR TO TSB 80-15-04 ON EARLIER MODELS. VW DOES NOT HAVE A TSB OR CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS. THIS COULD IMPACT VISIBILITY IN THE WINTER TIME.
MY HEATER CORE IS BAD. THERE WAS A PREVIOUS RECALL ON OLDER PASSAT MODELS, BUT FOR 2015 IT IS NOT INCLUDED. I HAD TO PAY $871 TO HAVE MY HEATER CORE REPLACED, AS IT STARTED TO LEAK COOLANT IN MY CAR. ONE OF THE HOSES GOING TO MY FIREWALL ALSO BUSTED, SO IT HAD TO BE CHANGED. THE CAR WAS LEAKING LOTS OF COOLANT FROM UNDER THE CAR TOO. ON 9/11 AFTER THEY SUPPOSEDLY FIXED IT ON 9/07/19, MY LOW COOLANT LIGHT TURNED ON. I WAS NEAR DEALER, SO THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. THEY THINK IT HAD AN AIR BUBBLE THAT CAME OUT, WHICH MADE MY COOLANT LIGHT COME ON. THEY TOPPED IT OFF. DEALER SAID THEY CHANGED MY HEATER CORE, BUT I STILL HAVE NO HEAT INSIDE MY CAR. TAKING BACK 9/23 TO HAVE CAR LOOKED AT.
CAR IS BURNING EXCESSIVE OIL WITHIN 3,000 MILES AFTER OIL CHANGE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DECELERATED ON ITS OWN. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A RED LIGHT, THE FRONT TIRES SPUN AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE. THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE SHOOK. AFTER A WHILE, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME SAFELY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRACTION AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT SPARK PLUGS #2 AND #3 MISFIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO DRIVEN TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,583.
I DON'T DRIVE MY CAR OFTEN AS I WORK FROM HOME AND TRAVEL OUT OF TOWN ALL THE TIME. I ONLY HAVE 16K MILES ON MY CAR DESPITE OF OWNING IT FOR 3 AND A HALF YEARS. RECENTLY, THE CHECK ENGINE SIGN SHOWED UP ON THE DASHBOARD. THE ISSUE CAME OUT TO BE WITH THE FAILED BANK 1 OXYGEN SENSOR 1. IT'S PRETTY RARE FOR A CAR WITH LESS MILEAGE TO HAVE SUCH ISSUES. AS I'M OVER THE THREE YEAR MARK, THE FIX WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.
TIMING CHAIN SKIPPED. 82,000 MILES ON THE CAR. WHEN IT WAS STATIONARY IT WOULD NOT START.
CAR LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING. ALMOST CAUSED CRASH, AS I WAS ACCELERATING AND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WITH CARS COMING. CAR WOULD NOT REV OVER 2K RPM, AND TOOK ABOUT 2 MINUTES TO GET TO 45MPH. DEALER DIAGNOSED CAR AND SAID HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP WAS BAD. THEY CHANGED THAT, FUEL FILTER, AND CLEANED DIESEL TANK.
OIL CONSUMPTION. THE CAR NOW HAS ABOUT 122,000 MILES IN IT BUT AT ABOUT 1000,000 MILES THE CAR WAS DOWN 1& 1/2 QUARTS OF OIL WITHIN 5000 MILES SINCE THEN IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE. IAN NOW ADDING A QUART OF OIL AT 3,000 MILES AND THE OIL LIGHT IS COMING ON. I HAVE ONLY EVER BROUGHT THE CAR TO VW FOR ALL SERVICE INCLUDING OIL CHANGES ON REGULAR SCHEDULE ACCORDING TO DEALER.
THE EPA & CARB REQUIRED MODIFICATIONS TO MY DIESEL VEHICLE THAT ON READING THE TECHNICAL DETAILS IN THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK, MY VEHICLE ACTUALLY POLLUTES SLIGHTLY MORE AFTER THE FIX! LESS MILEAGE, LESS POWER, POLLUTES SLIGHTLY MORE. CONTACTED EPA & CARB MANY TIMES TO ASK THEM TO EXPLAIN THE EMISSIONS AFTER THEIR 'FIX,' NEVER RETURNED EMAIL OR CALL. NOTING OTHER CAR MAKERS USING THE SAME ENGINE CONTROL UNIT FROM BOSCHE, THOSE CARS WERE EITHER MADE EXEMPT OR GIVEN A SOFTWARE FIX (NO HARDWARE MODIFICATIONS LIKE VW). IT SEEMS LIKE VW DRIVERS ARE BEING PUNISHED BECAUSE VW LIED. OTHER CAR MAKERS WHO GOT CAUGHT (ALL BOSCHE EDC17 ENGINE COMPUTERS), ADMITTED TO EPA AND JUST PAID THE FINES IMMEDIATELY TO EPA, UNLIKE VW. REALLY, IT SEEMS LIKE EPA AND CARB ARE PUNISHING THE END CONSUMER BECAUSE VW LIED. I GET 300 TO 400 FEWER MILES A TANK, SLIGHTLY WORSE EMISSIONS... WHAT GIVES? GOOD FOR FUEL TAX THOUGH. WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION INTO CORRUPTION OF CARB AND EPA AS IT SEEMS THE SECOND TDI FIX IS FOR GOVERNMENT / CALIFORNIA EGO. PLEASE REFERENCE PAGE 8 OF THE ATTACHED PDF AND LOOK AT ALL THE EMISSIONS, WHY DID CARB JOIN SOME OF THE MEASUREMENTS TOGETHER? WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO HIDE? SIMPLE MATH WILL SHOW YOU THAT THE NEW MEASUREMENTS EQUAL THE OLD FEDERAL NUMBERS ONCE YOU JOIN THE SAME MEASUREMENTS TOGETHER. WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED? MY CAR PERFORMS WORSE AT 300 LESS MILES A TANK. YEP, LOOKING WHOLISTICALLY, 300 MILES LESS PER TANK IS ACTUALLY WORSE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT YET GREAT FOR FUEL TAX! *TR
Showing 1–20 of 23 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026