Vehicle Data Hub

2003 Volkswagen Passat air bags problems

23 complaints about air bags have been filed for the 2003 Volkswagen Passat, which is 3% of all its NHTSA complaints.

At a glance

Complaints
23 3% of this year's complaints
Typical mileage
45,000 miles 19 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires
5 and 1
Injuries and deaths
9 and 0

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

When air bags problems show up

Air bags complaints by mileage, 2003 Volkswagen Passat Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 45,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 3 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 3 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 7 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 0 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 2 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 2 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 2 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 0 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 0 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 0 complaints 200k+ miles: 0 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 45,000 miles
Based on 19 complaints that include mileage. 68% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles3
20k to 40k miles3
40k to 60k miles7
60k to 80k miles0
80k to 100k miles2
100k to 120k miles2
120k to 140k miles2
140k to 160k miles0
160k to 180k miles0
180k to 200k miles0
200k+ miles0

What the data shows

Of the 19 air bags complaints that report mileage, the median is about 44,000 miles, and 68% were reported before 60,000 miles.

These complaints mention 5 crashes, 1 fire, 9 injuries.

What owners wrote

I was involved in a automobile crash when another vehicle pulled out in front of me. I was the only person in my car at the time of the crash. I was traveling the posted speed limit and the other driver received a citation and was at fault. I was driving a 2003 VW passat. The car had extensive front end damage mostly to the drivers side. The car was considered a total insurance loss by the other drives insurance company. The passenger side air bag deployed but the drivers side airbag did not.

September 2005 CrashInjury

2003 volkswagen passat station wagon, VIN no. [xxx]; hile driving in greensboro nc near the intersection of elm, mcgee and gorrell streets I misjudged a curve and scraped the right side wheels against a curb. Both tires sustained sidewall damage. There was no contact with the body or undercarraige of the car. The two right side wheels sustained minor cosmetic damage only and the impact was insufficient to affect the alignment of the automobile.

Reported at 41,000 miles, August 2004

Other problems reported for the 2003 Volkswagen Passat

Air bags problems in other years

Air bags problems across all Volkswagen models