2007 Volkswagen Passat problems
NHTSA has received 341 complaints about the 2007 Volkswagen Passat, and 31% of them involve air bags. After that come engine (17%) and fuel system (13%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 341 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 31% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 7 and 6
- Injuries and deaths
- 2 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 75,000 miles 227 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 29 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 25 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 28 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 40 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 19 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 29 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 23 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 19 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 10 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 3 |
What the data shows
Among the 227 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 75,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 98,000 miles (34 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 7 complaints mention a crash; 6 complaints mention a fire; 2 injuries reported. Its complaints are less severe on average than those of 86% of model years in our database.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2007 ranks 16th most-complained-about out of 31 model years of the Volkswagen Passat with enough data (105 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 VW passat sedan. The contact was driving approximately 25 MPH, when he heard an abnormal noise and seen flames coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated immediatley stopped the vehicel and attempted to open the hood but was unable due to the flames. The contact stated he burnt his hands. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. The contact was unsure if a fire department report was filed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 volkswagen passat. The contact was driving 50 MPH and crashed into the rear end of another vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy and the vehicle was destroyed. One passenger sustained injuries to the head, neck, back and chest. The police were contacted and a report was filed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and the current mileages were 75,000.
I started my vehicle, and within 30 seconds I smelled burning. I shut down engine and noticed smoke bellowing out from under hood. I lifted hood and found an electrical harness on top of engine was on fire and melting. I was able to borrow pliers from someone and disconnected battery cable. I had vehicle towed to dealership, and they called me this morning stating that the coil had an internal short.
With just 12,000 miles on the odometer the 2007 volkswagen passat 3.6l 4-motion wagon, the check engine light came on a block from the house. I called the dealership right away and brought the car in the next morning. Turns out that my car's engine had a fairly recently discovered known issue with some sort of bolt in the oil pump that is somehow related to the timing chains.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 volkswagen passat. On several occasions, while driving various speeds, the contact attempted to shift gears and heard an abnormal noise coming from the transmission. The engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.