"How reliable is the 2011 Volkswagen Passat?"

"Based on 27 NHTSA complaints, the 2011 Volkswagen Passat has a median complaint mileage of 75000 miles. The most common issue is ENGINE."

"What are common problems with the 2011 Volkswagen Passat?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2011 Volkswagen Passat is ENGINE, accounting for a significant portion of the 27 total complaints filed."

2011 Volkswagen Passat: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 27 complaints

Total Complaints

75,000mi

Median Mileage

ENGINE

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

66,000 25th Percentile

75,000 Median Mileage

116,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE

AIR BAGS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

STEERING

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

WHEELS

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

SUSPENSION

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"THE RCD-510 PREMIUM 8 RADIO WITH BLUETOOTH CELL PHONE CONNECTIVITY COMPLETELY FAILED IN MY 2011 JETTA SPORTWAGON TDI MANUFACTURES IN 2010 AT ABOUT 3 1/2 YEARS AND 77K MILES. RADIO WAS FINE ONE DAY AND BLACK SCREEN WITH NO FUNCTION AT ALL THE NEXT INCLUDING THE BLUETOOTH AND HANDS FREE CALLING CAPABI..."

"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A..."

"TAKATA RECALL. I WAS NOTIFIED IN APRIL, BUT IT IS NOW AUGUST AND THE PARTS ARE STILL NOT AVAILABLE. I DON'T THINK THIS IS ACCEPTABLE."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28