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The 2017 Volkswagen Passat has 1 critical safety recall on file — the kind NHTSA opens when crashes, fires, or injuries are documented. 108 owner complaints alongside. Read those first.
The 2017 Volkswagen Passat has 108 NHTSA owner complaints and 7 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is steering at 16 complaints, typically surfacing around 43,400 miles (~$700 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 Passat | 593 | 10 |
| 2015 Passat | 243 | 7 |
| 2016 Passat | 106 | 5 |
| 2017 Passat (this page) | 108 | 7 |
| 2018 Passat | 45 | 4 |
| 2019 Passat | 12 | 1 |
| 2020 Passat | 15 | 3 |
Average for the segment. Some recurring trouble spots worth knowing about.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: Standard · Lane departure warning: Optional
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2017 Volkswagen Passat 4 DR FWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: airbags is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 12,000 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 7 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 6.0/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
This past sunday, my son was driving on 95 and the driver's side front wheel exploded off the car while driving. He did not hit anything, nor did he get a flat tire. The metal holding the tire literally broke, the wheel came off the car causing the car to drop on the front axle…
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Volkswagen passat. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake assistance warning light illuminated. The braking system engaged independently and caused the vehicle to come to a complete stop. There were no objects in front of…
While my wife was driving to work and getting ready to get on the interstate, a caution light and alert tone suddenly came on. Display read "front assist: no sensor view." nothing else happened and the alert turned off after a few miles. This is the system that automatically…
While driving straight in dry weather (i.e. no rain), the lane light will change from – green – to – yellow – color in the dash and the steering wheel will jerk, usually left, sometimes right, very abruptly, as if the car is trying to find the lane with lane assist on. Note,…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 6.0 out of 10 based on 108 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2017 Volkswagen Passat has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
The 2017 Volkswagen Passat is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 6.0/10 — around the segment average; 7 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the steering first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 16 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 43,400 miles. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 6.0 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 108 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is steering. Typical failure occurs around 43,400 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is steering, with 16 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 43,400 miles. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop.
The steering is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 43,400 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 108 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $700, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.