1996 Volkswagen Passat
Documented records held locally from official US and Canadian sources. Each record shows its official identifier so it can be confirmed at the source; nothing here is a score or a prediction.
Vehicle coverage
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Coverage held for this vehicle
- OFFICIAL ACTION 1 US Recalls
- MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION 38 Manufacturer Bulletins
- INVESTIGATION 4 Investigations
- CONSUMER REPORT 142 Consumer Complaints
- CANADIAN RECALL 2 Canada Recalls
These are counts of distinct official records held locally. They are not combined into any score, and a record count is not a failure rate. A zero means no record is held here, not that none exists.
US Recalls
NHTSA Recall US
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02V256000 2002-09-18
Recall 02V256000
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE ELECTRICAL PORTION OF THE IGNITION SWITCH ASSEMBLY CAN FAIL CAUSING THE HEADLIGHTS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO BECOME INOPERATIVE.
Recorded model years: 1996
A further 52 records exist for the Volkswagen Passat where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.
Campaign applicability can depend on build date, equipment and market, and a remedy may already have been completed. Confirm any campaign against the official record using the VIN.
Manufacturer Bulletins
NHTSA Manufacturer Communication US
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10174476 2020-04-21
V941901201152115
Updated to include additional models and model year applicability.
Recorded model years: 1996
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10159010 2019-03-27
SM 33-2019
The part number listed in the document is to be returned if it meets the criteria provided.
Recorded model years: 1996
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10158533 2019-02-18
V941901-2011521
Condensation and or water droplets visible on inside of exterior light lenses. TB updated to include model year 2019 applicability.
Recorded model years: 1996
Showing 3 of 38 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.
A further 3,214 records exist for the Volkswagen Passat where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.
A manufacturer communication is service guidance issued to dealers. It is not a safety recall, and its existence does not mean this vehicle has the described condition.
Investigations
NHTSA Investigation US
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EA00028 2000-12-28
FUEL TANK PUNCTURE
Recorded model years: 1996
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EA00020 2000-08-10
LIGHT AND /WINDSHIELD WIPERS
There is no summary currently available
Recorded model years: 1996
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PE00033 2000-08-10
FUEL TANK PUNCTURE
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION ON AUGUST 10, 2000 BASED ON 9 REPORTS REGARDING PUNCTURED FUEL TANKS INVOLVING THE JETTA, PASSAT, AND CABRIO MODELS.THE REPORTS INDICATE ADDITIONAL REPORTS IN ITS RESPONSE TO THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED FOR FURTHER STUDY.
Recorded model years: 1996
Showing 3 of 4 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.
A further 20 records exist for the Volkswagen Passat where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.
An investigation records that a regulator reviewed a suspected defect. It is not itself a finding of defect and not a recall.
Canada Recalls
Transport Canada Recall CA
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2002239 2002-12-13
Transport Canada recall 2002239
On certain vehicles equipped with seat heating units, the front seat back heaters may supply concentrated heat in a localized area of the seat back or produce excessive heat that could not be reduced by operating the seat heater controls except by switching off the controls completely. The concentrated heat could singe the fabric at the lower backrest and, in…
Recorded model years: 1996
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2002191 2002-10-16
Transport Canada recall 2002191
On certain vehicles, unfavourable production tolerances in ignition switch components and premature wear and tear may have contributed to the rate of malfunction of the switch. Correction: Dealer will replace the ignition switch in affected vehicles with an improved switch.
Recorded model years: 1996
A further 43 records exist for the Volkswagen Passat where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.
Canadian campaigns are recorded separately from US campaigns and do not imply one another.
Consumer Complaints
NHTSA Complaint US
142 complaint records in the dataset for this vehicle and year.
Outcomes stated in those reports
- reports mentioning a crash 2
- reports mentioning a fire 1
- reported injuries 5
Outcomes as stated by the person who filed the report. They are not verified, not adjudicated, and carry no exposure denominator, so they cannot be turned into a rate.
By system
- Electrical system59 (31.9%)Official recall records for this system: 5, covering model years 1996–2014.
- Doors, latches & locks20 (10.8%)
- Brakes13 (7.0%)Official recall records for this system: 14, covering model years 1998–2018.
- Powertrain (transmission & drivetrain)13 (7.0%)Official recall records for this system: 4, covering model years 2012–2014.
- Visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors)13 (7.0%)Official recall records for this system: 1, covering model years 2006–2007.
- Heating & air conditioning9 (4.9%)
- Body & structure9 (4.9%)
- Lights8 (4.3%)Official recall records for this system: 8, covering model years 1997–2020.
Other / uncategorized: 8 classifications (4.3%) were not assigned to a specific system by the source. They are counted but not treated as an issue area.
A single report can name several systems, so these figures overlap and must not be added together — their sum is larger than the report total above.
A further 7,633 complaint records exist for this vehicle where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.
These are owner-submitted allegations, not confirmed defects. Counts are record counts in the dataset. No exposure denominator exists, so no failure rate or reliability score can be derived from them.