2003 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 7 US Recalls
- MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION 213 Manufacturer Bulletins
- INVESTIGATION 6 Investigations
- CONSUMER REPORT 634 Consumer Complaints
- CANADIAN RECALL 4 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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18V406000 2018-06-13
Recall 18V406000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2003 Volkswagen Passat sedan, Jetta, Jetta wagon, Golf, EuroVan, EuroVan Camper Van and EuroVan Chassis vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Recorded model years: 2003
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14E007000 2014-03-07
Recall 14E007000
The Gates Corporation (Gates) is recalling certain aftermarket Tru-Flow Water Pumps, part number TFW 41127, sold at certain NAPA Auto Parts and/or installed by automotive service technicians after November 1, 2013 (and manufactured August 2013 through October 2013) that have a black-colored pulley/sprocket or do not have 'US9377' stamped on the water pump housing. These service replacement parts were sold…
Recorded model years: 2003
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08V156000 2008-04-07
Recall 08V156000
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 412,000 MY 1999-2005 PASSAT (5TH GENERATION) VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AND PRODUCED AFTER JUNE 14, 1999. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE AN UNDERBODY HEAT SHIELD THAT CAN BECOME DAMAGED. IN ADDITION, AFFECTED VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS MAY HAVE A FUEL LINE (1.8T ENGINES ONLY) OR FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE (4MOTION/ALL WHEEL DRIVE ONLY) THAT CAN…
Recorded model years: 2003
Showing 3 of 7 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.
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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10241177 2023-08-21
V171901201285565
Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards
Recorded model years: 2003
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10237427 2023-05-30
V171901201285562
Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
Recorded model years: 2003
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10235138 2023-04-24
V171901201285560
Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
Recorded model years: 2003
Showing 3 of 213 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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EA11002 2011-01-26
Engine Compartment Fire
In July 2010, the Agency opened PE10-027 to investigate allegations of coil on plug (COP) ignition coil fires in MY2002-2003 VW Passat vehicles.The investigation was upgraded in January 2011 to include all MY2001-2007 4-cylinder VW Passat, gasoline, turbo-charged vehicles.Based on the analysis of VW's response, and including ODI's consumer complaints, ODI has since identified 135 unique engine fire reports attributable…
Recorded model years: 2003
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PE10027 2010-07-26
Engine Compartment Fire
ODI has received 11 complaints alleging that a fire started in the engine compartment of the vehicle that may be related to ignition coil failure, and 9 complaints of ignition coil failure that did not result in a fire.Reports state that the vehicle hesitated or lost power, and the check engine or dashboard lights illuminated.The vehicles were repaired by replacing…
Recorded model years: 2003
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PE08008 2008-01-31
FUEL TANK LEAK
Multiple source assertions are recorded for this identifier. Consult the official record for configuration-specific detail.
Recorded model years: 2003
Showing 3 of 6 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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2018316 2018-06-13
Transport Canada recall 2018316
Multiple source assertions are recorded for this identifier. Consult the official record for configuration-specific detail.
Recorded model years: 2003
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2008119 2008-04-09
Transport Canada recall 2008119
On certain Passat and Passat Four Motion vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, an underbody heat shield may become damaged. If this occurs, the heat shield may contact the exhaust system, which can result in a vehicle fire. In addition, the affected vehicles may have a fuel line (1.8T engine only) or fuel tank ventilation valve (4motion / all-wheel drive…
Recorded model years: 2003
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2006122 2006-05-24
Transport Canada recall 2006122
On certain Golf, GTI, Jetta, Jetta wagon, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, Passat and Passat wagon, the brake lamp switch may malfunction. If this happens, the brake lamps could become inoperative; or could come on and stay on, even though the vehicle is parked. Correction: Dealers will replace the brake lamp switch with a newly revised version. This action includes…
Recorded model years: 2003
Showing 3 of 4 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.
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
634 complaint records in the dataset for this vehicle and year.
Outcomes stated in those reports
- reports mentioning a crash 14
- reports mentioning a fire 94
- reported injuries 46
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
- Fuel system180 (21.9%)Official recall records for this system: 17, covering model years 1998–2016.
- Engine137 (16.6%)Official recall records for this system: 8, covering model years 1995–2016.
- Seats98 (11.9%)Official recall records for this system: 1, covering model years 2015.
- Electrical system95 (11.5%)Official recall records for this system: 5, covering model years 1996–2014.
- Brakes46 (5.6%)Official recall records for this system: 14, covering model years 1998–2018.
- Lights45 (5.5%)Official recall records for this system: 8, covering model years 1997–2020.
- Powertrain (transmission & drivetrain)35 (4.3%)Official recall records for this system: 4, covering model years 2012–2014.
- Body & structure30 (3.6%)
Other / uncategorized: 12 classifications (1.5%) 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.