Recall Register

2003 Volkswagen Passat: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2003 Volkswagen Passat. The newest campaign is 18V406000. NHTSA received the report on 13 Jun 2018. The NHTSA record gives the component Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module. NHTSA has 634 complaints on file for this model year. 6 NHTSA investigations name this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 18V406000, in the NHTSA record

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began May 2, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69X3.
NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.

NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on . Complaint file through . Recall file through .

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

6 campaigns, newest first. 2,012,206 units in total.

  • 18V406000Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
  • 08V156000Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery
  • 07V375000Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Fuel Pump
  • 07V063000Exterior Lighting / Brake Lights / Switch
  • 06V017000Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Fuel Pump
  • 02V026000Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly / Filler Pipe and Cap

  1. 18V406000Received . 2,564 units.

    Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    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.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began May 2, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69X3.

    Report filed by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number 69X3. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  2. 08V156000Received . 412,000 units.

    Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    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 leak due to fracture.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    A heat shield that may contact the exhaust system can result in a vehicle fire. In addition, a fuel leak from a fuel line or fuel tank ventilation valve, in the presence of an ignition source, can lead to a vehicle fire.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will install additional underbody heat shields on vehicles with automatic transmissions to cover the possibly damaged areas and flash all 1.8t engines with a precautionary software update. Dealers will also inspect and adjust the fuel line routing on 1.8t vehicles and the fuel tank ventilation valve on 4motion/all wheel drive vehicles, and replace components if necessary free of charge. The recall began on june 13, 2008. Owners may contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. Manufacturer campaign number 26E5/R5. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  3. 07V375000Received . 34,358 units.

    Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Fuel Pump

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    On certain vehicles equipped with 1.8l turbo, 2.8l v6, or 3.0l engines, a change in the electrical motor components in the fuel pump can lead to an inoperative fuel pump and, ultimately, stoppage of fuel supply to the engine causing it to stall.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    If fuel flow to the engine is interrupted, the vehicle could stall without warning and thus present a potential risk of crash.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will install new fuel pumps free of charge. The recall began on september 28, 20007. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-222-8987 or audi at 1-800-822-2834. This recall is a supplement to a previous campaign (please see 06v017).

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. Manufacturer campaign number M7 JL. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  4. 07V063000Received . 1,002,000 units.

    Exterior Lighting / Brake Lights / Switch

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    On certain passenger, wagon, and convertible vehicles equipped with or without cruise control, a brake light switch may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    The brake lights could become inoperative, or remain on. Failure to provide the proper signal when braking could lead to a crash without warning.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will install the newly designed brake light switch free of charge. The recall began on april 27, 2007, and will be conducted in several staggered mailings through september 21, 2007. Vehicles within the make, model, and model year of this population may be involved in either this recall or 06v-183, but not both. The remedy is the same for each recall. Volkswagen dealers will apply the remedy based on the VIN number of the vehicle. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. Manufacturer campaign number N4. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  5. 06V017000Received . 74,000 units.

    Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Fuel Pump

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    On certain vehicles produced from september 2002 - march 2003, equipped with 1.8l turbo, 2.8l v6, or 3.0l engines, a change in the electrical motor components in the fuel pump can lead to an inoperative fuel pump and, ultimately, stoppage of fuel supply to the engine causing it to stall.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    If fuel flow to the engine is interrupted, the vehicle could stall without warning and thus present a potential risk of crash.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will install new fuel pumps free of charge. The recall began on april 10, 2006. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-222-8987 or audi at 1-800-822-2834.

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. Manufacturer campaign number M7 & JL. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  6. 02V026000Received . 487,284 units.

    Fuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly / Filler Pipe and Cap

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    On some passenger vehicles, the fuel tank filler neck can suffer abrasion damage if the rear tire goes flat and the vehicle is driven until the tire disintegrates.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Fuel leakage can occur increasing the risk of a fire.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will fit passat vehicles with a new wheel house liner that will better protect the car's filler neck. Jetta vehicles will be fitted with a different metal shield designed to enhance abrasion protection in the event of tire disintegration. Owner notification began june 13, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.

    Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC. Manufacturer campaign number WK. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

634 complaints, 823 component mentions.

A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.

  • 2003 Volkswagen Passat
  • All 2003 vehicles
2003 Volkswagen Passat: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component2003 PassatAll 2003 vehiclesPassat, all yearsMentions
Fuel System, Gasoline177.435.244146
Engine and Engine Cooling161.674.591.1133
Seats119.113.820.498
Electrical System115.4122.8118.695
Exterior Lighting53.534.630.444
Power Train42.5118.547.635
Service Brakes, Hydraulic37.756.464.731
Structure36.564.324.330
Fuel/Propulsion System29.216.244.724
Air Bags27.983.7158.423

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 29.

Complaints that report a crash
14
Complaints that report a fire
94
Injuries in the complaints
46
Deaths in the complaints
0
Date of the newest complaint
26 Nov 2025

These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.

Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.

Complaints about the 2003 Volkswagen Passat, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2007, with 106 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 2003 Volkswagen Passat
NumberTypeSubjectComponentOpenedClosedCampaign
EA11002Engineering analysisEngine Compartment FireElectrical System26 Jan 201117 Feb 2012
PE10027Preliminary evaluationEngine Compartment FireElectrical System26 Jul 20107 Feb 2011
PE08008Preliminary evaluationFUEL TANK LEAKFuel System, Gasoline / Storage / Tank Assembly31 Jan 200830 May 200808V156000
EA07014Engineering analysisPASSENGER ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESElectrical System / Ignition28 Sep 20077 Jul 200808V156000
PE07024Preliminary evaluationPASSENGER/ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESElectrical System / Ignition10 May 200728 Sep 2007
DP05004Defect petitionENGINE STALLINGElectrical System / Ignition / Module11 Aug 20058 Dec 2005

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

  1. 19881
  2. 19891
  3. 19902
  4. 19911
  5. 19921
  6. 19933
  7. 19941
  8. 19951
  9. 19961
  10. 19970
  11. 19984
  12. 19995
  13. 20003
  14. 20013
  15. 20023
  16. 20036
  17. 20043
  18. 20053
  19. 20067
  20. 20077
  21. 20084
  22. 20094
  23. 20104
  24. 20110
  25. 201211
  26. 20139
  27. 201410
  28. 20157
  29. 20165
  30. 20177
  31. 20184
  32. 20191
  33. 20203
  34. 20211
  35. 20220

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

Official channels

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2003 Volkswagen Passat: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/volkswagen/passat/2003/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through .

Sources

Source
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence
US government work, public domain
Recall file through
30 Sep 2026
Complaint file through
30 Sep 2026
First complaint in the file
1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2003 Volkswagen Passat?
2,012,206 units in 6 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Volkswagen Passat have for all model years?
NHTSA lists 54 recall campaigns for the Volkswagen Passat, model years 1988 to 2022. 6 of them name the 2003 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2003 Volkswagen Passat name most often?
Fuel System, Gasoline: 146 of 823 component mentions, or 177.4 per 1,000. For all 2003 vehicles the figure is 35.2 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2003 Volkswagen Passat open?
No. Each of the 6 investigations that name this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.