2009 Volkswagen Passat: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2009 Volkswagen Passat. The newest campaign is 18V148000. NHTSA received the report on 6 Mar 2018. The NHTSA record gives the component Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module. NHTSA has 146 complaints on file for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation names 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, 18V148000, in the NHTSA record

Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.

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 1 Oct 2026. Complaint file through 30 Sep 2026. Recall file through 30 Sep 2026.

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

4 campaigns, newest first. 1,304,251 units in total.

18V1480006 Mar 2018Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
17V50900016 Aug 2017Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Fuel Pump
16V07800010 Feb 2016Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
08V5770003 Nov 2008Steering / Gear Box (Other Than Rack and Pinion)

18V148000Received 6 Mar 2018. 363,713 units.
Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat 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 vehicle occupants potentially 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 with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
Report filed by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number 69Q9. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 16 Mar 2018.
17V509000Received 16 Aug 2017. 280,915 units.
Fuel System, Gasoline / Delivery / Fuel Pump
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2016 Volkswagen CC, 2006-2010 Passat and Passat Wagon vehicles. Interruption of electrical power to the fuel pump control module may cause the fuel pump to fail.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump control module, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AE.
Report filed by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number 20AE. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 26 Jun 2018.
16V078000Received 10 Feb 2016. 659,493 units.
Air Bags / Frontal / Driver Side / Inflator Module
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially 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 inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
Report filed by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 10 Mar 2017.
08V577000Received 3 Nov 2008. 130 units.
Steering / Gear Box (Other Than Rack and Pinion)
Defect, in the NHTSA record
Vw is recalling 130 my 2009 passat, passat wagon, and passat cc vehicles. Some vehicles may have an electromechanical steering gear control unit that can malfunction due to a damaged capacitor. If this malfunction occurs, the driver's steering input is not properly processed by the system and the vehicle may not respond as the driver intends. This defect can only occur immediately after vehicle start-up when the steering wheel is moved for the first time and at speeds less than 5 MPH.
Consequence, in the NHTSA record
Driver attempts to overcome the system during malfunction will cause (1) vibrations in the steering wheel; (2) the steering system motor to turn off; (3) the red steering system malfunction indicator light to illuminate; and (4) audible warnings to chime. A malfunctioning steering system could lead to a crash without warning.
Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Dealers will replace the steering gear in the affected vehicles. The recall began on december 5, 2008. Owners may contact vw at 1-800-822-8987.
Report filed by VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC. Manufacturer campaign number 48J1/P3. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: 5 Dec 2008.

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

146 complaints, 211 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.

2009 Volkswagen Passat
All 2009 vehicles

2009 Volkswagen Passat: complaints by component, per 1,000 component mentions
Component	2009 Passat	All 2009 vehicles	Passat, all years	Mentions
Engine	284.4	74.3	61	60
Fuel/Propulsion System	218	35.7	44.7	46
Steering	94.8	119.8	55.6	20
Electrical System	90	130.2	118.6	19
Air Bags	56.9	137.8	158.4	12
Power Train	52.1	65.8	47.6	11
Unknown or Other	42.7	45.3	38.1	9
Fuel System, Gasoline	33.2	14.7	44	7
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)	33.2	24.5	6.5	7
Engine and Engine Cooling	19	21.1	91.1	4

The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 19.

Complaints that report a crash: 5
Complaints that report a fire: 12
Injuries in the complaints: 2
Deaths in the complaints: 0
Date of the newest complaint: 3 Apr 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 2009 Volkswagen Passat, by the year NHTSA received them. The largest year is 2018, with 38 complaints.

Investigations

NHTSA investigations that name the 2009 Volkswagen Passat
Number	Type	Subject	Component	Opened	Closed	Campaign
PE09022	Preliminary evaluation	TRANSMISSION FLUID HOSE CHAFE	Power Train / Automatic Transmission / Cooling Unit and Lines	4 May 2009	9 Jul 2009

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.

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

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Official channels

NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
NHTSA page of the 2009 Volkswagen PassatThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2009 Volkswagen Passat: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/volkswagen/passat/2009/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through 30 Sep 2026.

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 2009 Volkswagen Passat?: 1,304,251 units in 4 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. 4 of them name the 2009 model year.
Which component do the complaints about the 2009 Volkswagen Passat name most often?: Engine: 60 of 211 component mentions, or 284.4 per 1,000. For all 2009 vehicles the figure is 74.3 per 1,000.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2009 Volkswagen Passat open?: No. The 1 investigation that names this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.