There are 2 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2017 Volkswagen Passatin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I PREFACE THIS BY SAYING THIS IS MY FIRST KEYLESS CAR AND I DON'T LIKE IT. IT IS SOMETIMES CONFUSING AS TO WHETHER THE CAR IS RUNNING OR OFF AND THE IGNITION BUTTON LOOKS IDENTICAL IN BOTH SCENARIOS. ON JUNE 12, I PARKED MY CAR (IT WAS STATIONARY) AND TOOK MY DOG INTO HER DAY CARE CENTER. WHILE I WAS IN THERE, MY CAR APPARENTLY ROLLED OUT OF THE LOT AND CAME TO REST ON A SIDEWALK. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS INJURED AND ONLY THE BUMPER AND REAR LIGHT WERE IMPACTED. WHILE I THOUGHT I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, I MAY HAVE ACCIDENTALLY HAVE LEFT THE CAR IN DRIVE WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THIS IS MY CONCERN. WITH KEYED SYSTEMS, THE SAFETY MECHANISM IS THAT ONE CANNOT REMOVE THE KEY UNTIL THE CAR IS PROPERLY IN PARK (I ASSUME OTHERS HAVE DONE THIS). WITH THE KEYLESS, I PARKED, PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, TOOK MY KEYS, LOCKED THE DOOR AND LEFT THE CAR. I DON;T HAVE PHOTOS BUT I DO HAVE THE SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF THE CAR MOVING.
SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED WITH NO IMPACT WHILE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. VW REFUSES TO COVER UNDER WARRANTY, IT WAS EVEN DISCOVERED THAT THE FRAME NEEDS TO BE REPLACED NOW.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026