There are 4 owner-reported driver assist & adas complaints for the 2021 Volkswagen Passatin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The vehicle lane assistance feature for my 2021 Volkswagen Passat nearly caused me to collide with another vehicle on two separate occasions. While driving home on my regular route, there are many cross streets where intersecting traffic may cross in order to facilitate a left turn. On one such occasion a vehicle pulling a utility trailer crossed in front of me but did not proceed through entirely, leaving the trailer sticking out into the lane ahead of me. As I approached I attempted to pilot the car into the right lane adjacent to me, in order to avoid a collision. The lane assist feature took control of the vehicle's steering, pulling me back on a collision-course toward the trailer and other vehicle. I was forced to wrest control of the wheel in order to avoid the other vehicle resulting in a near-miss. Several days later a similar occurrence happened, causing me to lose confidence in the vehicle entirely. This feature can not be permanently disabled, meaning that each and every time I start the car, I am forced to actively disable it. Should I forget to do so, I am in danger of another similar incident. A phone call to Volkswagen confirmed that there is no way to disable this feature permanently, and there is no intent to make an update to vehicle software. This feature, rather than assisting in the safety of individuals, is actively putting lives at risk! Volkswagen refused to offer a vehicle buy-back. I think that the dangers posed here are enough to investigate and also to mandate that manufacturers offer an option to permanently disable the active lane assist feature.
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving through a pedestrian intersection with thick white lines, the vehicle automatically veered to the left or right. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving 30 to 45 MPH. The contact had not contacted the manufacturer or the dealer. The failure mileage was 27,232.
The contact owns a 2021 Volkswagen Passat. The contact stated that while driving in the rain at an undisclosed speed, the Lane Departure Assist malfunctioned, causing the steering wheel to inadvertently move to the right or left. Additionally, the high-beam headlights were aimed too high upwards, making it difficult for the contact to see the road ahead. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the dealer informed the contact that the Lane Departure Assist function could not be deactivated and that the high-beam headlights could not be adjusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100.
VW Lane Assist is on when the vehicle is turned on. It must be turned off by the driver which I forget to do. Driving on country two lanes I've encountered joggers, bikers in the designated bike lane, service vehicles on the right shoulder. When I give them some extra room to avoid them the Active Lane Assist steers the car towards the people I'm trying to avoid. If the road is pitched enough the Lane Assist steering is rather abrupt. There is no feature that allows Lane Assist to be disabled and manually re-enabled when needed. The best solution would be to allow lane assist only when the Active Cruise control is active.
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