Electronic control module, electronic body module starts going out, it will not let you open the doors from the outside without rolling the windows down and sometimes won't even let you open them with the inside door handles. This is a major safety issue in a wreck or fire especially if you cannot get out of the car. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. For a vehicle that everyone complains about with this, and as expensive as it is to fix, are you going to wait until someone dies to make them fix it? When people complain if someone would just Google these issues you would find out just because not everyone knows about the federal safety agency, that these are extremely common issues that need to be fixed by Volkswagon!
The worst 2005 Volkswagen Passat problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine62
- Fuel system23
- Seats13
- Transmission13
- Electrical9
- Body6
- Acceleration5
- Brakes5
- Lights5
- Tires5
- Airbags4
- Visibility4
- Locks3
- Seat belts2
- Steering2
- Suspension1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2005 Volkswagen Passat
Engine failure 16Check engine light 11Stalling 8Fire or smoke 7Fuel leak 6Loss of power 6Fuel pump 5
Recalls 3
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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
- 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.
Recall number 08V156000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger, wagon, and convertible vehicles equipped with or without cruise control, a brake light switch may malfunction if it was installed incorrectly.
- Risk
- 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
- 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.
Recall number 07V063000 · Recall details
Fuel system, diesel
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the high pressure diesel pumps were produced with an improper fastener, which could allow diesel fuel to escape from the pump.
- Risk
- Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source may lead to a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the diesel pump. The recall began on february 8, 2005. Owners should contact volkswagen at 1‑800‑822‑8987.
Recall number 04V586000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 2005 Volkswagen Passat
Defect investigations
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 to the COP coils.After further review of the details as contained in each report, ODI determined that 43 of the 135 fire reports were actual fire/flame incidents, 83 fire reports were thermal events (smoke, spark, heat or wire melt), and another 9 fire reports were undetermined in severity due to the lack of information.These COP coil fires were characterized as initiated from within the COP coil circuit located at the top of the engine block and below the plastic engine cover.The fires observed were contained in the engine compartment and did not reach into the passenger compartment in contrast to those caused by an overheated catalytic converter examined in ODI?s investigation in 2007 and 2008.There were no reports of crashes or personal injury in this examination.A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.The agency will monitor this issue and reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstancesSee the Closing Report for additional details.
EA11002
Fuel tank leak
Volkswagen (vw) is recalling certain vw passat 4motion and audi a6 quattro and allroad quattro all-wheel drive passenger cars.vw vehicles subject to recall were manufactured from november 22, 2000 through may 31, 2005 and audi vehicles subject to recall were manufactured from june 2, 2001 to june 1, 2005.the federal safety agency recall number for the vw vehicles is 08v‑156 (vw also is correcting defects related to heat shield and fuel line hazards for these vehicles and for 1999-2000 passats in this recall action.)the federal safety agency recall number for the audi vehicles is 08v‑157.since 2006, odi has received 17 complaints of fuel leaking from the subject vehicles' fuel tanks.the 400 complaints shown above may include duplicate reports to odi and the manufacturer. While the consequence (fuel leaks from the top of the tank) is similar for both the passat and audi subject vehicles, differences in design and construction require a different remedy for each vehicle.on the passats, the ventilation line could have been installed improperly with tension and with an incorrectly positioned cable tie.the tension could cause cracked or broken nipples on the fuel tank rollover valve.on the audi vehicles, a material change (effective june 2, 2001) with different aging characteristics used for the rollover valve and the use of an inflexible aluminum ventilation line could cause cracking of the nipple on the rollover valve.vw is recalling all vehicles subject to these defects.it will inspect passats to ensure that the vent line is tension free and correct the installation if tension is found.if a crack or fuel leak is found, vw will replace the fuel tank.audi will repair all subject vehicles by reinforcing the fuel tank rollover valve with an epoxy adhesive.this investigation is closed.
PE08008
Passenger engine compartment fires
The manufacturer notified the federal safety agency on 04-apr-08 that a safety recall action would be initiated to remedy the issue.in june 2008, the manufacturer issued a technical service bulletin (code 26e5/r5) regarding the specific procedures to be employed in this campaign.vehicle owner notification letters were sent beginning approximately june 13, 2008.the campaign was assigned the federal safety agency no. 08v‑156.this recall affects all my 1999-2005, 5th generation gasoline-powered passat sedans and station wagons.approximately 412,000 vehicles are affected.corrective action will consist of installing additional exhaust system heat shielding to mitigate the potential thermal effects of engine ignition problems.based on this action, the subject ea has been closed.
EA07014
Technical service bulletins for the 2005 Volkswagen Passat 261
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Update to Volkswagen engine oil standards
- Volkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
- Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
- Update model year applicability to include 2023.
- Battery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger
- This bulletin contains general instructions for software updates.
- Body surfaces (engine compartment and underside of hood) are not directly visible (exposed) therefore do...
- Battery testing
- This special notice is to inform dealers to return the part numbers listed (State of California only).
- Oil consumption test updated to include additional models and model year applicability.
2005 Volkswagen Passat fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl Diesel | FWD | 23 | 34 | 27 |
| 1.8L 4‑cyl | FWD | 19 | 28 | 22-23 |
| 1.8L 4‑cyl | 4WD | 18-19 | 26-28 | 21-22 |
| 2.8L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 25-26 | 20 |
| 2.8L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 17 | 24 | 19 |
What 2005 Volkswagen Passat owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
It just died and I lost brakes, power steering, and only know what else stopped working. Come to find out the splines wear off of the oil pump shift after the counter balance and chain goes out. This is so common a problem that when you Google what happened there are numerous videos and complaints about this issue, with ways to stop it from happening. Korea has already recalled them and Europe has recalled them, why are we so far behind on this. Not only is it expensive, but also a major safety issue because this stops the brakes from working and the car does not have stopping power with the motor dead. NOT EVERYONE KNOWS TO REPORT TO the federal safety agency!
Approximately back in June 2021, I noticed the smell of diesel fuel coming from the rear of the vehicle, noticed hours and days after the vehicle was parked. The smell is partially present from the interior in the trunk area, but mostly evident when standing near the vicinity of the fuel tank when outside of the vehicle. After driving the vehicle, I occasionally notice small puddles of diesel fuel (as evidenced by the oily texture and smell) coming from below the fuel tank. On occasion, I can also spot actual drops of diesel fuel on the lower car frame from underneath the vicinity of the fuel pump. These puddles usually evaporate or dissipate within an hour or two after appearing. Given that these puddles only appear after driving, and not after extended periods of the vehicle sitting in my driveway, I suspect that there is a leak in the fuel pump. A more recent VCDS scan of the ECU on 29 October 2021 results in a Gateway and Dashboard fault code in the fuel pump, which may or may not be related to the fuel pump leak. The fault code is 00476, relating to the fuel pump control module, indicating "no communication"; the code is marked as "static". This fault code may not be related to the underlying fuel leak, but since it relates to the fuel pump, I thought it would be worth mentioning. Last but not least, a recall notice was issued on the diesel fuel pump assembly that impacted the make and model of my vehicle, issued in December 2004, just a couple months before the manufacture date of my vehicle (February 2005). As a result of this cut-off date, my vehicle's VIN number was not included in the official recall notice (the federal safety agency # 04V586000); see: https://www.vindecoderz.com/EN/Volkswagen/PASSAT/2005/fuel%20system,%20diesel/recall/04V586000. Due to the commonality of my vehicle's components with the 2004 Volkswagen Passat TDI and close temporal proximity to the recall notice, I highly suspect that my vehicle's fuel pump is impacted by this latent recall.
2005 vw passat wagon, 4 motion, 128,000 miles, w/ intense odor of gas in the cabin of the car; after driving 15 miles to work, I developed a headache and illness symptoms which lasted for 2 -3 days. Car was towed to local vw dealer. I contacted vw of america, who agreed to diagnostics. Large fuel tank fracture confirmed. After many discussions with customer service at vw of america, they refused to cover repairs, though they did confirm that this failure was the same failure which had LED to a previous recall campaign of the fuel tank/system, but since my car had already been repaired (2015) w/ a superseded part and it was past the 12 month warranty period, I did not qualify, nor would they offer goodwill service. They did acknowledge, however, that it was a serious safety issue and the car should not be driven. I verbalized in many conversations the safety concern this posed not only for myself and my family but for others who had the potential to face the same situation. I asked what process vw had for documenting and reporting these consumer safety concerns of such a serious nature and was told that it is reported internally but there was no one I could speak with to discuss further any aspect of the case, nor would vw report this to the federal safety agency, as it had been reported under the previous campaign. I feel very strongly that this repeated failure should be reported and therefore am documenting here. The car has now been towed to my home where it sits in my driveway d/t the fumes being at a toxic level when the car is in the closed garage. The cabin of the car also remains with a high level of gas fumes. I have asked for written documentation from vw of america related to my case, but as of yet have not been provided with such.
My 2005 passat has developed a fuel leak under the tank. My vehicle looks like new and only has 72000 miles on it. This leak/smell occurs after when the car is moving as well as when the car is sitting in the driveway. Seems very dangerous to me and I've read many complaints describing this exact scenario. Why is vw not forced to recall and inspect for this situation.
I completely filled the fuel tank of my car in the morning on 4/22/2019. I then drove home and parked the car in my driveway (so it was stationary at this time). That afternoon I smelled a strong odor of gasoline and saw a puddle on the ground underneath the car by the driver's side rear wheel. I thought that maybe I overfilled the fuel tank so I waited to see if the issue would go away after I drove a bit. On 4/23/2019 I still smelled gasoline and saw a puddle under the car after parking. I determined the fuel was only leaking while the car was in motion and it became apparent there was a larger issue. On 4/24/2019 I took the car to a mechanic to diagnosis where the leak was coming from. The mechanic could smell gas and found fuel residue, but nothing fresh. It was recommended that I fill the fuel tank and return to see if a leak could be found. So on 4/26/2019 I completely filled the fuel tank and returned to the mechanic. And they found that fuel is leaking from the seam of the fuel tank.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 volkswagen passat. While driving 25 MPH, the engine began to overheat and drain the coolant. The failure occurred multiple times and the contact had to continuously replace the coolant over a couple of weeks. The check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the thermostat and housing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Inertia reel will not payout webbing. Car was in a school parking lot, car was level
Over heated and timing belt
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 volkswagen passat. Upon starting the vehicle or driving various speeds, the contact noticed a fuel odor inside the vehicle. In addition, the check engine and anti-slip regulator warning indicators illuminated. The contact called momentum volkswagen of clear lake at (844) 894-5461 (15100 gulf fwy, houston, tx 77034) and was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 08v156000 (fuel system, gasoline). The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 91,628.
Compare the 2005 Volkswagen Passat
Passat vs Honda AccordPassat vs Ford FusionPassat vs Chevrolet MalibuPassat vs Toyota CamryPassat vs Hyundai SonataPassat vs Nissan AltimaPassat vs Kia OptimaPassat vs Subaru Legacy
Other model years
199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Questions about the 2005 Volkswagen Passat
Is the 2005 Volkswagen Passat reliable?
Owners have filed 148 complaints about the 2005 Volkswagen Passat, close to a typical Passat model year.
What is the 2005 Volkswagen Passat year score?
The 2005 Volkswagen Passat scores 75 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Volkswagen Passat: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Volkswagen Passat?
Engine and cooling, with 62 complaints, typically around 87,400 miles. Next is fuel system (23).
How many recalls does the 2005 Volkswagen Passat have?
3 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline, exterior lighting and fuel system, diesel.
What year does the Volkswagen Passat have bad engine?
The Volkswagen Passat model years with the most engine complaints are 2003 (153 complaints), 2002 (148 complaints) and 2006 (130 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2005 Volkswagen Passat get?
Official estimates for the 2005 Volkswagen Passat range from 19 to 27 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl diesel, FWD) gets 23 city and 34 highway.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2005 Volkswagen Passat?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history