During a rollover crash on 14 sep 2017 none of the airbags in the auto deployed. There were two people in the car's front seats - driver and passenger. The auto was totaled in the crash. The crash occurred during dry weather daylight conditions at about 50 MPH on the german autobahn. This is a us spec model vw phaeton. My wife in the passenger seat sustained injuries on the right side of her body to include a broken shoulder blade and 4 broken (c1-c4) lower spinal processes on the right side. I believe these injuries might not have been so severe had the side air bags deployed. The driver's injuries consisted primarily of whiplash and cuts to his head, right hand and left arm from broken glass. Fortunately neither were injured in a permanent way. My concern is that I believe the airbags should have deployed during the rollover and had they done so our injuries would have been significantly less - perhaps bruising instead of broken bones for the passenger and a lot fewer glass cuts to the head, hand and arm for the driver.
The worst 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags1
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton 198
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.
What 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Compare the 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
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Questions about the 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton
Is the 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton reliable?
Owners have filed 1 complaint about the 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton, fewer than a typical Phaeton model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton?
Airbags, with 1 complaint.
How many recalls does the 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton have?
No recalls on record.
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