Model Year Scorecard · NHTSA + EPA data

Volkswagen model years compared

Every Volkswagen model in the catalogue (1949–2027), with owner complaints, recall campaigns, urgent advisories and fatal-crash involvement summed across all model years. Open a model to see its years side by side and the best and worst year called out.

33,236
Owner complaints
filed with NHTSA, most on the Jetta
379
Recall campaigns
distinct NHTSA campaigns, most on the Jetta
12
Urgent advisories
do-not-drive & park-outside campaigns
3,011
Fatal-crash vehicles
FARS census, 2020 onward, exact

Volkswagen models ranked by complaints

Volkswagen models ranked by NHTSA owner complaints across all model years
Model Years Complaints Recalls Urgent Fatal (FARS) MPG
Jetta 1980–2026 (47)
9,984
78 1 1,199 27.2
Passat 1990–2022 (32)
7,702
53 1 612 23.6
Beetle 1950–2019 (52)
2,591
32 1 242 27.9
Tiguan 2009–2027 (19)
2,247
37 1 342 23.8
Atlas 2018–2026 (9)
1,951
47 1 113 21.7
Golf 1985–2021 (35)
1,437
53 1 104 26.7
GTI 2006–2026 (21)
1,403
34 1 92 26.9
ID.4 2021–2026 (6)
991
25 2 11 106.7
CC 2009–2017 (9)
983
12 19 24.3
Routan 2009–2014 (6)
784
8 25 19.6
Touareg 2004–2018 (15)
645
11 49 19
Taos 2021–2026 (6)
473
8 27 31
Atlas Cross Sport 2020–2026 (7)
466
30 1 26 20.9
Eos 2007–2016 (10)
425
7 29 24.4
EuroVan 1992–2009 (16)
219
6 1 15.5
Cabrio 1995–2002 (8)
187
5 10 23.9
Golf SportWagen 2010–2019 (9)
171
9 1 16 29.3
Rabbit 1975–2009 (14)
163
20 39 23.3
R32 2003–2008 (3)
129
3 3 19.5
Golf Alltrack 2017–2019 (3)
99
4 1 15 24.7
Golf R 2012–2026 (12)
79
16 24 24.3
e-Golf 2015–2020 (6)
53
8 4 118.1
Arteon 2019–2023 (5)
41
6 7 25.7
Phaeton 2004–2006 (3)
7
13
Tiguan Limited 2017–2018 (2)
6
2 23
Amarok catalogue only 2011–2026 (15)
Beetle Cabrio catalogue only 2010–2011 (2)
Bora catalogue only 2005–2010 (6)
Caddy catalogue only 2014–2026 (11)
Caravelle catalogue only 1995–2026 (4)
Clasico catalogue only 2011–2015 (5)
Combi catalogue only 1972–2014 (31)
Constellation catalogue only 2015–2025 (10)
Crafter catalogue only 2016–2018 (3)
Crafter Van catalogue only 2008–2026 (18)
Cross Sport catalogue only 2021–2026 (6)
CrossFox catalogue only 2007–2017 (10)
Delivery catalogue only 2015–2025 (10)
Derby catalogue only 1995–2009 (15)
Gol catalogue only 2009–2020 (10)
29.7
Gol Sedan catalogue only 2010–2013 (4)
Golf City catalogue only 2007–2010 (4)
Jetta City catalogue only 2007–2009 (3)
Lupo catalogue only 2005–2009 (5)
Nivus catalogue only 2022–2026 (4)
Nuevo Gol catalogue only 2014–2016 (3)
Panel catalogue only 1973–2001 (29)
Passat CC catalogue only 2009–2012 (4)
Pointer catalogue only 1998–2009 (12)
Pointer Truck catalogue only 1998–2010 (13)
Polo catalogue only 2003–2026 (18)
Robust catalogue only 2020–2023 (4)
Saveiro catalogue only 2010–2026 (17)
Sedan catalogue only 1961–2004 (44)
Sharan catalogue only 2002–2008 (7)
SportVan catalogue only 2007–2010 (4)
T-Cross catalogue only 2020–2024 (5)
Taigun catalogue only 2023–2025 (3)
Teramont catalogue only 2019–2026 (7)
Transporter catalogue only 1949–2026 (58)
Up! catalogue only 2016–2018 (3)
Van catalogue only 2003–2009 (7)
Vento catalogue only 2014–2022 (9)
Virtus catalogue only 2020–2025 (6)
Volksbus catalogue only 2015–2025 (10)
Worker catalogue only 2015–2017 (3)
Workline catalogue only 2018–2021 (4)
e-Crafter Van catalogue only 2023–2026 (3)
e-Delivery catalogue only 2023–2025 (2)

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Every Volkswagen model opens to every model year compared side by side, with the best and worst year called out. Free account, no card, takes a minute.

Sources. Owner complaints, recall campaigns and advisories are from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation datasets; fatal-crash vehicles from FARS; fuel economy from the EPA. VehDB sums them per model; the figures are not VehDB's own findings.

How to read it. Complaints and recalls are summed over every catalogue year of the model, so long-running best-sellers rank high on volume alone; the model page ranks each year against other vehicles of the same model year, which is the fairer read. Urgent counts do-not-drive and park-outside campaigns. Fatal (FARS) is a census of vehicles in fatal crashes from 2020 onward, exact, and is never mixed with CRSS estimates. MPG is the EPA combined average across the model's trims. Sources are U.S. public domain; nothing here is a verified defect finding.