Volkswagen Passat Estate - Reliability & safety (2015-2024)

VW slipped down the Driver Power rankings in recent years, and sits in 17th spot out of 29 manufacturers in our 2021 survey. The Passat itself didn't feature in the specific model rundown; the Golf and Tiguan SUV finished in 73rd and 62nd places respectively.

Volkswagen Passat Estate reliability

The Passat is a beautifully finished and high-quality product, but in 2019 you told us reliability is a Passat weak point, with 24% or owners facing one or more faults in the first 12 months. These are unlikely to leave you stranded, though, with exterior paint and trim issues the most common.

Back then, the Passat came 54th out of the top 100 models, behind the Skoda Superb (24th) and Mazda6 in 11th. As mentioned above, the Passat hasn’t ranked in our recent Driver Power surveys.

Safety

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A five-star overall rating from Euro NCAP gives buyers peace of mind that the Passat is a safe car. The saloon version was rated 85% for adult occupant protection, 87% for child protection, 66% for pedestrian protection and 76% for safety assistance.

All models get a post-collision braking system, knee airbags and rear side airbags as standard. Adaptive cruise control is also included – which can maintain a safe distance from the car in front by braking and accelerating automatically – as is a front assist system, which monitors the traffic ahead, warning you (and braking if necessary) if you get too close to the car in front.

There's a long list of optional extras designed to improve safety, too, but it's a wonder why these aren’t included as standard. UK buyers are notoriously afraid to spend money on something they hope they'll never need.