Sell your 2009 Volkswagen Passat for cash

The 2009 Volkswagen Passat is a wagon that came with a 2.0L 4-cyl engine. At 17 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.

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2009 Volkswagen Passat at a glance

Body styleMidsize Cars, Midsize Station Wagons
Engines2.0L 4-cyl (turbocharged versions available)
TransmissionsAutomatic (S6)
DriveFront-Wheel Drive
FuelPremium Gasoline
Fuel economy19 city / 28–29 highway / 22–23 combined MPG
EPA annual fuel cost$3,550–$3,750 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles)
Tailpipe CO₂386–404 grams per mile
Curb weight (NHTSA test vehicle)3,348 lb
Versions tested by EPA2 configurations: Passat, Passat Wagon
Age17 years

Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data; weights from NHTSA crash-test records. Your car's exact equipment may differ.

What affects its junk value

  • Age: at 17 years old, most of a 2009 Passat's value comes from reusable parts and scrap metal, not resale.
  • Weight: NHTSA's crash-test 2009 Passat weighed 3,348 lb at curb weight. Scrap value is largely priced by weight, so this is a good starting point. See how scrap prices by weight work.
  • Catalytic converter: like all gas and diesel cars, it has a catalytic converter containing precious metals, one of the most valuable parts on a junk car. An offer assumes it's still in place. More on catalytic converters.
  • Recalls: NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2009 Passat. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking it.
  • Known problems: owners reported the most issues with the engine, typically around 78,000 miles. If that's what failed on yours, it can still be sold as-is.

How junk car offers are calculated

2009 Volkswagen Passat recalls

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls covering the 2009 Volkswagen Passat. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.

Air BagsMar 2018 · NHTSA campaign 18V148000

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.

Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Fuel System, GasolineAug 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V509000

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2016 Volkswagen CC, 2006-2010 Passat and Passat Wagon vehicles. Interruption of electrical power to the fuel pump control module may cause the fuel pump to fail.

Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Air BagsFeb 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V078000

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal…

Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

SteeringNov 2008 · NHTSA campaign 08V577000

Vw is recalling 130 my 2009 Passat, Passat wagon, and Passat cc vehicles. Some vehicles may have an electromechanical steering gear control unit that can malfunction due to a damaged capacitor. If this malfunction occurs, the driver's steering input is not properly processed by the system and the vehicle may not respond as the driver…

Risk: Driver attempts to overcome the system during malfunction will cause (1) vibrations in the steering wheel; (2) the steering system motor to turn off; (3) the red steering system malfunction indicator light to illuminate; and (4) audible war

Common 2009 Passat problems

Owners have filed 152 complaints about the 2009 Volkswagen Passat with NHTSA. 5 reports involved a crash and 13 reports involved a fire. Owners reported 2 injuries.

Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.

Most-reported components

  • Engine61
  • Fuel/Propulsion System49
  • Steering20
  • Electrical System18
  • Air Bags12
  • Power Train10

Typical mileage when problems were reported

  • Engine78,000 mi
  • Fuel/Propulsion System89,000 mi
  • Steering59,000 mi
  • Electrical System69,000 mi
  • Air Bags75,000 mi
  • Power Train74,000 mi

2009 Volkswagen Passat service bulletins

Manufacturers have filed 753 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2009 Volkswagen Passat. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.

1 of them is a warranty extension. Warranty extensions mean the manufacturer agreed to cover a specific repair beyond the normal warranty. They rarely still apply to a car this age, but they point to known weak spots.

Most common bulletin topics

  • Equipment82
  • Engine72
  • Engine and Engine Cooling63
  • Equipment59
  • Electrical System56
  • Air Bags52

Recent bulletins

  • Service Bulletin/Repair InstructionsSep 2026 · V0116152014815_20

    Suggested fuel additive

  • OtherSep 2026 · SM 39-2026

    This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.

  • Service Bulletin/Repair InstructionsAug 2026 · V4622022067177_5

    Repair or Replace Information

  • OtherAug 2026 · TT 00-13-04_7

    Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order

  • Service Bulletin/Repair InstructionsAug 2026 · V0026012081638_2

    Differences between a leak and seepage

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA opened 1 defect investigation covering the 2009 Volkswagen Passat.

Power TrainPE09022 · opened May 2009, closed Jul 2009

Transmission fluid hose chafe

On may 4, 2009, the office of defects investigations (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe09-022 to investigate an owner complaint (odi no. 10260517) alleging contact between the atf cooling line and the radiator fan blades.the complaint indicated that the contact resulted in rapid atf fluid loss which rendered the ve

Other Volkswagen Passat years

‹ Sell a 2008 Passat · Sell a 2010 Passat › · All Volkswagen Passat years

Other 2009 Volkswagen models

Selling a 2009 Passat: questions

How much is a 2009 Volkswagen Passat worth for junk?

It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. Its parts make up much of its value. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.

Can I junk a 2009 Passat that doesn't run?

Yes. We buy 2009 Passats that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.

Can I sell a 2009 Passat with open recalls?

Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2009 Volkswagen Passat; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What paperwork do I need to sell my 2009 Passat?

Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.

Before you sell

Sources

Data retrieved October 2026.

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