Sell your 2010 Volkswagen Passat for cash

The 2010 Volkswagen Passat is a wagon that came with a 2.0L 4-cyl engine. At 16 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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2010 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 economy22 city / 31 highway / 25 combined MPG
EPA annual fuel cost$3,300 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles)
Tailpipe CO₂355 grams per mile
Curb weight (NHTSA test vehicle)3,348 lb
Versions tested by EPA2 configurations: Passat, Passat Wagon
Age16 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 16 years old, most of a 2010 Passat's value comes from reusable parts and scrap metal, not resale.
  • Weight: NHTSA's crash-test 2010 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 2010 Passat. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking it.
  • Known problems: owners reported the most issues with the air bags, typically around 71,000 miles. If that's what failed on yours, it can still be sold as-is.

How junk car offers are calculated

2010 Volkswagen Passat recalls

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls covering the 2010 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.

Air BagsAug 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V483000

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air…

Risk: A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Common 2010 Passat problems

Owners have filed 172 complaints about the 2010 Volkswagen Passat with NHTSA. 5 reports involved a crash and 1 report 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

  • Air Bags48
  • Engine44
  • Power Train29
  • Fuel/Propulsion System27
  • Electrical System21
  • Steering15

Typical mileage when problems were reported

  • Air Bags71,000 mi
  • Engine88,000 mi
  • Power Train68,000 mi
  • Fuel/Propulsion System100,000 mi
  • Electrical System98,000 mi
  • Steering96,000 mi

2010 Volkswagen Passat service bulletins

Manufacturers have filed 835 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2010 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

  • Equipment95
  • Engine71
  • Equipment69
  • Engine and Engine Cooling64
  • Electrical System62
  • Air Bags59

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 3 defect investigations covering the 2010 Volkswagen Passat.

Air BagsEA18003 · opened Apr 2018, open

Air Bag Clockspring Failure

In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of

Air BagsRQ17009 · opened Nov 2017, closed May 2018

Air Bag Clockspring Failure

In August 2015, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) launched Safety Recall 15V-483 to address the loss of the protection provided by the front driver air bag in several models due to the failure of the clockspring.Debris entry into the steering wheel hub can result in contamination and ultimately failure of

Air BagsPE15010 · opened Mar 2015, closed Sep 2015Led to recall 15V483000

Air Bag Clockspring Failure

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of steering wheel clock spring/steering column control module (SCCM) failures in model year (MY) 2012 Volkswagen Passat and CC models.The SCCM is a module within the steering column that incorporates a spiral conductor (a ri

Other Volkswagen Passat years

‹ Sell a 2009 Passat · Sell a 2012 Passat › · All Volkswagen Passat years

Other 2010 Volkswagen models

Selling a 2010 Passat: questions

How much is a 2010 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 2010 Passat that doesn't run?

Yes. We buy 2010 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 2010 Passat with open recalls?

Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2010 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 2010 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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