The 2016 Volkswagen Passat is a midsize car that came with a choice of 1.8L 4-cyl and 3.6L 6-cyl engines. At 10 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.
| Body style | Midsize Cars |
|---|---|
| Engines | 1.8L 4-cyl, 3.6L 6-cyl (turbocharged versions available) |
| Transmissions | Automatic (AM-S6), Automatic (S6) |
| Drive | Front-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 20–25 city / 28–36 highway / 23–29 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $2,300–$2,900 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 306–390 grams per mile |
| EPA fuel economy score | 5–7 out of 10 |
| EPA greenhouse gas score | 5–7 out of 10 |
| Curb weight (NHTSA test vehicle) | 3,282 lb |
| Gross vehicle weight rating | 4,453–4,674 lb |
| Versions tested by EPA | 2 configurations |
| Age | 10 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.
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls covering the 2016 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.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2017 Touareg GP, Tiguan, Golf A6, E-Golf GP, CCF, 2016-2017 Passat GP, 2018-2019 Golf R GP, and 2018 Atlas vehicles. These internal-use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified…
Risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of injury, crash, or fire.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2018 Volkswagen Golf R and Atlas, 2017 Golf Alltrack and E-Golf and 2016-2018 Passat vehicles. These internal use vehicles were sold without confirmation that they were built to all applicable regulatory requirements and may have been modified prior to sale. As such…
Risk: Vehicles that do not meet all regulatory requirements may have an increased risk of a crash or injury to vehicle occupants.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108…
Risk: Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jetta vehicles manufactured October 31, 2015, to January 21, 2016, 2016 Passat vehicles, equipped with 1.8T engines manufactured November 13, 2015, to December 9, 2015, and 2016 Golf vehicles manufactured November 5, 2015, to November 11, 2015. In the…
Risk: A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, can result in a vehicle fire.
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jetta, Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Passat, Golf and Golf SportWagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the camshaft lobe that drives the brake vacuum pump may shear off, resulting in a loss of brake assist.
Risk: If the camshaft lobe shears off there would be a loss of brake assist, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Owners have filed 106 complaints about the 2016 Volkswagen Passat with NHTSA. 4 reports involved a crash. Owners reported 3 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.
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat.
| Version | Overall | Frontal crash | Side crash | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Dr, FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 10.7% |
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP). Ratings from different model years or rating systems aren't directly comparable.
Manufacturers have filed 834 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2016 Volkswagen Passat. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
2 of them are warranty extensions. 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.
Suggested fuel additive
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed if it meets the criteria provided.
This special notice is to inform dealers to return the parts listed and only order the successor parts going forward.
Permission to change Daily Order upgraded to RED Order
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
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.
Yes. We buy 2016 Passats that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2016 Volkswagen Passat; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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.
Data retrieved October 2026.
Get a free offer in minutes. Towing is always free and you get paid at pickup.