The 1991 Volkswagen Passat has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 12,650 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 30 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
THE VENTURI TUBE LOCATED IN THE THROTTLE VALVE HOUSING CAN BECOME LOOSE AND FALL AGAINST THE THROTTLE PLATE.
THE VENTURI TUBE CAN PARTIALLY BLOCK THE THROTTLE PLATEAND PREVENT IT FROM RETURNING TO ITS FULL IDLE POSITION, RESULTING IN UNWANTEDENGINE SPEED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN A FORWARD OR REVERSE GEAR.
REPLACE THE PRESS-FIT VENTURI TUBE WITH A THREAD TYPE TUBE.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Burning hot anti-freeze and steam clouded the cabin of my vw passat while driving down the highway, causing an unsafe driving situation and potential health risks from breathing the hot fumes.”
“While traveling on the highway the vehicle lost power, started vibrating and shut down. Please fill in additional information, dealer is aware of the problem. Ph”
“Fuel injectin system: accumulator ( delivery system) was leaking gas to point it was pouring out. Gas fumes were strong from in & outside. Vehicle was towed to an auto motor garage which had seen a common problem possibly due to road salt on street added to corrosion. *ak fumes possibly could have…”
“While driving, vehcle caught on fire in the engine compartment and burned. Vehicle was totalled. Please provide any further information. *ak”
“Temperature and gas gauge were fixed on many occasions by the dealer but never fully fixed. Work only when pushed on the dash cover. There is a service bull on this but problem, but it didn't help fix it. *ak”
“Temperature and gas gauge were fixed on many occasions by the dealer but never fully fixed. Work only when pushed on the dash cover. There is a service bull on this but problem, but it didn't help fix it. *ak”
“The timming belt failed at 152081 km's this is in canada. I was told that I could call your site and report this problem. The timing belt is suppose to be good for 100000 km. The timing belt only lasted for 52 000 km . I reported it to volkswagen north america but they just gave me the run around.…”
“Differential pressure regulator mounted on fuel distributor structurally failed. Composite body delaminated from brass core, causing steady fuel leak whenever ignition key is on and electric fuel pump is powered. Leaking gasoline drops directly on the electric clutch on the air conditioning…”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1991 Volkswagen Passat as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.