2002 Volkswagen Passat Electrical System:ignition Problems
NHTSA component category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION · data through 07/14/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How electrical system:ignition ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 636 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2002 Volkswagen Passat overview page.
What owners report
“WHILE DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, THEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THIS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT ONE OF…”NHTSA complaint 10004214 — filed 01/21/2003
“I STARTED LEASING A 2002 VW PASSAT 1.8 IN OCTOBER OF 2001, THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON(FLASHING) IN SEPTEMBER OF 2002, AND THE VEHICLE…”NHTSA complaint 10003057 — filed 01/20/2003
“COIL PACK FAILURE - IGNITION COIL FAILURE. VEHICLE BEGAN RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH (LOST 1 OF 4 CYLINDERS) COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN.”NHTSA complaint 10003046 — filed 01/20/2003
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Electrical System:ignition complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2002 Volkswagen Passat have electrical system:ignition problems?
Electrical System:ignition is the most-reported problem area on the 2002 Volkswagen Passat: 134 of 636 complaints on file (21.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2002 Volkswagen Passat have in total?
636 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 10 involved a crash, 46 involved a fire, 19 reported injuries, and 2 reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's electrical system:ignition category include?
NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.
