BMW 5 Series vs Volkswagen Passat

Which used car has the cleaner record?

We line up what owners actually reported to NHTSA — complaints and recall campaigns — for both cars, so you can compare their paper trail before you buy.

Last updated: June 28, 2026

Side by side	5 Series	Passat
Body type	Sedan	Sedan
Years sampled	2016, 2020, 2024	2016, 2020, 2024
Owner complaints	97fewer	121
Recall campaigns	0fewer	7
NHTSA investigations	4fewer	10
Overall safety (NHTSA, US)	5/5	5/5
Combined economy (EPA, US)	n/a	8.7 L/100km

Body type

5 Series: Sedan
Passat: Sedan

Years sampled

5 Series: 2016, 2020, 2024
Passat: 2016, 2020, 2024

Owner complaints

5 Series: 97fewer
Passat: 121

Recall campaigns

5 Series: 0fewer
Passat: 7

NHTSA investigations

5 Series: 4fewer
Passat: 10

Overall safety (NHTSA, US)

5 Series: 5/5
Passat: 5/5

Combined economy (EPA, US)

5 Series: n/a
Passat: 8.7 L/100km

The quick read

Over the sampled model years, the BMW 5 Series has 97 complaints and 0 recalls, and the Volkswagen Passat has 121 complaints and 7 recalls. Lower numbers point to fewer reported issues, but always confirm the exact car with a VIN check.

Check a 5 Series VIN Check a Passat VIN

NHTSA (US) owner-complaint and recall counts over recent model years. A reliability signal, not a check of any one car. Always run the VIN.