Ford Fusion 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	Fusion	Passat
Body type	Sedan	Sedan
Years sampled	2012, 2016, 2020	2016, 2020, 2024
Owner complaints	4459	121fewer
Recall campaigns	22	7fewer
NHTSA investigations	10	10
Overall safety (NHTSA, US)	5/5	5/5
Combined economy (EPA, US)	10.2 L/100km	8.7 L/100km

Body type

Fusion: Sedan
Passat: Sedan

Years sampled

Fusion: 2012, 2016, 2020
Passat: 2016, 2020, 2024

Owner complaints

Fusion: 4459
Passat: 121fewer

Recall campaigns

Fusion: 22
Passat: 7fewer

NHTSA investigations

Fusion: 10
Passat: 10

Overall safety (NHTSA, US)

Fusion: 5/5
Passat: 5/5

Combined economy (EPA, US)

Fusion: 10.2 L/100km
Passat: 8.7 L/100km

The quick read

Over the sampled model years, the Ford Fusion has 4459 complaints and 22 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 Fusion 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.