Subaru Outback 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	Outback	Passat
Body type	Estate	Sedan
Years sampled	2016, 2020, 2024	2016, 2020, 2024
Owner complaints	1537	121fewer
Recall campaigns	0fewer	7
NHTSA investigations	4fewer	10
Overall safety (NHTSA, US)	5/5	5/5
Combined economy (EPA, US)	8.4 L/100km	8.7 L/100km

Body type

Outback: Estate
Passat: Sedan

Years sampled

Outback: 2016, 2020, 2024
Passat: 2016, 2020, 2024

Owner complaints

Outback: 1537
Passat: 121fewer

Recall campaigns

Outback: 0fewer
Passat: 7

NHTSA investigations

Outback: 4fewer
Passat: 10

Overall safety (NHTSA, US)

Outback: 5/5
Passat: 5/5

Combined economy (EPA, US)

Outback: 8.4 L/100km
Passat: 8.7 L/100km

The quick read

Over the sampled model years, the Subaru Outback has 1537 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 Outback 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.