2012 Volkswagen Passat Recall: Fuel System, Diesel
NHTSA campaign 12V146000 · Fuel System, Diesel · filed Apr 5, 2012 · verified Jul 30, 2026
The defect
VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 PASSAT VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 18, 2011, THROUGH JUNE 1, 2011. DURING ASSEMBLY, THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH A DIESEL FUEL FILTER ELEMENT THAT MAY NOT SEAL CORRECTLY.
The risk
OVER TIME, OR AFTER CERTAIN DRIVING DISTANCES, THESE VEHICLES ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO FUEL LEAKAGE. LEAKING FUEL, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →The fix — what to do
VOLKSWAGEN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DIESEL FUEL FILTER ELEMENTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 27, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.
VOLKSWAGEN S SAFETY RECALL NUMBER IS 20R7/W3.CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.
Affected vehicles
| Make | Model | Model years |
|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen | Passat | 2012 |
Related recalls
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Other campaigns involving Volkswagen vehicles
Source: NHTSA recall database, campaign 12V146000 (manufacturer number 20R7/W3). Data last verified Jul 30, 2026.