Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.: Exterior Lighting › Headlights
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. reported this defect to federal regulators on May 22, 2019 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 662,185. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2012-2020 Volkswagen Passat and 2018-2019 Atlas vehicles. The blocking cap disabling the adjustment of the headlight's horizontal aim may not have been installed. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk
Without the blocking cap, the headlight aim can be adjusted out of specification, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, block the headlight horizontal adjustment, free of charge. The recall began July 16, 2019. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 94L9.
11 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Volkswagen Passat | 18 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 Volkswagen Atlas | 484 | 12 | 0 | 7 |
| 2019 Volkswagen Passat | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 Volkswagen Atlas | 467 | 17 | 0 | 8 |
| 2018 Volkswagen Passat | 46 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 2017 Volkswagen Passat | 110 | 7 | 1 | 9 |
| 2016 Volkswagen Passat | 106 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| 2015 Volkswagen Passat | 243 | 7 | 2 | 11 |
| 2014 Volkswagen Passat | 594 | 10 | 3 | 19 |
| 2013 Volkswagen Passat | 749 | 9 | 4 | 29 |
| 2012 Volkswagen Passat | 484 | 11 | 3 | 14 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 19V389000.
Full record for the 2020 Volkswagen Passat → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →