2004 Volkswagen Passat

midsize car / 4-door sedan

2004 Volkswagen Passat 4-door sedan
1998 Volkswagen Passat shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria Rating
Moderate overlap front: original test
G
Head restraints & seats
P

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 1998-2005 models

Tested vehicle: 1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 4-door

The Volkswagen Passat was redesigned for the 1998 model year.

Evaluation criteria Rating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Leg/foot, left
G
Leg/foot, right
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Dummy movement was reasonably well controlled. After the dummy moved forward into the airbag, its head moved toward the window sill as floor deformation tipped the driver seat toward the door.
A

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

Despite some bending of the roof rail, the driver's survival space was maintained well.

A button on the side of the head restraint is for locking in position after the restraint has been adjusted upward. This design improvement was introduced during the 1998 model year. Still, the head restraint is marginal.

Minimal damage occurred in the most demanding bumper test, a 5 mph rear-into-pole impact.

Technical measurements for this test

About the original moderate overlap front test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: All seats

Overall evaluation
P
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
M
Technical measurements for this test

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.