Top Safety Pick +Top Safety Pick criteria

2016 Volkswagen Passat

midsize car / 4-door sedan

Award applies only to vehicles with optional front crash prevention

2016 Volkswagen Passat 4-door sedan

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Small overlap front: driver-side
Small overlap front: passenger-side
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Headlights
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Optional system
Advanced

Seat belts & child restraints

LATCH ease of use

Other available safety features

  • Optional blind spot detection
  • Optional lane departure warning
  • Optional lane departure prevention

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.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Rating applies to 2016-22 models

Tested vehicle: 2016 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T S 4-door

The Volkswagen Passat was redesigned for the 2012 model year. Beginning with 2013 models built after October 2012, the side curtain airbags were reprogrammed to deploy in small overlap frontal crashes to improve occupant protection. Beginning with 2016 models, the A-pillars and door sills were strengthened and the side curtain airbags were lengthened to further improve such protection.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
The dummy’s head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding off the left side, leaving the head vulnerable to contact with forward structure. Additionally, the seat belt allowed excessive forward excursion of the dummy’s head and torso to the extent the head hit the steering wheel rim. The side curtain airbag deployed and has sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with side structure and outside objects.

Action shot taken during the driver-side small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.

During the crash, the dummy's head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding off to the left, and the seat belt allowed far too much forward movement of the dummy.

The driver's space was maintained well, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEN1533
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 10
Footrest (cm) 6
Left toepan (cm) 3
Brake pedal (cm) 4
Parking brake (cm)
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 3
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column 3
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 3
Upper dash (cm) 6
Lower instrument panel (cm) 6

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEN1533
Head
HIC-15 234
Peak gs at hard contact 31
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.9
Extension bending moment (Nm) 20
Maximum Nij 0.34
Chest maximum compression (mm) 19
Femur (kN)
Left 1.2
Right 0.3
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 0
Right 0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.39
Right 0.46
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 1.8
Right 0.6
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 69
Right 79

About the small overlap front test

Small overlap front: passenger-side

Rating applies to 2016-19 models

Tested vehicle: 2017 Volkswagen Passat 1.8T S 4-door

The Volkswagen Passat was redesigned for the 2012 model year. Beginning with 2013 models built after October 2012, the side curtain airbags were reprogrammed to deploy in small overlap frontal crashes to improve occupant protection. Beginning with 2016 models, the A-pillars and door sills were strengthened and the side curtain airbags were lengthened to further improve such protection.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
The dummy’s head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding off the right side, allowing the head to move far enough forward to hit the dashboard. The side curtain airbag deployed and has sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with side structure and outside objects.
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the passenger-side small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame and dashboard after the crash test indicates that the passenger’s survival space was maintained reasonably well.

The dummy’s head slid off the right side of the frontal airbag and moved far enough forward to hit the dashboard hard.

The passenger’s space was maintained reasonably well, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side

Test ID CEP1704
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 18
Footrest (cm) 12
Right toepan (cm) 6
Center toepan (cm) 3
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 4
Upper occupant compartment
Center dash (cm) 5
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 11
Upper dash (cm) 8
Right lower dash (cm) 10

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CEP1704
Head
HIC-15 447
Peak gs at hard contact 79
Neck
Tension (kN) 2.0
Extension bending moment (Nm) 21
Maximum Nij 0.37
Chest maximum compression (mm) 23
Femur (kN)
Left 0.0
Right 1.5
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 0
Right 2
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.41
Right 0.60
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 1.5
Right 1.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 45
Right 34

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEP1704
Head
HIC-15 106
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.0
Extension bending moment (Nm) 19
Maximum Nij 0.22
Chest maximum compression (mm) 28
Femur (kN)
Left 0.2
Right 1.0
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 0
Right 2
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.27
Right 0.28
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 0.8
Right 1.9
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 61
Right 51

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2012-22 models

Tested vehicle: 2012 Volkswagen Passat S 4-door

The Volkswagen Passat was redesigned for the 2012 model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Volkswagen.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTF1104
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 3
Left (cm) 7
Center (cm) 6
Right (cm) 6
Brake pedal (cm) 4
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 0
Right (cm) 0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -5
Rearward (cm) -3
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTF1104
Head
HIC-15 167
Peak gs at hard contact 34
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.1
Extension bending moment (Nm) 12
Maximum Nij 0.24
Chest maximum compression (mm) 34
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.3
Femur force - right (kN) 0.8
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 0
Maximum tibia index - left 0.33
Maximum tibia index - right 0.71
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 2.7
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 1.7
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 86
Right 134

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2012-22 models

Tested vehicle: 2012 Volkswagen Passat S 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Volkswagen Passat was redesigned for the 2012 model year. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Volkswagen.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTS1104
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -16.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID VTS1104
Head HIC-15 413
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.0
Compression (kN) 0.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 32
Lateral force (kN) 1.6
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 36
Average deflection (mm) 33
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.00
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.50
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 2.4
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.7
Combined force (kN) 4.0
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 1.3
L-M moment (Nm) 56
A-P moment (Nm) 149

Passenger injury measures

Test ID VTS1104
Head HIC-15 127
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.3
Compression (kN) 1.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 27
Lateral force (kN) 1.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 30
Average deflection (mm) 27
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.78
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.47
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.4
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.6
Combined force (kN) 1.6
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 2.0
L-M moment (Nm) 189
A-P moment (Nm) 46

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2012-22 models

Tested vehicle: 2012 Volkswagen Passat SE 4-door

Overall evaluation
Curb weight3,256 lbs
Peak force20,592 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio6.32

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Power leather seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Power leather seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 24
Distance below top of head (mm) 20
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 12.6
Head contact time (ms) 60
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 19
Max neck tension (N) 548

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

Headlights

Ratings are given for 2 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.

Trim level(s)

  • S trim equipped with Lighting package
  • SE trim equipped with Lighting package
  • SE with Technology trim equipped with Lighting package
  • SEL trim equipped with Lighting package
  • R-Line trim equipped with Lighting package
  • R-Line with Comfort trim equipped with Lighting package
  • SEL Premium trim
  • V6 SEL Premium trim
Low-beam headlight typeLED reflector
High-beam headlight typeLED reflector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?No
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination Some glare

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the left side of the road and fair on the right side. On curves, visibility was fair on both right curves and inadequate on both left curves.

The low beams created some glare.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on the right side of the road and inadequate on the left side. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

Technical measurements for this test
Trim level(s)
  • S trim equipped with Lighting package
  • SE trim equipped with Lighting package
  • SE with Technology trim equipped with Lighting package
  • SEL trim equipped with Lighting package
  • R-Line trim equipped with Lighting package
  • R-Line with Comfort trim equipped with Lighting package
  • SEL Premium trim
  • V6 SEL Premium trim
Low-beam headlight type LED reflector
High-beam headlight type LED reflector
Curve-adaptive? No
High-beam assist? No
Overall rating
Applies to 2016-19 models
LOW BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)		 Amount glare
exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge 84.2 m 32.9%
Straightaway left edge 57.6 m 32.9%
250m radius right curve, right edge 62.1 m None
250m radius left curve, left edge 50.0 m None
150m radius right curve, right edge 49.8 m None
150m radius left curve, left edge 43.9 m None
HIGH BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge 133.6 m
Straightaway left edge 111.7 m
250m radius right curve, right edge 62.9 m
250m radius left curve, left edge 57.2 m
150m radius right curve, right edge 50.1 m
150m radius left curve, left edge 46.5 m

Trim level(s)

  • S trim
  • SE trim
  • SE with Technology trim
  • SEL trim
  • R-Line trim
  • R-Line with Comfort trim
Low-beam headlight typeHalogen reflector
High-beam headlight typeHalogen reflector
Curve-adaptive?No
High-beam assist?No
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:
car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler car-simpler 0 ft 100 ft 200 ft 300 ft 400 ft 500 ft 600 ft Low beams Optimal low-beam illumination High beams Optimal high-beam illumination

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was inadequate on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was inadequate on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was inadequate in all 4 tests.

Technical measurements for this test
Trim level(s)
  • S trim
  • SE trim
  • SE with Technology trim
  • SEL trim
  • R-Line trim
  • R-Line with Comfort trim
Low-beam headlight type Halogen reflector
High-beam headlight type Halogen reflector
Curve-adaptive? No
High-beam assist? No
Overall rating
Applies to 2016-19 models
LOW BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)		 Amount glare
exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge 61.2 m None
Straightaway left edge 39.4 m None
250m radius right curve, right edge 41.6 m None
250m radius left curve, left edge 39.8 m None
150m radius right curve, right edge 37.1 m None
150m radius left curve, left edge 34.5 m None
HIGH BEAMS Average minimum useful
illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge 126.4 m
Straightaway left edge 106.2 m
250m radius right curve, right edge 54.1 m
250m radius left curve, left edge 54.9 m
150m radius right curve, right edge 41.5 m
150m radius left curve, left edge 42.0 m

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

System details

  • Optional Front Assist (with Autonomous Emergency Braking)

Package name

  • Optional Driver Assistance Package

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2016 models

Advanced
Advanced
with optional equipment
  • This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
  • In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
  • In the 25 mph test, this vehicle failed to slow.

About the original front crash prevention test

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2015-22 models

Overall evaluation
Vehicle trimSE
Seat type leatherette

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.

It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.

Overall evaluation
Vehicle trimSE
Seat type leatherette
1 2 3
GGood
AAcceptable
MMarginal
PPoor
Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol
Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol
Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol
Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
No hardware available

Details by seating position

1
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
not too deep in seat
not too much force needed to attach
easy to maneuver around anchors
2
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
none available
3
Tether anchor
easy-to-find location
no other hardware could be confused for anchor
Lower anchors
not too deep in seat
not too much force needed to attach
easy to maneuver around anchors
Technical measurements for this test

Seat position 21

3

Lower anchor A
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 0-2
Force (lbs) 16
Clearance angle (degrees) 71
Lower anchor B
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 0-2
Force (lbs) 17
Clearance angle (degrees) 74
Tether anchor
Location Rear deck
Confusing hardware present No
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor		 No
Tether anchors can be accessed
while seatback is properly positioned
for use of LATCH		 Not measured

Seat position 22

2

Lower anchor A
No lower latch for this seat position
Lower anchor B
No lower latch for this seat position
Tether anchor
Location Rear deck
Confusing hardware present No
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor		 No
Tether anchors can be accessed
while seatback is properly positioned
for use of LATCH		 Not measured

Seat position 23

1

Lower anchor A
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 0-2
Force (lbs) 15
Clearance angle (degrees) 76
Lower anchor B
Open access rated No
Depth (cm) 0-2
Force (lbs) 14
Clearance angle (degrees) 73
Tether anchor
Location Rear deck
Confusing hardware present No
Has contrasting label
within 3 inches of tether anchor		 No
Tether anchors can be accessed
while seatback is properly positioned
for use of LATCH		 Not measured

About the child seat anchor evaluation