Volkswagen Eos

Where it stands out against its peers

• Air bags: more complaints than 96% of 2012 cars — 68% of its 94 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 17%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• AIR BAGS — 54 owners reported this
• ENGINE — 9 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• POWER TRAIN — 5 owners reported this
• STEERING,AIR BAGS — 3 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

61% of 2016 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 15V483000

  A loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag will prevent the air bag from deploying in the event of a vehicle crash, increasing the risk of injury.

  Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover over the steering wheel clock spring if the air bag light is off. If the airbag light is on and the steering wheel clock spring requires replacement, dealers will install a new steering wheel clock spring. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2016. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-822-8987.

• 16V078000

  In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

  Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.

• 18V148000

  In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

  Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.

• 18V329000

  If the vehicles do not meet all regulatory requirements, there could be an increased risk of a crash, fire, or injury.

  Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles to make them fully compliant or Volkswagen will repurchase them if necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 29, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298.

• 19V014000

  In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

  Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 4, 2019. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298; Audi owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69S8 (Audi) and 69Y5 (Volkswagen).

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Air Bag Clockspring Failure

  Engineering analysis, opened April 2018, still open.

• Air Bag Clockspring Failure

  Recall query, opened November 2017, closed May 2018.

• Air Bag Clockspring Failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened March 2015, closed September 2015.

  Became recall 15V483000.

• Vehicle stall/loss motive power

  Preliminary evaluation, opened July 2009, closed November 2009.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Volkswagen filed 564 bulletins about the 2016 Eos.

• Equipment: 183
• Electrical system: 89
• Engine and engine cooling: 78
• Engine: 47
• Air bags: 42
• Power train: 18
• Structure: 11
• Equipment adaptive/mobility: 10
• Visibility: 10
• Fuel system, gasoline: 9
• Other: 67

• This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the issue: DA 0019 -… · August 2026
• Oil Consumption Measurement and Electronic Oil Consumption Measurement · August 2026
• Inquiries · July 2026
• Volkswagen Engine Oil Standards · July 2026
• Instruction, how to lubicate engine before initial start. · July 2026
• Lubricating engine components before reassembly. · July 2026
• This is a notice for software changes with the ODIS diagnostic program to correct the communication during vehicle programming function: A software fix is needed to correct the error message ERP0204E… · April 2026
• Safety Related Inquiry and Reporting · April 2026

556 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.