Honda Passport vs Volkswagen CC: which is more reliable?
The Volkswagen CC is ahead of the Honda Passport on the federal record, 76/100 against 66/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Honda Passport
- 7 model years scored
- 653 owner complaints on record
- about 22 complaints per year on the road
- 37 recall campaigns, 17 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (88/100) · worst 2019 (30/100)
Volkswagen CC
- 7 model years scored
- 604 owner complaints on record
- about 5 complaints per year on the road
- 33 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
- best year 2017 (89/100) · worst 2012 (36/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Passport against CC
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Honda Passport
- Electrical System — 168 complaints
- Forward Collision Avoidance — 166 complaints
- Engine — 121 complaints
Volkswagen CC
- Air Bags — 279 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 119 complaints
- Engine — 119 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Passport's complaints concentrate in Electrical System, the CC's in Air Bags. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Honda Passport — avoid: 2019.
Volkswagen CC — avoid: 2012.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Honda Passport prices at about $40,800 and a Volkswagen CC at about $21,800 — the Volkswagen CC is roughly $19,000 less, and they return 21.0 against 25.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Honda Passport or the Volkswagen CC more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Volkswagen CC scores 76/100 against the Honda Passport's 66/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Honda Passport and Volkswagen CC years should I avoid?
Honda Passport: 2019. Volkswagen CC: 2012. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Honda Passport and the Volkswagen CC?
The largest complaint group on the Honda Passport is Electrical System (168 complaints); on the Volkswagen CC it is Air Bags (279).
Is the Honda Passport or the Volkswagen CC cheaper to own?
A recent used Honda Passport prices at about $40,800 and a Volkswagen CC at about $21,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.