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2011 Volkswagen Cc
Buyable, but go in with open eyes: this car has specific known issues to check before money changes hands.
86 owner complaints · 4 recalls · data verified July 25, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Buy-rated alternatives from this era
Other 2009–2013 cars in the same rough price bracket with a clean, matured Buy verdict, worth cross-shopping before you commit to the 2011 Volkswagen Cc.
Why caution?
4 recall campaigns (4 safety-critical). Confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the seller's VIN.
Airbags problems dominate (37% of complaints).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.
Complaint reports have faded. Early issues appear resolved or aged out.
Score breakdown, by factor
Full methodology →#258 of 467Among the 2011 models with a matured record, the 2011 Volkswagen Cc ranks #258, scoring higher than 7% of them. See the 2011 ranking →
Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.
3 open NHTSA defect investigations on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2011 Volkswagen Cc, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Airbags (32) · Engine (26) · Fuel system (19) · Electrical system (7)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint. Treat them as a rough guide.
Airbags
37%32 complaints
“TAKATA RECALL AND MORE. I DONT KWN THE VEHICLE ANY LONGER, HAD UNTIL OCTOBER 2P16. I DONT BELIEVE WE WERE EVER MADE AWARE OF ANY OF THE SEEMKNGLY SERIOUS RECALLS WITH …”
Engine
30%26 complaints
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN CC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO O…”
Fuel system
22%19 complaints
“I RECEIVED A RECALL FOR MY FUEL PUMP. I WENT AND GOT THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED. NOW THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAS BEEN REPLACED, MY CAR IS NOT STARTING, SHAKING AT RED LIGHTS, T…”
Steering
15%13 complaints · typically near 50k mi
“EVERY TIME ONCE THE COLD WEATHER HITS THE CAR WONT START AND I GET A STEERING COLUMN DEFECTIVE NOTICE ON THE DASH. I HAVE TO PULL OUT THE KEY WAIT A FEW SECONDS AND TR…”
Check it against this car’s mileage
Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.
We can place 1 of this model's commonly reported problem areas against a mileage. Nothing is stored.
Read all 86 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 3 crash/fire/injury reports →
Recalls (4)
Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.
Air Bags · 18V148000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Fuel System, Gasoline · 17V509000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2016 Volkswagen CC, 2006-2010 Passat and Passat Wagon vehicles. Interruption of electrical power to the fuel pump control module may cause the fuel pump to fail.
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump control module, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AE.
Air Bags · 16V078000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags · 15V483000
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Volkswagen CC, and Passat, 2010-2013 Eos, 2011-2014 Golf, GTI, Jetta, and Tiguan, and 2012-2014 Jetta Sportwagen vehicles. In the affected vehicles, debris may contaminate the air bag clock spring, a spiral wound, flat cable that keeps the air bag powered while the steering wheel is being turned. This contamination may tear the cable and result in a loss of electrical connection to the driver's frontal air bag.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Questions to ask the seller
Questions worth asking the seller of this Volkswagen before you buy, drawn from its public record:
- NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2011 Volkswagen Cc. Can you run this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm each one shows "Remedy Completed"?
- Owners of this model report airbags problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any airbags symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Owners of this model report engine problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any engine symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
- How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
- Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?
Before you hand over money
Verify the recall work was done
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2011 Volkswagen CC beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2011? See how every Cc model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2011 Volkswagen Cc against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.