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USCar Trader import service
Choose a specific vehicle. Where data is available, its detail page shows the import cost calculation. We assess any possible duty benefit with you before purchase.
Important: A 0% EU import-duty rate may be available for a vehicle covered by Regulation (EU) 2026/1455 that has US origin and is imported directly into the EU. CETA may apply to a vehicle with preferential Canadian origin. Whether the requirements are met is assessed for the individual case. Please contact us before purchase; we review the possible duty benefit and provide non-binding support through the process. Import VAT and other costs are assessed separately.
CarHub · Volkswagen
The Passat is a genuinely interesting import because the American version is not the same car sold in Europe.
Model profile
Older US Passats (B5, B5.5 and the B6) were European or Mexican-built cars shared closely with the global model. The turning point came in 2011 for the 2012 model year, when VW launched the NMS (New Midsize Sedan), a purpose-built American Passat assembled in Chattanooga. It received a facelift for 2016 and continued, with updates, until the sedan was retired in the US after 2022.
Powertrain and equipment
Early US cars offered the 2.0 TDI diesel (EA189), the 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol, and a 3.6-litre VR6. The diesel was withdrawn after the emissions scandal.
The American Passat was sold only as a four-door sedan (no wagon, unlike Europe). Trims ran from S and SE through SEL and SEL Premium, with the sporty R-Line appearance package on later cars.
Vehicle selection
Passats are plentiful on the US used market because they sold in real volume. Typical candidates are 2012-2022 sedans with average mileage, often former single-owner family cars.
The assessment depends on the specific vehicle and the circumstances of the transaction. Please contact USCar Trader before purchase; we review any possible duty benefit and provide non-binding support. Import VAT and other costs are considered separately.
Vehicle data
| Body style | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): Midsize sedan, 4-door |
|---|---|
| Length | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): approx. 4.87 m |
| Kerb weight | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): approx. 1,490-1,610 kg |
| Seating | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): 5 |
| Petrol engines | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): 1.8 EA888 turbo / 2.0 EA888 turbo / 2.5 five-cyl / 3.6 VR6 |
|---|---|
| 1.8T output | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): approx. 125 kW / 170 hp |
| VR6 output | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): approx. 206 kW / 280 hp |
| Transmission | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): 6-speed automatic / DSG |
| Drivetrain | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): Front-wheel drive |
| Fuel | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): Petrol (or diesel on early cars) |
| Fuel tank | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): approx. 70 litres |
| Generation | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): NMS (2012-2022), earlier B5-B6 imports |
|---|---|
| Diesel | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): 2.0 TDI (EA189, pre-2015) |
| Assembly | Detail (US-market Passat NMS): Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA (NMS) |
Values are reproduced verbatim from the existing article table. The documents for the specific vehicle govern.
Pre-purchase review
For the Volkswagen Passat, the agreed inspection plan focuses in particular on a cold start only where access is authorised, visible leaks, maintenance records and exhaust-aftertreatment components. USCar Trader can document these points through a separately commissioned on-site inspection; inaccessible areas or unauthorised road tests are explicitly recorded as unchecked.
Germany and Europe
The American Passat is physically a different car from the European Passat: bigger cabin, softer suspension tuning, simpler rear axle on some versions, and no wagon or 4Motion.
Typical work includes converting the headlights to an EU beam pattern, fitting a rear fog lamp, verifying the odometer, and confirming tyres and lighting.
USCar Trader services
As a buyer based in Germany, you do not have to inspect the vehicle yourself in the United States or Canada. Within the agreed scope, USCar Trader can coordinate document review, a separately commissioned on-site inspection and purchase processing.
Covered inspection points are agreed in advance. An on-site inspection records condition at the appointment and is not a guarantee.
Next step: Before commissioning, USCar Trader and the customer agree which document, history, inspection and transaction checks suit the vehicle and are included in the service. This records what was actually checked.
Import process
The assessment depends on the specific vehicle and the circumstances of the transaction. Please contact USCar Trader before purchase; we review any possible duty benefit and provide non-binding support. Import VAT and other costs are considered separately.
Questions and answers
No, not automatically. A 0% EU import-duty rate may be available for a vehicle covered by Regulation (EU) 2026/1455 that has US origin and is imported directly into the EU. CETA may apply to a vehicle with preferential Canadian origin. Whether the requirements are met is assessed for the individual case. Please contact USCar Trader before purchase; we review the possible duty benefit and provide non-binding support. Import VAT and other costs are assessed separately.
No. From 2012 the US car is the larger NMS model, built in Tennessee and sold only as a sedan without 4Motion.
The 1.8 and 2.0 EA888 turbos are the sensible all-rounders; the VR6 is smoother but rarer and thirstier.
The pre-2015 2.0 TDI carries emissions-scandal history and regulatory baggage; most importers focus on the petrol cars.
Import VAT and other taxes or costs are assessed separately under the applicable rules and the circumstances of the individual case. A blanket answer for every vehicle would not be reliable.
Very available. The model sold in large numbers, so you can be selective about history and condition.
Timing-chain tensioners, carbon build-up, DSG fluid service and worn suspension bushings top the list.
Mainly lighting conversion, a rear fog lamp, odometer verification and the individual technical inspection.
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