Volkswagen Passat Complaints (1998)

331 consumer complaints on file.

#11033311October 13, 2017
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, STEERING
THE TIMING CHAIN SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE AND THEY KNOW IT. WHY DIDN'T THEY INFORM ME OF THIS.MAYBE BECAUSE THEY HAVE HANDS FULL WITH THE EMISSION CHEATING SCANDAL. OR IF THEY DID THEM THEY WOULD BE LIABLE FOR ALL THE COMPLAINTS BEFORE. PLEASE PUTVOUTCA RECALL. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS !!!!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11030747October 1, 2017
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
DRIVING BACK HOME FROM STORE AND CAR JUST DIED OUT THAN SMELT LIKE GAS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10615211July 22, 2014
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
CABIN SMELLS LIKE FUMES FOR STARTERS AN GAS GAUGE IS OFF CAR SAYS IT HAS QUARTER OF A TANK AN THAN I RUN OUT OF GAS ALMOST HAD A ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS ! ALSO CAR HAS TONS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IF IT SITS FOR MORE THAN THREE DAYS BATTERY DIES BUT MY MAIN CONCERN IS MY FUEL GAUGE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10373962January 3, 2011
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
ABS MODULE APPEARS TO BE FAULTY. ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT REMAIN ON/FLASHING. LOSS OF ABS COULD CAUSE COLLISION, DEALER WANTS $1000+ FOR THE PART AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE IT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10355489September 14, 2010
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FIRE IN RUBBER BOOT HOUSING BETWEEN LEFT REAR DOOR AND CAR FRAME. PRECEDING EVENTS, LEFT REAR DOOR SPEAKER WAS NOT FUNCTIONING, LEFT REAR WINDOW FUNCTIONED SOMETIMES. DOOR WAS CLOSED AFTER RETURNING HOME AND PARKING GARAGE. ARCING WAS HEARD AND SMOKE CAME FROM DOOR. OWNER REMOVED MANY FUSES FROM DRIVERS SIDE FUSE PANEL AND THEN REMOVED CONNECTIONS TO MAIN BATTERY. DOOR PANEL COVER WAS REMOVED AND BOOT REMOVED TO FIND HOUSING ON 5 OF THE 8 WIRES BURNT AND MOST OF THE WIRE BURNT THROUGH THE WIRE. PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10255095January 14, 2009
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
THE ABS LIGHT STAYS ON, THE BRAKE LIGHT FLASHES, THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT COMES ON AND THE TACHOMETER GOES TO 0 AND STOPS WORKING EVEN THOUGH I AM ACCELERATING. THE CONTROL MODULE WAS THE CULPRIT AND IT WOULD COST $1450.00 AND THERE WAS NO USED PART AVAILABLE AND IT IS A DEALER ONLY PART. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10255101January 14, 2009
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, PARKING BRAKE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON,FOLLOWED BY THE BRAKE LIGHT BLINKING THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT COMES ON AND THE TACHOMETER GOES TO 0 AND STOPS WORKING EVEN THOUGH I AM ACCELERATING. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE IT CAN BE RESEARCHED ON HTTP://TECH.BENTLEYPUBLISHERS.COM/THREAD.JSPA?THREADID=2447&TSTART=0. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10246538October 23, 2008
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
ABS MODULE FAILURE. WAS DRIVING SHORTLY AFTER HAVING FRONT END WORK DONE AND LIGHT WHEN ON. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. BRAKING IS AFFECTED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10246458October 22, 2008
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
ABS MODULE IN OPERATIVE ABS SYSTEM. *TR
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10244177October 1, 2008
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
THE ABS MODULE IN MY 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1.8T HAS GONE BAD. THIS FAULT CAME WITHOUT NOTICE OF ANY SYMPTOMS AND COMPLETELY UNPROVOKED. THE WARNING LAMP AND TONE APPEAR EVERY TIME I START THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MANY INDEPENDENT VOLKSWAGEN MECHANICS AND MANY PASSAT OWNERS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10243345September 24, 2008
SUSPENSION:FRONT
THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON MY 1998 VW PASSAT ARE DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC. VW REFUSES TO REPLACE THEM EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THESE PARTS. THE REASONING IS THAT: - I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR THE RECALL AT THEIR DEALER IN 2005 AND AT THE TIME THE PARTS SEEMED OK. - AT THIS TIME, THEIR DEALER HAS REINSPECTED THE CAR. THE VW DEALER THINKS THAT BOTH LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARMS ON THE CAR NEED REPLACEMENT. HOWEVER THE PARTS ARE NOT ABOUT TO FAIL AND THE CAR IS STILL DRIVABLE AND THUS VW WILL NOT PAY FOR THEIR REPLACEMENT. MY MECHANIC STATES THAT THE CAR NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THE CAR IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION. PLEASE ADVISE WHETHER VW IS RESPONSIBLE UNDER THE "REVISED-VM (40G3) - DECEMBER 2004" RECALL CAMPAIGN TO FIX THESE. THANKS *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10243246September 23, 2008
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
AS AN OEM SAFETY FEATURE, NOW I BELIEVE REQUIRED, THE ABS CONTROL MODULE ON MY 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT, HAS FAILED, LEAVING THIS FEATURE INOPERATIVE. LUCKILY FOR MY SELF THIS HAS NOT BECOME A BURDEN OR CAUSED INJURY, BUT I'M SURE THAT OTHERS ARE NOT AS LUCKY AS I HAVE BEEN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10243130September 22, 2008
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
MY ABS COMPUTER FAILED ON MY 1998 V6 PASSAT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS DEFECTIVE PART. IT IS DANGEROUS AND CAUSES IRREGULAR BRAKING AND FLASHING DASHBOARD LIGHTS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10242691September 17, 2008
SUSPENSION
NOISE FROM LEFT SIDE CONTROL ARM OF A 1998 VW PASSAT 1.8T. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10240189August 29, 2008
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
MY 1998 VW PASSAT GLX BEGAN EXHIBITING A FLASHING/BEEPING RED LIGHT TO INDICATE A FAILURE IN THE ABS SYSTEM. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE, IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THIS FAILURE IS FAIRLY COMMON ON 1998-2001 PASSATS, BUT NO ACTION HAS EVER BEEN TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAD THE ABS MODULE REBUILT AND DID THE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION WORK MYSELF; THE RESULT WAS $220 OUT OF POCKET. HOWEVER, MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOUGHT DEALERSHIP SERVICE WORK FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM HAVE SPENT WELL IN EXCESS OF $1,000. GIVEN THE APPARENT FAILURE RATE OF THIS MODULE AND THE FACT THAT IT IS A CORE SAFETY FEATURE OF THE CAR, IT IS MY OPINION THAT IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR RECALL (INCLUDING COMPENSATION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY MADE THE REPAIR). THANK YOU. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10238666August 18, 2008
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
ABS/ BRAKE LIGHT ARE ON, CHIMES SOUND WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED ON AND WON'T TURN OFF. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10237631August 11, 2008
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
ABS COMPUTER FAILURE 98 VW PASSAT... COMPLETE ABSFAILURE ALL THE TIME. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10237521August 9, 2008
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
ABS BRAKES CEASED TO FUNCTION AFTER APPROX 60K MILES. BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE TO FIX (DEALER QUOTED $2400, INDIE MECHS ABOUT $1400), THEY REMAIN NON-FUNCTIONAL (MY CAR IS NOW 95K MILES). *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10236957August 5, 2008
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
ABS/ BRAKE LIGHT ARE ON AND 3 CHIMES SOUND WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED ON. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10204329September 28, 2007
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY OPENS AND CLOSES WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN IT OPENS, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IT CLOSED WITH THE SWITCH AS IT NEVER RETURNS TO A PREDICTABLE POSITION BASED ON THE MARKINGS ON THE SWITCH. ONCE OPEN, IT MAY CLOSE ITSELF AT RANDOMLY AND UNPREDICTABLY. WHEN IT IS OPEN, I'M AFRAID TO GET MY HAND NEAR IT FOR FEAR IT WILL CLOSE AND PINCH ME. IT HAS ALSO SPONTANEOUSLY OPENED DURING RAINSTORMS WHICH CAUSES ME TO DIVERT MY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE IT. THE RAIN ENTERING MY CAR WHILE IT HAPPENS IS ALSO A MAJOR DISTRACTION. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT UNIQUE TO JUST MY CAR. NEARLY EVERYONE I KNOW WITH A 98 OR 99 PASSAT HAS THIS PROBLEM. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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