Volkswagen Passat Complaints (1999)

664 consumer complaints on file.

#10119667May 3, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
THE CONSUMER THE ABS LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE CONTROL MODULE WENT BAD. IT WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED . THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK WHEN THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON. SERVICE INVOICES ARE AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10118725April 29, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COME ON AND STAYED ON FLASHING. DEALER STATED THEY HAVE SEEN MANY OF THESE FAILURES AND MUST REPLACE THE ABS CONTROL UNIT AT A COST OF $900.00. CHECKING WITH OTHER OWNERS ON WWW.PASSATWORLD.COM/FORUMS, THIS IS APPARENTLY A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND CAN OCCUR AT ANY MILEAGE. IN MY CASE, MY CAR HAS 92K ON IT, AND IS A 1999 MY. BUT OTHERS WITH NEWER MY CARS AND MUCH LOWER MILEAGE ARE ALSO REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10118519April 26, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:ABS WARNING LIGHT, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS, INTERIOR LIGHTING
ABS WARNING LIGHT COMING ON. BRAKE LIGHT COMING ON. PRESSURE LIGHT COMING ON AND CHIMES OCCUR.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10118521April 26, 2005
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE OIL LEAK. DEALER REPAIR SERVICE INDICATED THAT CAM TENSIONER AND CAM SEALS NEED TO BE REPLACED.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10118212April 21, 2005
SUSPENSION, STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
I AM HAVING THE KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON MY VW PASSAT. VOLKSWAGEN SO FAR WILL ONLY COVER THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS IF THEY FAIL OR APPEAR DAMAGED. MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS THAT ARE NOT COVERED. THE STEERING TIE ROD ENDS ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED. THESE TIE ROD ENDS APPEAR TO BE FAILING AT A VERY HIGH RATE IN VW PASSATS. I AM HAVING THIS REPLACED AT A VERY HIGH COST. VOLKSWAGENS MUST BE TOO EXPENSIVE TO MAINTAIN. IT WAS MY MISTAKE WAS TAKING THIS ISSUE TO A VW DEALERSHIP. I ASSUMED VW WOULD BE ABLE TO WORK WITH ME. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10118104April 19, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
I HAVE OWNED MY VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS. ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO ABS WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I CHECKED TO SEE IF THE ABS STILL WERE WORKING, AND IT WAS NOT. THE WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON AND OFF FOR THE NEXT MONTH OR SO, BUT IS NOW ON WHENEVER I TURN THE CAR ON. I CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND THEY IMMEDIATLY KNEW WHAT I WAS CALLING ABOUT. IT SEEMD AS THOUGH THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE PRICE TO GET IT FIXED THROUGH THE DEALER WAS $1600 OR MORE. VOLKSWAGEN KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM ,BUT SAYS THAT NOTHING WILL BE DONE. CURRENTLY I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY $1600 TO HAVE THE ABS FIXED ON MY CAR THAT HAD 60,000 MILES ON IT WHEN THIS STARTED.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10117992April 17, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
I OWN A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WITH 55000 MILES ON IT. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND THE BRAKE LIGHT IS FLASHING. ON GOING TO THE DEALER, I AM TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THE ABS UNIT AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHICH WILL COST $1900. *AK THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, HE HAS HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. VW SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PART AND NOT HAVE CUSTOMERS PAY FOR ITS DEFECTIVE PARTS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10117937April 15, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ABS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, AND RED BRAKE WARNING LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING, INDICATING ABS MODULE FAILURE.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10116854April 13, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
I OWN A 1999 PASSAT 1.8T GLS. THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT STARTED COMING ON TOGETHER INTERMITTENTLY AT AROUND 58,000 MILES. DEALER SERVICE DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS FAULTY ABS UNIT, COST $1400 TOTAL INSTALLED. I HAVE NOT HAD THE UNIT REPLACED YET. THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF THESE DEFECTIVE UNITS ON THE ROAD TODAY, WHY HASN'T NHTSA PRESSURED VW TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL? THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND CRASHES ARE IMMINENT.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10116616April 8, 2005
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
I HAVE A 1999 VW PASSAT, 1.8L TURBO. I RECEIVED A SERVICE ACTION FROM VW RELATED TO A LOWER CONTROL ARM ISSUE AND TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER LOOKED AT IT FIVE WEEKS AGO AND TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT DESPITE THE CREAKING AND GROANING I'M GETTING IN THE SUSPENION. I TOOK IT IN TODAY BECAUSE THE CREAKING AN GROANING HAVE GOTTEN WORSE AND THE SERVICE GUY AT THE DEALER IS TELLING ME THAT BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THEY QUOTED ME $1400. HE TOLD ME THAT LOWER CONTROL ARMS FAIL OVER TIME DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR, AGE AND WEAR. THIS SOUNDS LIKE AN ENGINEERING FAILURE ON THE PART OF VW. I'M WAITING TO FIND OUT WHETHER THIS IS SAFETY RELATED, THE SERVICE GUY IS GOING TO CALL ME BACK. I'VE BEEN LOOKING ONLINE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT A COMPLAINT SHOULD BE LODGED, SO THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING HERE. I SHOULDN'T BE HAVING SUSPENSION ISSUES AT 70,000 MILES.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10116548April 7, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ABS MODULE FAILURE. WAS SUDDEN/NO WARNING. ELECTRONIC PORTION NEEDS REPLACEMENT. RE: SAN ANTONIO TX DEALER. FAILURE OCCURED W/LESS THAN 55K MILES ON VEHICLE. WAS TOLD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM W/THIS VEHICLE.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10116124March 30, 2005
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM, SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM, SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER ARM, SUSPENSION:FRONT
NORMAL USE OF '99 VW PASSAT WITH AN ODOMETER READING OF 99,650 LEAD TO THE FAILURE OF RONT CONTORL ARMS AND TIE ROD ENDS. REPLACEMENT CONTROL ARM SET WITH TIE RODS RETAILS FOR $1,700. PURCHASED A SET FOR $495 AND AN ADDITIONAL $198.75 IN LABOR. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10115770March 24, 2005
STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
VEHICLE GOES TO THE RIGHT AND THERE IS A NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE. DEALER STATES THE TIE ROD IS DEFECTIVE.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10114116March 15, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
1. ABS & BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS APPEAR - NO OBVIOUS EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE. 2. I DRIVE CAREFULLY TO THE DEALER SHOP DURING A SNOW STORM - CAREFUL NOT TO APPLY THE BRAKES TOO STRONGLY. NO ACCIDENT OCCURED - BUT DANGER OF ACCIDENT DEFINITELY INCREASED. 3. DEALER DETERMINES THE PROBLEM IS THE ABS PUMP. DUE TO SAFETY ISSUE, I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE ABS REPLACED AT MY COST OF AT LEAST $1200 . *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10113897March 10, 2005
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
OIL PUMP FAILURE DUE TO SLUDGE. MANUFACTURER'S FAILURE TO HONOR WARRANTY. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10113899March 10, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
MY 1999 VW PASSAT, HAS A ABS CONTROL UNIT FAILURE. THE PART # IS 8E0 614 111B. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I NOTICE THAT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH VW. IF THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM WHY HAVE THEY NOT BEEN RECALLED. I ALSO NOTICE THAT THE NEWER MODELS ARE NOW INSTALLED WITH A NEWER PART, IS THIS BECAUSE VW WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM? *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10112394March 2, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
ABS BRAKE LIGHT- I TOOK MY CAR TO A VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP TO SEE WHY THIS LIGHT IS ON AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT IT COULD BE A MODULE, AND IT IS NOT COVERED BY WARRENTY, AND IT WOULD COST ABOUT $1300.00 TO REPLACE. SO I DID SOME RESEARCH AND IN MY RESEARCH I LEARNED THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. I DID A SEARCH ON GOOGLE AND FOUND AT LEAST 200 COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. MY BRAKES DONT WORK IN DAMP WEATHER.. THEY BECOME VERY HARD TO PUSH.. AND MY BRAKES ARE NEW I HAD THEM REPLACES ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO AND THE LIGHT WAS ON BACK THEN.. THAT IS WHY I HAD THEM REPLACED, IN HOPES THAT WAS THE PROBLEM.. BUT IF YOU DO A SEARCH ON GOOGLE YOU WILL FIND THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF STORIES AND SAFETY CONCERNS. I ALSO CONTACTED CORPORATE VOLKSWAGEN AND THEY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRENTY AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO, THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT MYSELF.*AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10112338March 1, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
FAILURE OF ANTI-LOCK BRAKE MODULE ON 1999 VW PASSAT 1.8T. NO CRASH/DAMAGE/INJURY (YET). STARTED 1/05, CONTINUES. COMMON DEFECT, CERTAINLY SAFETY RELATED. VW UNINTERESTED IN CORRECTING PROBLEM. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10112366March 1, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:ABS WARNING LIGHT
I HAVE A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GLS - I AM DRIVING AT RANDOM SPEED. CHIME COMES ON BLASTING. ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND STAY ON. BRAKE LIGHT FLASHES (SAME BRAKE LIGHT AS WHEN E-BRAKE IS ENGAGED) CHIME KEEPS GOING. ALL GOES AWAY AFTER ABOUT 20 SECONDS OF DRIVING. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10110465February 13, 2005
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
I A 1999 VW PASSAT GLS 1.8T. I HAVE EXPERIENCED AN INTERMITTENT ABS WARNING LIGHT ISSUE SINCE MID DECEMBER 2004. WHEN IT FIRST CAME ON I PROMPTLY TOOK THE CAR TO MY REGULAR/LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP (POWER VOLKSWAGON, TORRANCE, CA) WHO REPORTED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM, AND SAID THEY RESET THE SYSTEM. WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON AGAIN AND I RETURNED IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THIS TIME THEY KEPT IT FOR A FEW DAYS TO TRY TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AND REPORTED THAT THEY HAD IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A WIRING PROBLEM AND RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ABS WIRING TO THE SENSORS (COST UNDER $500). AFTER GETTING THE VEHICLE BACK THE LIGHT WAS AGAIN ON INTERMITTENTLY (NOT AS MUCH AS BEFORE) AND THIS TIME THEY SAID THE ONLY OTHER SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE ABS CONTROL MODULE (QUOTED $1,500 PARTS AND $300 LABOR). GIVEN THE FACT THAT I HAD JUST SPENT $500 ON ABS WIRING THAT THEY SAID WAS THE PROBLEM I WASN'T ABOUT TO SPEND $2,000 WITH THEM. I STARTED MY OWN RESEARCH TO FIND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1998-2000 ABS CONTROL MODULES ON VW/AUDI VEHICLES (SEE HTTP://TECH.BENTLEYPUBLISHERS.COM/THREAD.JSPA?THREADID=2447). I ALSO TALKED WITH INDEPENDENT/GERMAN MECHANICS WHO SEEMED WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM (EVEN THOUGH MY VW DEALERSHIP SEEMED TO FEEL IT WAS A MYSTERY). AS PARENT WHOSE CHILDREN ARE REGULARLY IN THE VEHICLE I HAVE TRIED TO DETERMINE WHAT LEVEL OF SAFETY RISK (IF ANY) THIS POSES. WHEN MY WIFE INITIALLY CALLED OUR VW DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT WAS A CRITICAL PROBLEM AND THAT WE SHOULD BRING THE VEHICLE IN IMMEDIATELY. THEN WHEN THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM, IT SEEMED TO BE "DOWNGRADED" TO NEEDS FIXED BUT NOT CRITICAL. THE VW OWNER'S MANUAL SUGGESTS THAT IT IS CRITICAL AS THE LIGHT ON MAY RESULT IN UNEXPECTED BRAKING AND ONE OF THE INDEPENDENT MECHANICS I SPOKE WITH SUGGESTED HE PERSONALLY KNEW OF A CASE WHERE THE VEHICLE'S ABS ENGAGED AT A HIGH SPEED RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. I ENCOURAGE NHTSA TO ENGAGE VW IN RESOLVING THIS ISSUE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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