2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

WHILE I WAS DRIVING, MY INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTING FLASHING THE "ABS" LIGHT AND BEEPING LOUDLY, THE INFORMATION PANEL DISPLAYED "BRAKE FAULT", THEN "STOP" IN LARGE LETTERS. I CHECKED MY BRAKES AND THEY STILL WORKED. THEN THE BEEPING AND DISPLAY MESSAGES STOPPED, AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT IN 98-01 VOLKSWAGEN PASSATS. THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES STILL WORK, BUT THE ABS MAY FAIL TO ACTIVATE IN A PANIC STOP. THE COST TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONICS IS $876, AND THE NEW UNIT IS NOT AS PRONE TO FAILURE AS THE ORIGINAL. *TR

MY 2001 PASSAT IS HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS. THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT BLINK AND THERE ARE 3 BEEPS. THE SCREEN ON THE DASH SAYS BRAKE FAILURE AND SERVICE MANUAL. NOW RIGHT NOW IF SOMETHING WHERE TO HAPPEN TO MY ACTUAL BRAKES I WOULD NOT KNOW AND I BELIEVE THAT COULD BE SERIOUS. I HAVE READ MANY SITES AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING. ALSO, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING STALLING PROBLEMS DUE TO THE ABS MODULE. VW HAS SAID THAT IT WILL COST AROUND $1500. I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE $1500 TO JUST GO OUT AND SPEND NOR DO I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO DUE TO THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE ON THIS PROBLEM. HERE IS A FORUM WEBSITE THAT I HAVE FOUND A LOT OF MY INFORMATION FROM HTTP://WWW.PASSATWORLD.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=127734. ALSO, YOU CAN CHECK AROUND THAT WEBSITE AND FIND MORE. *JB

WHEN DRIVING MY CAR, THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS BLINK. THERE IS ABOUT 3 BEEPS AND THE SCREEN ON DASH SAYS BRAKE FAILURE SEE SERVICE MANUAL. HAVE TAKEN IT TO VW DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAY THAT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE OR PUMP IS BAD. AFTER LOOKING OVER THE INTERNET FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A NATION WIDE PROBLEM AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO FILE A COMPLAINT HERE. VW DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THAT IT WILL COST ANYWHERE FROM 1500 TO 200 DOLLARS. NOW MY CAR IS HAVING STALLING PROBLEMS AS WELL AS THE SPEEDOMETER IS ALL OUT OF WACK. I HAVE CONNECTED IT TO THE INFAMOUS VAG-COM AND THE ONLY PROBLEM THAT COMES UP IS THE ABS NOT COMMUNICATING OR SOMETHING OF THE SORT. I DON'T HAVE 2000 DOLLARS TO SHELL OUT AND DON'T FEEL AS IF I HAVE TO IF THIS IS AS BIG AS A PROBLEM AS I HAVE FOUND IT TO BE. HERE IS A LINK TO JUST ONE OF THE SITE THAT HAS LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THIS TO BE TRUE HTTP://WWW.PASSATWORLD.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=127734. YOU CAN ALSO JUST DO A SEARCH ON THE FORUM SITE TO FIND MORE PROBLEMS. *JB

TOOK CAR FOR STATE INSPECTION. MECHANIC FOUND BOTH LEFT AN RIGHT UPPER BALL JOINTS AND BOTH TIE RODS DEFECTIVE AT 53,000 MILES. *AK

ENGINE SLUDGE IN ENGINE LEADING TO FAILURE OF THE OIL PUMP AND THE TURBO. IN ADDITION, ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS ,AND TIE-RODS REPLACED , AND EVEN NOW THERE WERE STILL PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THESE WERE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH MANY PASSAT OWNERS. I STILL RECALL THE MAJOR ISSUE / RECALL OVER THE IGNITION COIL FAILURES AND HOW VW OF AMERICA DENIED THERE EVER WAS A PROBLEM. THE ENTIRE CAR SHOULD BE DECLARED A LEMON !!!! THE OIL PUMP FAILURE LEADING TO FAILURES OF THE TURBO, AND SEIZURE OF THE ENGINE SHOULD BE PROOF ENOUGH THAT THIS CAR HAS TOO MANY MAJOR PROBLEMS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED . *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE 2001 VOLKSWAGEN NEW PASSAT DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT DURING A CRASH. WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 40 MPH ON A COLD DRY DAY, ANOTHER VEHICLE RAN A RED LIGHT AND SHE HIT ANOTHER HEAD ON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED, BUT NO ONE WAS SITTING ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, BUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. THE CONTACT HAD POLICE AND INSURANCE REPORTS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE BOTH 85,580 . *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT TOOK THE 2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT TO A DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. ALL 8 TIE RODS AND THE ONE LINK ARM WERE SHOWING EXCESSIVE WEAR. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SO THE REPAIR WOULD BE AT CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE BOTH 79200.*AK THE RIGHT OUTER CV BOOT WAS TORN AND THE LEFT OUTER TIE ROD END WAS WORN. THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 03/30/07. *JB

I HAVE A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT AND THE CHECK OIL PRESSURE STOP ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON YESTERDAY. THE OIL LEVEL IS FINE. WE HAD AN OIL CHANGE THE DAY BEFORE. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP. THIS COMES THREE MONTHS AFTER WE HAD TO SEND IT TO VOLKSWAGEN TO HAVE A COOLING PROBLEM WORKED ON WHICH COST OVER 3,000. THEY WERE TOLD TO FIX ANYTHING THAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. *NM

I HAVE A 2001 VW PASSAT THAT I PURCHASED A 18 MONTHS AGO. THE CAR WAS A CERTIFIED VW AND HAD A WARRANTY EXTENDED TILL 74,000 MILES. AT 70,000 MILES WHILE DRIVING I HAD THE STOP LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT COME ON- IT WAS TIME FOR AN OIL CHANGE SO I TOOK IT IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND FOR THE DEALER TO FIND THE PROBLEM. NO ISSUE WAS FOUND. NOW AT 75,500 MILES THE LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN- THIS TIME MORE ISSUES. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY TO FIND THAT ALL MY OIL WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE CAR. TOWED VEHICLE TO CLOSEST VW DEALER AS I WAS 120 MILES AWAY FROM HOME. DEALER INFORMS ME THAT THE CAMSHAFT ADJUSTERS WERE LEAKING OIL BADLY AND THE COST TO FIX IS $2,600. - CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP AND HOPEFULLY NO MORE PROBLEMS WILL BE FOUND. 1,500 MI OUTSIDE WARRANTY AND VW CAN DO NOTHING TO HELP LOWER THE EXPENSE- EVEN THOUGH I HAD A ISSUE W/ LOW OIL WHILE WITHIN MY WARRANTY PERIOD. *JB

WITH JUST ABOUT 70000 MILES ON THE VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT, THE ENGINE STARTED LEAKING OIL FROM 4 AREAS: CAM SEALS, VALVE GASKETS AND SOME LEAKS ON TOP OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE OILS LEAKED ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER CAUSING TOXIC FUMES. THE PROBLEM RECURS CONSISTENTLY EVEN AFTER FIXING IT. THE VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2001 MODEL IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WITH SUCH RUDIMENTARY ENGINE PROBLEMS AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE DEATH. THERE IS NO CLEAR DOCUMENTATION ON WHAT PARTS ARE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AVAILABLE TO THE CUSTOMER. WITH THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP 30 MILES AWAY, IT BECOMES EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER EVERYTIME THIS HAPPENS JUST TO CHECK IF THE PARTS WILL BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND IT COSTS NEARLY $3000 TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS. *NM