1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

ABS LIGHT COMES ON AND BRAKE LIGHT BLINKS. ABS ELECTRONIC MODULE FAILURE - DISCOVERED PROBLEM AT PASSATWORLD.COM. *JB

CAR CLUNKED AND RATTLED OVER SMALL BUMPS, AND FELT FLOATY AND WANDERING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. DEALER REPORTED THAT UPPER FRONT CONTROL ARMS WERE BAD. SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH VWS AND AUDI'S. *JB

AT ABOUT 80,000 MILES ABS & BRAKE LIGHTS BEGAN FLASHING. TOOK IN FOR SERVICE AS INDICATED IN OWNER'S MANUAL. SERVICE TECH ADVISED IT WAS ABS INSTRUMENT CLUSTER -- EXPENSIVE REPAIR. WAS TOLD BRAKES WERE OK AND I SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THEM OPERATING PROPERLY. I WAIVED REPAIR BASED ON THIS INFORMATION. IT IS NOW A MONTH LATER AND THE LIGHTS ARE ON CONTINUOUSLY. TOOK CAR IN FOR STATE INSPECTION. NOW TOLD CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION DUE TO POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH BRAKES! HUH? I'VE BEEN DRIVING CAR FOR OVER A MONTH THINKING THERE WAS NO DANGER. SERVICE TECHS WILL NOW NOT CONFIRM PROBLEM IS WITH ABS INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. MUST DO ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTIC AT $80/HR. WAS INFORMED THEY COULD PASS CAR INSPECTION IF THEY COULD GET LIGHTS TO GO OFF LONG ENOUGH FOR THEM TO PERFORM INSPECTION (WINK WINK). IS THIS A SAFETY HAZARD OR NOT??? I NOW HAVE 15 DAYS TO GET REPAIR DONE IN ORDER TO PASS INSPECTION. I'M NO TECH BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE A FAULTY PART THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF BUT NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT. ADD TO THAT, THERE IS NO CLEAR DIRECTION ON WHETHER THIS IS A DANGER OR NOT. I'M GUESSING SINCE CARS WON'T PASS INSPECTION, IT IS. *NM

ABS WARNING LIGHT PLUS OIL AND BRAKE LIGHTS FLASH, TACHOMETER GOES TO ZERO. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

1 - I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 VW PASSAT WITH 97,630 MILES ON JULY 28, 2006 WHEN IT SEEMED TO LOSE POWER AND THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" CAME ON. I PULLED OVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO CHECK OIL, FLUIDS, DAMAGE, ETC BUT COULD FIND NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. 2 - A DAY LATER, THE EXHAUST STARTED TO MAKE A CONTINUOUSLY LOUD NOISE AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NOW FLUCTUATES UP AND DOWN AUTOMATICALLY WITHOUT ANY ACTION FROM ME. IT APPEARS LIKE A CIRCUIT BOARD OR ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WENT BAD. 3 - THE "ABS / BRAKE" LIGHTS CAME ON AND STARTED BLINKING AT THIS TIME AS WELL. 4 - MY DEALER SAID THE MODULES GO BAD AND IT IS NOT UNDER ANY WARRANTY, SO THE ESTIMATE WAS AROUND $850 TO FIX. I CALLED VW'S NATIONAL CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY WARRANTY OR RECALL NOTICES THAT COULD HELP. *JB

THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY PEOPLE, AND VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD OWN UP TO IT. WATER IS GETTING INTO MY CAR THROUGH SOMETHING UNDER THE HOOD AND SOAKING MY CARPETS. IT HAS FRIED MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AS WELL AS MANY OTHERS. THE COMFORT CONTROL MODULE NEEDS REPLACING AS WELL AS THE CORRODED WIRES. THE ESTIMATED COST IS ABOVE $2000. *NM

THE FAILURE OF LOWER CONTROL ARM HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNING, DURING NORMAL DRIVING ON THE CITY ROAD WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN (APPROXIMATELY AT 5 MPH SPEED). RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARM SHEARED IN TWO PIECES, LEAVING A FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL COMPLETELY SEPARATED. IF THIS SHOULD HAPPENED ON ANY HIGHER HIGHER SPEED, CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE DEADLY. I RESEARCHED THIS SAFETY HAZARD AND FOUND THAT VW ISSUED A SERVICE ACTION FOR THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ON 1999 PASSAT. HOWEVER, VW SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED ME THAT THE SERVICE ACTION DOES NOT COVER MY VEHICLE. VW'S EXPLANATION WAS THAT IT ONLY COVERS PARTS FROM CERTAIN SUPPLIER (ACCORDING TO REPRESENTATIVE, VW USED TWO DIFFERENT SUPPLIERS FOR THE LOWER CONTROL ARM). I BELIEVE THAT LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS A DEFECTIVE PART, AS THIS TYPE OF FAILURE COULD NOT BE A RESULT OF NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE TO REPLACE LOWER CONTROL ARM, DRIVE SHAFT AND WHEEL LINER (AND, POSSIBLY SOME OTHER PARTS WHICH WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE CONTROL ARM FAILURE) AT MY EXPENSE. I BELIEVE, VW SHOULD COVER AT LEAST SOME OF THE EXPENSE, AS IT HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF A FACTORY DEFECT. *NM

WHILE DRIVING MY 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT, THE DRIVER'S SEAT SLID BACKWARDS AND BECAME COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE FRAME. FOR A MOMENT I COULD NOT REACH THE PEDALS OR THE STEERING WHEEL. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO RETAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR AND STOP IT SAFELY. IT SEEMS THE ENTIRE SEAT IS SECURED TO THE CAR WITH TWO SCREWS WHICH HAD COME LOOSE. AFTER RE-ATTACHING THE SEAT, I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY COULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I BELIEVE THEY APPLIED SOME LOCK-TIGHT TO THE SCREWS, BUT THAT WAS IT. *JB

JUST BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF MY 100,000-MILE, 6-YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY AT 99,938 MILES (AND 23 DAYS BEFORE THE END OF 6 YEARS) I TOOK MY 1999 1.8L TURBO VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT (B5) TO THE DEALERSHIP. I REQUESTED THAT THEY PERFORM THE 100,000-MILE SERVICE AND TO THOROUGHLY CHECK THE CAR FOR ANY REPAIRS THAT MAY BE REQUIRED SINCE IT WOULD SOON BE OUT-OF-WARRANTY. FIVE WEEKS AND 3000 MILES LATER (AND OUT OF WARRANTY) I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN ON TWO OCCASIONS MY ABS AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS TURNED ON AND THREE BEEPS SOUNDED (THE FIRST INSTANCE OCCURRED AT 103,085 MILES). BOTH TIMES THE WARNING LIGHTS WENT OFF WITHIN SECONDS. UPON RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS RELATED TO A FAILED ABS CONTROL MODULE, APPARENTLY A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH IT SINCE IT FAILS PREMATURELY. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, IT WILL COST BETWEEN $1800 AND $2400 FOR THEM TO REPAIR THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. THIS IS THE SECOND LARGE ITEM FAILURE WITHIN FIVE WEEKS AND 3000 MILES OF MY WARRANTY EXPIRATION (THE FIRST WAS A FAILED TIMING BELT AND TENSIONER). IT APPEARS TO ME THAT VOLKSWAGEN HAS INSTITUTED PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE INTO THEIR PRODUCTS! I AM ALSO VERY UPSET THAT BOTH OF THESE FAILURES ARE WELL DOCUMENTED AND SHOULD BE KNOWN BY BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND VOLKSWAGEN AND COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT. *JB