1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HAVE BEEN MAKING A LOT OF NOISE FOR SOME TIME NOW. WAS TOLD IT WASNT A SAFETY CONCERN YET, JUST ANNOYING BECAUSE OF THE NOISE. CALLED VW AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD DO NOTHING EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE DOCUMENTED MANY ISSUES WITH THE CONTROL ARMS AND TIE RODS. *NM

ABS LIGHT STARTED TO LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FOR ABOUT TWO DAYS AND IS NOW ON CONSTANTLY. BRAKING CHARACTERISTICS HAVE NOTICEABLY CHANGED AND RANDOMLY PULSE AT TIMES. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED FAILURE IN VW PASSATS AT AROUND 75K MILES. *JB

THE DRIVER'S SIDE TURN SIGNAL ASSEMBLY IN THE CONSUMER'S 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT FELL OFF. *NM THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. THE CONSUMER HAD THE HEADLIGHT BULB ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE REPLACED ON 12/19/05 AND BELIEVES THE MECHANIC MAY HAVE LOOSENED THE TURN SIGNAL ASSEMBLY. *NM

SAME AS PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS: ABS WARNING LIGHT FLASHES CONSTANTLY W/ ABS CHIME SOUNDING CONSTANTLY EACH TIME THE CAR STARTS. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS THE ABS MODULE AND THAT IT HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN PROBLEMATIC IN A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THESE CARS. IN MY OPINION, VW NEEDS TO STAND BY THERE PRODUCT IN THIS CASE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LAMPS DID NOT ILLUMINATE WHILE DRIVING, AND THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP. AFTER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, THE DEALER CONCLUDED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS THE PROBLEM AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEALERSHIP CAN NOT PERFORM ANY REMEDY TO THE VEHICLE WITHOUT A CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 4/19/2006 - *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS, BRAKE AND OIL LAMPS INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE ABS MODULE NEEDS REPLACED ALTHOUGH THE REPAIR WAS NOT MADE.

THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED IN OUR 1999 PASSAT WAGON WITH ONLY 70K MILES. IT FAILED WHEN MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE COST OF THE REPAIR WAS ALSO EXTREME. *JB

THE ABS AND THE BRAKE LIGHT IS GOING ON. DEALER TOLD ME THE PROBLEM IS THE ABS CONTROL UNIT. THE COST IS >$1700. *JB

FAILURE OF ABS MODULE ON 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. MY ABS LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AT AROUND 60,000 MILES. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED ABS MODULE. THE COST TO FIX THE PROBLEM WAS ESTIMATED TO BE $1,500. FOR THE PART ALONE!!! THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY FAIL ALL THE TIME AND THAT MANY PEOPLE DO NOT FIX THEM. I DID NOT WANT TO MAKE A FURTHER INVESTMENT IN THE CAR SO I LET IT GO. THE CAR WAS SUBSEQUENTLY INSPECTED BY THE DEALER IN STATE INSPECTION AND PASSED. NOW, A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER, I AM TOLD THAT THEY WILL NOT PASS CARS WITH ABS LIGHTS. I AM AWARE OF WEBSITES (MYVWLEMON; BENTLEY; AND PASSATWORLD FORUM) THAT CHRONICLE MANY ISSUES WITH THE ABS MODULE ON PASSATS. IT SEEMS TO BE COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THE ABS MODULE MANUFACTURED BY BOSCH IS DEFECTIVE AND A COTTAGE INDUSTRY HAS ARISEN OF MANUFACTURERS OF THESE PARTS. SOME EVEN REBUILD THEM AS THE DEFECT IS KNOWN. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE AT THE LOCAL INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, THE MECHANIC FOUND THE RIGHT FRONT TIE ROD AND CONTROL ARM NEEDED REPLACED. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 99V248000, CONCERNING THE STEERING RODS AND RELAYS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED.