1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

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

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

ABS/ BRAKE LIGHT ARE ON, CHIMES SOUND WHEN VEHICLE IS TURNED ON AND WON'T TURN OFF. *TR

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

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

MY ABS LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COMES ON FOLLOWED BY THE BRAKE LIGHT FLASHING> UPON RESEARCHING THIS ON SEVERAL VARIOUS FORUMS ON THE NET. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMONLY DEFECTIVE PART ON SEVERAL MODEL YEARS FROM 98-01. THE OLDEST POSTING I FOUND WAS DONE IN 2000 AND THE VEHICLE WAS A 99. FROM RESEARCHING THIS IT APPEARS EVEN VW DEALERS ARE UNABLE TO GET CORRECT PROBLEM CODES ON THIS ISSUE. I SAW POSTINGS FROM MANY OWNERS STATING THEY WERE TOLD EVERYTHING FROM ABS MODULES NEEDING REPLACED TO INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS TO WIRING ISSUES. IT APPEARS NO ONE IS ABSOLUTELY SURE WHAT THE ISSUE IS AS SOME OWNERS AFTER THE DEALER RECOMMEND REPLACEMENTS DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. IN THE SHORT TIME I LOOKED INTO THIS I FEEL THAT VW SHOULD BE WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO RESOLVE IT. I SAW LITERALLY YEARS WORTH OF POSTINGS A ON THIS ISSUE ON BENTLEY PUBLISHERS WEBSITE. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR THINGS THAT DID NOT DO ANY RESEARCH ON IT. *TR

ABS CONTROLLER FAILED. MODULE SCAN SHOWED: 01203 - ELECTRICAL CONNECTION BETWEEN ABS AND INSTRUMENT CLUSTER 03-10 - NO SIGNAL - INTERMITTENT. *JB

STEERING: CONTROL ARMS. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED WITH APPROX 34K MILES. SERVICE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED BY OWNER AND/OR INDEPENDENT REPAIR. AT APPROXIMATELY 50K OWNER WAS NOTIFIED BY INDEPENDENT REPAIR SERVICE THAT BOTH UPPER CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. OWNER CHOSE NOT TO DO THE REPAIR AT THAT TIME. DURING 2005 OWNER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM VOLKSWAGEN ABOUT A RECALL ON THE AFFECTED PART(S). TWO LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIPS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE BUT DENIED TO DO THE WORK UNDER THE RECALL NOTIFICATION. BOTH GAVE JUSTIFICATION THAT BECAUSE THE OWNER COULD NOT DOCUMENT SERVICE CHECKS AT THE RECOMMENDED FACTORY INTERVALS THE VOLKSWAGEN COMPANY WOULD NOT PAY FOR PARTS OR SERVICE. OWNER CALLED THE VOLKSWAGEN COMPANY DIRECTLY AND A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE VERIFIED THE POLICY. OWNER HAS SINCE REPLACED ONE CONTROL ART, HOWEVER THE OTHER SIDE ALSO NEEDS REPAIR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING NOISE WHILE DRIVING 3 MPH IN REVERSE. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SLAMMED TO THE GROUND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND A LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED THE LOWER RIGHT CONTROL ARM. THE CONTACT HAS THE FAILED COMPONENT ALONG WITH PICTURES. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PERFORM THE REPAIR FOR FREE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 197,000.

VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1998 DASHBOARD INDICATED THAT THE ABS BRAKES FAILED. REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR WAS ESTIMATED AT APPROX $1,000. *AK