1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

NO ABNORMAL EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE, JUST A NORMAL COMMUTE ON RESIDENTIAL ROAD AT ABOUT 30 MPH. THE FAILURE WAS INDICATED BY THREE LOUD ELECTRONIC BEEPS AND THE APPEARANCE OF THE "ABS" LIGHT (STEADY) AND "BRAKES" LIGHT (BLINKING) ON THE INSTRUMENTAL CLUSTER. CONSEQUENCE OF FAILURE IS LOSS OF ABS OPERATION. NO REPAIR EFFECTED AS YET, DIAGNOSIS SHOWS FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC ABS MODULE. *NM

ABS COMPUTER UNIT FAILED. WENT OUT INTERMITTENTLY AT FIRST, THEN STOPPED FUNCTIONING ALTOGETHER. ABS NO LONGER WORKS. ODB-II COMMUNICATION FAILURE, PROHIBITS SMOG CHECK HAS NOT BEEN FIXED YET.

I OWN A '99 VW PASSAT GLS AND HAVE ALSO HAD THE PROBLEM WITH THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. I GET A SOLID DASHBOARD ABS WARNING LIGHT AND BLINKING DASHBOARD BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WHEN I START THE CAR. BOTH LIGHTS STAY ON AND THE BLINKING LIGHT CAUSED MY CAR TO FAIL INSPECTION. I'VE DONE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF SUCH COMPLAINS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THIS IS A $1500 - $4000 REPAIR, ACCORDING TO THE VARIOUS DEALER ESTIMATES I'VE READ. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND WELL-DOCUMENTED MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. MY VW SERVICE CENTER ACKNOWLEDGED THEY KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM AND HOW MUCH TO CHARGE FOR IT (~$2400), BUT BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE I HAVE NOT REPAIRED IT YET. PLEASE TAKE ACTION! BOTH THE ABS SYSTEM AND IGNITION SYSTEM USE BOSCH PARTS, WHICH HAVE DOCUMENTED FAILURES. THIS SHOULD BE A NHTSA RECALL ITEM!!! MORE INFO CAN BE FOUND NOT JUST AT BENTLEY, BUT ALSO THIS SITE: HTTP://WWW.MYCARSTATS.COM/CONSOLE.ASP. *JB

WHEN GETTING IN TO MY 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT THE SEAT BASE CAME LOOSE AND TIPPED ME AND THE SEAT BACK AGAINST THE BACK SEAT. THERE HAD BEEN NO PREVIOUS WARNING WITH THE SEAT SHIFTING WHILE DRIVING OR ANY CREAKING NOISES. LUCKILY I WASN'T DRIVING WHEN THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE I COULD HAVE EASILY CRASHED WITH THE SEVERE RECLINE OF THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL VW DEALERSHIP WHO LOOKED AT THE PROBLEM AND ASKED IF I'D EVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE SEAT BREAKAGE. "NO" WAS MY RESPONSE. THEIR BILL FOR A REPLACEMENT WAS FOR OVER $800 SO I CALLED VWOA AND SPOKE WITH ONE OF THEIR CUSTOMER CARE PERSONNEL ABOUT THE HIGH PRICE AND IF THEY'D HELP WITH ANY OF THE COST EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THEIR RESPONSE WAS "NO". THE CAR WAS REPAIRED OUT OF MY OWN POCKET AND A NEWER MODEL SEAT BASE WAS INSTALLED THAT WAS OF AN OBVIOUS REDESIGN. (I GUESS THEY THOUGHT THE OLD ONE WAS INFERIOR BUT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE TO LET ANYONE KNOW ABOUT.) *NM

FAILURE OF BOSCH ABS 5.3 CONTROLLER LEADING TO WARNING TONES AND LIGHTS AND LOSS OF TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS FUNCTIONS, A DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD. THIS IS A WIDELY REPORTED PROBLEM AS VW AND AUDI CARS GET OLDER DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE BOSCH HYBRID MODULE. SINCE THE CARS ARE OUT OF WARRANTY, VW AND AUDI ARE NOT COVERING REPAIRS WHICH COST $1400 OR MORE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL 99V248000 CONCERNING TIE RODS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THERE WAS 21,604 MILES ON THE CAR THEN. SHE TOOK VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE CONTACT'S SERVICE SLIP DID NOT SHOW ANY REPAIRS. SHE WAS REALLY NOT SURE WHAT WAS DONE CONCERNING THE RECALL. ABOUT 3-4 WEEKS AGO, SHE HEARD A RUBBING, SCREECHING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IN ANY DIRECTION. HAD THE FRONT TIE RODS REPLACED ON 8-30-05. THE MANUFACTURER TOLD THE CONTACT THAT THEY HAD MADE A DECISION NOT TO REIMBURSE HER FOR THE COST OF THIS REPAIR BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE ON VEHICLE, WHICH HA 74,000 MILES ON IT. THE CONTACT STATED THE CAR HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED. *AK

ON 9/7/05 IN THE AM, I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE HERZOG-MEIER DEALERSHIP IN BEAVERTON, OREGON TO BE SERVICED FOR A RADIATOR ISSUE. AROUND 2 PM IN THE AFTERNOON, I RECEIVED A VOICE MESSAGE FROM THE SERVICE REP AT THE DEALERSHIP INDICATING THAT IN ADDITION TO THE ISSUE I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR, THE MECHANIC HAD INDICATED THE FRONT TIE-RODS WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED. I LEFT A MESSAGE WITH THE SERVICE REP BACK TO GET MORE INFORMATION. IN THE INTERIM, I RESEARCHED AND FOUND MY VEHICLE HAD A RECALL FOR TIE-RODS, INDICATED AS YOU CAMPAIGN ID NUMBERS OF 99V248000 AND 00V414000. I CONTACTED VW CUSTOMER CARE REGARDING THIS ISSUE. VW CUSTOMER CARE WOULD ONLY TELL ME THERE WAS "NO OUTSTANDING RECALLS". WHEN I WAS ABLE TO TALK WITH THE SERVICE REP, HE TOLD ME THESE RECALLS HAD BEEN PERFORMED BACK ON 3/13/01. I CONTACTED VW CUSTOMER CARE TO ASK THEM TO RE-REPAIR THESE TIE-RODS BECAUSE THE PARTS INSTALLED FROM THE RECALL HAD FAILED. VW HAS SAID THEY WOULD ONLY REPAIR THE TIE-RODS THE 1 TIME AND FELT NO OBLIGATION TO REPAIR AGAIN. THE REASON FOR MY COMPLAINT IS THE PARTS INSTALLED AFTER THE RECALL HAVE FAILED. NOW I AM BEING ASKED TO PAY $500 OUT OF MY OWN POCKET TO FIX. ADDITIONALLY, VW HAS NO RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OR MAINTENANCE FOR TIE-RODS LISTED ON THEIR WEBSITE OR IN MY OWNERS MANUAL FOR MY VEHICLE. *NM

99 VW PASSAT. ABS BRAKE LIGHTS FLASH INTERMITTENTLY. IT SEEMS THE ABS MODULE NEEDS REPLACEMENT AT 1500+ AFTER SOME RESEARCH IT APPEARS THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB

REGARDING A CAMPAIGN NUMBER 00V414000 FOR THE STEERING LINKAGES ON THE 99 VW PASSAT. I REQUESTED THE DEALER TO CHECK MY VEHICLE FOR THE RECALL DUE TO THE FACT IT HAS DAMAGED TIE RODS. THE MANUFACTURE CLAIMS MY VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE CAMPAIGN BUT THE DEALER HAS INSTRUCTED ME TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL BUT THE MANUFACTURE REFUSES TO ASSIST. WHAT CAN I DO ? *NM

1) ABS/BRAKE LIGHT WARNING CAME ON WHILE DRIVING 20 TO 30 MPH 2) ABS FAILURE 3) REPLACE THE ABS MODULE