1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

DT: WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS A JERKING OF THE CAR AS IF THE TIRE WAS FLAT. PULLED OVER , INSPECTED THE VEHICLE FOR A FLAT AND NONE WAS FOUND. CONSUMER GOT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE MALFUNCTION ENGINE LIGHT WAS BLINKING. AT THIS POINT CONSUMER CONTINUED TO DRIVE DOWN THE SERVICE ROAD OF THE HIGHWAY OF ABOUT 15 MPH. THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF SOMETHING BURNING, NO SMOKE WAS SEEN. THIS SMELL WAS LIKE BURNED RUBBER. CONSUMER CALLED VOLKSWAGEN, AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT IF THE MALFUNCTION ENGINE"LIGHT WAS BLINKING TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY. AFTER PULLING OVER, CONSUMER CALLED TOW TRUCK. TOW TRUCK ARRIVED , INSPECTED UNDER THE HOOD AND DISCOVERED THERE WAS FIRE FROM UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE ITSELF. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TRIED TO EXTINGUISH FIRE WITH WATER AND LATER A FIRE EXTINGUISHER-THIS DID NOT PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO BE CALLED.,IN THE MEANTIME THE FIRE GREW LARGER. AT THAT TIME, FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND PUT FIRE OUT. FIRE CREW NOTED THIS WAS MOST LIKELY AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, PERHAPS DUE TO THE INTENSITY OF THE HEAT FROM SUMMER AND A MIX OF ELECTRICAL WIRING STARTED THE FIRE. THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO AN INSURANCE COMPANY LOT FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. CURRENTLY, THE CONSUMER DID NOT KNOW WHY THIS H HAPPENED. THE VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY SERVICED AND MAINTAINED. THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 60,500 MILES. THE WAS THE FIRST PROBLEM EXPERIENCED WITH THIS VEHICLE. *AK

THE ABS BRAKE CONTROL UNIT OF MY 1999 PASSAT HAS FAILED. DEALER QUOTES COST IN EXCESS OF $1000. TO REPLACE A PART THAT COSTS LESS THAN $100 TO MANUFACTURE. I FOUND A CAR FORUM WHERE MANY, MANY PEOPLE TALK OF THIS BOSH PART AS FAILING IN THEIR PASSATS AND AUDIS. *AK

WHILE I WAS DRIVING, I HEAR THREE BEEPS, THE ABS LIGHT TURNS ON AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT BLINKS. NOW IT HAPPENS EVERYTIME AFTER ABOUT FIVE MINUTES OF DRIVING. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WHERE THE ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILS. I HAVE ALREADY FIXED THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS RECURRING. *JB

THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC EVENTS LEADING TO THE FAILURE BESIDES REGULAR USE OF THE VEHICLE PASSAT 1999. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT PERIODICALLY HAS COME ON AND LENGTHENED IN DURATION UNTIL IT STAYED ON PERMANENTLY. THE BRAKING IS STILL NORMAL, BUT THE ABS CONTROL UNIT IS RECOMMENDED TO BE REPLACED BY THE DEALER. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE ABS CONTROL. ALSO, THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER WENT OUT ON MY PASSAT 1999. I WAS DRIVING ON A FREEWAY WHEN THE CAR JUST CUT OUT. I COASTED IT OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THIS PART WAS REDESIGNED ON LATER MODELS BECAUSE OF ITS TENDENCY TO FAIL. I HAD TO REDO ALL OF MY RODS. I STILL HAVE THE OLD PART IN MY POSSESSION. *NM

I AM ONE A LARGE AND GROWING NUMBER OF PERSONS WITH VOLKSWAGEN'S AND AUDI'S WHO HAVE ABS (AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEMS) THAT HAVE STOPPED WORKING AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN ONLY 40,000 - 50,000 MILES. THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEMS CAN BE DISCERNED BY A WEB DISCUSSION GROUP DEVOTED TO PEOPLE WITH THIS SOLE PROBLEM (BENTLEY PUBLISHERS AT HTTP://TECH.BENTLEYPUBLISHERS.COM/THREAD.JSPA?FORUMNAME=VOLKSWAGEN.B.B5&THREADID=6316 ). WITH THIS MANY PEOPLE HAVING FOUND THE WEBSITE, ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE LARGE QUANTITY OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS SNAFU. OUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT VW/AUDI APPEARS TO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. LATELY, SEVERAL PERSONS HAVE SAID THAT THE PROBLEM IS GENERALLY BEING CAUSED BY THE ELECTRICAL UNIT IN THE ABS MODULE. YET AT THIS POINT, VW AND AUDI ARE HAVING USERS REPLACE THE ENTIRE UNIT. THIS COST IS PROHIBITIVE FOR MANY OF US ($2600 IN MY CASE). IN THE MEANTIME, MANY OF US ARE HAVING TO DRIVE WITH FAULTY ABS SYSTEMS, WITH RESULTANT SAFETY PROBLEMS: FOR ME, THE ABS PROBLEM CAUSES THE BRAKES TO GO ON AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES. THE BRAKES ON MY CAR GRAB AND ACTIVATE UNEXPECTEDLY DURING THE FIRST SEVERAL MINUTES OF DRIVING AFTER MY CAR HAS SAT OVERNIGHT. OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS TOO. I FEAR THAT THIS MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THIS PROBLEM ON MY CAR SEEMS TO BE GROWING WORSE. THE MORE OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD IS THAT ALL OF THESE CARS LACK THE ABS DURING CRUCIAL TIMES OF DRIVING ON ICY OR WET PAVEMENT. AGAIN, THIS PROBLEM IS AGGRAVATED WHEN THE ABS GOES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY, WITHOUT THE DRIVER'S KNOWLEDGE (SINCE IN MANY CASES, THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS REMAIN ON THROUGHOUT). AT THIS POINT, I'M FEARFUL WHENEVER I DRIVE MY CAR. *NM

I PURCHASED A NEW 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT FROM THE DEALER IN 10/99. APPROX 2 YEARS AGO THE INTERIOR ROOF STARTED LEAKING THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE WHEN IT RAINED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIR, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE WELLS WERE CLOGGED. APPROX 1 YEAR LATER I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND WAS TOLD THE WELLS WERE CLOGGING AGAIN. I REPAIRED IT AGAIN. JULY 05 THE DOOR LOCKS STARTED CYCLING WHILE I WAS DRIVING, THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD COME ON WHILE DRIVING, THE TRUNK WOULD OPEN WHILE DRIVING, THE LIGHTS WOULD FLASH PERIODICALLY WHILE PARKED AND I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE REMOTE TO OPEN/LOCK THE DOORS OR ACTIVATE THE ALARM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DIAGNOSIS IS THAT THE COMFORT CONTROL MODULE UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT IS CORRODED. WATER HAS BEEN POOLING THERE WHEN IT RAINS. THE DEALER OF PURCHASE & REPAIR IS AWARE THAT THERE IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH THAT VEHICLE MODEL FOR THAT YEAR AND THE NEXT FEW YEARS. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR FOR LABOR & PARTS IS APPROX $500.00. VOLKSWAGON'S CUSTOMER SERVICE AT THIS POINT IS NOT WILLING TO FINANCIALLY ASSIST IN REPAIR. I HAVE ALREADY SPENT $700.00 FOR THIS REPAIR AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *JB

PETITION (2CYS) FOR EXTENSION OF THE VOLKSWAGEN (VW) RECALL ON PASSAT VEHICLES FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE TIE RODS TO COVER HER VEHICLE A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT WAGON.*MR (99V248000) *JB

COMPLETE FAILURE OF ABS CONTROL MODULE ON A 99 VW PASSAT WAGON WITH 99,000 MILES. CAR REVERTED BACK TO REGULAR BRAKING SYSTEM...NO ABS. *NM

THE ABS, BRAKE AND OIL LIGHT ALL COME ON (OIL WILL FLASH) WITH SPORADIC IRREGULARITIES IN THE TACHOMETER. THE TACHOMETER WILL SOMETIMES DROP TO ZERO. ALL THIS HAPPENS WITH 3 DISTINCT BEEPS WHENEVER I USE THE BRAKES. COLDER TEMPERATURES CAN LESSEN THE OCCURRENCE OF THE PROBLEMS. DEALERSHIP SERVICE SAYS THAT THE ABS MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $3600. I HAVE NOT YET APPROVED THE REPAIR ON THE CAR. *NM

LOWER CONTROL ARMS RECALL VM. WANTED TO CHARGE ME 325.00 FOR THE RECALL. VW DEALERHIP SAID THE RECALL WAS NOT VALID UNLESS 40K SERVICE WAS PERFORMED. DO NOT SEE THE CORRELATION WITH HAVING SOME FILTERS AND FLUIDS CHANGED (40K SERVICE) WITH A SUSPENSION RECALL. PRIOR TO 40K I HAD CVS CHANGED AND HAD FILTERS AND FLUIDS CHANGED. MY CAR HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH IT AND WAS WORKED ON BY VW DEALERSHIP OVER 20 TIMES BETWEEN 32-49K. I WAS TOLD THE 40K SERVICE WAS NOT NEEDED BECAUSE OF WORK DONE AT 36K. WAS TOLD $240.00 ON 40K SERVICE CHECK WAS NOT NEEDED BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS WORK AND WAS OVER PRICED NOT NOT SMART TO DO. IF THERE IS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE CAR, AND THEIR IS A RECALL, THE OWNER SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. IF THEIR WAS DECENT LOGIC FOR ME PAYING FOR THIS RECALL I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT, BUT I CANNOT FIND IT. IT JUST SEEMS A LOOP HOLE FOR ME TO PAY FOR THE MANUFACTURER'S POOR WORKMANSHIP. THIS LOOP HOLE SHOULD BE CLOSED, THERE IS A LOT OF EXCEPTIONS TO WHY 40K WAS NOT PERFORMED.