1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

ABS MODULE FAILED AT 80,000 MILES AND WAS REPLACED. FRONT AND REAR UPPER CONTROL ARMS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT SAME TIME. CURRENTLY, REAR WINDOW IS FALLING INTO DOOR (83,000 MILES). THIS IS A PRE-OWNED AUTOMOBILE.

CONSUMER REQUESTED INCLUSION IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN 99V248000 FOR THE 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED*** *MR THE TIE RODS ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENEGER SIDES OF THE VEHICLE WERE A PROBLEM. *SC

ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE - MODULE FAILED AT ROUGHLY 80,000 MILES. MANNY, MANY, MANY SILIMAR COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE.

I OWN A 1999 VW PASSAT WAGON. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME RECALLS ABOUT THE FRONT END. I DID HAVE IT CHECKED AT LEAST TWICE BY MY DEALER WHO SAID EVERYTHING WAS OK. AS I WAS NEARING MY HOME TODAY AT ABOUT 25 MPH THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SUDDENLY COLLAPSED UPWARD INTO THE WHEEL WELL AND THE CAR STARTED SKIDDING ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FRAME OFF TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. BECAUSE I WAS GOING RATHER SLOW I WAS ABLE TO CORRECT IT AND STOP IT BEFORE IT WENT OFF THE ROAD. IF I HAD BEEN GOING 65-70 NEXT TO OTHER CARS ON THE INTERSTATE OR EVEN 40 ON A TWO LANE AROUND TOWN I'M SURE THINGS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN QUITE SO BENIGN AND WE (MY FAMILY AND I) MAY ALL HAVE BEEN INJURED OR WORSE! WHEN THE WRECKER LIFTED IT THE DRIVER AND I BOTH LOOKED AT THE A ARM AND THE ENDS WERE CRACKED OR SHEARED OFF. I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING BEFORE IT HAPPENED, AND DID NOT HIT ANYTHING WHILE I HAVE HAD THE CAR. EVEN IF I HAD IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE INSPECTION BY THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE FOUND IT. THIS SEEMS LIKE A MANUFACTURERER PROBLEM AND IT IS WAY TOO SERIOUS TO SAY THEY WEREN'T RESPONSIBLE. THERE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN A DEATH CONNECTED WITH THE FRONT WHEEL COLLAPSING WHEN YOU CONSIDER LOST OF CONTROL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS!

THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY '99 PASSAT BUT SUDDENLY THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS STARTED TO COME ON. THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT THEY NEED TO CHANGE THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WHICH WILL COST $3500. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE PASSAT MODELS.

AT 50K MILES THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DEALER DIAGNOSED IT AS PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE CONTROL MODULE WHICH COST ME $ 1500 IN REPAIRS.

I OWN A 1999 VW PASSAT WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. MANY AUDI AND VW MODELS MANUFACTURED STARTING IN THE LATER '90S AND CONTINUING TO PRESENT (INCLUDING MINE), USE THE BOSCH 5.3 ABS CONTROLLER, WHICH IS PRONE TO CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, OSTENSIBLY DUE TO DEFECTIVE DESIGN. THIS MODULE CONTROLS MULTIPLE BRAKE-RELATED FUNCTIONS INCLUDING THE ABS WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR WINTER DRIVING, BUT THE MOST CRITICAL FUNCTION OF THIS MODULE IS PROBABLY THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE FORCE DISTRIBUTION, OR EBD. THESE VEHICLES ARE DESIGNED SUCH THAT IF THE EBD IS INOPERATIVE, THE PROPORTION OF HYDRAULIC FORCE APPLIED TO THE REAR BRAKES DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING IS AS GREAT AS IT IS DURING MODERATE BRAKING EFFORT WHEN THERE IS MINIMAL TRANSFER OF VEHICLE WEIGHT TO THE FRONT WHEELS. THE EBD IS SUPPOSED TO ADJUST THE FRONT/REAR BRAKING DISTRIBUTION DYNAMICALLY ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF THE DECELERATION, SO THAT THE REAR WHEELS WILL NOT LOCK UP DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING. IF THIS MODULE SHOULD FAIL DURING EMERGENCY BRAKING ON DRY PAVEMENT, THE REAR WHEELS COULD LOCK UP AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WHICH COULD EASILY INCLUDE FATALITIES. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR OWNERS, COSTING ROUGHLY $2000, AND MANY OWNERS HAVE PROBABLY PUT OFF THE REPAIR INDEFINITELY. THE VW COMPANY HAS PROVIDED ABSOLUTELY NO ASSISTANCE IN HELPING OWNERS DESPITE KNOWING OF HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF THESE TYPES OF FAILURES AS EARLY AS 30K MILES. SERVICES THAT CHARGE ~$300.00 TO REBUILD THE FAILED ABS MODULE ARE UNRELIABLE AND CAUSE DRIVERS TO WORK ON THEIR CARS WITH NO MECHANICAL SENSE BECAUSE OF THEIR DESPERATION. EVIDENCE WHICH CAN BE FOUND THROUGH A SIMPLE WEB SEARCH, SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD, AND THAT IF IT HAS NOT ALREADY LED TO SERIOUS ACCIDENTS, IT IS ONLY A QUESTION OF TIME. THIS PROBLEM IS GENUINE, AND VW/AUDI SHOULD BE COMPELLED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE CORRECTIVE ACTION.

THE ABS MODULE ON MY 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT FAILED. THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON OCCURRENCE AS I'VE FOUND ON VW CHAT BOARDS, CONVERSATION WITH OTHER VW OWNERS, AND COMMENTS FROM VW REPAIR SHOPS. NOT ONLY DOES THIS VEHICLE PART HAVE A PROPENSITY TO FAIL, IT IS MORE COSTLY THAN MOST VEHICLE PARTS. THE DOLLAR FIGURE TO REPLACE THIS PART PLACES IT OUT OF REACH FOR MOST PEOPLE, RESULTING IN MANY VEHICLES OPERATING WITH A FAULTY ABS SYSTEM RATHER THAN SPEND THE MONEY TO FIX THE ITEM. WHILE MORE AFTERMARKET VEHICLE PARTS CAN BE REMANUFACTURED, THIS PARTICULAR PIECE IS NOT CURRENTLY BEING OFFERED AS A REMANUFACTURED ITEM. THIS IS MOST LIKELY BECAUSE OF; 1) THE PROPENSITY FOR THE ITEM TO FAIL AND 2) THE COST OF THE ITEM TO REPLACE. BASICALLY, MANY FEEL THAT THE MANUFACTURER AND LIKELY THE VEHICLE DEALER MAKE A GREAT DEAL OF PROFIT FROM THIS NECESSARY ITEM. DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS SAFETY FEATURE, THAT BEING A WORKING ABS SYSTEM, I BELIEVE THAT THIS ITEM SHOULD BE REVIEWED FOR MANDATORY RECALL AND REPLACEMENT BY THE MANUFACTURER.

THE CONSUMER THE ABS LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE CONTROL MODULE WENT BAD. IT WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED . THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK WHEN THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON. SERVICE INVOICES ARE AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. *JB

ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COME ON AND STAYED ON FLASHING. DEALER STATED THEY HAVE SEEN MANY OF THESE FAILURES AND MUST REPLACE THE ABS CONTROL UNIT AT A COST OF $900.00. CHECKING WITH OTHER OWNERS ON WWW.PASSATWORLD.COM/FORUMS, THIS IS APPARENTLY A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND CAN OCCUR AT ANY MILEAGE. IN MY CASE, MY CAR HAS 92K ON IT, AND IS A 1999 MY. BUT OTHERS WITH NEWER MY CARS AND MUCH LOWER MILEAGE ARE ALSO REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE.*AK