1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

CLUNKING NOISES HEARD WHEN TRANSMISSION IS IN GEAR AND MOVING FORWARD-NOT HEARD IN REVERSE. CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO ANY FORWARD GEARS, IT WOULD ONLY SHIFT IN REVERSE. *BF THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE HAD BEEN DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIRE. *NM THE UNIT SITS BENEATH THE PASSENGER SEAT OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS COMPLETELY SUBMERGED IN WATER DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE SUNROOF DRAINS WHICH CAUSED RAIN WATER TO COLLECT AND POOL INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. *TC *JB

FRONT UPPER CONTROL ARM DISINTEGRATED . AS A RESULT THE WHEELS BECOME LOOSE. *AK

UPPER CONTROL ARM PROBLEM---WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT AROUND A CURVE WOULD HEAR A RATTLING NOISE. MY MECHANIC SAID BOTH UPPER CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CAR HAS 53000 MILES ON IT. REPAIR COST ME $1000.00. I HAVE THE BILL SPECIFYING THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED ALONG WITH PART NUMBERS.*AK

CONTROL ARMS ON MY 99 VW PASSAT HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE NOW.....THEY ARE EXPENSIVE ($650+) AND OBVIOUSLY POORLY ENGINEERED AS OTHERS HAVE HAD TE SAME PROBLEMS. *AK

MY 1998 PASSAT'S ABS LIGHT IS INTERMITTENTLY COMING ON AND OFF. MY MECHANIC HAS VERIFIED THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ABS PUMP ITSELF, THERE IS JUST A PROBLEM WITH THE SENSOR. THE WEB IS FULL OF THE SAME COMPLAINT RE: VW PASSATS SPANNING MANY YEARS. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS SENSORS ON THESE CARS. THEY NEED TO DO A RECALL. *JB

OUR OIL LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. KEPT TAKING IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND SAID WAS FINE. NO ONE COULD TELL US WHY OIL LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. THEN RECEIVED A LETTER FROM VW OF AMERICA STATING THERE WAS OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. WILL NOT FIX CAR W/OUT OIL RECEIPTS. CAN NOT DRIVE CAR W/OUT GETTING OIL SLUDGE PROB. FIXED BECAUSE IT CAN DAMAGE ENGINE.*JB

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE IN LEFT LANE ON THE HIGHWAY. AT 65 MPH, ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING AND ENGINE POWER DROPPED OUT. ENGINE STALLED COMPLETELY - I HAD TO PULL OVER THROUGH TRAFFIC LANES TO COME TO A STOP IN THE BREAKDOWN LANE OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT THE AID OF POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES, BOTH OF WHICH WERE DISABLED ONCE THE ENGINE CUT OUT. ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART - AFTER 30 MINUTES AND SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, GOT ENGINE TO START AND IDLE WAS EXTREMELY ROUGH - DROVE CAR DOWN THE STREET AND BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FAILURE OF THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE (BOSCH PART NUMBER 4D0 905 351). REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART RESTORED THE ENGINE TO NORMAL FUNCTION. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE REPLACED THIS EXACT SAME PART. THIS PART HAD BEEN REPLACED APPROXIMATELY 24 MONTH EARLIER.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING AND CAR IDLE BECAME EXTREMELY ROUGH - HAD TO DRIVE HOME FROM HIGHWAY USING REDUCED POWER - ENGINE WOULD ONLY WORK WHEN DRIVEN AT SPECIFIC RPM. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES OF EXTREMELY ROUGH RUNNING, CAR ENGINE WOULD NOT START AT ALL. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE, BOSCH PART NUMBER 4D0 905 351 FAILED. PART WAS REPLACED AND ENGINE BEGAN WORKING AGAIN. CAR WAS NOT SAFELY DRIVEABLE WHEN THIS PART HAD FAILED.*AK

FRONT SUSPENSION CREAKS CONSTANTLY WHILE DRIVING CAR. THIS APPEARS TO BE COMMON COMPLAINT BY OTHER OWNERS, BUT VOLKSWAGEN (VW) UNWILLING TO ADMIT THAT PARTS ARE WEARING TOO SOON. CREAKING STARTED AT ABOUT 45,000 MILES. FROM OTHER POSTINGS IT APPEARS THAT THIS WILL COST ME AT LEAST $1,000 TO REPAIR. I AM AFRAID TO TAKE CAR THE VW FOR REPAIRS, BECAUSE OF HIGH COST. I HOPE THIS PROBLEM IS NOT DANGEROUS.*AK

ABS & BRAKE LIGHT CONTINUE TO FLASH. IT STARTED AS ONE BRIEF INCIDENT AND NOW HAPPENS EVERYTIME I AM IN MY CAR. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WILL RUN SOMEWHERE IN THE BALLPARK OF $1500. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A POORLY MANUFACTURED DEVICE AND SHOULD BE REPLACED BY VOLKSWAGEN. WE ARE ALL HAZARDS ON THE ROAD. *JB