1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. AS A RESULT, AIR BAGS BECAME INOPERATIVE, AND WOULDN'T DEPLOY WHEN NEEDED. DEALERSHIP INSPECTED VEHYICLE AT LEAST 10 TIMES, AND LATELY DEALER CHARGED TO THE CONSUMER EVERY TIME VEHICLE HAD A PROBLEM.*AK *TC

THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. WHEN CONSUMER CHECKED THE OIL LEVEL IT WAS DOWN A QUART OF A QUART OF OIL. A QUART OF OIL WAS ADDED. OIL LIGHT COME BACK ON AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHIN SECONDS OF RESTARTING AND DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHO INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE HEAD SHUT AND WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE OF FUEL PUMP FAILURE. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT AT 58, 510 MILES THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON, A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED, BUT NO FAILURE WERE FOUND. THE DEALERSHIP COULDN'T FIND THE CAUSE OF PROBLEM, BUT CHANGED THE OIL.*AK

82290 MILES ON CAR. CAR ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT RUN. TURNING ON EMERGENCY FLASHERS, BLOWING MY HORNS AND THEN RAPIDLY EXITING THE ROAD I WAS ABLE TO AVOID GETTING REAR-ENDED. CAM BELT IS BROKEN AND THEN CAUSES ABOUT $3500 IN DAMAGE TO THE TOP-END (BEND VALVES,ETC.) OF THE CAR CAR IS CURRENT IN THE VW REPAIR SHOP AWAITING $4650 IN TOTAL TO REPLACE CAM BELT AND DAMAGED TOP END. NOTE: CAM BELT MAY HAVE BEEN STRESSED DUE TO IGNITION MODLULE FAILURE AT 80330 DOCUMENT ON 10090985.....

80330 MILES ON CAR. ENGINE LIGHT STARTING FLASHING AND ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. CAUSE WAS FAILURE OF IGNITION MODULE P/N 4D0-905-351 WITHOUT WARNING. CAUSED REDUCED ENGINE SPEED AND DANGER DRIVING TO REPAIR SHOP APPROX. 10 MILES. PARTS WERE REPLACED.....

50993 MILES ON CAR. ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLALSHING AND ENGINE IS RUNNING ROUGH: CAUSE WAS FAILURE OF IGNITION MODULE P/N 4D0-905-351 WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSED REDUCED ENGINE SPEED AND DANGER DRIVING TO REPAIR SHOP APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES. PARTS REPLACED BY VW AFTER 2(TWO) WEEKS.

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE VIBRATED . THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE TIE RODS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB THE CONSUMER WANTS THE DEALER TO FIX THE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE *TC

1.CAR WAS DUE FOR 30K MAINT. AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, CALLED DEALER, WAS TOLD APPOINTMENT UNAVAILABLE FOR TWO WEEKS. WAS TOLD CAR WAS OK TO DRIVE. 2.DAY BEFORE APPOINTMENT ENGINE SEIZED WHILE DRIVING, CAR WAS TOWED IN, DETERMINED ENGINE SEIZED DUE TO SLIPPAGE OF INTERNAL TIMING CHAIN. THIS WAS CAUSED BY TENSIONER CAM LOOSENING BECAUSE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED FROM LACK OF OIL IN THE ENGINE. OIL WAS SLUDGY AND BURNED.*AK 3.VW SERVICE MANAGER AT DEALER WAS RUDE FROM THE GET GO, VW REFUSED TO HONOR RECIEPTS OF OIL CHANGE FROM A QUICK LUBE AND WARRANTY CLAIM WAS DENIED BY VWOA. THEY STATED THE AUTO HAD NOT BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY. THE CAR HAD 32000K MILES ON IT. I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO HAVE MY CAR FIXED SINCE 2001 AND MY CLAIM HAS BEEN CONTINUALLY DENIED BY VWOA.

VEHICLE IS AT 40,000 MILES. AT 40000 SERVICE, DEALER REPORTED THAT THE CONTROL ARMS ARE FAILING AND MUST BE REPLACED. BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT THE CONTROL ARMS TO COMPLETELY FAIL, LEADING TO A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, AND POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN A CRASH, I WILL BE PAYING OUT OF MY POCKET FOR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE CONTROL ARMS. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT CONTROL ARMS REPORTED OVER INTERNET FORUMS SUCH AS VWVORTEX.COM AND CLUBB5.COM. VOLKSWAGEN REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR AN OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE CRITICAL SUSPENSION COMPONENT.*AK

THE LOWER FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY WERE STARTING TO MAKE NOISE, AND WILL POTENTIALLY FAIL. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS COULD RESULT IN STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. *AK THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT CONTROL ARM WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE REAR CONTROL ARM BUSHING. *SC

FOR THE LAST MONTH OR SO, THE ABS/BRAKE WARNING LIGHT HAS DISPLAYED. AT FIRST,T WAS ON FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN IT WOULD SOME ON AND STAY ON FOR MINUTES. IT NOW DISPLAYS WHENEVER THE CAR IS RUNNING. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A COMMON MODULE FAILURE IN LATE MODEL VW CARS AND RELATED AUDIS. IT WILL COST ME $1500 PLUS LABOR TO REPLACE THIS WARNING SYSTEM. UNTIL IT IS FIXED, I HAVE NO ABS BRAKES WORKING. I AM VERY WORRIED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT VW SHOULD HAVE A RECALL OR PAY FOR THESE FAILURES. THEY DENY ANY RESPONSIBILITY OTHER THAN THEIR STANDARD WARRANTY. IN THE DETAILS AREA, I WROTE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 30 FAILURES BECAUSE THE ABS BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING EVERY DAY I DRIVE THE CAR.*AK