1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

THE CONTROL ARMS ON MY 1999 PASSAT ARE WEARING OUT AND MAKING A LOUD NOISE. I DID RESEARCH AND SAW THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS HAZARD AND THAT SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY VW SINCE IT PLACES PEOPLE IN DANGER. *JB

MY 1999 VW PASSAT WAS PURCHASED ON 6/16/04. IT WAS A USED VEHICLE WITH 59,000 MILES ON IT. 6 HOURS AFTER DRIVINGOFF THE LOT THE ABS LIGHT FLASED AND THE BRAKE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM TOOK IT TO GET CHECKED AND FOUND THE ABS CONTROL MODULE HAD GONE OUT. THIS PART ALONE COSTS OVER $1200.00 TO REPAIR. THERE ARE MANY VW SITES OUT WHERE I HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS THAT THE ABS MODULE HAD GONE OUT. THIS PART IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRENTY. I BEIEVE THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED DUE TO THE FACT THAT SHOULD THIS GO OUT WHILE DRIVING IT CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.*AK

ENGINE BEGAN TO SERIOUSLY MISFIRE - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON VEHICLE BECAME UNDRIVEABLE -- DANGEROUR LACK OF POWER REPLACED IGNITION CONRTOL MODULE INTERNET IF FULL OF DESCRIPTIONS OF THIS KIND OF FAILURE -- VW DOES NOTHING. *AK

VEHICLE HAS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE TIE ROD AS THOSE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *AK *SC *JB

ABS MODULE 8E0614111B FAILED ON 1999 PASSAT UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. WARNING LIGHTS ARE INTERMITTENT MEANING THE FUNCTION OF THE ABS SYSTEM IS INTERMITTENT.*AK

I'VE HAD A CLUNKING SOUND IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION WHENEVER I HIT A BUMP. IT HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE FOR THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS. THE DEALER TELLS ME IT IS THE FRONT UPPER CONTROL ARMS AND BALL JOINTS AND THAT THERE IS A TSB ON SUCH. THIS IS A COMMON WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND POSES A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

IN MID MAY, WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN MY 1999 PASSAT GLS (ONLY 49K MILES), THE ABS LIGHT CAME ONE, THE BRAKE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, AND IT STARTED TO BEEP. THIS PROBLEM THEN WENT AWAY AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS. THIS PROBLEM THEN STARTED TO RECCUR WITH GREATER FREQUENCY, FROM ONE OR TWO TIMES A WEEK, TO NOW SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. DURING MY RECENT 50K MILE SERVICE, THE DEALER (SUNNYVALE VW) DETERMINED THAT THIS PROBLEM IS DUE TO A FAILED ABS CONTOL MODULE. THE COST TO REPLACE IT IS OVER $1700. AS I CANNOT AFFORD SUCH A REDICULOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY, I AM NOW DRIVING A CAR WITH A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE FURTHER I DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM AFFECT 1998 - 2000 VW PASSATS, AS WELL AS 1997 - 2000 AUDI A4 AND S4 AUTOS. SEARCHING THIS SITE FOR PAST COMPLAINTS OF THIS ISSUE I FOUND 50 COMPLAINTS. MORE TROUBLING, HOWEVER, IS THAT WHEN I SEARCHED DISCUSSION FORUMS OF WEB SITES DEDICATED TO THE B5 PLATFORM VW PASSAT AND AUDI A4 I FOUND OVER 1500 (ONE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED) POSTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THE CONSENSUS IS THAT THIS ISSUE IS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE ABS CONTROL MODULE MANUFATURED BY BOSCH. THE DEFECT IS DUE TO EITHER POOR ENGINEERING OR MANUFACTURING. I'VE ALREADY COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS ISSUE TO VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, AND THEY REFUSE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE BY REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE ABS CONTROL MODULE IN MY CAR. I WILL BE SENDING A LETTER TO THE CEO OF VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND DEMAND THAT THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY DEFECT BE REMEDIED. MY HOPE IS THAT MY COMPLAINT, IN COMBINATION WITH THE DOZENS OF OTHER FORMAL COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA, AS WELL AS THE HUNDREDS OF POSTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE WILL RESULT IN VW ISSUING A RECALL TO REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE ABS MODULES.*AK

THE CONSUMER LIFTED UP THE HOOD TO CHECK THE OIL AND THE HOOD UNEXPECTEDLY CAME DOWN. NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO DEALER. *AK *SC *JB

THE TIMING BELT LOOSENED, FLAPPED UP, AND SEVERED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND STALLED. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RUN AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED A ROUGH IDLE AND RATTLED. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES, PER DEALERSHIP. *AK THE TIMING BELT TENSIONER FAILED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE TIMING BELT BROKE AFTER THE TENSIONER SHREDDED IT. THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO PARK WHILE IN MOTION. THE POWER BRAKES AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED WITH 52,515 MILES AND THE FAILURE HAD ALREADY OCCURRED. LESS THAN 4K MILES LATER. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC

THE ABS CONTROL MODULE ON MY CAR SEEMS TO HAVE FAILED. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH BOTH VW AND AUDI. RIGHT NOW THE BRAKES WORK BUT ABS DOES NOT...SO THE WHEELS CAN LOCK UP. ONCE IN A WHILE, THE ABS LIGHT TURNS OF AND ABS STARTS WORKING, BUT FOR THE MOST PART IT DOES NOT WORK. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS OR SO. AGAIN, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON FAILURE WITH VW AND AUDI.*AK