1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

DT: THE ABS MODULE FAILED. FIRST NOTICED ON 5/1/05 WHEN DRIVING AND ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND BRAKE LIGHTS (EXTERIOR) STARTED FLASHING. THEN A BEEPING NOISE CAME TO WARN ALONG WITH LIGHT. WHEN EMERGENCY BRAKING THE BRAKES LOCK. HAPPENS AT ANY WEATHER CONDITIONS/UP AND DOWN HILL OR ANY TYPE OF ROAD. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN LOOKED AT BY DEALER, BUT HAS BEEN LOOKED AT BY MECHANIC, THE ABS MODULE IS THE PART THAT NEEDS REPLACEMENT. *AK.

DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS THE DOOR LOCKS ON MY 1998 VW PASSAT FAILED SEVEN TIMES SO FAR. IN MOST OF THE CASES, THEY JUST COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE WHILE THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE WORKED. IN ALL CASES, THE VW SERVICE PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT THE PROBLEM (A CABLE HAD SLIPPED OFF THE TRACK) AND WERE EITHER ABLE TO REPAIR IT WITHIN A FEW MINUTES BY USE OF A LONG SCREW DRIVER GOING THROUGH A HOLE IN THE FRONT DOORS. IN CASE OF THE REAR DOORS, THE DOOR PANELS HAD TO BE REMOVED FOR THE REPAIR. THE LAST REPAIR WAS NECESSARY WITHIN THREE MONTHS OF THE PREVIOUS REPAIR AND IT SET ME BACK $100.00. WHEN COMPLAININT TO VW THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I HAD TO LAUGH ABOUT IT SINCE EVERY TIME I HAVE BEEN AT THE SERVICE THERE WERE FELLOW CUSTOMERS WITH EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEMS. VW DID NOT OFFER ME ANY HELP FOR THIS PROBLEM, JUST STATED THAT MY CAR IS AN "OLD" CAR BY NOW AND REPAIRS SEEM TO BE HAPPENING MORE OFTEN.

DT: WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY THE ANTI LOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT FLASHED AND THEN DISAPPEARED. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CHIP FAILED.*AK

98 VW PASSAT HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT ONE PROBLEM AFTER THE OTHER WITH THIS VEHICLE. JUST HAD TO REPLACE MY OIL PUMP NOW MY TIMING BELT WENT AND DESTROYED MY ENGINE. AFTER I SEE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL OTHERS I BELIEVE VW SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS EXPENSE. I HAVE HAD TO GO THROUGH THE EXPENSE OF THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS, SPEED SENSOR ETC. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE GARAGE MORE THAN I HAVE DROVE IT. PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION

1998 PASSAT 1.8T B5 BODYSTYLE. BOUGH CAR AT 88,000 MILES USED FROM A DEALERSHIP WHO INSPECTED IT. ABS ABD BRAKE LIGHT GO ON AND STAY ON FOR AN EXTENDED TIME. PASSATWORLD WEBSITE SHOWS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WIHT THIS SAME PROBLEM VW NEEDS TO DO A RECALL. PART ARE TOO EXPENSIVE FOR ME TO FIX.

THE DRIVER'S SEAT CAME LOOSE WHILE DRIVING AND THE SEAT FLIPPED BACKWARDS CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR.

I OWN A 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GLS 1.8T, AND I HAVE HAD THE ABS CONTROL MODULE FAIL. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND MY ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS TURNED ON AND STARTED TO BLINK. THIS WOULD HAPPEN EVERYTIME I WOULD START MY CAR. I HAD DIAGNOSTICS RUN ON THE CAR, AND FOUND THAT THE CONTROL MODULE COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE CARS ECU. I HAD MY LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN DEALER REPLACE THE ABS MODULE. THIS COST ME $850 FOR THE CONTROL MODULE, $360 FOR LABOR, THEN TAX. I HAD TO PAY $1270 FOR EVERYTHING TO BE FIXED. I FIND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH VOLKSWAGEN PASSATS, AND I DO NOT THINK THAT THE OWNERS SHOULD PAY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS IF IT IS A RECURRING PROBLEM.

OUR 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT GLS 4 CYLINDER SEDAN (80K MILES) HAD INTERMITTENT WARNING LIGHTS GO ON FOR THE ABS SYSTEM AND THE BRAKES. THE MANUAL STATES THAT WHEN THE WARNING LIGHTS GO ON THE ABS SYSTEM IS DISABLED AND THAT THE CAR SHOULD BE SERVICED IMMEDIATELY. THERE WAS NO REGULAR PATTERN TO THE LIGHTS COMING ON, BUT ONCE IT STARTED IT HAPPENED VIRTUALLY EVERY TRIP AT DIFFERENT TIMES. I DROVE FOR ABOUT A WEEK WITH THE LIGHT ON WITH NO APPARENT LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY. I DID EXPERIENCE A FAILURE OF THE ABS SYSTEM WHILE THE LIGHT WAS ON (ON A HILL ON A RAINY DAY) AND SO DETERMINED IT SHOULD BE REPAIRED. WE TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM UNTIL THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. WE CAME BACK WITH THE WARNING LIGHTS ON AND THEY TOLD US WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ABS CONTROL MODULE AT A COST OF $2600. WE WENT AHEAD AND DID THE REPAIR. WE DID NOT KEEP THE PREVIOUS PART. WE ARE DISTRESSED THAT A SINGLE PART FROM A SAFETY SYSTEM IS SO EXPENSIVE AND THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD IN AUDIS AND VWS. VISIT ANY ONLINE CAR FORUM AND IT IS FILLED WITH STORIES OF THIS REPAIR. BECAUSE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE I FEEL VOLKSWAGEN BE ALERTED TO THIS ISSUE AND A FORMAL COMPLAINT SHOULD BE REGISTERED ABOUT THIS SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION.

THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON MY 1998 VW PASSAT ARE DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC. VW REFUSES TO REPLACE THEM EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THESE PARTS. THE REASONING IS THAT: - I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR THE RECALL AT THEIR DEALER IN FEBRUARY 2005 AND AT THE TIME THE PARTS SEEMED OK. - AT THIS TIME, THEIR DEALER HAS REINSPECTED THE CAR. THE VW DEALER THINKS THAT BOTH LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARMS ON THE CAR NEED REPLACEMENT. HOWEVER THE PARTS ARE NOT ABOUT TO FAIL AND THE CAR IS STILL DRIVEABLE AND THUS VW WILL NOT PAY FOR THEIR REPLACEMENT. MY MECHANIC STATES THAT THE CAR NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THE CAR IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION. PLEASE ADVISE WHETHER VW IS RESPONSIBLE UNDER THE "REVISED-VM (40G3) - DECEMBER 2004" RECALL CAMPAIGN TO FIX THESE. THANKS.

NO ACCIDENTS EVER, SEVERE CREAKING IN FRONT LEFT AND RIGHT SUSPENSION. LEFT CONTROL ARM REPLACED (AT MY COST ALTHOUGH UNDER WARRANTY), CREAKING STOPPED FROM LEFT SIDE, BUT RIGHT SIDE STILL CREAKS SEVERELY.