1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT Complaints

ABS MODULE FAILURE. HAPPENS EVERYTIME I START MY CAR. REPLACEMENT OF ABS MODULE. *TR

MY 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT (V6, GLX MODEL) HAS A FAULTY ABS CONTROL MODULE. AT AROUND 103,000 MILES, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING ON MY CAR AND BEGAN FLASHING A BRAKE WARNING LIGHT IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH NUMEROUS OTHER VW PASSAT OWNERS WHO TELL ME THIS SAME INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED TO THEM. IT SEEMS TO BE A TREND AMONG 1998-2001 PASSATS, AND SINCE THE ABS SYSTEM NO LONGER WORKS, IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V156000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY). THE DEALER STATED THAT IN ORDER FOR THE RECALL REPAIR TO BE PERFORMED, THEY WOULD NEED TO PERFORM $800 WORTH OF REPAIRS FIRST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NOTICE DOES NOT CLEARLY STATE THAT, WHICH IT SHOULD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND EXPLAINED THAT THE ADDITIONAL CHARGES MAY APPLY IF THE RECALL REPAIR NEEDS TO BE PERFORMED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT SHOULD BE CLEARLY STATED IN THE NOTICE THAT ADDITIONAL CHARGES MAY ACCRUE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

ON MY VEHICLE, THE PASSENGER FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM IS FAILING AT THE BALL JOINT. THERE ARE LOUD SCREECHES AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN PASSING OVER BUMPS COMING FROM THE BALL JOINT EVIDENCING THE INAPPROPRIATE WEAR. THIS WAS ADDRESSED AND REPLACED ACCORDING TO SERVICE BULLETIN "VM" WITH VOLKSWAGEN IN EARLY 2005, BUT THE PART IS WEARING IMPROPERLY AGAIN. FAILURE OF THIS PART COULD CAUSE LOSS OF STEERING AND COULD BE FATAL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THERE WAS PLASTIC COVERING THE REFLECTOR BOARD. AFTER A FEW MONTHS, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ABS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC ON THE VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT LOCATE THE SPECIFIC CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. HE WAS INFORMED THAT IF HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TOO HARD, IT COULD LOCK HIS WHEEL AND RESULT IN A CRASH OR HE COULD LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000. UPDATED 09/16/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/18/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE THE DEALER WAS REPAIRING THE EXHAUST SYSTEM THEY OBSERVED THAT THE ENGINE CRADLE FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE WAS MILEAGE 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

THIS COMPLAINT PERTAINS TO MY 1999 VW PASSAT 1.8 TURBO. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS HAVE. THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE CAR AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS THE ABS SYSTEM IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. *TR

NORMAL USAGE ON THE CAR. AT ~75K MILES, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT, ABS LIGHT, AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT BLINK AND THE DASHBOARD BEEPS ANY TIME THE CAR DROPS BELOW 15 MILES PER HOUR. ABS MODULE IS FAULTY, DUE TO DEFECTIVE DESIGN. WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE ON PASSATS OF THIS ERA. *TR

THE ABS CONTROL MODULE, IN MY 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT HAS MALFUNCTIONED WHICH IS MAJOR ISSUE. I HAVE SEEN/HEARD OF A LOT OF EARLY MODEL PASSATS (1998-2001) HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. IT IS PLACED DIRECTLY NEXT TO THE ENGINE BLOCK, WHICH GETS EXTREMELY HOT OVER TIME. THE HEAT CAUSES THIS MALFUNCTION WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY VOLKSWAGEN. WHEN THIS UNIT MALFUNCTIONS IT CAUSES THE ABS BREAKING SYSTEM TO FAIL. ALSO, IT FLASHES MULTIPLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD THAT ARE EXTREMELY DISTRACTING. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICAN DOES NOT HAVE THIS UNDER WARRANTY OR RECALL. DEALERSHIPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE CHARGING $1,200 TO REPLACE THIS UNIT THAT TAKES 20 MINUTES TO CHANGE OUT. THE HARD PART IS TRYING TO REBUILD THE MODULE. I BELIEVE THIS A HUGE SAFETY FACTOR THAT SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY LOOKED INTO BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATIONS. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RESOLVE THIS YET. I PLAN ON SENDING IN THE PART FOR REPAIR AND THAN PLACING IT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE ONCE IT IS FIXED. *TR

ABS BRAIN FAILURE, 1999 VW PASSAT 1.8T. DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WHEN DASH LIGHTS LIT NOTING ABS FAILURE OCCURRED. CAR HAD 54,000 MILES AT TIME OF FAILURE. HAD TO SEND OUT UNIT FOR REPAIRS, LED TO DRIVING FOR 2 WEEKS WITHOUT ABS BRAKES, AND COST $200 FOR REBUILD (NEW AT DEALER WOULD HAVE BEEN >$1000).