Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 0502 | 01/14/2005 | 10012457 | Diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p1603 (18011) stored in dtc memory. *tt | 03/02/2005 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||||
| 0103 | 08/15/2001 | 0102 | 626970 | Some vehicles may experience instrument cluster malfunction. *slc | 02/04/2002 |
| 900101 | 06/27/2001 | 621623 | Subject regarding malfunctioning instrument cluster. *tt | 09/27/2001 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | ||||||
| EA07014 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA, INC | 09/28/2007 | 07/07/2008 | PASSENGER ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES | 08V156000 | |
| The manufacturer notified nhtsa on 04-apr-08 that a safety recall action would be initiated to remedy the issue.in june 2008, the manufacturer issued a technical service bulletin (code 26e5/r5) regarding the specific procedures to be employed in this campaign.vehicle owner notification letters were sent beginning approximately june 13, 2008.the campaign was assigned nhtsa no. 08v-156.this recall affects all my 1999-2005, 5th generation gasoline-powered passat sedans and station wagons.approximately 412,000 vehicles are affected.corrective action will consist of installing additional exhaust system heat shielding to mitigate the potential thermal effects of engine ignition problems.based on this action, the subject ea has been closed. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 11/23/2012 | 86000 | 1 | |
| Purchase vehicle on november 23,2012 after getting the mechanics approval that it is safe to drive (oil pressure light was on) supposedly the vehicle passed emissions,and drove 17 miles away from dealership apple auto in wallingford,ct when the car just shut down while driving. no power. the vehicle was towed back to dealership at my expense. *tr | |||
| 11/23/2012 | 86000 | ||
| Purchase vehicle on november 23,2012 after getting the mechanics approval that it is safe to drive (oil pressure light was on) supposedly the vehicle passed emissions,and drove 17 miles away from dealership apple auto in wallingford,ct when the car just shut down while driving. no power. the vehicle was towed back to dealership at my expense. | |||
| 04/13/2011 | |||
| Cars abs module has failed, and cant afford the estimated price of 1500$ to get it repaired. | |||
| 09/08/2008 | 114646 | 1 | |
| Electrical fire in a 1999 vw passat. while driving, i had to toggle the fan switch to get the fan to turn off. this slight malfunction was followed by a puff of smoke coming from the center dashboard vent, which was followed by more and more smoke. i pulled over at a auto dealership/service station and asked employees for assistance. by the time they began spraying a fire extinguisher into the vents (about a minute or two after the initial puff of smoke), flames were coming out of the central dash vent. the fire melted the a/c blow control assembly, 3 electrical pigtails and some connectors. *tr | |||
| 01/31/2009 | 107000 | 1 | |
| At random intervals while driving, the abs light, brake light, oil light, and asr light flash with accompanying warning beeps and the tachometer goes to zero. these warning eventually go away on their own. the instrument cluster has been replaced but the problem is still intermittently present. *tr | |||
| 01/06/2008 | 75000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 05/10/2008 | 98000 | 1 | |
| 1999 passat 4 cyl has a flashing brake and a constant abs alarm light on almost all the time. *tr | |||
| 12/12/2007 | 105435 | 3 | 11/13/2006 |
| Over time leaves collected in the battery compartment of my '99 volkswagen passat wagon. this led to rain water leaking into the passenger compartment and corroding the ecu under the driver's seat. the alarm and locks started working on their own, sometimes in the middle of the night, and the vehicle would no longer start. the initial reaction from volkswagen was to cheaply fix and the sell the car as soon as possible because it would have lifelong problems without a proper fix which would cost more than the car was worth (~$6-$8k). *tr | |||
| 01/01/2008 | 100210 | 5 | 01/22/2000 |
| Vehicle:1999 vw passat 4 cylinder 1.8turbo check engine light has been a problem since 2005. dealer would not consider it part of the warranty and took 2 years before the problem was rectified. but till today, still get the light and they are unable to rectify it. on 2 occassions the vehicle stalled at major intersection, and was a potential hazard to other vehicles. vehicle had to be towed to the vw dealer. i met an owner of a vw golf 1999 at the dealer (yesterday jan 3rd, 2008) and he gave me to understand that he was told his check engline light was a known problem and it would be covered under warranty. i have searched the www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls site and there are none recalls reported and yet his car was being fixed. listed below are the cost total $727 6/29/2005 replaced secondary stage light $415 8/08/2005 consider sporadic and reset but determined camshaft $0 8/16/2006faulty mass air flow$232 8/18/2006replace elbow$80 though i have done the above, i still get the light and since they cannot track the symptons, they just reset the light. this is a hazard and could endanger lives of other drivers and passengers. | |||
| 10/14/2006 | 93457 | 1 | 01/10/1999 |
| Over time leaves collected in the battery compartment of my '99 volkswagen passat. this led to rain water leaking into the passenger compartment and corroding the ecu under the driver's seat. the alarm and locks started working on their own and the vehicle would no longer start. the initial reaction from volkswagen was to cheaply fix and the sell the car as soon as possible because it would have lifelong problems without a proper fix which would cost more than the car was worth (~$6-$8k). *jb | |||
| 08/02/2006 | 134000 | 100 | 10/15/1998 |
| Abs warning light plus oil and brake lights flash, tachometer goes to zero. *nm | |||
| 06/10/2006 | 96000 | 1 | 04/01/2006 |
| Abs light, abs intermitant failure, oil light failure, tachometer failure. *nm | |||
| 03/27/2006 | 70000 | 1 | 05/11/1999 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the instrument cluster failed. the instrument panel lamps did not illuminate while driving, and the vehicle stalled after the failure. the vehicle did not restart and was towed to the local dealership. after diagnostic testing, the dealer concluded the instrument cluster was the problem and would have to be replaced. unfortunately, the dealership can not perform any remedy to the vehicle without a certified technician. the manufacturer was alerted. updated 4/19/2006 - *nm | |||
| 03/29/2006 | 108000 | 1 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated the abs, brake and oil lamps intermittently illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined the abs module needs replaced although the repair was not made. | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| Abs warning light flashes constantly with chime sounding each time the car starts. probably been ongoing for the last 6-8 months. was told by independent repair shop the problem was just electrical, but now reading numerous other complaints i believe it to be the abs module failing in so many other cars. seems like volkswagen needs to take care of this issue.*ak | |||
| 12/02/2005 | 8 | 03/15/1999 | |
| I own a 1999 vw passat v6. it currently has approx 67,975 miles. from the first year of purchase to this current date, i've experienced the sunroof opening on it's own during winter months. this sunroof has a manual dial control, and therefore it mystifies me that this can occur. my rate of speed has no impact on the occurance, since i could be merely travelling at 45 50 mph when it happens. i've reported this issue to the dealer,but of course if the problem is not replicated when they test drive the car, it is considered non-existent (in their opinion). i am tired of the multiple premature complaints on this vehicle and at this point, i'm considering another vehicle. this is what my time line looks like: 48,824 miles replaced all upper links replace v belt 49,576 miles replaced water pump and battery 53,629 miles replaced cv boot joints and both front axels 57,512 miles replaced upper links again 61,972 miles, being told that all gasket seals have to be replaced. i'm currently driving with the folling conditions: no heat at my feet if my heat setting is for both body and feet. my key keeps coming apart and getting stuck in the ignition. my sunroof opens on its own when it's cold outside. my left rear passenger door lock wouldn't lock when i lock the car. the trunk light comes on when it feels like. i have to fill up on coolant every 700 miles or so. *nm | |||
| 12/01/2004 | 2 | ||
| Recall campaign 00414000 dealer notice too much play in upper control arms and tie rods. *bf recall campaign# 99v248000. the consumer was told that the vin was outside of the vin range. the second issue was with the output stage control module which was replaced due to the vehicle losing power and shuddering. *sc | |||
| 08/17/2005 | 65000 | 1 | 05/01/2002 |
| Dt: while driving at 30 mph and suddenly there was a jerking of the car as if the tire was flat. pulled over , inspected the vehicle for a flat and none was found. consumer got back into the vehicle and noticed the malfunction engine light was blinking. at this point consumer continued to drive down the service road of the highway of about 15 mph. there was a strong odor of something burning, no smoke was seen. this smell was like burned rubber. consumer called volkswagen, and they suggested that if the malfunction enginelight was blinking to shut off the engine immediately. after pulling over, consumer called tow truck. tow truck arrived , inspected under the hood and discovered there was fire from underneath the engine itself. the tow truck driver tried to extinguish fire with water and later a fire extinguisher-this did not put the fire out. the fire department had to be called.,in the meantime the fire grew larger. at that time, fire department came and put fire out. fire crew noted this was most likely an electrical fire, perhaps due to the intensity of the heat from summer and a mix of electrical wiring started the fire. the car was then towed to an insurance company lot for further investigation. currently, the consumer did not know why this h happened. the vehicle was regularly serviced and maintained. the vehicle had only 60,500 miles. the was the first problem experienced with this vehicle. *ak | |||
| 07/10/2005 | 33000 | 2 | 10/15/1999 |
| I purchased a new 1999 volkswagen passat from the dealer in 10/99. approx 2 years ago the interior roof started leaking throughout the vehicle when it rained. vehicle was taken to dealer for repair, and i was told that the wells were clogged. approx 1 year later i took the vehicle in for routine maintenance and was told the wells were clogging again. i repaired it again. july 05 the door locks started cycling while i was driving, the interior lights would come on while driving, the trunk would open while driving, the lights would flash periodically while parked and i was unable to use the remote to open/lock the doors or activate the alarm. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the diagnosis is that the comfort control module under the drivers seat is corroded. water has been pooling there when it rains. the dealer of purchase & repair is aware that there is a chronic problem with that vehicle model for that year and the next few years. the total cost of repair for labor & parts is approx $500.00. volkswagon's customer service at this point is not willing to financially assist in repair. i have already spent $700.00 for this repair and the problem still exists. *jb | |||
| 02/05/2004 | 30 | 5 | 03/06/1999 |
| The 1999 passat has had a number of problems from excessive oil consumption, electrical problems,water pump defects, front end assembly and transmission problems. (nar) *ph *cb | |||
| 08/11/2004 | 90000 | 1 | 03/03/2001 |
| Abs light coming on once in a while. now stays on permanently and beeps. concerned about safety of brakes. cost to repair $1600. this car has been in the shop numerous times for electrical problems since i purchased it. i will never buy another vw. *jb | |||
| 01/06/2002 | 12/23/2002 | ||
| Coilpack failure in volkswagen 2.8 liter v6 and 1.8 liter inline four cylinder engines | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 06/20/1999 | 8 | 04/15/1999 | |
| Shortly after bought car, had many makeup problems: trim panel falling off, 3 our 4 windows have been fixed numerous times. cannot have trim fixed unless do whole car, which is too expensive and i didnt pay all that money for a car to have dish out more money for something that should not happen. i have paid to have all the windows fixed except this last time, i just will not do it. no accidents, nothing for these problems to be occuring. also, the tie rods have been replaced numerous times. lastly, steering/suspension has been a problem. all these problems took place four months after purchase and since then has been a problem. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 25000 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle caught on fire while parked in the driveway. the fire department indicated that the fire started on the right side of the engine. the fire may have been caused by the battery. the vehicle was totaled. *nlm | |||
| 08/12/2002 | 1 | 09/01/2000 | |
| Upon replacement of the battery the radio locks down to prevent theft. lock out reset code fails and stereo can not be reset for use.*ak | |||
| 07/25/2002 | 1 | ||
| While traveling on the highway and without prior warning, acid start leaking from the battery. dealership is aware of the problem. *ak the invoice stated that the battery was leaking acid down on to the power steering rack causing the boot to split, throwing fluid out of the rack. also the dip stick plastic was broken. *scc | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 04/12/2004 | 85000 | 1 | |
| While driving 55 mph ignition coil pack failed. as a result, engine became inoperative. *ak | |||
| 02/07/2003 | 70400 | 1 | 05/22/1999 |
| Ignition coils fail on my 1999 passat v6 2.8l ...vw consumer office claims that only 2001 and 2002 vehicles were part of a recall campaign...but thousands of other vw's outside of these years are experiencing the same problem...problem: power failure while driving on the road...i reported to vw and had them note it in my case file for my vehicle...complaint is that vw should cover the charge of ignition coil replacement for cars experiencing these type of power failures. *ak | |||
| 06/06/2003 | 30000 | 1 | 05/01/1999 |
| While driving, the engine light illuminated. the problem was due to a faulty ignition coil. *ak *tt *jb | |||
| 04/02/2003 | 40653 | 1 | 01/01/2000 |
| I have a 1999 vw passat, 1.8l turbocharged, manual transmission. there are 40,500 miles on the clock. one of the 4 ignition coils just failed. this is costing me about $550. i know there are acknowledged problems with the coils on later models, which vw is 'recalling', but wanted to register my problem for the record. also this problem occurred immediately after the 40,000 mile service and state inspection, which i find 'ironic'? | |||
| 11/23/2002 | 109500 | 6 | 07/27/2001 |
| I had smelled hot electrical components for about a week pryor to loosing my lights, horn, turn signals, tail lights, heater fan, and wipers. it ended up being the ignsion switch once repaced the surge of electricity caused a short under my dash. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||
| 02/15/2007 | 77500 | 4 | 06/01/1999 |
| 1999 vw passat, 1.8t engine: ignition coils needed to be replaced at 76,000 miles.*ak | |||
| 05/11/2006 | 53000 | 1 | 06/01/1999 |
| Dt*: the contact stated without warning the vehicle lost power and would not accelerate above 20 mph, causing the vehicle to shake. the vehicle was driven to the dealership and the ignition module was replaced. this problem returned, and the vehicle was driven to an independent repair shop, where the same component was replaced again. updated 06/07/2006. *ak *ts | |||
| 11/15/2004 | 139683 | 1 | 07/07/1999 |
| 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 | |||
| 10/28/2002 | 87031 | 1 | 07/07/1999 |
| 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 | |||
| 10/08/2004 | 75800 | 02/10/1999 | |
| Car would lose power with a blinking check engine light. then the car's check engine light quit blinking and it would suddenly surge forward. i almost rear ended another car when it surged. dealer diagnosed and replaced the ignition control module. | |||
| 07/08/2004 | 80330 | 2 | 01/22/1999 |
| 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..... | |||
| 12/26/2001 | 50993 | 1 | 01/22/1999 |
| 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. | |||
| 05/15/2003 | 81200 | 1 | 05/05/1999 |
| 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 | |||
| 10/20/2003 | 61000 | 1 | 02/28/2000 |
| Spark plug ignition module failure. car suddenly lost power and caused a potentially dangerous situation for my wife and children. *la | |||
| 10/04/2003 | 84598 | 2 | 01/05/2000 |
| The catalytic converter failed on my wife?s passat. the car is 4 yrs old and has less than 85000 miles on it . the estimated repair from bill barry vw. to fix it is around 1600 dollars. i was told that when i purchased the car new that the exhaust systems never fail because they are made of stainless steel. before that around 68000 miles the car began to run on 3 cylinders. they had to replace a control module that cost me $612.00 none of this was covered under any of my warranty. even though i am supposed to have a 10 yr. or 100000 miles. this will be our last volkswwagen. if i were told that the exhaust system was worth so much money up front, we would never have bought this car. *la | |||
| 04/02/2003 | 40653 | 1 | 01/01/2000 |
| I have a 1999 vw passat, 1.8l turbocharged, manual transmission. there are 40,500 miles on the clock. one of the 4 ignition coils just failed. this is costing me about $550. i know there are acknowledged problems with the coils on later models, which vw is 'recalling', but wanted to register my problem for the record. also this problem occurred immediately after the 40,000 mile service and state inspection, which i find 'ironic'? | |||
| 10/03/2002 | 78402 | 1 | 04/21/1999 |
| Failure of coil pack within epa emissions warranty period not covered by vehicle manufacturer. at 3.5 years/78402 miles after purchase, one of the 4 coil packs on my 1999 vw passat failed, leaving the vehicle running on 3 cylinders to transport me to the dealer for replacement. the cost was $174.25, but fortunately there was a replacement coil in stock, so the vehicle was unavailable but for 1 day. i have received notification that vw is paying for the replacement of this part on 2001 and 2002 passats, but why not my 1999? | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 11/27/2001 | 97000 | 7 | 08/17/2001 |
| I had shut off my car and when i went to turn it back on i had no lights, turn signals, dome light, horn, climat control or radio. i took it to the dealer they told me it happens on beetles and golfs all the time and that it was the ignision switch. they showed me the switch when they pulled it out. it had gotten so hot it melted right through the wires. there is no safety recall on this but if it gets hot enough to melt metal it could start the car on fire. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 02/01/2006 | 1 | 08/20/2005 | |
| This has happened to many people, and volkswagen should own up to it. water is getting into my car through something under the hood and soaking my carpets. it has fried my electrical system as well as many others. the comfort control module needs replacing as well as the corroded wires. the estimated cost is above $2000. *nm | |||
| 04/10/1999 | 65 | 04/10/1999 | |
| The car is on it's second transmission with only 47000 miles, and having problems with it. doesn't want to shift into higher gear and clunks sometimes. headlights did not work for first 4 months we owned the car. dealer could not find the problem. sunroof opens and closes by itself. dealerships have not found the problem. map light has started to do the same. indicator lights go on and off. dealer says he has never heard of a problem with the wiring on these cars and that it is safe to drive. *nlm | |||
| 11/23/2002 | 109500 | 6 | 07/27/2001 |
| I had smelled hot electrical components for about a week pryor to loosing my lights, horn, turn signals, tail lights, heater fan, and wipers. it ended up being the ignsion switch once repaced the surge of electricity caused a short under my dash. | |||
| Either a drop or two or fumes from a container of containerized cholorine caused an electrical fire in the trunk due to making contact with an electrical outlet. the fire was put out by the fire department. vehicle is being repaired by dealership. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 08/10/2002 | 10/01/2001 | ||
| Car caught on fire shortly after being driven. the car was parked in the garage when the fire started. the fire spread to the rest of the house. the fire was witnessed to originate on the right side (passenger) of engine compartment under the hood. dt | |||
| 09/01/2001 | |||
| While driving 5-10 mph noticed smoke coming from under the hood. pulled over and saw burning liquid coming from under vehicle on driver's side. vehicle was towed to dealer. please add further information. *ak | |||
| 05/16/1999 | 1 | 05/01/1999 | |
| 51 hours after purchasing my new vw passat gls v6, the brake booster failed, causing violent shaking of the car, stiffening of the brake pedal impairing my braking ability and thick heavy smoke from under the hood. i was informed the next day by the deale | |||
| 11/02/1998 | 11/01/1998 | ||
| Clutch - the clutch remained depressed to floorboard even though the gear remained engaged! the car lurched forward into intersection! electrical fire - the car's electrical system under the hood caught fire burning the car to the ground.. this car is brand new and experienced these problems within 1 week of delivery to customer... | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 11/27/2001 | 97000 | 7 | 08/17/2001 |
| I had shut off my car and when i went to turn it back on i had no lights, turn signals, dome light, horn, climat control or radio. i took it to the dealer they told me it happens on beetles and golfs all the time and that it was the ignision switch. they showed me the switch when they pulled it out. it had gotten so hot it melted right through the wires. there is no safety recall on this but if it gets hot enough to melt metal it could start the car on fire. | |||
| 05/09/2002 | |||
| Vehicle has been runniing, it forces antifreeze down wiring harness, and shorts out computer that controls transmission. vehicle will start to shake and stall out. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - REAR COMPARTMENT/TRUNK | |||
| 09/11/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states that while driving and no warning the rear compartment caught on fire causing the consumer to pull over. dealer notified. nlm | |||
| 10/25/2000 | 08/01/1998 | ||
| Dealer states wiring for fuel guage rubbed through causing short. *ak | |||