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.
1999 Volkswagen Passat brakes complaints
Page 3 of 9: complaints 41 to 70 of 233, newest first, as owners wrote them.
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.
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.
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).
Driving along on a clear day, open road, no bad weather. The ABS/brake light on my car came on with a warning beep. Intermittently the tachometer and oil pressure light would fail to work additional creating warning beeps . Having the vehicle checked by a garage, the ABS electronic module had failed requiring replacement.
Sudden loss of ABS function due to ABS module failure.
Abs and brake light comes on with 4 beeps. Sometimes the problem goes away and sometimes it just stay there during the entire drive. Abs seems to have stopped working.
I drive a 1999 vw passat sedan turbo. Out of no where one day my ABS and brake lights started flashing, they are always on now everytime I drive and do not go off. I am worried something may be wrong with my brake system but do not have any more money to put into my car at the moment since I have put thousands in since it was purchased.
Vw passat 1999 - failing ABS module (ABS,oil,brake lights on). Internet research showed hundreds of similar complaints. Vw should at least fix this for original owners. My light has been on for over a year. I was quoted $1400 to repair yet it is a bad solder joint on the ABS circuit board. Vw needs to replace the module. So mush for vw safety.
My ABS light on my 1999 passat 1.8t comes on intermittently and stays on. When it does, the brake light also flashes. I can park my car overnight. When I restart it, it is off. After driving a short ways, it will come on again.
Abs module has failed. This is a very expensive repair ($1400 for the part (!) plus labor) for a safety-related feature. In checking around the internet I am finding out that this is apparently a very common problem with this vehicle (vw passat, late 1990s models).
Abs module failure nothing lead upto the beeping and flashing of the ABS light (solid lit) and brake light (flashing). Occured after routine driving, simply pulling into work parking lot as usual, after short trip to eating. After some searching and browsing online leads me to believe the ABS module has failed as on many other volkswagen/audi models. Repair has not been done. Remanufacturing of module is around $200 and oem dealer replacement is said to be well over $1,000 dollars.
Driving at 60 MPH the driver applied the brakes upon entering a reduced speed zone. The pedal went to the floor without resistance and the brakes failed to engage. No warning lights or other indications to suggest a problem. Driver pulled the emergency brake to prevent hitting traffic ahead and spun 180 degrees across traffic slamming into a curb. Witness to the accident tried to apply the brakes several times at the crash site and the pedal offered no resistance for him. Powering the car on and off; brake pressure returned to normal. The vw dealer where the car was hauled to cannot duplicate the failure and the brakes checkout normal. Dealer has given little sense of security to make driver want to get in the car again. Said they could replace the master cylinder, but it checks out fine. One mechanic said he heard of a case with tires confusing the ABS with different wear. Front tires are >95% and the rears are 75%. Nobody would document this theory however and repair will now leave car with 3 basically new tires with one rear at 75%. *jb updated 12/12/07
Abs/brake light flashing; beeps initially when ignition is turned on. After having service center replace oil pressure sending unit, diagnosis determined to be failure of ABS control module. Not aware of this occurring in any other makes, and learn from complaints within and from forums and other internet sites that this is a common problem in 1999 vw passat. Oil light, now, also comes on when brake pedal is applied, but goes off when pedal is released. Oil pressure & pump okay, as is oil level, but source of oil light/brake pedal issue cannot be determined.
While driving on the freeway, my 1999 vw passat's ABS light lit up and the brake light flashing in the instrument cluster follow by 3 loud beeps. I later bring it to an auto mechanic shop and was told that my ABS module does not work any more. The mechanic further stated that this is a normal occurrence with vw ABS system.
My 1999 passat 1.8l has ABS and brake lights flashing intermittently with the chime coming on occasionally. There appears to be no degradation of braking but not sure if ABS is working or not. The condition seems to correct itself, but then restarts again within 10 minutes.
1999 vw passat 1.8 ABS light stays on.
I have a flashing brake light that I understand could be a result of the ABS module failure. Research shows that ABS failure is very common and expensive to fix.
Abs lights on, oil light, brake light on. Diagnosed as failure of ABS control module.
Abs and brake light go on and off with no rhyme. Dealer has quoted me $1500 to replace. It seems that it should be a recall with so many having the same problem. I will send to have it rebuilt then quickly sell car and not purchase vw again.
Car ABS brake module quite working causing tires to lock up and lose control of vehicle.
Abs warning light on - ABS not working.
This regards a 1999 volkswagen passat 1.8t wagon @ 97,500 miles. Beginning 03/20/2007 the ABS and brake warning chime and light on the dashboard suddenly came on and then off again. The vehicle was inspected by two separate mechanics. The ABS and brakes are working properly, but the ABS control module is faulty causing the warning chime and lights to intermittently come on and off. The warning chime and lights come on and off again at least once daily, some days repeatedly and at random. The cost to replace the ABS module is $900. Research on the internet proves that this is quite a problem with passat and comparable audi vehicles, many with much less mileage. I have placed a call with volkswagen of america, but they refuse to acknowledge that a problem exists with the module. The cost is quite excessive for a problem that continuously causes concern for the driver and is a pure annoyance. Can anything be done to remedy this situation?
Abs module failure. Abs light comes on with brake light flashing and 3 beeps intermittently. After turning the car off for awhile it may not come on for several miles the next time. Braking heavily causes the rear wheels to lock up and skid. Also what I think is particularly dangerous is when braking heavily with the ABS light off causes the car to skid and at the same time the check engine light comes on as well as the ABS light and brake light and stalls. If on a highway at high speed this could be deadly. The repair will be the replacement of the electronic module. Add me to the list of many who have this problem and want to get a recall instituted on this module.
Beep sound ABS and brake lights came on intermittently for a few seconds, and then went off.
1999 vw passat. Abs light was always on. Brake light always flashing in dash, 3 beeps every few minutes. No definitive answer from 2 dealers. I will not accept trial by error diagnosis at my expense. I strongly urge vw to attend to this overwhelmingly common problem. My love of driving this car is gone.
1999 passat wagon. Abs module failure
1999 passat 4 cyl. Turbo ABS module failure. Diagnosed at dealer. $3200 to replace. Will not pass state inspection in current condition.
Abs indication light was on consistently. Searched online and found a large number of complaint existed regarding the ABS control unit but not yet have the vm/audi recall action activated. Brought to the dealer for diagnosis and noted "found no communication between ABS and instrument cluster, ABS control unit has failed". Was charged for over $1000 to replace the ABS control unit. This should be a manufacture defect and it is not reasonable for the consumers to bear the cost of replacing the ABS module.
Tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 1999 volkswagen pasaat with 113000 failure mileage at 60 MPH the vehicle began to accelerate on its own. The vehicle accelerated up to 75 miles. The contact rode the brakes for approximately 5 miles, then noticed a safe place to pull over. The contact was jamming on the brakes to get the vehicle to stop. The vehicle came to a complete stop , and the contact turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was restarted twice, but the vehicle was still revving high. The contact was told to pull up on the brake pedal, and that was the remedy to get the vehicle to idle properly. The vehicle was taken to the shop, and they could not duplicate the problem. The contact was afraid to drive the vehicle.
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