Front lower control arms needed to be replaced. Have been making a lot of noise for some time now. Was told it wasnt a safety concern yet, just annoying because of the noise. Called vw and was told they could do nothing even though they have documented many issues with the control arms and tie rods.
1999 Volkswagen Passat suspension complaints
Page 2 of 5: complaints 11 to 40 of 118, newest first, as owners wrote them.
1 - normal use - only 55,000 miles 2 - failure of lower control arms - must replace 3 - required to replace at cost of $400.00
This is the 2nd time I have had the front control arms go bad on my vehicle. If the control arms aren't replaced, it can cause failure of the front suspension and steering mechanisms. Both the front and back control arms were replaced and I do have the old parts.
Lower control arms recall vm. Wanted to charge me 325.00 for the recall. Vw dealerhip said the recall was not valid unless 40k service was performed. Do not see the correlation with having some filters and fluids changed (40k service) with a suspension recall. Prior to 40k I had cvs changed and had filters and fluids changed. My car had a lot of problems with it and was worked on by vw dealership over 20 times between 32-49k. I was told the 40k service was not needed because of work done at 36k. Was told $240.00 on 40k service check was not needed because of previous work and was over priced not not smart to do. If there is a malfunction with the car, and their is a recall, the owner should not have to pay for it. If their was decent logic for me paying for this recall I would have no problem with it, but I cannot find it. It just seems a loop hole for me to pay for the manufacturer's poor workmanship. This loop hole should be closed, there is a lot of exceptions to why 40k was not performed.
I own a 1999 vw passat wagon. There have been some recalls about the front end. I did have it checked at least twice by my dealer who said everything was ok. As I was nearing my home today at about 25 MPH the right front wheel suddenly collapsed upward into the wheel well and the car started skidding on the right side of the frame off to the right side of the road. Because I was going rather slow I was able to correct it and stop it before it went off the road. If I had been going 65-70 next to other cars on the interstate or even 40 on a two lane around town I'm sure things would not have been quite so benign and we (my family and I) may all have been injured or worse! When the wrecker lifted it the driver and I both looked at the a arm and the ends were cracked or sheared off. I did not hit anything before it happened, and did not hit anything while I have had the car. Even if I had it would seem that the inspection by the dealer should have found it. This seems like a manufacturerer problem and it is way too serious to say they weren't responsible. There could easily have been a death connected with the front wheel collapsing when you consider lost of control at highway speeds!
I am having the known issue with the upper and lower control arms on my vw passat. Volkswagen so far will only cover the lower control arms if they fail or appear damaged. Many other people are having problems with the upper control arms that are not covered. The steering tie rod ends also need to be replaced. These tie rod ends appear to be failing at a very high rate in vw passats. I am having this replaced at a very high cost. Volkswagens must be too expensive to maintain. It was my mistake was taking this issue to a vw dealership. I assumed vw would be able to work with me.
I have a 1999 vw passat, 1.8l turbo. I received a service action from vw related to a lower control arm issue and took the car to the dealer. The dealer looked at it five weeks ago and told me there was nothing wrong with it despite the creaking and groaning I'm getting in the suspenion. I took it in today because the creaking an groaning have gotten worse and the service guy at the dealer is telling me that both lower control arms need to be replaced and they quoted me $1400. He told me that lower control arms fail over time due to the weight of the car, age and wear. This sounds like an engineering failure on the part of vw. I'm waiting to find out whether this is safety related, the service guy is going to call me back. I've been looking online and a lot of people thought a complaint should be lodged, so that's what I'm doing here. I shouldn't be having suspension issues at 70,000 miles.
Normal use of '99 vw passat with an odometer reading of 99,650 lead to the failure of ront contorl arms and tie rod ends. Replacement control arm set with tie rods retails for $1,700. Purchased a set for $495 and an additional $198.75 in labor.
Recall for lower control arms only even though in most cases the upper control arm needs replacements. Heck the forum http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1745481.
The control arms, tie rod, and one cv boot failed. The consumer received recall notice for 1999 vw passat after repairs were done. *bf the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc the consumer claim for reimbursement was denied. The manufacturer stated the consumer did not have the necessary maintenance performed when required.
Submission of complaint re vw of america feel he has been over charged for numerous & extensive repair bills for his 1999 vw passat. The consumer stated he is still experiencing problems with the front suspension. The front stabilizer was repaired and the lower control arm was repaired, however the problem recurred. The rear brake pads were worn. The front doors creaked when opened. *jb the cruise control was intermittent. The consumer requested assistance of all the matters. *sc
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.
Volkswagen of america sent me a letter to check/replace front suspension lower control arms 1998-2000 passat vehicles. Vw dealer informed me they will fix the control arms at no cost to me but as a result of the work performed the vehicle will now need an alignment which is not covered as part of the recall. This is absurd. I paid for an alignment 5 months ago and prior to the recall my vehicle obviously does not need an alignment but as a direct result of fixing the control arms my car now needs an alignment which I have to pay for. The alignment should be covered as part of the recall for the control arms!!!
All 8 control arms were replaced between 70000 and 74000 mile. *ak.
The front suspension lower control arm makes a squeaking, thumping noise as if there are no shocks.
Front upper control arm disintegrated . As a result the wheels become loose.
Upper control arm problem---when turning steering wheel left or right around a curve would hear a rattling noise. My mechanic said both upper control arms needed to be replaced. Car has 53000 miles on it. Repair cost me $1000.00. I have the bill specifying the parts that were replaced along with part numbers.
Control arms on my 99 vw passat have been replaced twice now.....they are expensive ($650+) and obviously poorly engineered as others have had te same problems.
Front suspension creaks constantly while driving car. This appears to be common complaint by other owners, but volkswagen (vw) unwilling to admit that parts are wearing too soon. Creaking started at about 45,000 miles. From other postings it appears that this will cost me at least $1,000 to repair. I am afraid to take car the vw for repairs, because of high cost. I hope this problem is not dangerous.
A grinding noise was heard when driving 5-30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the consumer that the control arm bushing needed to be replaced. *ak the grinding noise was first noticed 1 year prior to repair. The noise was extremely loud when the vehicle at low speeds, there was a squeaking noise in the front suspension, and the vehicle needed front and rear pads, rotors. The glove box was broken.
The consumer heard a creaking noise coming from the front end. The mechanic informed the consumer. Please provide more information. *jb the consumer stated that the vehicle became unstable at highway speeds. Many other drivers of the same vehicle on the internet have experienced the same problems.
I own a 1999 vw passat v6. I had noticed that noises were coming from the front suspension, and recently steering felt a little funny. I took the car to an independent auto shop to have it checked and for the state inspection, and I was informed that the front upper control arms had deteriorated to the point of making driving the car quite dangerous. I had them both replaced at a steep cost. I checked online and found several complaints regarding to this issue. I called vwoa to inquire whether they would be willing to pay for the repairs, but they declined. Control arms are not supposed to fail easily, certainly not have joints blown up as in my case. Almost all of my miles are highway miles, and I haven't been hitting potholes or drive off-road for the problem to be attributed to normal wear and tear. I am surprised the federal safety agency hasn't investigated the issue or order a recall, since this is such a common problem in passats, the number of complaints so high, and a failure compromises road safety significantly (failure of the control arms can cause loss of steering and lead to crash or even death).
The event that LED up to the issue, was traveling on the interstate when the car began to shake violently and the car began to completely sway to one side. The car almost seemed as if it lost its alignment immediately. I brought it to a repair shop and they immediately informed me that the control arm on the upper right side was shot. I had to then take a used car that was purchased less than six months old to the dealer to replace the part at a price of 1100 dollars.
Control arms/ball joint failed, requiring replacement under 50k miles. Purchased car new .
While driving at any speed steering wheel vibrated and shook.
Vehicle is at 40,000 miles. At 40000 service, dealer reported that the control arms are failing and must be replaced. Because I do not want the control arms to completely fail, leading to a loss of steering control, and potentially resulting in a crash, I will be paying out of my pocket for an independent mechanic to replace the defective control arms. There have been many complaints about control arms reported over internet forums such as vwvortex.com and clubb5.com. Volkswagen refuses to issue a recall for an obviously defective critical suspension component.
The lower front and rear passenger side control arms needed to be replaced because they were starting to make noise, and will potentially fail. The dealership indicated that this could result in steering failure while driving. *ak the noise was coming from the right side of the vehicle. The front control arm was replaced along with the rear control arm bushing.
While merging off the highway, a loud noise came from the left front of the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the dealership. The left lower control linkage had broke. The dealership replaced the part. The failure has recurred 3 additional time on the other control arms.
The front end is "creaky." there is considerable noise, usually when turning. I suspect that the bushings in the multi-link front suspension are worn. I received an estimate from the dealer on 7/18/2003 of $1020 to fix it. I chose not to fix it at that time. Over the past year I have heard numerous stories of passat and audi a4s that have this same problem so I want to add another complaint to the file.
The control arms in the 1999, 2000, and 2001 volkswagen passats are defective. According to the dealership if these are not repaired one can lose steering control. The upper control arms in my 1999 passat had to be replaced in november 2003 and now the lower control arms need to be replaced. The dealership indicates that this problem is common in 1999, 2000, and 2001 passats, and I have spoken with other owners who are having the same problem. This safety hazard warrants a recall on these vehicles.
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