The plastic underdash cowling can become warped over time and fall down on the brake pedal causing the car to stop or trigger the ABS system when not needed.
2004 Volkswagen Passat: ABS light or ABS activating
7 of the 279 complaints about the 2004 Volkswagen Passat describe ABS light or ABS activating.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 58,600
- recalls
- 0
Is there a fix? 4 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below
ABS light or ABS activating by model year
What owners say
Abs unit failure of 2004 vw passat my ABS module keeps flashing a brake failure on my dashboard. I don't know how safe it is to drive the car with a flashing brake light on the dash. Seeing how this should be a safety issue shouldn't the manufacture fix this brake problem under a recall?
I have a 2004 passat wagon with 58,000 miles. About 2 weeks ago we started getting a "brake fault" warning followed by a large "stop". It lasts for about 5 seconds and then goes away. This only happens in the morning, and after about 15 minutes of driving. After that there will be no more warnings until we start the car the following morning. We may get one warning or three during the 15 minutes. We took the car to the dealer and they said there was nothing in the codes showing a fault. They keep the car over night, and the next morning took the car for a drive and confirmed the "brake fault". They told us we need replace the ABS module at a cost of $900. Our car only has 58,000 miles on it, and it was garaged most of its life. We picked the car up from the dealer and have not fixed the problem yet. We are just out of warranty, and feel this should be covered. Todd knoeppel
Abs light and traction control light stay on all the time in instrument cluster.
The ABS has been faulty for six months from time of purchase a s brand new. The ABS lit up and will stay lit until service department reset it. The brake lit up and got stuck without pressing on brake pedal. Dashboard lights malfunctioned, and did not come on through this failure. Vehicle sat parked in the service department of dealership for 15 months without anyone investigating the problem. Switch has been replaced 5 times within 1.5 years. The ABS failed and caused an accident.
1. When car in front of the passat slowed, the driver applied the brakes and the ABS light and asr lights came on but the brakes did not work. The passat was not going quickly and had safe stopping distance so the car had plenty of time to stop. The passat did not stop, hitting the car ahead of it. 2. The brakes failed, causing the passat to rear-end the car in front of it. The driver of the other car sustained whiplash injuries and 600 usd to his car. He is in treatment with the cost of treatment undetermined at this time. The passat sustained 3000 usd in damage. The driver of the passat was not injured, was ticketed, lost half a day's wages in court, and does not trust his vehicle. 3. The car was taken to the vw dealership, where it was determined that a brake light switch was determined to be electrically faulty. Malfunctions were stored in the ABS control module. The brake light switch gave an implausible signal, sporadic. The brake light switch was diagnosed and replaced. The fault memory of the ABS control module was erased and reset. The driver of the passat contacted vw asking about the fault(s) and expressing his doubt in the safety and reliability of the vehicle. The driver of the passat felt vw's defective parts caused the accident and vw should cover the cost. Vw's answer is that the defective parts could not have caused the accident. Tonight's paper has issued information about a recall of this part however, it does not include information about passats in this recall. Passats have this problem, too. We did not know about your organization or we would have contacted you months ago.
While test driving a volkswagon passat glx sedan, touching the window control caused the ABS braking mechanism to engage. The car lurched as if the brakes were quickly applied and ABS failure warning lights and tones went off in the car. The instrument lights flickered as well. The warnings shut off in a few seconds and the car appeared to return to normal. This happened on two seperate occasions in the span of 10 minutes both times while traveling on a level road at a constant speed with my foot on the accelerator at the time. The situation was dangerous because of the unintended braking and the startling effect of the warnings occuring simultaniously.
Service bulletins that may apply
- If mechanical damage is found to the turbocharger (e.g. damaged compression wheel, loose or broken shaft),...
- Summary to be provided on a future date.
- Volkswagen: 2001-2005 models: service air plenum area to improve drainage and install improved pollen...
- Anti-lock brake system (ABS) control module warranty repair process
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2004 Volkswagen Passat abs
Is ABS light or ABS activating a common problem on the 2004 Volkswagen Passat?
7 of 279 owner complaints about the 2004 Volkswagen Passat (3%) mention ABS light or ABS activating. The model year with the most reports is 1999.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Volkswagen Passat?
There are 0 recalls and 4 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2004 Volkswagen Passat
Fire or smoke 24Check engine light 21Jerking 19Stalling 16Fuel leak 15Fuel pump 14Engine failure 12Hesitation 9Loss of power 8Overheating 7Transmission failure 7Harsh shifting 6Adaptive cruise 5Fuel smell 5Tire blowout 5Water leak 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2004 Volkswagen Passat?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history