1998 Volkswagen Passat Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year write most about anti-lock brake warning lights that come on and stay on, usually traced to the ABS control module or pump and quoted at high repair cost. Front suspension creaks and steering tie rod wear are the other recurring themes, and a smaller group reports timing belt failures that stopped the engine. Most complaints arrive somewhere between about 60,000 and 110,000 miles.

1. 1
   Brakes

   ABS and brake warning lights (control module)

   • 85 complaints (26%)
   • median 80,625 mi at 7.1 yrs old (62 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,885 (median of 35 quotes)
   • filed 1999–2011

   Owners describe the ABS lamp coming on intermittently and then staying on, often with a flashing brake light and a chime, and in some cases the tachometer or other gauges drop out at the same time. Complaints say dealers and independent shops traced the warnings to the ABS control module or pump, with quotes ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, and several owners report driving with the ABS inactive because of the cost. A few mention that the first diagnostic visit returned no useful fault codes. Reports cluster between roughly 60,000 and 110,000 miles, though some appear under 40,000 and others past 150,000.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Switch the ignition on and watch the cluster: the ABS and brake lights should go out after the self-check, and the gauges should read normally. Ask for stored ABS fault codes and whether the module or pump has already been replaced or rebuilt.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 1998 vw Passat that has had it ABS system go out. From what I understand this is a common occurrence with this car. The only problem is when the ABS module goes on the car it has a hard time modulating the brakes correctly causing a dangerous situation. I will have to either buy a new unit or send it out and have it repaired.”

   NHTSA complaint #10148421, filed 2006-01, 99,500 miles

   “Abs light and brake light comes on when I start the car and it stays on while I drive my car. The brake light blinks continuously and in bad weather you can feel that ABS is not working. From vw Passat forms I understood this is a common problem with 98+ Passat models. I talked to some local shops and they told they are familiar with this problem and I have to take it to the vw dealer. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10126782, filed 2005-06, 80,000 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Front control arm creaking, wear and breakage

   • 80 complaints (24%)
   • median 72,000 mi at 6.7 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $850 (median of 14 quotes)
   • filed 2000–2008

   Owners describe creaking, groaning or knocking from the front end, most noticeable over bumps and at low speed, with dealers pointing to worn control arms or their bushings. Several report the same arms being replaced more than once, and a few describe an arm separating so the front of the car dropped. Some say the noise was treated as ordinary wear for the mileage. Reported from about 40,000 miles out to nearly 200,000, most often between roughly 70,000 and 110,000 miles.

   What to check: Drive over speed bumps and uneven pavement with the windows down and listen for creaks or clunks from the front. Have the control arms, bushings and ball joints inspected on a lift, and ask whether any arms have already been replaced and at what mileage.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased a pre-owned 1998 vw Passat sedan with 36,000 miles on it in 2002 which was a great deal!! Or so I thought. Since that time I have started hearing a noise coming from the front right tire.. Or suspension .. Like a creaking, crunching, knocking noise. I took it to a vw dealership and was told that the control arms on the right and the tie rods needed to be replaced. I found out that the tie rods had been recalled and the ones on my vehicle had been replaced under that recall in 2001, but had again worn out. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10080540, filed 2004-07, 71,315 miles

   “I own a 1998 Volkswagen Passat and I'm the original owner. I have done all [even more than] the recommended maintenance on the Passat. I had the control arms replaced once already 2 years ago [not under recall or reimbursed for this procedure]. I am once again getting considerable craking noises from my control arms in my front suspension. I do not drive my Passat abnormally nor had any accidents with it. I feel that this happening to my Passat is not a normal wear and tear issue, but something else - bad design or materials?”

   NHTSA complaint #10081140, filed 2004-07, 90,500 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Tie rod wear and loose steering

   • 81 complaints (24%)
   • median 77,500 mi at 6.5 yrs old (26 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $900 (median of 11 quotes)
   • filed 1999–2017

   Owners report vague or wandering steering traced to worn tie rod ends, and some say their car showed the same symptoms as a tie rod recall but was not covered by it. A few describe tie rods wearing again a short time after a recall repair, and one reports that replacing the tie rods did not clear a front-end noise that was later blamed on the control arms. Mostly reported between about 45,000 and 100,000 miles, with some owners describing repeat wear soon after a recall repair.

   Recall 99V248000

   What to check: Ask whether recall 99V248000 was performed and when, and have the tie rods checked for play during a pre-purchase inspection. Note any steering shimmy, wander or off-centre wheel on the test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Tie rod failure (excessive wear), leading to loose steering on a 1998 Volkswagen Passat. Some Passat's of this model year have been previously recalled for this type of problem; vw informs me that my car is not subject to the recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10106569, filed 2005-01, 58,000 miles

   “My 1998 vw Passat has a loud grinding, rumbling sound and vibration coming from the front suspension, sounds like the wheels are going to fall off. The dealer replaced the cross link arms at a cost of approx $300. I also had the tie rods replaced under recall. But noise/vibration still there. Now the dealer tells me it might be bushings on either the upper control arm or the lower control arm, each costing about $1300 to replace. I asked the dealer if this was a normal repair item, they said sure , your car has 90k miles on it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10072602, filed 2004-05, 85,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Timing belt failure and engine damage

   • 14 complaints (4%)
   • median 77,000 mi at 6.9 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2000–2006

   Owners describe the engine quitting without warning while driving, with the cause identified as a broken timing belt and, in some cases, valve and cylinder head damage that required a rebuild. Complaints say the belt let go well short of 100,000 miles and that warranty or goodwill help was refused. One owner links the failure to the tensioner and pulley design. Reported between roughly 50,000 and 95,000 miles in this sample.

   What to check: Ask for paperwork showing the timing belt, tensioner and water pump were replaced and at what mileage; with no record, budget for a belt service. On a car with an interference engine, a belt that has never been changed is a repair to plan for rather than a surprise to discover.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “(1) while driving down the highway at 60 MPH the engine shut down and would not turn over again. I called a tow truck and had it delivered to my mechanics garage. (2) mechanic determined that it was the timing belt that went, and that Volkswagen had remanufactuered the tensioner and pulley for what ever reason. After buying new parts and rebuilding the head because the valves were destroyed upon contact with the pistons( naturally). After putting the engine back together with the new parts and rebuilt head, the cam seized up and blew the motor. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10093260, filed 2004-09, 84,000 miles

   “While driving on i95 (md) southbound from elkton, md to aberdeen proving grounds, md, the car suddenly stalled. Obviously, without engine power, the steering and brakes were difficult to operate. Traffic was however avoided due to aid of a highway patrol right behind me. The vehicle was picked up and towed within a couple of hours and taken to a local garage. Cause of the problem was failed timing belt. Car has less than 100,000 miles and it's onnly 7 years old. However, vw refuse to honor the 100,000 miles/10year power train warranty.”

   NHTSA complaint #10130168, filed 2005-07, 95,000 miles

Buying note. Check the warning lights, the front suspension and steering, and the timing belt history first, since those are what owners of this year write about most. A pre-purchase inspection that reads ABS codes and looks over the front end is a reasonable step on a car of this age.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.