1998 Volkswagen Passat Equipment Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 2%of 331 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 96,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the equipment of the 1998 Volkswagen Passat, 2% of the 331 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 96,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Oil pump failure, faulty cd player, inoperative cruise control, ignition module. Many failures for such a new car. Warranty is good for 10 years 100,000 miles for original owner, 5 york 50,000 for second. Car was placed in service 2/19/98 we there fore missed the 5 year coverage by 4 months.”
NHTSA complaint #10023153, filed 2003-06, 96,000 miles“Starter coil failure - for over a month the problem would appear and disappear. Sounded almost like the muffler fell off, but would be accompanied by loss of power to the vehicle. Unexplainable as to why this happened.”
NHTSA complaint #10002615, filed 2003-01, 62,520 miles“Daily driving conditions the ABS light comes on with audible warning and the brake light blinks continuously. Root problem is the ABS electronic module that is malfunctioning. This is a very common problem as much web research has been conducted through online Passat forums.”
NHTSA complaint #10120178, filed 2005-05Related service bulletins
- 10228180Dec 12, 2022Update model year applicability to include 2023.
- 10175799May 12, 2020Tool number added to table. Removal of Behr Flush Kit. VAS 6337/1A
- 10174476Apr 21, 2020Updated to include additional models and model year applicability.
- 10159010Mar 27, 2019The part number listed in the document is to be returned if it meets the criteria provided.
- 10159014Mar 22, 2019Alternative method for radio code retrieval.
- 10157302Sep 14, 2017Updated to include model year 2014 thru 2018 applicability.
- 10125661Aug 18, 2017Update to existing tip for fuel quality checking.
- 10155644Jun 28, 2017This special notice is to inform dealers to return all part numbers listed in the document and order the superseded part numbers going forward.
- 10157383Jun 22, 2017VAS 6154 Replacement Part Setup Guide
- 10128055Feb 1, 2017This communication is to update our ProFi dealers of the current status of the latest inbound and outbound ProFi requests.
Equipment: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | 5% |
| 2017 | 1 | 1% |
| 2014 | 4 | 1% |
| 2013 | 5 | 1% |
| 2009 | 1 | 1% |
| 2008 | 1 | 1% |
| 2007 | 3 | 1% |
| 2006 | 9 | 2% |
| 2005 | 1 | 1% |
| 2004 | 5 | 2% |
| 2003 | 12 | 2% |
| 2002 | 17 | 3% |
| 2001 | 7 | 2% |
| 2000 | 6 | 1% |
| 1999 | 8 | 1% |
| 1998 | 8 | 2% |
| 1997 | 3 | 8% |
| 1995 | 4 | 4% |
| 1993 | 4 | 6% |
| 1991 | 1 | 4% |
| 1990 | 1 | 3% |
Other parts of the 1998 Volkswagen Passat
90 complaintsSuspension
90 complaintsSteering
52 complaintsEngine cooling
39 complaintsElectrical system
28 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
27 complaintsFuel system
17 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
16 complaintsSeats
11 complaintsAir bags
8 complaintsBody and structure
8 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
5 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Volkswagen Passat
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology