Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1997 record →
WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 95 IN THE PASSING LANE AT 70 MPH, THE CAR ENGINE SUDDENLY DIED AND WOULD NOT RESTART FOR 30 SECONDS, NECESSITATING QUICK MANUEVERING TO THE BREAK DOWN LANE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT.*AK
THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION WITH A LOCK-OUT FOR SELECTING REVERSE GEAR. ON OCCASION AND UNEXPECTINGLY WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE THE THE TRANSMISSION REMAINS IN FORWARD FIRST GEAR. THIS HAPPENS EVEN THOUGH THE SHIFT LEVER IS DISTINCTLY IN REVERSE POSITION AND THE BACK-UP LIGHTS ARE ON. IT IS EXTREEMLY DANGEROUS. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED AND ADJUSTED THE SHIFT MECHINISM MANY TIMES. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 69,000 MILES ON IT, AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURING.*AK
IGNITION SWITCH WORE OUT PREMATURELY. WHILE DRIVING HEADLIGHTS AND OTHER ELECTRICAL PORTIONS HAD TURNED OFF, AFFECTING CONSUMER VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING LATE AT NIGHT. *AK
DOOR LATCHS THAT FAILED WOULD NOT BE REPLACED BY MANUFACTUER DO TO THE MILAGE ON THE CAR. WHAT MY DOOR HANDLES HAVE TO DO WITH THE MILAGE I DON'T KNOW!!!. *AK
DUE TO POORLY DESIGNED DOOR LATCHES ON FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE/PASSENGER'S SIDE, AND REAR DRIVER'S SIDE, DOORS DO NOT OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. DEALER SAID VEHICLE NEEDED NEW DOORS IN ORDER TO FIX THE LATCH PROBLEM. *AK *ML
SINCE PURCHASED ENGINE BURNS 1/2-1 QT OF OIL EVERY 1000 MILES. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN VEHICLE. *AK
THE DOOR LOCKS AND LATCHES INTERMITTENTLY HAVE FAILED TO SECURE THE DOORS FROM OPENING,
ALL 4 DOOR HANDLES WILL QUIT WORKING INTERMITTENLY , CONSUMER THEN WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OPEN DOOR OR UNLOCK DOOR. DEALER HAS REPLACED ALL 4 HANDLES, BUT DEFECT KEEPS OCCURRING. *AK
NOTHING
VEHICLE HAS A HESITATION PROBLEM AT SLOW OR HIGH SPEEDS. WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLS AND THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER. *AK
HEADLIGHTS ON ALL THE TIME ARE A SAFETY HAZARD, NOT A SAFETY SOLUTION! THIS IS YOUR FAULT, NOT THE CAR MANUFACTURERS. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO DRIVE AROUND FOR A WHILE WITH ONLY THEIR HEADLIGHTS ON, NOT REALIZING THEY HAVE FAILED TO TURN ON THE FULL LIGHTS SYSTEM IS INFINITELY GREATER THAN THOSE WHO ARE SAVED FROM ANYTHING BY HAVING THE STUPID HEADLIGHTS-ALWAYS-ON FEATURE. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO PROOF THAT THE HEADLIGHTS STAYING ON EVER PREVENTED ANYTHING EXCEPT LONG BULB LIFE. IT IS UNDENIABLE THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FAIL SOONER BECAUSE OF IT. AND MOST SEVERELY THAT MANY MANY PEOPLE WILL DRIVE AROUND WITH NO TAIL LIGHTS FOR A WHILE UNTIL THEY REALIZE THEY HAVEN'T TURNED THE FULL LIGHT SYSTEM ON. NOTE THAT THIS WILL MOST OFTEN OCCUR JUST AFTER DUSK WHEN THEY ARE PULLING OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY. WONDERFUL TIME NOT TO HAVE ANY TAIL LIGHTS ON !!! IN DUSK LIGHTING THEY ARE MORE LIKELY THAN ANY OTHER TIME NOT TO NOTICE THE DASH LIGHTS AREN'T ON YET WHICH IS THE ONLY CLUE THEY FAILED TO TURN ON THE REST OF THE LIGHTS. "THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE PERFECTLY FINE" IS THE MENTAL MESSAGE. YOU HAVE DONE A MAJOR DISSERVICE TO HIGHWAY SAFETY BY FORCING THE HEADLIGHTS-ON FEATURE. IT IS IN FACT AN OBVIOUS HAZARD ! I HAVE INADVERTANTLY DRIVEN A WHILE WITHOUT FULL LIGHTS BECAUSE OF THIS DUMB FEATURE MORE THAN ONCE, AND IT DOESN'T TAKE GENIUS TO KNOW THAT ANYONE WITH A NEWER VEHICLE SADDLED WITH THIS NUMB NUT FEATURE HAS DONE THE SAME THING. ADMIT YOU SCREWED UP AND REPEAL THE FEATURE ! IF YOU WEREN'T SO BLAS
ENGINE INTERMITTENT STALLING. OCCURS DURING ACCELERATION & STEADY SPEED. HOT OR COLD. NO IDENTIFIABLE PATTERN. IF CAR DIES, IT WILL START RIGHT UP (MOST TIMES IT JUST SURGES & DOES NOT ACTUALLY DIE). THE SURGING MOTION CAN LAST BETWEEN 15 & 45 SECS. HAS OCCURED 4 PREVIOUS TIMES (THATS PROMPTED THIS COMPLAINT). PREVIOUS OCCURRENCES: 8/19/97 8,658 MI; 6/19/98 18,413 MI; 7/31/98 19,841 MI; 9/14/98 21,402. COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED AND CONCERNED DEALER WILL BILL ME WHEN I TAKE THE CAR IN THE 5TH TIME TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. *AK
WHEN THE GEAR LEVER IS PUT IN THE REVERSE GEAR GATE THE GEARBOX MAY BE IN EITHER REVERSE OR FIRST GEAR. THE DRIVER DOES NOT KNOW WHICH GEAR THE CAR IS ACTUALLY IN UNTIL THE CLUTCH IS RELEASED. OBVIOUSLY, THIS MAKES PARKING A NEEDLESSLY DANGEROUS EXERCISE. *AK
DOOR HANDLE HAS FAILED SEVERAL TIMES.
ORIGINAL TIRES ON VEHICLE GOODYEAR EAGLE GA M+ S SIZE 215-50R15 HAVE A FAILED RESULTING IN FLAT TIRES.
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 10 MPH AND WHEN TRYING TO TURN STEERING WHEEL, IT LOCKED UP. RACK AND PINION AND SOME OTHER PARTS WERE REPLACED BEFORE, BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER POWER BUTTON SPONTANEOUSLY FAILED, AND CURRENTLY WORKS ONLY WHEN HELD IN THE ON POSITION. THIS IS A FAFETY ISSUE WHEN DRIVING, AS ONE HAND IS REQUIRED TO HOLD THE BUTTON ON UNTIL DEFROSTER CLEARS, TAKING CONCENTRATION AND COORDINATION OFF DRIVING. *AK
BRAKE SHOES MAKE NOISE.
WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS THERE IS A LOUD CRACKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE, IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH METAL IS CRACKING VERY LOUD. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO BODY: WHEEL WELL CRACKS. THE VEHICLE IS AT DEALERSHIP FOR PROLBEM. *AK
DIESEL FUMES IN PASSENGER COMPARTMENT.
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 1997 Volkswagen Passat → · Every Passat year → · How the figures are calculated →