1998 Volkswagen Passat complaints

TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED, UNABLE TO BE RECTIFIED. MJS

THE RIGHT FRONT SEATS WOULD ROCK WHENEVER VEHICLE IS TURNING CORNERS OR CURBS. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHEN COMING TO OR LEAVING A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER & NOTHING COULD BE OR WOULD BE DONE. SUN ROOF WOULD OPEN & CLOSE ON ITS OWN. WOULD HAVE NO WARNING. THE REAR WINDOW LOOKED LIKE IT HAD ACID RAIN ON IT WHEN BOUGHT. BEEN TO DEALER & MECHANIC REMOVED SEAT & REPLACED IT. NO PROBLEM FOUND. CHECKING ON OTHER PROBLEMS. *AK

THE EXTERIOR MIRRIOR ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WAS MADE SMALLER THAN THE ONE ON THE OLDER YEAR MODELS. WITH THESE NEW ONES, NO MATTER HOW IT'S ADJUSTED, THERE STILL REMAINS A BLIND SPOT. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

AFTER THREE REPAIRS THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM FAILS TO OPERATE. *YC

WINDOW PANEL--PREVENTS CLOSING OF WINDOW. INTAKE MANIFOLD OIL LEAK (GASKET).

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE VARIOUS ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN MY VW PASSTA. I HAVE HAD THE RADIO PICK THE TURN SIGNAL WHILE LISTENING TO AM STATIONS. THE LIGHTS IN THE AIRCONDITIONG COMPONENT STOPPED WORKING. THE PASSAENGER DR BEHIND THE DRIVERS SIDE LOCKING MECHANISM IS STILL BROKEN (EVEN AFTER 4-5 TRIPS TO THE DEALER). THE PASSENGER DOOR BEHING THE FRONT PASSENGER HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED BECAUSE IT WOULD NO LOCK. THE TRUCK MECHANISM STOPPED LOCKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE LIGHTS IN THE BACK FELL OUT. THE CAR SIMPLY CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE SECURITY SYSTEM WENT HAYWIRE FOR NO REASON.

GAS FLOWED OUT OF TANK AFTER FILL UP CREATING FIRE HAZARD

ON SEVERAL OCCASION WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH, AND DURING RAIN , MY SUNROOF WOULD OPEN WHILE IN OFF POSITION, I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO SOUTHERN STATES VOLKSWAGEN AND ALSO LAND VOLKSWAGEN, THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE I HAVE HAD THIS CAR. IT BECAME UNSAFE WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN AND THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN 15 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR. DEALERSHIPS AND VW CORP. ARE GIVINGME THE RUN ME THE RUN AROUND

LOW BEAM LIGHT NOT CORRECTLY MOUNTED. YH

VEHICLE WAS STALLING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND A LOSS OF POWER STEERING OCCURRED. ALSO. THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE FUEL PUMP BECAUSE OF FAULTY WIRING. *AK

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME SUNROOF MECHANISMS FRACTURED. THIS TIME THEY STRUCK THE DRIVER WHILE DRIVING (PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY). IN BOTH FAILURES, THERE WERE FRACTURES OF THE MECHANISM. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE RESULTED IN PIECES FLYING OFF THE CAR AND STRIKING THE DRIVER IN THE RIGHT SHOULDER.

I READ ON 3/19/99 SOME REVIEWS BY OWNERS OF PASSATS ON THE INTERNET (WHILE I WAS SEARCHING FOR COMMENTS BY OWNERS OF THE HONDA ODESSEY MIN-VAN). UNFORTUNATELY I CANNOT FIND THE WEBSITE AGAIN. HOWEVER, WHILE THERE, TWO PEOPLE HAD ASKED QUESTIONS RELATING TO WINDSHIELD CRACKING DURING A TEST DRIVE BY A WELL KNOWN MAGAZINE (I THINK IT WAS CAR & DRIVER) FOR THE AUDI A4, BASICALLY THE SAME CAR AS THE PASSAT. THE QUESTION WAS HAD ANYONE EXPERIENCED SUCH CRACKING. I WAS SHOCKED ON 3/20/99 TO GET INTO THE CAR AND SEE THE 10-INCH CRACK WHICH WAS NOT THERE THE DAY BEFORE. SO I'VE BEEN SEARCHING THE WWW WITHOUT SUCCESS TO FIND THE COMMENTS FROM THE MESSAGE BOARDS I READ LAST FRIDAY. *AK

MOLDING CRACKED, CAUSING TAILGATE TO FAIL. *YC

SUNVISOR FAILED. MJS

HORN SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS LOOSE. YH

GAS TANK FAILED. YH

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING HARD SHIFT. *YC

COMPUTER CONTROL SYSTEM AND ENGINE SENSOR FAILED CAUSING LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. YH

BODY INTAKE VALVE FAILED. YH

VALVE COVER GASKET FAILED. YH

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURES CONTINUALLY, UNABLE TO RECTIFY FAILURE WHICH CAUSES MANY COMPONENT FAILURES.

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH THE ENGINE SHIELD FELL OFF FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL. ALSO, STEERING WAS VERY HARD TO STEER, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE SHOULDER. THE CONSUMER LOOK UNDER THE VEHICLE,AND NOTICED THE FRONT OF THE SHIELD WAS ON THE FREEWAY, AND THE SHIELD WAS RUBBING UP AGAINST THE FRONT TIRES. *AK

MY CAR HAS A FACTORY DEFECT OF COOLANT MIXING WITH THE ENGINE OIL AND IS IN THE DEALER FOR ITS SECOND ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE FACTORY FIELD REPRESENTATIVE DID NOT PIN POINT PROBLEM TO BE THE CYLINDER HEAD BUT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE AND IS REPLACING THAT COMPONENT ONLY. MY ARGUMENT IS THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING WITH CONTAMINATED OIL AND PREMATURE WEAR HAD OCCURRED TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THE ENGINE AND TURBO CHARGER. I HAD CLEVELAND TECH CENTER ANALYZED THE OIL AND FOUND ABNORMAL AND HIGH TRACES OF METAL AND GYCOL, THUS, RESULTING IN PREMATURE WEAR ON THE ENGINE COMPONENTS. I PURCHASED A NEW CAR AND FEEL THAT THE REPLACEMENT OF ONLY THE CYLINDER HEAD IS INADEQUATE AND UNFAIR TO A CUSTOMER. I ALSO FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND MAY SEIZE THE ENGINE.

FRONT SEAT FAILURE CAUSING IT TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES OR ACCELERATING MAKING A POPPING NOISE.

TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ERTICALLY AND NOISE DEVELOPS BETWEEN 20-27 MPH AFTER APPROX. 1/2 TO 1 HOUR OF USE.

VEHICLE HAS SERIOUS BLIND SPOTS CAUSED BY THE SMALL SIZE AND NARROW VIEW OF THE THREE MIRRORS.

AUTOMATIC LOCKING RESTRAINT, DESIGNED TO HOLD CHILD SEATS FIRMLY, CAUSES BRUISES TO PASSENGERS BECAUSE IT TIGHTENS UNTIL IT NEARLY SUFFOCATES THE PASSENGER.

REARVIEW MIRRORS ARE TOO NARROW AND SMALL CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.

CENTRAL LOCKING SYSTEM - REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR MALFUNCTION.

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS CONTINUALLY BE EXPERIENCED.

WARNING LAMP PERMANENTLY ON INDICATING AIR BAG SYSTEM HAS FAILED.