2000 Volkswagen Volkswagen

Routine

Owners filed 12 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › ignition › module. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Arm1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip1
000
Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Lever and Linkage › Floor Shift1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly1
000
Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under Dash1
000
Electrical System › Ignition › Module1
000
Electrical System › Ignition1
010

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System › IgnitionFire
Filed Dec 31, 200797,400 milesCA

MY 2000 VW PASSAT CAUGHT ON FIRE DEC 28, 2007. I HAD IT TOWED TO A NEARBY DEALER FOR SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY IGNITION COIL. THE FINAL COST TO REPAIR (IF IT CAN BE REPAIRED) IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED. I FIND IT VERY PERTURBING TO FIND OUT THAT VW KNEW OF THESE (COIL) DEFECTS YET DID NOTHING TO INFORM OWNERS. I HAD TWO SMALL CHILDREN AGES 2 AND 4 IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE. FORTUNATELY, MY QUICK INSTINCTS PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH LIMITED ENGINE DAMAGE AND WITHOUT CASUALTIES. *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Aug 8, 200658,000 milesCA

SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE. ANNOYING!!WE HAVE A 2000 PASSAT W/AN ABS WARNING LIGHT & CHIMES THAT HAVE BEEN COMING ON SINCE NOV. 2004 WHEN THE CAR HAD APPROX 50-65,000 MILES ON IT. WE HAVE HAD QUOTES OF$900 & 1300 FOR REPAIRS. BUT THEY ALWAYS SAY IT"S A SHORT IN THE MODULE. NO PROBLEM, I HOPE NOT. BECAUSE WE ARE NOT COMPLAINING. GETTING IT REPAIRED. WE ARE SICK & TIRED OF THIS POORLY MADE MONEY PIT CAR IT MAY BE THE FIRST CAR WE TRADE IN. . WHY CAN'T THERE BE DARN RECALL WITH ALL OF US. VW HAS NO CUSTOMER SERVICE MANNER. WE LIKE SOME OTHERS RESEARCHED CARS BEFORE BUYING. THIS CAR CAME HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. BY VEHICLE PUBLICATIONS.& WEBSITES, NOT BY US. I AM TOTALLY AFRAID OF DRIVING IT EXCEPT TO WORK & HOME,.WE HAVE HAD OTHER PROBLEMS TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS USUALLY HAPPENS IN CARS THAT HAVE BEEN IN ACCIDENTS, I CAN SEE BY THIS E-MAIL POSTER THAT IS NOT TRUE.. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System › Emission Control
Filed Jul 9, 200535,000 milesHI

PURCHASE VW PASSAT 2000 1.8 TURBO AFTER ONE FROM PURCHASE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON. TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP AND THEY REMOVED AND INSTALLED TEMP SENSOR. AFTER COUPLE OF MONTH LATER AGAIN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AGAIN. DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT SAID THEY HAVE TO PERFORM DIAGNOSTIC CHECK TO FIND OUT AND THEY WOULD CHARGE FOR THAT SERVICE. VERY ANNOYING THAT LIGHTS GO ON SO FREQUENTLY. THEN WE DISCOVERED THAT THE OIL CHECKING ROD WHICH THE CAP IS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC MATERIAL CRACKED. WITH MY JAPANESE CAR I NEVER HAD THAT KIND OF PROBLEM. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE VOLKSWAGEN WAS VERY TROUBLE FREE CAR. BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT WASN'T TRUE.

Suspension › Front › Control Arm › Lower Arm
Filed May 9, 200562,000 milesCA

NOTICE CLUNKING AND SCHREECHING SOUND WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INFORMED OF LOWERCONTROL ARM DEFECTIVE. CAR CONTINUED TO MAKE CLUNKING SOUND WHEN TURNING, MECHANIC DIAGNOSED UPPER CONTROL (BALL JOINT) FAILURE.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module
Filed Mar 12, 200563,000 milesCA

MY VOLKSWAGEN 2000 PASSAT HAS A MALFUNCTION OF THE ABS ELECTRONIC UNIT. THIS MALFUNCTION HAS BEEN REPORTED FREQUENTLY AMONG AUDI AND VW CUSTOMERS. THE EARLY MALFUNCTION OF THIS VITAL VEHICLE SAFETY COMPONENT IS UNACCEPTABLE. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Mar 1, 200593,000 milesCO

1) STOP ENGINE LIGHT 2) NO POWER, ENGINE FAILURE 3) POSSIBLE NEW ENGINE NEEDED 4) WARRANTY NO GOOD FROM VW BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE 2 RECEIPTS FROM OIL CHANGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT?!! ALL OTHER RECEIPTS ARE THERE. *JB

Electrical System
Filed Feb 7, 200582,081 milesCA

THE ABS MODULE HAS AN INTERNAL ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FAILURE. THE WARNING LIGHT AND BEEPER CANNOT BE DISCONNECTED. THE BRAKES ARE OK BUT THE WARNING LIGHTS CONTINUE TO ACTIVATE SPORADICALLY. *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly
Filed Dec 7, 200452,000 milesCA

RADIATOR FAILURE. CRACKED RADIATOR ON PASSENGER SIDE BOTTOM. RADIATOR FAN FAILURE. BEARINGS IN MOTOR SQUEALING. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Lever and Linkage › Floor Shift
Filed Jul 12, 200347,000 milesNC

CAR WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK, WITH IGNITION ON, CAR RUNNING DESPITE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. *AK

Air Bags
Filed Nov 6, 2002OR

AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT VOLKSWAGEN AGREED TO PAY FOR REPAIR PAID $73 OUT-OF-POCKET TO GET DIAGNOSTIC AIRBAG INDICATOR LITE ADMISSION OF PROBLEM ONLY PAID FOR REPAIR? LITE OFF WANT $73 REFUNDED. DT

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under Dash
Filed Oct 14, 2002CA

BRAKE ASSEMBLY SWITCH WAS FAULTY WHICH DOES NOT ALLOW THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO BE SWITCHED OUT OF PARK. COST TO REPAIR APPROXIMATELY $150.00. CAR HAD 18,032 MILES AND WAS 28 MONTHS OLD, PURCHASED CAR NEW. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA DID NOT COVER WORK UNDER WARRANTY. PER WWW.NEWBEETLE.ORG FORM, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OTHER FAULTY SWITCHES. MR

Electrical System › Ignition › Module
Filed Feb 17, 2001CA

ECU FAILURE: (5K MILES) ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER, ENGINE COMPUTER LIGHT LIT, ATTEMPED TO START USING 3 DIFFERENT POWER SOURCES (DEALER, TOW, ANOTHER CAR) FAILED - BATTERY FINE. ENGINE COMPUTER WAS RESET AFTER TEST INDICATED FAULTY COMPUTER SETTINGS. ERROR 2: (14K MILES) ENGINE DISPLAYED "EMISSIONS WORKSHOP" MESSAGE, MIL LIGHT LIT. DEALER REPORTED FAULTY ENGINE COMPUTER, REPLACED COMPUTER. ERROR 3: 20 MILES AFTER PICKING CAR UP FROM DEALER, ENGINE DISPLAYED "EMISSIONS WORKSHOP" MESSAGE, MIL LIT AGAIN. RETURNED TO DEALER, WHO REPLACED ECU A SECOND TIME. DEALER ALSO REPLACES MAF (MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR). THIS SEEMS TO HAVE RESOLVED THE ECU PROBLEMS... FOR NOW? ERROR 3: (15K MILES) PASSENGER POWER WINDOW FAILED WITH LOUD "POP" DEALER REPLACED WINDOW REGULATOR, STATED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THAT VW WAS WORKING ON A MORE ROBUST WINDOW DESIGN -- WILL FUTURE FAILURE BE REPLACED BY VW AFTER WARRENTEE PERIOD? ERROR 4: CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH FAILED, REPLACED BY DEALER.

12 of 12 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2000
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20034000Routine
20027000Routine
20019000Routine
2000 — this page12010Routine
19995000Routine
19982000Routine
19976000Routine
19969000Routine
19953000Routine
19943000Routine
19922000Routine
19911000Routine
19901000Routine

Compare every Volkswagen year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.