Problems with 1999 Volkswagen Passat STEERING

Recall 99v248000/tie rods: vehicle experiencing a torn seal on right tie rod due to defective parts. dealer notified, and informed consumer that vehicle was not covered under recall. please feel free to provide any further details on this matter. *ak

This problem with the steering is getting worse everyday this is very serious wvoa was contacted they just blew us off. *ak

Vehicle stalls intermittently at speeds of 25-65 mph. vehicle taken to dealer 10-15 times, cannot find a cause. *ak the mirror switch is inoperative due to window switch failure. the driver seat warmer was inoperative. engine has a burning smell due to oil leak. vehicle made noise in front end on left turns due to a stabilizer bar clamp being loose. front brakes make noise. steering makes noise and locked while driving. steering column sliding cover cracked. *yh

Seals in front tie rod ends are broken on both sides. dust can get in and affect steering of vehicle.this is the same problem as recall # 99v248000 for tie rods.*ak

The car has a pronounced groan when turning and the dealer says one of the tie rods needs to be replaced. there is an existing recall for this defect for cars manufactured prior to mine-it would seem that they did not correct the problem, it was more extensive than they originally thought or my car was constructed using the previous parts. the local dealer referred me to vw who say they can not "participate" or "assist" with this repair. *ak

Steering wheel is making noise when turning. it also acts as if steering wheel will lock or give way. dealer claims power steering pump is leaking, and rack and pinion. parts are on back order. *ak

Recall repairs denied due to lack of parts (99v-131 and 99v-248). *mjs

Control arm's of '1998-'2000 passats are failure prone much earlier then the norm for passaneger automobiles. (a fact they recognized by a redesign of the control arms on '2001 and up passat's. i purchased my car in 7/99. i drive 70 miles a day, mostly freeway, which as all know is actually very easy on an automobile. yet with-in 2 years (40k) my front suspension was showing signs of premature wear. i get many "creaks" and "clunks" that are easy to hear at low speeds. after researching in popular internet forums for the car,(www.clubb5.com , www.vwvortex.com) i found out this failure is very common for this automobile. vmoa (volkswagen of america) has not issued a recall yet (even though they have received thousands of complaints) as of this late date. (6/04) the response from vwoa and your dealer network has been inconsistent, to say the least. some dealers will not even look at the car, some will look at it and say nothing is wrong, and some will say that it is the control arms, but will not help out the owner when the time comes to contact the customer care center at vwoa . vwoa is not much more help, promising to get on the problem and telling you they will callback, only they don_x0019_t. or if they do ,it is, _x001c_sorry we cannot help you._x001d_. so what happens is that many of the owners that are out of warranty, must pay for a costly repair out of pocket. a repair that should have never happened. (i have never had control arm bushing failure in my previous 13 automobiles!) repair costs run over $700 for parts, and the same amount in labor. i am purchasing my car from the bank soon. overall it is a great car. i must replace the control arms very soon. i dont look forward to that and the high cost it will run me. i wish for vmoa to treat its customers like a modern customer focused company. bad designs happen. they owe it to their customers to make it right. thank you. john e. tami. *ak

Shortly after bought car, had many makeup problems: trim panel falling off, 3 our 4 windows have been fixed numerous times. cannot have trim fixed unless do whole car, which is too expensive and i didnt pay all that money for a car to have dish out more money for something that should not happen. i have paid to have all the windows fixed except this last time, i just will not do it. no accidents, nothing for these problems to be occuring. also, the tie rods have been replaced numerous times. lastly, steering/suspension has been a problem. all these problems took place four months after purchase and since then has been a problem. *ak

Steering rack seal failed at 15k mi, causing loss of fluid and damage to rack. dealer replaced under warranty. driver side, passenger window (left rear) disconnected from electric motor (would not go up and down) at 45k mi. hardly use window (no kids or passengers). dealer replaced "pin" and charged 1hr labor for pulling door panel - not covered under extended warranty. steering began to "creak" when wheel turned slowly at stop or near stop at 52k mi. dealer investigated and could not find problem. stated no safety problems. driver side, passenger window (left, rear) disconnected from power motor again at about 75k mi. did not contact dealer again as expected to pay $60 again so waited for a scheduled service. driver window power motor failed at 83k mi - sounded like metal grinding. had to manually push window closed. took auto to different dealer (midwestern auto group, dublin oh, 614-889-2571) to examine driver window, driver side passenger window and steering "creak". new dealer stated driver window under extended warranty plan, driver-side passenger window not covered and missing "pin" totally, and steering "creak" is in any or all of the control arm/linkage bushings. quoted $2000 to replace steering front end - suggested i just live with noise. no mention of tie-rod recall on 1999 passats. i have no information on if my car qualifies for the recall, but my investigatiion online suggests i do. have not received any notices, but have moved since original purchase and could have "lost mail" problem. suggest power window design is bad - as i drive on hwys a lot for business in oh where summer requires ac, winter requires heat, i have no kids or passengers in back seats, etc.*ak

The rack and pinion cap fell out/was missing, leaving no fluid in power steering assembly. there was a small pop and smoke from under the car. my wife had a hard time steering the car and maneuvering it off the road. had there been traffic she may well have been involved in an accident as she slowed and tried to muscle the car off the road. steering was very tight, so tight she could barely turn the wheel. car had just been picked up from the dealer and had only 250 miles on it. car is currently at fiore volkswagen in hollidaysburg, pa being repaired. *ak

Steering wheel has a lot of play inside of vehicle, and ball joints are making lound and poppy noises.*ak

I have reported this once before but i do not see it on your database? i believe this car is not safe to drive and i have no confidence in the way this matter is being handled. every time me and my family get into this veichle i expect somthing to happen. all the previous cars i owned i did not have this feeling. volkswagen will not buy the car back at this time. i feel the car should returned and then replaced with a new one. i am also considering selling the car as is and buying another make nissan. please help justice should be top proirty this is a money issue and no longer a commitment to saftey.

Replaced power steering rack.

Steering rack failed.

Steering rack failed.