Problems with 2000 Volkswagen Passat SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Bought used 2000 passat. abs brake fault light came on within 30 days of purchasing vehicle. mechanic has tried replacing abs sensor, abs control module and hydraulic booster, changed wire harness, and installed instrument panel twice. light still comes on. mechanic assures me brakes are working and abs is working. hope i don't prove him wrong. very frustrated. have gotten no help from vw service. they seem at a loss of what to do also. recall this vehicle please!! *jb

(1) normal driving circumstances (2) abs module failure, no abs or traction control functionality (3) replaced abs module, problem fixed. *nm

Abs module failure: this problem initially aroused in 2004 which was serviced by a local vw dealership in san francisco. the technician reset the code which made the beeping stop and made the light disappear temporarily. when it came back on again a few weeks later, i contacted the same dealership who advised me that since "it's not a safety concern, i didn't need to get that problem fixed right away." in the beginning, the abs light was temperamental. it would come on and off but it has been on consistently since april/may 2005. i attempted to get it fixed a few times to no avail. i was told that it would cost me nearly $2000 out of pocket. upon further investigation, i became aware that this is a common problem with vw but vw of north america refused to correct this issue and consumers are being forced to pay out of pocket, which is an expensive repair. in october of last year, i filed an official complaint with the california dept of consumer affairs, bureau of automotive repairs (bar) who attempted to advocate on my behalf but were unsuccessful as well. i was told by the bar that there have been thousands of complaints registered but no action has been taken against the vw of north america yet. vw of north america needs to step up to the plate and act responsibly to correct this issue before tragedy hits. if govt entities such as nhtsa and other organization cannot force vw to act then the vw owners need to consider filing a class action law suit. this is a serious matter and i for one have already begun looking in to this option. i am tired of dealing with vwofa and they need to be held accountable for their action. please click on the following link to read complaints registered by other vw owners. http://tech.bentleypublishers.com/thread.jspa?message id=261419 *jb

Abs and brake warning light comes on and stays on. message section displays stop, brake failure message. according to dealership, the abs module needs to be replaced. price quoted was $1,000. apparently, a very common problem with vw and audi cars. vw owes us a recall. *tr

2000 vw passat stationwagon v6; 82,000 miles- last week, the asr, abs and brake warning lights came on, the multi-function indicator displayed the "stop", "brake" and "service manual" lights, accompanied by loud beeps. all of the warnings are inconsistent-as another person said, "[the lights] will come on after driving for a period of time, or will not come on at all, or will stay on all the time" (the lights aren't necessarily on at the same time either). i read the manual and promptly made an appt. w/dealership, couldn't keep the date and have since received online notification that this is an ongoing problem that is expensive to fix. i do not have a grand burning a hole in my pocket so, despite the manual's dire warnings, i cannot fix my car. this is obviously a common and well known problem that the manufacturers should take responsibility for! unless there is a recall very soon, i'll be buying a new car that i can feel safe about driving (i have children).

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph on a street, the traction control and the antilock brake warning light illuminated on the dash panel. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined the antilock brake control module needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not contacted.

Without prior issues, the abs and brake warning lights came on, the trip computer displayed "stop", "brake failure" and "service manual" lights, and there were a sequence of loud beeps. after talking to the vw mechanic, who read and looked up the dtcs, he discovered it's a problem with the abs control module. there is a replacement for just the control module and not the entire abs unit. the vw dealer charges $716 for replacement and installation, and will take at least a week for the part to be ordered. the car only has 60,000 miles on it! it is a 2000 vw passat 1.8t. *nm

Hello i just bought a 2000 vw passat 1.8t with 36000 miles. after i drove it home, two days later my abs module went bad. after some research i found out that this is a very common problem with vw/audi cars, but my dealer wouldn't do anything to fix this problem. instead he wants to charge me $1500 for the part and 2.5 hours of labor + tx =$2000 out of my pocket. if this is such a common problem why isn't vw doing something about it. i'm very disappointed with vw and government form doing nothing about this issue. what would it take? how many deaths or property damage will it take? please do something about it. thank you, [xxx]. *nm information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

My vw 2000 v6 passat has the abs light on and blinking brake light. per vw dealer scan service, there is nothing wrong with the brake but the abs control unit has failed to function. my car is only 58,000 miles. *nm

The abs and brake warning lights came on and the dashboard display indicated to stop immediately. the drivers manual indicated that the brakes could fail at any time. *nm

Purchased my 2000 passat in 2003, had numerous problems since. it seemed like everything on the car had to be replaced. the control arms, o2 sensors, twice, belts, stereo didn't turn on, all new hoses right away, all 4 window regulators, and now to top it all off, the abs lights kept coming on. my husband has a 2000 audi a4, virtually the same car, and had to replace all of the same things. the abs seemed to work fine, but the dealer said it would be $1800 to fix it. i looked at some online forums and found thousands of people with similar problems. the manufacturer, (bosch or volkswagen, should do something about this. my car has been parked since august 2006 because i don't have money to fix it! i am college student. help!

Dt*: the contact stated a puddle of fuel on the driveway was noticed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the fuel lines, clamps and seal were replaced. also, while driving at various speeds, the abs light illuminated on the dashboard. the dealer replaced the entire abs system.

I have a 2000 passat gls. it's abs light is on now with the brake light flashing and the message stop shown on the dashboard. *jb

9/2003: headlights aimed incorrectly; road wasn't illuminated. within 2 wks, 1 of the bulbs burned out. within a week of the 1st, the 2nd bulb burned out. cost to have headlights repositioned & bulbs replaced: $267. 9/2003: rear tail light out. cost to have bulb replaced by mechanic: $32.50. 11/2003: both rear windows off track. cost to tear doors apart & fix: $159.75. 12/2003: electrical problems with front power windows. never know if window will go up or down. 2004: had car in for (at least) 3 different dashboard warning codes. one had something to do with fuel, or the fuel tank or something. after some trial and error on my mechanic's part, discovered that unscrewing and tightly rescrewing gas cap fixed the problem. cost to diagnose and "fix": $165. had (at least) two other warning codes in 2004 that required me to take the car in. 6/24/2005: had been hearing crunching sound from front right portion of car that was particularly apparent when hitting a pothole, a dip in the road or attempting a tight 360 turn. mechanic (specializing in european cars) identified a bad control arm. cost of repair & alignment: $713.70. cost of rental car: $100.88. total: $814.58. note: the left side has been making the same sound since 12/2005. have not yet repaired it. 10/24/05: car started going dead intermittently. the car had less than 60000 miles on it. replaced battery for $106.50. 1/2006: temp gauge maxed out, coolant boiled over, smoke & steam issued from hood in less than 8 minutes at idle. cooled car for 2l hours, replaced coolant and drove to mechanic, who replaced thermostat, water pump & timing belt. cost: $725. 2/2006: brakes are spongy and provide no resistance until nearing the floor. mechanic says rotors and brake pads are fine. 6/2006: transmission gets stuck in 1st gear. must stop the car, turn it off and then restart. this is an electrical problem and is governed by the computer. cost to fix: unknown. 6/2006: front window now off track. have not yet fixed it. *nm

The engine light has been on for a while. i had the catalytic converter replaced last year in 08/05 when it initially occurred. the problem went off. it came back on just yesterday 07/11/2006. the message says it is emission workshop. i have not taken it to a vw dealer, however, i suspect it is the same catalytic converter problem. another problem i have had is the stop - brake fault message. the abs light is on while the brake light is illuminating. i have taken my car to two different independent mechanics to check on the issues. they mentioned that the brake pads were all fine. and so was the fluid brake reservoir level. they were guessing it was electrical problem or abs sensor problem. *jb

Abs failure warning appeared intermittently after vehicle was properly boosted. also may have spilt w/w fluid onto abs unit when filling w/w container. dealer wants at least $700 to replace control module. brakes are otherwise ok. dealer said he wouldn't drive without abs as was too dangerous. this is my 1st car with abs and i am not convinced it is worth fixing at least at that cost. should be a class action suit against vw & bosch to repair defective units. a few sites promise to rebuild ecm for $250. not sure if this is not just another scam. *jb

Abs computer failure. no events leading to its failure it just shut down one day and the abs light has been on since. failure = no abs, dealer wants over $1000 to replace entire setup however the pump is ok the computer is gone. currently waiting for a cheaper fix or possible recall. *nm

Abs system has failed in my 2000 vw passat. it gives warning lights and messages that it's not working. *jb

With 47,000 miles on my vw passat, the abs module failed with no warning. following the instructions in the owners manual (which state that the car is unsafe to drive without operational abs) i had the module replaced at an out of pocket cost of $750. $500 of this cost was the "new and improved" module. this appears to be a very common issue with this model of passat, and passing this cost onto the consumer is unacceptable. i've read many posts online from owners that aren't repairing this issue due to cost, which as vw states, isn't safe. vw should be doing something to offset the costs of these repairs. *jb

Failure of abs brake system computer. *nm

Abs braking system malfunction. abs control module needed replacement due to ecu defect or failure. *jb

Abs braking system failure for 2000 1.8t passat with manual transmission. problem has yet to be fixed.*ak

Abs /brake light started coming on at about 112,000 miles. first the problem was intermittent, but now it is constant. the abs pump seems to function properly. the problem is with the electronic component known as the ebcm. i realize the government doesn't consider this a safety issue, otherwise vw would have been pressured to issue a recall. however, the state of nj will not allow you to pass inspection with the lights on because they consider it a safety issue, even though in reality it's just like driving in the pre-abs days. so, the consumer is forced to pay $1500-$2000 to get this problem fixed. of course vw and bosch, who made the faulty component, get off the hook and in fact profit this extremely common failure. who is looking out for the consumer? please help! *tr

The antilock braking system on my 2000 vw passat failed without warning at only about 61,000 miles. i have checked various websites and found that abs failures on volkswagens from this era are extremely common--so common in fact that an entire industry has sprung up to rebuild the defective bosch abs systems in vw's and audis. although there was no accident or injury as a result of this failure i still received an alarming message on the dashboard to stop while in the left lane of the nj turnpike in heavy traffic and that could have caused a serious accident. there's absolutely no excuse for a failure like this at such low mileage to be so common. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 volkswagen passat. while driving 40 mph, the word "stop" appeared on the instrument panel and the abs warning light illuminated. as a result, the abs failed to operate properly. the dealer stated that the abs module malfunctioned. the contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. as of october 31, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the failure mileage was 48,000 and current mileage was 62,500.

The abs and brake warning lights came on, the trip computer displayed "stop", "brake failure" and "service manual" lights, and there were a sequence of loud beeps. after talking to the vw mechanic, who read and looked up the dtcs, i discovered it's a problem with the abs control module. there is a replacement for just the control module and not the entire abs unit, model number 8e0-998-375-g, available from the vw dealer for $686 plus labor costs to install. still, my car only has 63,000 miles on it!! it is a 2000 vw passat 1.8t. *nm

I own a passat 2000 v6. at 82,000 miles my abs module has failed. my car has still not been fixed because i can not afford the ridiculous amount that i was told by a local shop. $3,000 to fix this? i don't think so! there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of vehicles made by volkswagon between 1998-2001 with failing abs units. i demand a recall! how dare they charge us so much for our cars, when they can not guarentee that they will even last?! *nm

In november of 2005 my vw passat began to intermittently have the abs warning light come on. my local dealer said it would be $2000 to replace the abs control module and that the part was not even available. after a simple search under "vw abs control module failure" it is clear that many hundreds of people have had exactly the same problem. this is clearly a defective part. it goes to the safety of the vehicle as warning lights indicate "brake failure" and stop immediately. from the many threads, and my experience, it is clear that vw is aware of this defect but does nothing. why are they not forced to replace this defective part that effects the safety of my car? *jb

My 2000 volkswagen passat has 92,000 miles on it and has never been in an accident. i have an error indicating that the computer can no longer communicate with the abs controller. according to one of the vw chat groups, the replacement pumps cost approximately $2000. i think the car is too new to have an abs failure and the cost is excessive.*jb

Inter.,brake abs light w/stop do not drive message. *nm

Abs control module on 2000 vw passat failed in october 2005. replacement costs approximately $1000. according to several internet forums, this is a common problem that vw is refusing to acknowledge. a recall is needed. *nm

2000 passat abs computer module is failing. several postings have already occurred - should be a manufacturer's recall. *nm

2000 vw passat 1.8 l turbo 4 cyl. abs control module failure. safety issue. vw wants $1,800 to repair part. flashing lights appear in random pattern warning about malfunction. *jb

Failure of abs brake system on vw passat, yr=2000, model=passat, engine 2.8l. bosch abs 5.3 (vw p/n 8eo 614 111 ah) has very poor reliability history. *nm

The abs warning light will come on after driving for a period of time, or will not come on at all, or will stay on all the time. dealership has quoted repair estimate of $1700 to replace module. they advised that this should be recalled as they are seeing more of these come in with about the same mileage, just out of warranty. technical bulletin has been issued for this repair. *nm

Abs control module failure on 2000 vw passat. *jb

Failed abs module on 2000 volkswagen passat 4 motion wagon at 71000 miles. *jb

Apparent defect in the abs control system or display. intermittently flashes warning message stop brake failure owners manual. bulletin boards inform me this is a frequent occurrence for many vw owners. no repairs yet attempted. *jb

(1)at 79,000 miles: abs and flashing brake light warning message on dashboard and read stop, service manual / brake fault. a simple web search reveals hundreds of cars with this common failure as a result of a defective design. (2)during this failure traction control is disengaged along with abs system, could possibly result in an accident. (3)i will continue to drive car without repair as this is obviously something that the owner should not be paying to repair or even diagnose! i will also contact vw of america to log issue with them and request a recall. *nm

The abs abd brake warning lights started to blink on my 2000 vw passat vr6 wagon. my dealer informed me that the repair will cost $1100 and that will only enable them to do the diagnostics to determine what is really wrong with the brake system. the costs of the additional repairs will be additional. if i don't change the module, my brakes are in danger of failing. *nm

Following a 90,000 mile service and engine valve seal replacement my abs warning indicator activated intermittently indicating a failure in the abs system. the service department at two dealerships told me this required replacement of the abs control module. *jb

While driving at various speeds the abs & brake light chimes & comes on. the dashboard display comes on and indicates to stop, break fault. this has been occurring randomly. dealer says that the abs brake module needs to be replaced at a cost of between $900-2400 us dollars. *nm

The abs and brake light on my volkswagen passat (2000 v6) started blinking as i was driving. the abs no longer works in my car and the manual states that it should not be driven as the brake proportioning aren't correct when the abs is out and that the rear wheels can lock under heavy braking. after doing the diagnostic test i find out the that bosch abs module has stopped working (8eo 614 111 ah). the vw dealer wants $1700 to fix the problem. from internet research i have found the problem is quite common and because it is safety related i belive there should be a recall. 8jb

Abs module failure. same as everyone else's on this complaint list. i'd like to only add that i took the car in twice only to have them tell me the second time that the part would take ten (10) business days to order because of the apparent back log. that tells you the prevalence of the problem. this is definitely a safety issue. and as one vw service manager told me, "you can drive around with the abs light on, just avoid hard braking." thanks for the tip. i was thinking of purchasing a van from vw...guess again. *nm

Failed abs controller. error codes on dashboard. abs is no longer working. quoted ~1200 to fix. *nm

Abs system failure. *jb

Abs light goes on. *jb

Abs module needs replacement at 53000 miles on 2000 yr. model passat. my research shows this to be a "normal" problem.

The abs control module on my 2000 vw passat 1.8l turbo is bad. i discovered this because the light indicating a problem with my abs came on the dash. the car fishtails if breaks are applied sharply going faster than 50 mph, even when driving straight. i tested this in a safe place to see if the abs was really not working. now i have no abs and the replacement part costs so much that i will have no abs for awhile. and the breaks on cars that are built to use abs don't work properly without it. i am reporting this because i have seen a number of forums with many people who have had the same problem. also because i bought this car because it was safe, one of the safety features being abs. hopefully there have been enough people who have complained about this that it can be taken care of before it causes too many accidents or any injuries. by the way, bosch made this abs control module and it is the same one used in the audi a4 and a6. i think they have come out with a new one that they recommend replacing the old ones with but they still haven't admitted they screwed up and now the consumer is paying for it. *nm

2000 volkswagen passat abs module failed. abs, brake and warning lights constantly illuminated.