Problems with 2000 Volkswagen Passat SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Dt: the consumert owns a 2000 volkswagon passat. the abs module failed prematurely. the abs warning light came on and off for the past couple of days.*ak *tt

2000 volkswagen passat glx 4-motion had a anti-lock brake system (abs) module failure at 51,000 miles disabling the abs feature on my car. it also causes distracting abs failure wearing lights and noises at unpredictable times causing distraction while driving. on the console display it also tells you to stop immediately. pacific volkswagen says it is a $750.00 part they have to order to fix plus labor. after doing some searching on various message boards i discovered it is a very common problem at any mileage. many drivers have not elected to have this module replaced due to cost and are not driving with the safety features the car was manufactured with. i am awaiting the part ordered to complete the repair on my vehicle as i value my abs system. this sounds like a defect that volkswagen will not recognize or recall and compromises safety. *nm

Abs control module failure on 2000 passat with 41,666 miles.

Abs module (p/n #8e0 614 111 ah) failure in 5 year old vehicle with only 70,181 miles. volkswagen of america refuses to acknowledge this is an issue despite hundreds of similar posts i have found with a simple web search for vw passats (1999 - 2005) and audi a4s (1997-2001) that have the same control module. vw will not cooperate on replacement of this $1,600 module despite the obvious safety risk of failed abs systems.

(1) no disernable events prior (2) abs module failure (3) none many audi and vw models manufactured starting in the later '90s and continuing to present, use the bosch 5.3 abs controller, which is prone to catastrophic failure, ostensibly due to defective design. this module controls multiple brake-related functions including the abs which is important for winter driving, but the most critical function of this module is probably the electronic brake force distribution, or ebd. these vehicles are designed such that if the ebd is inoperative, the proportion of hydraulic force applied to the rear brakes during emergency braking is as great as it is during moderate braking effort when there is minimal transfer of vehicle weight to the front wheels. the ebd is supposed to adjust the front/rear braking distribution dynamically according to the measure of the deceleration, so that the rear wheels will not lock up during emergency braking. if this module should fail during emergency braking on dry pavement, the rear wheels could lock up and cause an accident which could easily include fatalities. this is an expensive repair for owners, costing roughly $2000, and many owners have probably put off the repair indefinitely. evidence which can be found through a simple web search, suggests that the problem is widespread, and that if it has not already led to serious accidents, it is only a question of time. this problem is genuine, and vw/audi should be compelled to take immediate corrective action."

Abs light and brake failure warning light problem on my 2000 vw passat wagon. research shows this is a common problem and should be included in a recall. *jb

My 2000 passat 1.8t has a problem with the abs system. i have an appt on monday to take it in, but i stumbled across a web forum (http://tech.bentleypublishers.com/thread.jspa?threadid=2447&start=30&tstart=0), and now i pretty much know the answer i will get, and i see there are tons of other people with the same problem: the abs light comes on the brake light flasher my info center says "brake fault" and then says "stop" according to the forum, this is a common problem, and should be a manufacturer recall because to fix it typically costs around $2000 for a part that fails (not due to wear and tear or use)*ak

Abs control module on a 2000 volkswagen passat is out, we also had a2001.5 passat that had this same problem, we traded it in. so when our second car came up with this same problem we took it to a local v.w, repair shop and the man there said his personal car had this same problem and v.w. replaced it at no charge. in called v. w. and they said they know nothing of the sorts. i started researching this and it seems alot of people have this problem. bottom line is that it makes the car unsafe, causing the rear wheels to lock up under heavy braking situations. v. w does want to replace it tio the tune of $1400.00 and with a different model number which tells me that the first model # is deffective.*ak

Failure of abs brake module. i paid naples fl vw dealer $100 for diagnostic test for blinking abs light, brake warning, stop, etc. they said i needed a new module for $1400+ ... i'm still driving with blinking warning lights and buzzers beeping...

Abs control unit failing - usually in warm weather after 15-20 min of driving the abs and brake light come on on the dash and a message saying stop/brake fault is displayed. the fault may go away after some time or stay. my guess is abs is disabled when this happens. dealer suggests replacing the abs unit at a cost of $1300. there are many similar occurrences of the defect described in news groups on the web. *nm

Abs and brake light warning message on dashboard readsstop service manual brake fault. car taken to mechanic, computer check revealed code 18057 databus missing message from abs control module. expense to replace estimated at over 1500dollars. car has 62000 miles, not covered under warranty. during this failure traction control is disengaged along with abs system, could possibly result in an accident. auto mechanic explained that there are 13 modules in the vehicle and he cannot replace, vehicle must be taken to a dealer for repair. this occurred within one month after car was at dealer for 60000 mile service before warranty expiration and for a front steering linkage recall. dealer stated at that visit that passat needed new brakes and rotors, the "second opinion" mechanic stated that there is zero wear on front brakes and rotors. mechanic suggested i check recalls because this is the 4th vehicle has has had with this problem with similar mileage. mechanic states that this brake module failure is common.

While driving driver applied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor. driver was able to stop. then, noticed that fluid was leaking from underneath the vehicle. the pedal was hard when pressed. driver took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the brake booster needed to be replaced. *ak

Owner of a 2000 passat 1.8t. ike hundreds of other people i have a problem on the board appears the message: stop/break fault/service manual.. abs and break lights flashed on. have spent so much money when i go to the dealer and they suggest to replace some parts but at the end the issue stays and not even the dealer can give me explanations or hints of how to fix the problem. i believe there is a problem with the abs module which costs around $1500 this problem is so common that vw should make this a recall. *ak

Abs module failure on a 2000 vw passat, 84,000 mi. car dash computer, sends flashing "stop" "brake fault" "consult manual" to console. took to two different repair ships, said nothing is wrong with the abs brakes, but the abs console is not working. dealership said it would cost $1,400 to replace part. seems like there a re many vw owners with similar complaint about failing abs modules.

2000 volkswagen passat developed abs module failure.***no answer required***. *mr *jb

Brake warning light and "stop" message displayed intermittently. *nm

This vehicle had multiple problems. consumer noticed that the abs braking system failed, and the srs air bag light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. consumer was able to shift the vehicle into drive and reverse without the vehicle being turned on. consumer took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the abs braking system, and the srs air bag light module needed to be replaced. also, a transmission problem. *ak

While routinely driving home from work, the abs light and the asr indicator lights turned on, and a few seconds later the dashboard computer said "abs fault". these lights have remained on constantly since then.*ak i took the car in to the dealer the very next day and was informed that the abs control module had failed, which is a $1200 part with an accompanying $500 or so in labor. despite the car having only 33000 miles and the numerous consumer complaints about this commonly occurring failure, the dealer and vw of america were both unwilling to do anything to take responsibility for these repairs. the vehicle does not have abs anymore, which represents a safety risk. the vehicle is a 2000 vw passat glx v6, purchased december 1999.

A well known problem with volkswagen passat's, my abs module failed and i was forced to spend $1200 on a new module. there are thousands of people who have this same problem who do not understand why this faulty product has not been recalled. *jb

The abs check light remained on the vehicle. taken to dealer, and was informed that the abs module needed to be replaced.*ak

Abs contol module failure

In early november 2004 my abs started to failed in my 2000 passat gls. the dealer said it would cost nearly $2200 to fix this. after doing much research on the problem and trying to diagnose exactly the problem i stumbled on some information from http://forums.vwvortex.com/ and http://www.passatworld.com/forums/ also http://myvwlemon.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimate.cgi all of these site had numerous owners of volkswagen passats with the same exact problem i was having. i wondered why vw has not had a recall since there were so many problems with the abs control modules. i eventually found a company that rebuilds the abs control modules for $350. after getting it rebuild everything works fine. i still think this issue is an error on vw's the company and the should pay for it! the abs failing is one thing but the cost of the fix is outrageous. *jb

This is concerning my 2000 vw passat 1.8t automatic(tiptronic) vehicle. i am having issues with my anti lock brake system. my car warns me of an abs failure randomly (warning lights come on and go away for no apparent reason) i have found a multitude of other people on the internet that experience the same exact issues with this car. i have contacted vw of america and was told that there is no known issue with the car (no recall) and that if in fact there are as many people having this problem, that they should call vw and also report it to the nhtsa. she said that if the nhtsa got enough complaints that they could force vw to do a recall. here are some links where i found alot of other people with the same car/same issue: http://tech.bentleypublishers.com/search!execute.jspa? resolution to this problem is a $2000 replacement of the abs unit to "see" if that fixes it. something needs to be done for these guys to admit to having faulty parts in these model vehicles. any help is greatly appreciated! thanks, steve brickhouse. *ak

Abs and brake warning light suddenly appears accompanied by warning message "stop - brake fault" and loud audible alarm. my independent vw mechanic retrieved vehicle fault codes and advises the replacement of the abs control unit. the mechanic said he has seen this problem several times in the past year. the abs is inoperable and the drivers normal braking effort could result in the rear wheels locking up. failure to correct this problem by replacing the abs unit is likely due to the high part cost ($1,123.25) as this is becoming a common issue with many vw owners (evidence of this is readily availabe on the internet), the driving public's safety is being jeopardized for ecomomic reasons. *ak

Abs failure light came on at 55000 miles. abs not operational. dealer to charge $1200 for new abs module. ridiculous. this is not a wear component!!! this should be a recall item. *ak

Antilocking brake system (abs) module failure. "no communication" abs system code received - not covered under manufacturer's warranty. *ak

After random intervals the abs warning occurs, sometimes it will end but most of the time the error will continue until the car is turn off and restarted after 5 minutes. after the first abs warning i took the car into the dealer. the dealer determined the the unit (bosch abs and controller) would need replacing. after researching online, i found that several companies buy back these particular units for remanufacturing due to the common failure of this part. since this part is common on 1996-2001 audi a4's, a6's and vw passat and is failing consistently that several companies are now in the business of remanufacturer these units, i find it hard that such a vital component to the safety of the vehicle can fail so consistently. in addition, sunnyvale volkswagon dealer said that vw no longer sells the abs controller seperate from the abs pump due to the fact that when replacing a failed controller it was common for the pump to fail within several months.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 volkswagen passat. when the contact depressed the brake pedal, the vehicle would not stop properly unless the brake pedal was repeatedly depressed. in addition, the abs warning light was illuminated on the instrument control panel. he took the vehicle to a local mechanic and was informed that the abs module was malfunctioning. the dealer stated that because there was no recall, the contact would be responsible for the $1,300 repair cost. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer was unable to provide adequate assistance. the failure mileage was 105,000 and current mileage is 143,000. updated 07/29/08 *bf the abs moduel was the cause of the brakes going out. updated 08/01/08. *jb

It couldn't have been a month before buying my previously owned 2000 vw passat that the anti-lock brake system module failed. this is an extremely serious issue as it compromises the safety of the driver, passengers, and all others who travel the same routes as i do. i have held off complaining, but over the years we have seen an alarming amount of members with the exact issue. our online community only constitutes a small percentage of passat owners, yet we have had hundreds of members with this problem. i can only imagine how many more have had this problem, but haven't known where to turn. i purchased the part alone for $1200 and then had to pay additional labor costs. it almost seems like a scam on the part of vw. it just doesn't seem fair. *tr

Rear brakes replaced/tie rod boots/ front axle rusted/replaced. *ak

While driving on the freeway my abs light came on. the display read"stop, brake failure immanent". after talking on my cell phone with my regular vw mechanic he said it would be safe to drive except i would not have any anti-lock braking capability. i had to take the car to the dealer and they diagnost the anti-lock brake controler and pump. the diagnostic cost me $90.00 and later when they found the part that bill was $1580.85. why is a safety item like that not payed for by the manufacturer? the car is 4 years old and has 70,000 miles on it. seems a little to soon to be replacing such a seldom used and expensive part.*ak

While driving on the highway at 62 mph the vehicle started shaking, lost power then coasted to a stop. this occurred because the left rear rotor melted down and gummed up the brake fluid. this resulted in the braking system and transmission being inoperative. the dealership couldn't identify the cause of the rotor melt down ,they only replaced the melted and damaged parts. *nm *la

When the brakes are applied there is a delay before the vehicle will stop. also, engine service light will appear on the dashboard. dealer replaced the sensor at consumer's expense of $1,500. *ak

Abs module failure on a 2000 passat with 55,230 miles. *ak

While stopped at a traffic light the vehicles brake locked up. the mechanic examined the vehicle and informed the consumer that the brake master cylinder had failed. the manufacturer and the dealer are aware of the problem. *nm

The vehicle's abs module malfunctioned without warning. please provide any additional information. *nm *mr

Malfunction in abs module abs brake lights on also traction control light on. *la

Faulty abs speed sensor. *ak

Bosch abs control module fault causes abs, brake, and traction control warning lights to come on despite there being no actual abs fault.*ak

Malfunction of robert bosch 5.3 abs module. *ak

My 2000 vw passat with 60,000 miles has 2 serious and expensive problems first one was when i noticed a loud popping noise on bumps and steering was very unstable on bumps. took it to a shop and they told me it was the control arms and tie rod ends and that both were dealer items. so upon going to the dealer they told me they needed $90 dollars before they could even look @ it. so i said no but how much are the parts and turns out there more than $500 dollars. three weeks later my abs light and asr light comes on and it reads in the middle of the dash to stop! brake fault so reading this with my family in the car i immediately pull over find out where the nearest vw dealer is and ask them to inspect the problem. well that was easier said than done first they wanted the $90 dollars again before they would look at it and since i didn't have the money there was nothing they could do! nothing they can do!! that's crazy!! after arguing with them on why they don't want to look at it but it could cause a serious accident they said there's no immediate problem its ok to drive but it could be the abs module or the dash cluster its self. so i asked the price abs $1200 dollars new dash over $700 and that's not including labor.. so sorry to say but vw lost a customer with me and my family and friends. the car is just to new for this type of stuff to happen there should be a recall on this because i know im not the only one. and just to add, my old car which i have to drive now since i don't have the money to fix the problems with the vw is a honda prelude with 185,000 miles and still no problems. *jb

Wet weather braking...same as other complaints. there is a significant delay in braking response in wet weather. once the brakes 'grab' stopping is not a problem; i've learned to brake early. the problem seems to be reduced if you try to frequently touch the brakes, i'm assuming this clears water build-up from the rotors/pads. is this a problem with the open design of the alloy wheels or is the disc/rotor guard that sits behind the wheel becoming filled with water? fyi, i have a 2000 passat 4motion glx wagon.

I drive a 2000 volkswagon passat glx 4motion. i have felt that i got a bad car since very early on in my lease (i now have 8 months left). on this particular occaision, i had a severe oil leak. the dealer informed me that there was a hole in my oil pan that must have been caused by a rock (i don't recall feeling anything hit the car hard enough to put a hole in anything). i was told that this was not a warranteed item, rather normal wear and tear. i have owned 5 other cars and never had this problem. i also noticed that the car was shaking when the breaks are applied. i was told by the dealer that this is due to warped rotors. i only have 20,000 miles on the vehicle and have never heard of any kind of break problems with that few miles. i was also told that is not covered by warrantee either, again, normal wear and tear. the other 5 cars that i owned easily had over 20,000 miles on them and never had a problem with brake rotors. this seems to be a trend with this vehicle. early on in my lease, i had multiple problems with my car not starting. each time it was due to carbon buildup on my spark plugs. the first time it happened there was only 2,000 miles on the car and the dealer had the nerve to tell me that spark plugs were standard maintenenance items and i must not be taking care of my car properly. 2 years later, there was an emission controls recall which fixed this problem, which the dealer initially called driver error, not a vehicle problem.

Braake pedal goes slowly to floor when brakes applied. dealer could not repair. needs further info from volkswagen. *ak

2-3 sec delay when brakes are used in wet weather. problem present since new. *ak

While driving, a loud grinding noise would be coming from the front wheels. dealer notified and informed consumer that front rotors and calipers needed to be replaced. *ak *jg

Brake pad sensors failed by cracking down the middle prematurely, setting off brake light snesor on dashboard. dt

During wet weather braking, pedal is not firm and pronounced delay(2+ seconds)before brakes respond to driver input. *ak

When it rains, there is a 3+ second delay before the brakes engage. this car is identical to the audi a4 (same platform and brake system) which currently has a defect investigation open. the passat should be included in this investigation (both cars are "b5" platform cars). *ak

Brakes fade terribly in wet weather. *ak