Two problems related to brake abs warning light have been reported for the 1996 Volkswagen Passat. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The daytime and normal headlights don't work when engine is started. This problem is intermittent. Sometimes I would shut off the engine and restart it and the lights come back on. Another time, I just turned off the engine and let the car sit in my garage for a few days. The lights come back on when I start it. At other times, in addition to the headlight not coming on, the abs light comes on when the ignition is started. There are a lot of other electrical problems with my Passat, which I have fixed and reported here. Namely, the instrument cluster failed.
Abs light keeps coming on, and the abs system is locking up. Also, horn keeps going off, and cruise control keeps coming on.