Four problems related to ignition have been reported for the 1998 Volkswagen Passat. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
1) on early model Volkswagen Passats with the 4cyl. 1. 8 litre turbo motors, the ignition control unit will fail with no warnings at all. 2)the car does not run properly. The owner is left with constant misfiring, and if driven can lead to serious emission troubles down the road. Since the failure is completely random and shows no signs of a problem, this can and usually will leave the driver and passengers stranded. 3)the unit must be replaced or the car will not run properly. I purchased a unit of the brand huco, because the oem unit (bosch) lists for nearly $400.
Electrical system had gone out, nothing in vehicle that was electrical moved at all. Consumer contacted dealer, and the dealer was taking a look at vehicle. The dealer replaced the ignition steering lock. One time since the repairs the electrical components stopped working for a brief period of time. All components are operating fine now.
We have had numerous problems w/this vehicle (suspension, temp sensors) before problems were "known". This latest incident is now @approx $1000 for diagnosing and the exact nature of the problem has yet to be discovered.
# 4 misfire causing loss of operation.