Five problems related to automatic transmission have been reported for the 1999 Volkswagen Passat. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The 1999 Passat has had a number of problems from excessive oil consumption, electrical problems,water pump defects, front end assembly and transmission problems. (nar).
I have complained to the dealer at 20,000 miles and at 40,000 mile that the transmission downshifts very harshly at times. The dealer stated this is normal??? and if I wanted them to look at it, I would have to pay for it up-front, and that the powertrain warranty would cover it only if they found something wrong. The sunroof has a "broken track" after 40,000 mi. It costs more to fix it than it did to buy it! is this a problem throughout all vw's?.
Cold engine hesitation causing car to downshift, as if you were applying brakes, forcing you to accelerate.
The car is on it's second transmission with only 47000 miles, and having problems with it. Doesn't want to shift into higher gear and clunks sometimes. Headlights did not work for first 4 months we owned the car. Dealer could not find the problem. Sunroof opens and closes by itself. Dealerships have not found the problem. Map light has started to do the same. Indicator lights go on and off. Dealer says he has never heard of a problem with the wiring on these cars and that it is safe to drive.
Transmision fails to shift from lower gears, causing car to loose speed and break pedal gets extremely hard, I have made other vehicles make sudden stops this is very dangerous it's very frustrating, I can only drive the car to work. I don't know what to do. I can't keep risking my life, I need your advice.