Two problems related to brake light switch have been reported for the 1999 Volkswagen Passat. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
I have a 1999 vw Passat with a faulty brake light switch. Vw recently recalled 790,000 cars (but not the Passat model) for free replacement. My repair shop and several web sites verify that this is a common problem on the Passat also. The problem causes the brake lights to not function which could lead to a rear impact crash. I had the switch replaced at a cost of $110. I feel vw should extend it's recall to all models with this problem and reimburse those who have already had the switch replaced.
The brake light should be extended to Passat models (ours is 1999). We have had the brake light staying on, triggering the abs light to come on also. After 3 ace mechanics review the problem, they isolated it to the same problem than the recall from Volkswagen announced today. This problem was actually identified more than 3 months ago and we don't know if a brake problem occurred how it will show since the light is always on.