Air Brake Abs Warning Light Problems of Volkswagen Passat

My 2000 volkswagon Passat has started reporting errors, including brake faults, abs errors, check engine lights. I've taken it to mechanics and they are unable to find any problems. They simply reset the codes and send me on my way. A few hours of driving and the errors come back. All the errors are intermitent. It's incredibly frustrating. Others have experienced a similar problem and vw only says that our model year does not have significant issues to warrant a recall. There are hundreds of posts with these symptoms all over the internet. Please help.

See all problems of the 2000 Volkswagen Passat 🔎.

1999 Passat wagon. Abs module failure.

See all problems of the 1999 Volkswagen Passat 🔎.

1999 Passat 4 cyl. Turbo abs module failure. Diagnosed at dealer. $3200 to replace. Will not pass state inspection in current condition.

Abs unit failure on 199 vw Passat 1. 8 litre turbo wagon.

Morrison auto group repaired rear brakes as they were stuck. After this repair the abs light, brake light, oil light came on blinking. The tachometer also zero's out. A warning noise also occurs. This happens intermittently. While this warning light is on the abs system is disabled. Braking works but no abs available. I live in alaska and can't have my car without abs esp during critical times of braking. I have read on tech forums for this type of car that this is a widespread (more than a handful of cars). The exorbirant cost of this repair (as stated by others) for something that should not be failing within its lifetime.

See all problems of the 1998 Volkswagen Passat 🔎.

Vw Passat (2000 sedan): abs brake failure indicator comes on, typically in warm weather or when engine is warm, along with indicator bell. "stop" indicator also comes on at this time. Failure occurs almost every time the car is operated under these conditions and continues until ignition is shut off. Dealer has confirmed no failure of abs and notes that this is computer module/ecm problem that will cost between $1,500 and $2,000 to repair. Other complaints at this site and on other sites document a very similar problem at similar mileage (~75,000).

2 main problems continual buildup of oil sludge even though I have regular oil changes. The oil sludge buildup eventual clogs a screen that causes the car to be inoperable and the dealer then charges $700 - $1000 to remedy. The second problem is the abs control module failure. The module is faling and will cost $700 - $900 to be replaced. I have 75,000 miles on my 2000 Passat.

Abs and brake light intermittently light up and sound an emergency. I've taken the car to two garages, and neither place can determine the problem. Sometimes I cani feel my abs system lock up if I am turning (not in any wet conditions); and in those occasions, I was fortunate that no cars had been coming toward me b/c I was unable to gain control. Neither mechanic saw any fault in my brakes, brake pads, shoes, etc. , so there is something electrical to blame; and this is a complaint heard often with 1998-1999 vw Passats. Either way, nothing has been done to correct the failure, only 300. 00 in diagnostics.

1998 Passat 1. 8t b5 bodystyle. Bough car at 88,000 miles used from a dealership who inspected it. Abs abd brake light go on and stay on for an extended time. Passatworld website shows hundreds of people wiht this same problem vw needs to do a recall. Part are too expensive for me to fix.

The abs controller is experiencing an intermittent failure. The symptom is when I have driven several miles or when it is hot, the brake/abs warning light will come on. A mechanic says this is a common problem which will eventually become permanent failure of the abs controller. Refer to NHTSA oid complaint # 10106162 and 10120717 for failure of same abs controller on 1999 Audi a4. The part number of the abs controller in my 1999 Passat is 8e0-614-111-b. I am investigating options for repair, either new part from dealer ($1500) or rebuild ($600). This is apparently a very common problem (many complaints on consumer web sites). The failure is reported to be failing solder joints on a circuit board in the controller though I cannot verify this personally. Vw America will not admit any knowledge of this issue (they only discuss recall or warranty issues).

There was nothing wrong with my '99 Passat but suddenly the abs and brake lights started to come on. The dealer tells me that they need to change the abs control module which will cost $3500. I searched the internet and found out that this is a very common problem with these Passat models.

Our 1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 4 cylinder sedan (80k miles) had intermittent warning lights go on for the abs system and the brakes. The manual states that when the warning lights go on the abs system is disabled and that the car should be serviced immediately. There was no regular pattern to the lights coming on, but once it started it happened virtually every trip at different times. I drove for about a week with the light on with no apparent loss of braking ability. I did experience a failure of the abs system while the light was on (on a hill on a rainy day) and so determined it should be repaired. We took the car in to the local dealership and they could not diagnose the problem until the warning lights were on. We came back with the warning lights on and they told us we needed to replace the abs control module at a cost of $2600. We went ahead and did the repair. We did not keep the previous part. We are distressed that a single part from a safety system is so expensive and that the problem is widespread in audis and vws. Visit any online car forum and it is filled with stories of this repair. Because this is a safety issue I feel Volkswagen be alerted to this issue and a formal complaint should be registered about this safety system malfunction.

Abs computer failure. No events leading to its failure it just shut down one day and the abs light has been on since. Failure = no abs, dealer wants over $1000 to replace entire setup however the pump is ok the computer is gone. Currently waiting for a cheaper fix or possible recall.

Abs light and brake light comes on when I start the car and it stays on while I drive my car. The brake light blinks continuously and in bad weather you can feel that abs is not working. From vw Passat forms I understood this is a common problem with 98+ Passat models. I talked to some local shops and they told they are familiar with this problem and I have to take it to the vw dealer. I talked to a dealer and they told me it is $150 to check the problem and if the problem is related to abs circuit or something then it is going to cost me around $2000+. That is around 25% of my cars current value and from my understanding lot of people are facing the same problem. It is a safety issue and I am very disappointed about vw's reliability.

Abs warning light coming on. Brake light coming on. Pressure light coming on and chimes occur.

I own a 1999 vw Passat with anti-lock brakes. Many Audi and vw models manufactured starting in the later '90s and continuing to present (including mine), 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. The vw company has provided absolutely no assistance in helping owners despite knowing of hundreds if not thousands of these types of failures as early as 30k miles. Services that charge ~$300. 00 to rebuild the failed abs module are unreliable and cause drivers to work on their cars with no mechanical sense because of their desperation. 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 control unit and pump failure on vw Passat 2000 @ 72k miles. This is not a standard failure in my mind. The car has never been in an accident and it just occured. Should be a recall item from vw.

Abs failure light came on at 55000 miles. Abs not operational. Garge to charge $13850 for new abs module. Ridiculous. This is not a wear component!!! this should be a recall item.

Abs light appeared intermittently, authorzied vw dealership charged me $100 diagnosis fee and said they couldn't duplicate my concern on 10/11/04, 12/03/04,and 03/05/05. On 12/03/04 they want me to pay $1365. 83 + tax to replace abs hydraulic pump and control module assy, I declined repair.

For the last month or so, the abs/brake warning light has displayed. At first,t was on for a few seconds and then it would some on and stay on for minutes. It now displays whenever the car is running. It is my understanding that this is a common module failure in late model vw cars and related audis. It will cost me $1500 plus labor to replace this warning system. Until it is fixed, I have no abs brakes working. I am very worried that this is a safety issue and that vw should have a recall or pay for these failures. They deny any responsibility other than their standard warranty. In the details area, I wrote that there have been 30 failures because the abs brakes are not working every day I drive the car.

Abs light and brake light comes on intermittently indicating abs failure. Dealer said it is a bad abs computer $1500+ 2 to 3 hours of labor. This started this month and goes on and off .

Defective engineering of the Volkswagen Passat abs control module, causing it to fail around 50000 miles. Through significant research, I have discovered this is a prevalent problem in 1998-2000 Volkswagen Passats upon reaching approximately 50000 miles. Despite the fact that this is a recognized common issue by vw service shops, they have not issued a recall of this significant safety control component nor offered to share the cost of repair. Furthermore, they have increased the cost of this component from $200-$300 a few years ago to $1100-$1700 today. Informed if not corrected, could cause rear breaks to lock up upon sudden stop.

In mid may, while driving down the highway in my 1999 Passat GLS (only 49k miles), the abs light came one, the brake light started flashing, and it started to beep. This problem then went away after several seconds. This problem then started to reccur with greater frequency, from one or two times a week, to now several times a day. During my recent 50k mile service, the dealer (sunnyvale vw) determined that this problem is due to a failed abs contol module. The cost to replace it is over $1700. As I cannot afford such a rediculous amount of money, I am now driving a car with a serious safety defect. Researching this issue further I discovered that this problem affect 1998 - 2000 vw Passats, as well as 1997 - 2000 Audi a4 and s4 autos. Searching this site for past complaints of this issue I found 50 complaints. More troubling, however, is that when I searched discussion forums of web sites dedicated to the b5 platform vw Passat and Audi a4 I found over 1500 (one thousand five hundred) posts about this issue. The consensus is that this issue is due to a defective abs control module manufatured by bosch. The defect is due to either poor engineering or manufacturing. I've already complained about this issue to Volkswagen of America, and they refuse to resolve the issue by replacing the defective abs control module in my car. I will be sending a letter to the ceo of Volkswagen of America to complain about this issue and demand that this important safety defect be remedied. My hope is that my complaint, in combination with the dozens of other formal complaints to the NHTSA, as well as the hundreds of posts about this issue will result in vw issuing a recall to replace these defective abs modules.

At about 68,000 miles the abs light and brake light came on, in my 1999 vw Passat 1. 8t. They have remained on, except for brief occassion. The warning signal goes off as well. Lynch imports, daytona beach, was unable to access information through diagnoistic testing. I have no abs and they anticipate a high cost to even find the problem, ($78 per hour to manually go through systems) let alone repair it. I understand now that this is a common problem with Volkswagen.

Daily driving conditions the abs light comes on with audible warning and the brake light blinks continuously. Root problem is the abs electronic module that is malfunctioning. This is a very common problem as much web research has been conducted through online Passat forums.

The "abs" and "brake" light flash intermittently. According to metropolitan Volkswagen in jersey city, NJ the brakes work, but a sensor in the abs control module has failed, the quoted cost is $1500 for the module + labor to install it! apparently this is a common problem in 1998 and 1999 vw Passat.

Abs light in my 1998 Passat glx will come on intermittantly along with the brake and low oil lights. Wrote president of vw of America and was told they would not help. They want to replace abs module at $2200. The web is full of folks with the same problem. The part must be defective. . . There should be a recall.

I own a 2000 vw Passat. My abs light and break light are going on intermittantly. I recently took my vehicle to the dealer and I was told it was the abs module that needed to be replaced. The cost to repair will be approx. $1200 for parts and labor. The dealer told me they could not help with the cost because I am out of warranty and I have 50k on the odometer. I feel that the abs is a safety feature on the vehicle and vw should be willing to cover at least some of the cost. I have had no such luck thus far. I have been looking into this problem in vw forums and have found I am not the only one with this problem. Most people are saying the same story $1100 - $1500 for replacing the abs module. It seems a bit odd that a part that has little use would go bad so frequently on this vehicle. Ganted I'm not sure what the frequency rate is but I would like to be another voice filing a complaint. My manual states that I should avoid sudden stops bacuase this could cause my back breaks to lock and cause accident, serious injury or even death. Yet their is nothing the dealer could do to help! well maybe you can!!.

Abs and brake lights go on and off sporatically on my 1998 vw Passat. Dealer says abs control unit (vw part no. 8e061411q) has gone bad. Vw of America refuses to cover it even though car has less than 50,000 miles. Replacement cost is about $2500. 00.

Abs module warning light & alarm indicate failure of abs.

(1. ) no events indicating approaching failure. (2. ) abs control module failed therefore I was unable to start my vehicle with the key, I had to pop start it. (3. ) replaced control module.

1) normal driving, highway speed. 2)abs warning light, abs failure upon testing, annoying brake/abs lights and warning tone 3) repaired abs control module through repair service. Not through dealer.

While driving abs control module failed, causing warning bell to sound, which indicated for the driver to stop. Dealer statesd parts needed to repair vehicle were on back order.

Usb control module sensor malfunctions, causing the "abs" and "brake" light to flash intermittently. According to my service center, the brakes still work fine, but a sensor in the control module has a problem, the cost to fix is over $1500 including labor, though there is no actual problem with the brakes, they function perfectly. . Read more...