Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Problems with 99 VW Passat GLS

1…5678911»

Comments

  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    m9431 - I suggest you do a Topic Search (on the left side of this page) for Passat and read up on the Passat topics in the Sedans conference. Keep in mind that this conference specifically focuses on maintenance and repair issues, so you won't find a very balanced viewpoint on the Passat in this conference.

    glsammi - You might want to do the same thing. Also, if you want to see what problems have been discussed here in this topic, use the "scroll up" or "jump to" features at the top of this page under the topic title to navigate through the previous postings.

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • m9431m9431 Member Posts: 38
    ...to further investigate Passat topics; I realize that, statistically, I'm going to hear more about problems especially on this post. Admittedly, my earlier note using the word "horror" was an overstatement. (Shame on me.) The Passat really is a fine machine--certainly a lot for the money and soooo much fun to drive. (Love that VW still provides a 5-spd manual tranny and may go to 6-spd). Yet I see less "issues" with the Accord. You can see that I'm torn between which to buy as each has pros and cons. Hmmm...if only Honda and VW worked together to produce a vehicle.....
  • cgeraldcgerald Member Posts: 2
    My airbag light is on in my 1999 VW Passat. The
    dealer has changed the "clock spring". Next they
    plan to change the airbag itself, which I've read
    doesn't fix the problem. Does anyone have a
    solution to the problem?
  • jfriedljfriedl Member Posts: 3
    My wife and I bought a 1998 Accord when our 1996 Passat got totaled by a delivery van. We loved our Passat to death and "settled" for the Accord because nobody had anything on the lots (GM on strike, Passat just introduced & limited supply) as we were buying in between model years. There was an abundance of Accords though. Final summary, we both wish we leased instead of buying so we could get what we really want in less time. There is a nasty rattle in the trunk that was fixed once around 10,000 miles and has come back. They haven't been able to fix it since. It has come extremely close to overheating twice (not in hot weather) and the dealer has found nothing. It is boring to drive since Honda doesn't offer a sport package. It looks good but that's about all I can say nice about it. I can't yet figure out why it is touted as being so great with the issues we have had. I had less with my 1991 S-10 Blazer (now with 197,000 mile on it)!

    We are now in the market for me and it has been narrowed to the Passat and a BMW 3 series. While I don't like front wheel drive, I may wind up with the Passat solely for financial reasons. Of the cars I have test driven (limited to performance oriented sedans) the Passat has come out ahead of the non-BMW bread. If it provides an experience similar to that of our 1996 Passat, I don't think I will be too disappointed.
  • dwellerdweller Member Posts: 3
    jfriedl, i bought the jetta and love it , no issues so far . if i didnt already have a suburban to finish paying for, i would have liked
    to have bought a passat, but i would have loved to buy an AUDI s4 . these are awesome machines for the bucks37-40 k. If money is a major factor look at the A4 Audi it is a steal for around $25k.
  • rickroverrickrover Member Posts: 601
    Don't forget the Audi A4 and Passat are mechanically identical, suspension and all. The Passat's longer wheelbase is about the only difference underneath. I've installed an S4 suspension in my Passat. Eibach sport springs (lowered it 1.3") bilstein shocks, Neuspeed front and rear sway bars (in same diameter as S4) and 18" wheels with 225 Euro T/A tires(a little beyond an S4) the result is amazing, it's not rough at all, just very controlled. I'm obviously missing Quattro but I don't have the heavy bi turbo V6 in front, the 1.8t seems a lot more balanced.
  • thicks23thicks23 Member Posts: 42
    My mom has a '00 Passat GLX and for some reason a loud moaning noise comes from the right side of the dash when you switch to recirculation on the climate control. Is this normal? She hasn't paid much attention to it but I noticed it when I drove it yesterday. It switches to recirculation like it's supposed to so it does work but that noise is awful. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • myfriendmyfriend Member Posts: 1
    I am a Passat owner for life. I was recently in an accident where someone ran a red light going about 50 mph. They totaled my car and I managed to get away with non-life threatening injuries. The EMT told me that if I had not been driving a safe car, I would not have made it. Front and side airbags are critical!

    There was nothing left of my car. They also hold up on their value - the insurance company gave me about what I paid for it.
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    Welcome to Town Hall.

    Glad to hear the Passat took such good care of you, so to speak. Have you bought another?

    Sounds like it must have been a terrible accident, and quite frightening. It's really good to hear that you are okay.

    If you are shopping for a replacement, you might like to visit our Sedans and our Smart Shoppers Conferences. Also, you may be interested in looking in on Our Turn, which is a conference devoted to women's automotive issues of all kinds.

    Glad to have you here in Town Hall.

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • oldslotsoldslots Member Posts: 1
    Hello. I picked up my 2000 Passat GLS a few days ago. This morning when I was looking it over I noticed a wet passenger floor. I dried it out fairly well, and called my dealer. I figured the "detail" guys that cleaned the car up before delivery had left the rug wet on that side from a shampoo job? They confirmed that the car was cleaned inside and possibly shampooed. SO today I go driving for a few hours, with the AC on most of the time. I'm noticing as the day goes on that the passenger floor is getting wet again. When I arrive home it's WET. I decide to turn on the engine, put on the AC and there it is. Water is dripping into the passenger side well area from under the dash when the AC is on. Anyone else have or hear of this problem and if so, did you or they have any luck getting it resolved? I've already arranged to drop off the car on Monday but want to be well prepared for the typical dealer BS. Thanks. Fred (Fred@Oldslots.COM)
  • mknightmknight Member Posts: 57
    I've had this problem on another car, not my Passat.

    What happens is that there is a drain hole in the housing of the AC cooling element where the water that condenses off the cooling element is supposed to run out through the firewall onto the ground. The drain gets plugged by debris, the housing fills up until the water finds another route out, in this case onto the floor.

    Cleaning the drain hole should fix this problem.

    --Mike
  • vwsmilesvwsmiles Member Posts: 2
    Hi!

    Three weeks ago, I bought a new 2000 passat GLS, 4
    cylinder, 5 speed manual transmission. I love the
    car to pieces but have had to bring it back 4
    times now for alignment issues (and stereo/speaker
    problems, but I think those have been solved). The car doesn't seem to be able to go straight in any lane for more than a couple of seconds. It drifts to the right more than to the left. The dealer is
    telling me (over and over again) that it's due to
    the curve of the road and that the car is within alignment specs. If it's within alignment specs, why does it still not go straight that often; even in the middle lane on the highway? I've driven too many miles and types of cars to know that something feels wrong, especially for a new car. I've had a couple other people drive the car and they agree that it doesn't stay straight as much as their cars. I took two other cars on the same roads to be sure I wasn't losing my mind, and they both held a straight line better than my Passat.

    They've aligned the car 4 times now and to me it still drifts off to the right almost every time I let go of the wheel (I only let go of the wheel because I know there's a problem…I don't normally drive without my hands!). They even had my car sent out to an "independent alignment specialist" when they discovered their machine was out of calibration/broken (heard two different stories about that).

    I've never driven VW's before so I'm looking for someone who maybe can give me some insight. Is it normal for the new Passats to be so sensitive to the curve of the road as the dealer states? But, if they are, then why does the car not pull to both sides equally (comparing left and right lanes on the highway)? I've heard from some people that something larger is wrong like a bent axle, etc.
    The dealer rotated the Continental tires (never
    put on a new set, though) and checked tire pressure. The pressure was 40 in the back and 37 in front. Seemed high to me, but when I checked the oddly placed tire pressure sticker in the gas cap, they were within normal levels. They've had my car, off and on, forever, it seems. I did drive another Passat (same exact car) with the same tires and it held straight for longer than mine does (it still seemed very sensitive, though...is this a normal VW thing?). I've driven BMW's and Japanese cars and none have been this sensitive or drifty. They also tended to correct themselves because of the way the roads would be. My car automatically heads to the right and never comes back. What else could be causing the problem? Is there even a problem? I've been told there is no problem even by the general manager of the dealership. However, he drove my car in 5th gear going 30 mph, so I don't have all that much respect for his professional driving opinion of my cars' performance. Every time the car would drift to the right, he'd jump into the left lane and say "see, it depends on the road" and pointed out how the car would go off the road to the left...he was over the white line in the left lane's shoulder area, though. ANY car would go to the left over that far!

    I've also encountered nightmare dealer/service issues and am looking elsewhere for a more competent dealer for service. The car has never been done when they'e promised it and they haven't made this a priority, which I think it should be. They took 6 hours to rotate tires and check pressures, while I was anxiously waiting to pick my car up to head out on a business trip.

    The car is awesome and after driving a Toyota Coralla for 8 years, I've been much more excited each time I get into the Passat and really DRIVE! Keeping my fingers crossed that there are no other problems!!

    Thanks for any help!
  • rteigenrteigen Member Posts: 2
    I have read all of the 'fun' some Passat owners have experienced here. My question, PARTICULARLY to those of you who have had such problems is: Do you get the impression that such problems do finally get fixed? The reason I am asking is that I would consider buying a used 98 Passat. If I got the impression that the 'first owner' has to deal with the glitches and then I would have a relatively trouble free car, then I would be more comfortable in buying. Or do you get the impression that 'they really don't know what they are doing'? Also, how can one tell in advance that a dealer's service dept is going to behave as some of these have done. It sounds like test-driving a vw dealership is more important than testdriving the car! There is a VW-Porsche dealership near here; do you think the fact that they also work on Porsches indicates that they have a clue?
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Drifting,

    The roads in my area are so rutted form heavy trucks and crowned due to sever weather, that EVERY car I have owned has veered (to one degree or another) when removing your hands from the wheel.

    I don't think my Passat is any worse then my previous cars (2 Hondas, 1 Mazda, 1 Toyota.)

    I would insist that your dealer let YOU choose who aligns the car and that they foot the bill. Then bring it to the most reputable alignment shop in your area. If that STILL doesn't cure the problem, then you may just have to accept the fact that the car is sensitive to road crowns, sorry.

    Most roads are crowned with the highest point in the center, then an equal drop-off to each side. Add to this the severe ruts that heavy truck traffic creates, and I'm not sure ANY car is MEANT to carry on straight and narrow with no hands, and NO CAR can compensate or "correct itself" because the grades, crowns and ruts are infinately diverse.

    Good luck, I hope you get satisfaction.
  • butch11butch11 Member Posts: 153
    Check the air pressure on the front tires-if there is a difference of more than 2 or 3 psi-this can cause the car to pull L or R. Had it happen on a VW van-took several months to figure out what was going on. Also if the air pressure is ok-move the front tires-right to left and left to right. On occasion tires have defects and can cause the car to pull left or right. When you have the front end in the air-turn the wheels by hand with the tranny in neutral. A sticky disk brake can cause it to pull also-not likely on a new car though.

    Also be aware lots of roads are rutted like the devil-check it out in the empty portion of a new shopping center parking lot. This vehicle has a lot more sensitive steering than a most-so it provides more road feel.
  • 4u24u2 Member Posts: 17
    I was considering buying a pre-owned '98 VW Passat GLS. However, the general comments have been a little disconcerting. Should I consider this car? I am looking for a reliable and fun car.

    Your advice is much appreciated.
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    Welcome to Town Hall!

    Are you speaking of the comments you've read in this topic? Keep in mind that since this conference focuses on maintenance and repair issues, this topic is focused on Passat problems by design.

    You'll get a much more balanced viewpoint on any model year of the Passat over in our Sedans conference.

    I suggest you use the Topic Search feature on the left side of the page for Passat and check out some of the many discussions underway in Sedans. You'll find a topic dedicated to this vehicle, and also quite a few "comparison" topics that you would probably find helpful to read through.

    Good luck, and again welcome.

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • outofmindoutofmind Member Posts: 3
    I just bought a 200 Passat GLS, and had paid that extra $270 for the Monsoon audio. Now, how do I know that my car actually has the monsoon ? I am getting a little paranoid here, as after having bad times with the car salesmen, I tend to not trust them at all. So, is there any visual and/or audio clue by which I can make sure my car came with monsoon ? Thanks for your time.
    -outofmind
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    Check out my post #539 just prior to yours. I think you too will get a better response in our Sedans conference.

    Good luck!

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • yanhaoyanhao Member Posts: 3
    Hi,

    I bought my 2000 Passat GLS auto 4 cylinder just a month ago. It drove very smooth until recently, when I notice some problem. It happens when the car is accelerates from low speed. sometimes I can feel an obvious "jumping forward". While I didn't notice it at the first couple of weeks, I was wondering if this is a problem in transmission or a sign of problem. Could the experienced tell me whether this kind of "jump" is normal or not?

    Also, I got very low MPGs. I mostly drove on local. The reading from the computer is around 18 mpg. What do people get?

    Thanks!
  • mprasekmprasek Member Posts: 1
    Just had a temperature sensor replaced under warranty. Faulty sensor gave bad info to computer about fuel mixture ... car wouldn't start. Seems to run fine now.

    However, I've noticed that it is unusually sluggish from a dead stop to about 20 mph. Every car I ever had has been a 4 cylinder ... so I know what to expect. Car seems to come back to life at about 3000 RPM. Furthermore, the problem is not always repeatable.

    Anybody else seen similar situation?
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Temperature and humidity effect TURBOs to a HUGE degree. Here in New England, our summers are terribly humid and my car has duel personalities.

    In the mornings, it is cool and usually drier...the car just flies. When coming home, it is usually much hotter and more humid...I need to rev the car higher to get the same power.

    I've learned to recognise it and adapt since our hot humid weather only lasts a couple of months anyway.

    The cool dry air of autumn always makes me grin! :-)
  • cgeraldcgerald Member Posts: 2
    I have a 99 Passat and the airbag light keeps coming on. The dealer has reset it, changed the clock spring and the airbag. The light still comes on. Any suggestions??
  • mknightmknight Member Posts: 57
    outofmind,

    You know you have the monsoon system if the words "monsoon" appear on the radio's display when you power it on. It should also be itemized on the car's factory window sticker.

    If you have the sedan, you can also see the additional amplifier bolted up underneigh the rear parcel shelf when you look in the trunk. Non-monsoon systems don't have this amplifier.

    If you have the wagon, the amplifier is located in the drivers side rear compartment.

    --Mike
  • outofmindoutofmind Member Posts: 3
    I will check it out when I bring my car from the dealership tonight.
    -outofmind
  • bnormannbnormann Member Posts: 335
    We're moving folks.....

    Please move on over to one of these new discussions, as this one is over 500 posts and is a little too narrowly defined by the title.

    VW Passat Troubles (B5 platform, nee Audi)


    VW Passat Troubles, Older VW Platforms

    Thanks.

    Your host, Bruce.
This discussion has been closed.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles