no report yet
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery
Risk. A HEAT SHIELD THAT MAY CONTACT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE.
1999 Volkswagen PassatProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 664 owner complaints about the 1999 Volkswagen Passat, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 5 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 28, 2022. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 1999 Volkswagen Passat has problems
664 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
184Service brakes, hydraulic9 crash/fire/injury
118Suspension1 crash/fire/injury
86Engine and engine cooling2 crash/fire/injury
76Steering1 crash/fire/injury
58Electrical system9 crash/fire/injury
35Service brakes, air
32Visibility
32Vehicle speed control
29Power train
13719 other systems11 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 184 | 9 |
| Suspension | 118 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 86 | 2 |
| Steering | 76 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 58 | 9 |
| Service brakes, air | 35 | 0 |
| Visibility | 32 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 32 | 2 |
| Power train | 29 | 0 |
| 19 other systems | 137 | 11 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
5 recalls
1999 Volkswagen Passat recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
no report yet
Tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
Risk. FUEL LEAKAGE CAN OCCUR INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.
no report yet
Relay: connecting
Risk. IF MOISTURE AND/OR DUST PARTICLES ENTER THE SWIVEL BEARING MECHANISM, THE SWIVEL BEARING COULD WEAR OVER TIME DIMINISHING THE STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
no report yet
Relay: connecting
Risk. IF MOISTURE AND/OR DUST PARTICLES ENTER THE SWIVEL BEARING MECHANISM, THE SWIVEL BEARING COULD WEAR OVER TIME DIMINISHING THE STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
Show 1 more recall
no report yet
Vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk. THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE INSUFFICIENT VACUUM TO BE PROVIDED TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Volkswagen.
Mileage at failure
When do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?
89kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 123 service brakes, hydraulic complaints. 65% were reported before 100,000 miles.
5under 30k miles80under 100k miles43100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Service brakes, hydraulic
48 owners mentioned a cost$1,458median
Middle half: $1,000 – $1,788
Suspension
20 owners mentioned a cost$1,010median
Middle half: $829 – $1,200
Service brakes, air
19 owners mentioned a cost$1,500median
Middle half: $1,383 – $2,000
Engine and engine cooling
10 owners mentioned a cost$950median
Middle half: $550 – $2,069
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
1999 vs. every other Passat year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Passat median. How we score
'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
8 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 1999 Volkswagen Passat, and the recalls they led to.
- ALLEGED PREMATURE TIE ROD FAILURENo recall
- FUEL TANK PUNCTURELed to recall 02V-026
- PASSENGER AIR BAG LID FAILURENo recall
- STUCK-OPEN THROTTLELed to recall 04V-495
- PASSENGER ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESLed to recall 08V-156
- FUEL TANK PUNCTURENo recall
- PASSENGER SIR DOOR MOUNTING STUD FAILURENo recall
- POWER BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM BY-PASSLed to recall 99V-131
In owners' words
What Passat owners report
Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND STEPPED ON MY BRAKES. I NOTICED MY CAR WAS NOT STOPPING AND THE BRAKE WAS VERY LOW TO THE FLOOR. I GOT SO SCARED. THANK GOD I WAS GOING AT A VERY VERY SLOW SPEED. MY BRAKE LIGHT CAME FLASHING ON AND BEEPING LIKE CRAZY. THIS CAR SEEMS TO BE A LEMON LATELY. I ALREADY…
ABS LIGHT, OIL LIGHT, BLINKING AND THE BRAKE LIGHT BLINKING ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY ON. I CAN HEAR BEEPING AND THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT TURNS OFF (BUT THE FAN STILL RUNS) WHEN APPROACHING A COMPLETE STOP, THEN THE OIL LIGHT STOPS BLINKING THEN WHEN ACCELERATING, I CAN HEAR THE AC UNIT CLICK BACK ON AND…
I HAVE A 1999 VW PASSAT. I HAD MY BRAKE PAD REPLACED IN MARCH 2009, SINCE THAT TIME MY ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. IN CHECKING REPORT FOR RECALL NOTICE. I SEE WERE NHTSA.DOT.GOV.HAS A REPORT DATE AUGUST 2009, CONCERNING A PROBLEM WITH LONG-TERM EFFECT OF ABS IN PASSENGER CARS…
Own a 1999 Passat?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.