Total Complaints
476 filings
VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT · model year
1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT
476 NHTSA complaints, 7 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998VOLKSWAGENPASSAT carries 476 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 7 crashes, 6 fires, 12 injuries, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 PASSAT is suspension:front:control arm with 29 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (28) and suspension:front (28). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 37 investigation files overlapping the 1998 PASSAT, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
476
Complaints
7
Crashes
6
Fires
12
Injuries
1
Deaths
Crashes Reported
7 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM | 29 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 28 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 28 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | 24 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 22 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | 22 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM | 21 |
| VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 11 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:ABS WARNING LIGHT | 11 |
| SEATS | 9 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 8 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 8 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 8 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 7 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 7 |
Recent Complaints
20171013ENGINE
THE TIMING CHAIN SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE AND THEY KNOW IT. WHY DIDN'T THEY INFORM ME OF THIS.MAYBE BECAUSE THEY HAVE HANDS FULL WITH THE EMISSION CHEATING SCANDAL. OR IF THEY DID THEM THEY WOULD BE LIABLE FOR ALL THE COMPLAINTS BEFORE. PLEASE PUTVOUTCA RECALL. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS !!!!!
Mileage: 105,090
20171013VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE TIMING CHAIN SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE AND THEY KNOW IT. WHY DIDN'T THEY INFORM ME OF THIS.MAYBE BECAUSE THEY HAVE HANDS FULL WITH THE EMISSION CHEATING SCANDAL. OR IF THEY DID THEM THEY WOULD BE LIABLE FOR ALL THE COMPLAINTS BEFORE. PLEASE PUTVOUTCA RECALL. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS !!!!!
Mileage: 105,090
20171013STEERING
THE TIMING CHAIN SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE AND THEY KNOW IT. WHY DIDN'T THEY INFORM ME OF THIS.MAYBE BECAUSE THEY HAVE HANDS FULL WITH THE EMISSION CHEATING SCANDAL. OR IF THEY DID THEM THEY WOULD BE LIABLE FOR ALL THE COMPLAINTS BEFORE. PLEASE PUTVOUTCA RECALL. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS !!!!!
Mileage: 105,090
20171001FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
DRIVING BACK HOME FROM STORE AND CAR JUST DIED OUT THAN SMELT LIKE GAS.
Mileage: 12,800
20140722FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
CABIN SMELLS LIKE FUMES FOR STARTERS AN GAS GAUGE IS OFF CAR SAYS IT HAS QUARTER OF A TANK AN THAN I RUN OUT OF GAS ALMOST HAD A ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS ! ALSO CAR HAS TONS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IF IT SITS FOR MORE THAN THREE DAYS BATTERY DIES BUT MY MAIN CONCERN IS MY FUEL GAUGE. *TR
Mileage: 223,434
20110103SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
ABS MODULE APPEARS TO BE FAULTY. ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT REMAIN ON/FLASHING. LOSS OF ABS COULD CAUSE COLLISION, DEALER WANTS $1000+ FOR THE PART AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE IT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
Mileage: 110,000
20100914FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FIRE IN RUBBER BOOT HOUSING BETWEEN LEFT REAR DOOR AND CAR FRAME. PRECEDING EVENTS, LEFT REAR DOOR SPEAKER WAS NOT FUNCTIONING, LEFT REAR WINDOW FUNCTIONED SOMETIMES. DOOR WAS CLOSED AFTER RETURNING HOME AND PARKING GARAGE. ARCING WAS HEARD AND SMOKE CAME FROM DOOR. OWNER REMOVED MANY FUSES FROM DRIVERS SIDE FUSE PANEL AND THEN REMOVED CONNECTIONS TO MAIN BATTERY. DOOR PANEL COVER WAS REMOVED AND BOOT REMOVED TO FIND HOUSING ON 5 OF THE 8 WIRES BURNT AND MOST OF THE WIRE BURNT THROUGH THE WIRE. PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE. *TR
Mileage: 81,000
20090114SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
THE ABS LIGHT STAYS ON, THE BRAKE LIGHT FLASHES, THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT COMES ON AND THE TACHOMETER GOES TO 0 AND STOPS WORKING EVEN THOUGH I AM ACCELERATING. THE CONTROL MODULE WAS THE CULPRIT AND IT WOULD COST $1450.00 AND THERE WAS NO USED PART AVAILABLE AND IT IS A DEALER ONLY PART. *TR
Mileage: 68,000
20090114SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON,FOLLOWED BY THE BRAKE LIGHT BLINKING THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT COMES ON AND THE TACHOMETER GOES TO 0 AND STOPS WORKING EVEN THOUGH I AM ACCELERATING. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE IT CAN BE RESEARCHED ON HTTP://TECH.BENTLEYPUBLISHERS.COM/THREAD.JSPA?THREADID=2447&TSTART=0. *TR
Mileage: 68,000
20090114PARKING BRAKE
THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON,FOLLOWED BY THE BRAKE LIGHT BLINKING THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT COMES ON AND THE TACHOMETER GOES TO 0 AND STOPS WORKING EVEN THOUGH I AM ACCELERATING. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE IT CAN BE RESEARCHED ON HTTP://TECH.BENTLEYPUBLISHERS.COM/THREAD.JSPA?THREADID=2447&TSTART=0. *TR
Mileage: 68,000
20090114ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON,FOLLOWED BY THE BRAKE LIGHT BLINKING THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT COMES ON AND THE TACHOMETER GOES TO 0 AND STOPS WORKING EVEN THOUGH I AM ACCELERATING. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE IT CAN BE RESEARCHED ON HTTP://TECH.BENTLEYPUBLISHERS.COM/THREAD.JSPA?THREADID=2447&TSTART=0. *TR
Mileage: 68,000
20081023SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
ABS MODULE FAILURE. WAS DRIVING SHORTLY AFTER HAVING FRONT END WORK DONE AND LIGHT WHEN ON. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. BRAKING IS AFFECTED. *TR
Mileage: 115,000
20081022CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
ABS MODULE IN OPERATIVE ABS SYSTEM. *TR
Mileage: 90,000
20081022CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
ABS MODULE IN OPERATIVE ABS SYSTEM. *TR
Mileage: 90,000
20081001SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
THE ABS MODULE IN MY 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1.8T HAS GONE BAD. THIS FAULT CAME WITHOUT NOTICE OF ANY SYMPTOMS AND COMPLETELY UNPROVOKED. THE WARNING LAMP AND TONE APPEAR EVERY TIME I START THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MANY INDEPENDENT VOLKSWAGEN MECHANICS AND MANY PASSAT OWNERS. *TR
Mileage: 175,000
20080924SUSPENSION:FRONT
THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON MY 1998 VW PASSAT ARE DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC. VW REFUSES TO REPLACE THEM EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THESE PARTS. THE REASONING IS THAT: - I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR THE RECALL AT THEIR DEALER IN 2005 AND AT THE TIME THE PARTS SEEMED OK. - AT THIS TIME, THEIR DEALER HAS REINSPECTED THE CAR. THE VW DEALER THINKS THAT BOTH LOWER FRONT CONTROL ARMS ON THE CAR NEED REPLACEMENT. HOWEVER THE PARTS ARE NOT ABOUT TO FAIL AND THE CAR IS STILL DRIVABLE AND THUS VW WILL NOT PAY FOR THEIR REPLACEMENT. MY MECHANIC STATES THAT THE CAR NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THE CAR IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN THIS CONDITION. PLEASE ADVISE WHETHER VW IS RESPONSIBLE UNDER THE "REVISED-VM (40G3) - DECEMBER 2004" RECALL CAMPAIGN TO FIX THESE. THANKS *TR
20080923SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
AS AN OEM SAFETY FEATURE, NOW I BELIEVE REQUIRED, THE ABS CONTROL MODULE ON MY 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT, HAS FAILED, LEAVING THIS FEATURE INOPERATIVE. LUCKILY FOR MY SELF THIS HAS NOT BECOME A BURDEN OR CAUSED INJURY, BUT I'M SURE THAT OTHERS ARE NOT AS LUCKY AS I HAVE BEEN. *TR
20080922SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC
MY ABS COMPUTER FAILED ON MY 1998 V6 PASSAT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS DEFECTIVE PART. IT IS DANGEROUS AND CAUSES IRREGULAR BRAKING AND FLASHING DASHBOARD LIGHTS. *TR
Mileage: 56,000
20080917SUSPENSION
NOISE FROM LEFT SIDE CONTROL ARM OF A 1998 VW PASSAT 1.8T. *TR
Mileage: 70,000
20080829ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
MY 1998 VW PASSAT GLX BEGAN EXHIBITING A FLASHING/BEEPING RED LIGHT TO INDICATE A FAILURE IN THE ABS SYSTEM. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH WITH OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE, IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THIS FAILURE IS FAIRLY COMMON ON 1998-2001 PASSATS, BUT NO ACTION HAS EVER BEEN TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAD THE ABS MODULE REBUILT AND DID THE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION WORK MYSELF; THE RESULT WAS $220 OUT OF POCKET. HOWEVER, MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOUGHT DEALERSHIP SERVICE WORK FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM HAVE SPENT WELL IN EXCESS OF $1,000. GIVEN THE APPARENT FAILURE RATE OF THIS MODULE AND THE FACT THAT IT IS A CORE SAFETY FEATURE OF THE CAR, IT IS MY OPINION THAT IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR RECALL (INCLUDING COMPENSATION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY MADE THE REPAIR). THANK YOU. *TR
Mileage: 110,000
Compare 1998VOLKSWAGENPASSAT to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA24004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
RQ24010Recall QueryClosed
Inadvertent Door Opening
RQ23007Recall QueryClosed
Fuel Leak due to Suction Jet Pump Failure within Fuel Tank (Remedy Effectiveness of Recall 16V647)
PE23017Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
EQ22001EQClosed
LGES High Voltage Battery Failures
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT have?▼
The 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT has 476 NHTSA complaints, 7 crashes, 6 fires, 12 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT is SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM with 29 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and SUSPENSION:FRONT.
Is the 1998 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.