2000 Volkswagen Passat Recalls, Problems & Maintenance

“STREAMING GASOLINE LEAK INBOARD OF THE REAR QUARTER PANEL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEN THE ENGINE STARTS. AFTER OPERATING FOR A TIME (20 MIN OR MORE) THE LEAK STOPS AND DOES NOT REAPPEAR UNTIL THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR SEVERAL DAYS WITHOUT RUNNING”

“AS WITH SIMILAR REPORTS THE CAR WAS DRIVEN THEN SAT FOR 24HRS, WHEN IT WAS STARTED AGAIN A STRONG GAS SMELL WAS NOTICED AND A PUDDLE OF GAS WAS FOUND UNDER THE PASSENGER REAR PANEL. IMMEDIATELY TOOK TO REPAIR STATION WHERE THEY COULD NOT FIND A LEAK”

“WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WE STARTED SMELLING GASOLINE IN THE CABIN. WE PULLED OVER AND CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD”

“PASSENGER REAR WINDOW REGULATOR WENT OUT ON MINE FIRST WITH A CRUNCHING SOUND AND THEN THE GLASS JUST FELL INTO THE DOOR. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE PASSENGER FRONT REGULATOR. TYPICAL CHEAP PLASTIC VW PARTS. *TR”

“ON RAISING THE WINDOW, THE GLASS FALLS INTO THE DOOR WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAPPENS WITH BOTH FRONT AND REAR DOORS, DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. EACH TIME, THE DIAGNOSIS IS THE SAME: THE "REGULATOR" FAILED. REPAIRS COST APPROXIMATELY $400 PER WINDOW”

“THREE OF THE 4 WINDOWS HAVE DROPPED INTO THE DOOR. OPTIONS: COSTS $350 EACH TO FIX OR $60 TO HAVE MECHANIC FREEZE WINDOW IN PLACE, CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. MANY MAY GO THIS ROUTE AS THEIR ONLY OPTION. CONSIDERING IT MYSELF”

“2000 PASSAT -OIL PRESSURE LIGHT AND A BIG STOP LIGHT CAME ON WITH NO PRIOR WARNINGS OR ANYTHING WRONG. IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF. WAITED ABOUT 1 HOUR THEN DROVE 1 MILE HOME. NEXT DAY HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS”

“2000 PASSAT OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP CAUSED ENGINE TO FAIL. *TS WHILE DRIVING THE OIL INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHO EXPLAINED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE WAS LOW, BUT CLOSE TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS”

“OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP IN ENGINE. 2000 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 1.8 TURBO 4 CYLINDER 49000. *JB”

“ABS LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND BEEPING. SCAN TOOL SHOWS "UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ABS CONTROL MODULE." THIS ABS BLINKING AND BEEPING HAPPENS EVERYTIME I START MY CAR NOW”

“THE ABS CONTROL MODULE HAS FAILED ON MY VEHICLE THREE TIMES SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 2000. EACH TIME IT FAILS, MY BRAKES EXPERIENCE A MASS OF MALFUNCTIONS WHICH INCLUDE RANDOM LOCK-UPS, BRAKE SHUDDER, ETC. *TR”

“AT JUST OVER 90,000 MILES, A WARNING MESSAGE CAME UP STATING: STOP! BRAKE FAILURE. SEE SERVICE MANUAL. THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I IMMEDIATELY HAD MY BRAKE SYSTEM CHECKED AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES OR THE ABS”

“HEAT SHIELD ABOVE RIGHT SIDE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MELTED AND SOME WIRING IN THE DASH WAS BURNED”

“FIRE BURNED THROUGHOUT ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND CAUSED SEVERE SCORCHING TO THE FRONT OF THE FLOOR PAN. EXHAUST HEAT SHIELD MELTED. *NM”

“THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR OVER AN HOUR, WHEN THE HEAT SHIELD ON THE TOP OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM BEGAN TO SMOLDER. NO INDICATOR LAMP ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND CAME, ALTHOUGH NO FLAMES ERUPTED”

“THE HEATER CORE STARTED TO LEAK AND MY WINDOWS FOGGED UP WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY. I ALMOST GOT INTO A CAR CRASH BECAUSE I LOST MY VISIBILITY. *TR”

“THE HEATER CORE BROKE ON MY 2000 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHEN THIS HAPPENED WHITE SMOKE WAS EMITTING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT CAUSING A FILM ON THE WINDSHIELD. THIS CAUSED A FOG ON THE WINDOWS REDUCING MY VISIBILITY SEVERELY CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO PULL OVER QUICKLY”

“THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS THE HEATER CORE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEATER CORE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,700 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,600”

“2000 VW PASSAT HAS A WATER LEAK ON DRIVERS SIDE FLOORS AND UNDER PASSENGERS SIDE FLOOR. THIS HAS CAUSED WIRE DAMAGE DISABLING ELECTRIC WINDOWS, LOCKS, GAS COVER RELEASE AND INTERIOR LIGHTS. I MAY HAVE EVEN DAMAGED TO AIRBAG SYSTEM”

“A 2000 PASSAT STATION WAGON HAD WATER LEAK INTO THE PASSENGER-SIDE FOOT WELL TWICE AFTER HEAVY RAINS. ONCE THE LEAK WAS MORE THAN AN INCH. ALL OF THE WINDOWS AND THE SUNROOF HAD BEEN SECURELY CLOSED PRIOR TO THE RAINS”

“THERE WAS ALSO APPROXIMATELY FOUR INCHES OF WATER UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT. SHE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS COLLECTIVE RAIN WATER THAT DID NOT DRAIN, BUT RATHER ESCAPED INTO THE VEHICLE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE REPAIRS WOULD COST OVER $4,000”

“VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. THE FREEWAY WAS CONGESTED AND I HAD JUST ACCELERATED QUICKLY TO MOVE INTO THE LEFT LANE TO AVOID A SEMI TRUCK ENTERING THE FREEWAY ON MY RIGHT”

“WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK. THE CONTACT HAD TO PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,456 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,440”

“WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CONTINUE ACCELERATING. THE CONTACT SWERVED TO AVOID A BUS AND STRUCK A CURB INSTEAD. AS A RESULT, THE REAR AXLES WERE DAMAGED”