2000 Volkswagen Passat electrical system problems

“IN APPROXIMATELY JULY OF 2014 MY VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT STARTED EXPERIENCING ON AND OFF AGAIN PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE FIRING. I HAD RECENTLY RETIRED AND WAS NOT DRIVING THE CAR DAILY, AND SO I WAS UNABLE TO ASSOCIATE THE PROBLEM WITH ANY RECENT DRIVING EVENT. HOWEVER, ONE MORNING WHEN THE HESITATION WAS VERY PRONOUNCED I POPPED THE HOOD TO HAVE A LOOK. WATER WAS STANDING ALMOST LEVEL WITH THE TOP OF THE BATTERY IN THE AREA HOUSING THAT PART. I USED MY INDOOR/OUTDOOR VACUUM TO PUMP OUT AS MUCH WATER AS POSSIBLE. WHEN I THOUGHT THE AREA WAS THOROUGHLY DRIED OUT I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL VOLKSWAGEN CERTIFIED MECHANIC FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. HE DIDN'T TAKE LONG TO DETERMINE THAT DRAINAGE HOLES ON BOTH SIDES UNDER THE HOOD WERE CLOGGED. HE WAS ABLE TO UNCLOG THE HOLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IMMEDIATELY, BUT THE HOLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE IS LOCATED BENEATH PARTS THAT HAVE TO BE MOVED FOR ACCESS. I RECALLED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE YEARS WHEN I WAS CERTAIN I WAS HEARING THE SOUND OF WATER SLOSHING AROUND UNDER THE HOOD. I HAD ASKED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AT TIME OF SERVICE FOR THE SOUND TO BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER. I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THE SAME THING: THERE WAS NOTHING TO…”

“MY HUSBAND PICKUP WOULD NOT START, SO I LIFT MY HOOD OF MY PASSAT TO GIVE HIM A JUMP AND THE WHOLE SECTION ALL THE WAY ACROSS THAT HOLDS THE BATTERY HAVE AT LEAST 6 INCHES OF WATER JUST STANDING IN THERE. WE HAVE HAD SOME DOWN POURS OF RAIN,BUT RAIN WATER SHOULD NEVER BE STANDING ON THE INSIDE OF MY HOOD. THIS COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY KILLED ME IF I NEVER HAD TO LIFT MY HOOD AND TRY TO DRIVE THIS WITH WATER STANDING AROUND ALL OF MY ELECTRICAL WIRES AND BATTERY. I HAVE TAKEN TWO PICTURES FOR VISIBILITY, BUT I DO NOT KNOW HOW I AM GOING TO GET THAT WATER OUT WITHOUT ELECTROCUTING MYSELF. SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME.”

“I HAVE HAD MY 2000 VW PASSAT SINCE 2006 AND HAVE HAD ONLY REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR UNITL ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO. I WAS DRIVING ON 95 IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FL MOVING AT ABOUT 65-70 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF, POWER STEERING WAS GONE AND PUSHING BRAKES TOOK ALL I HAD TO TRY AND SAFELY STEER AND COME TO A COMPLETE STOP CROSSING OVER 5 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE BREAK-DOWN LANE. ONCE I WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. ASIDE FROM THE ENGINE, STEERING AND BRAKES ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS WERE OR AT LEAST SEEMED TO STILL BE WORKING (IE: DASH LIGHTS, RADIO, WINDOWS) THE VEHICLE DID THIS 4 MORE TIMES WHILE I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE TO THE NEAREST EXIT AND CALL FOR ASSISTANCE. I TESTED ALL THE FUSES AND THEY ALL WERE IN WORKING ORDER AND THE NEXT SET OF SYMPTOMS OCCURRED A WEEK LATER. I WAS TRYING TO UNLOCK THE CAR WITH THE REMOTE AND THERE WAS NOT CONNECTION BEING MADE BETWEEN THE KEY AND THE CAR, I MANUALLY UNLOCKED THE DOORS AND PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE ENGINE DIDNT START OR EVEN ATTEMPT TO TURN OVER. ALL DASH LIGHTS WERE ON AS WELL AS THE RADIO, HOWEVER, I HAD LOST THE POWER WINDOWS, LOCKS, TRUNK, GAS LID AND ALL…”

“A RAINY NIGHT, 10:30 PM., ON THE FREEWAY RETURNING HOME FROM A SYMPHONY CONCERT, THE ENGINE SIMPLY QUIT. I, HUSBAND/DRIVER, TRIED THREE TIME TO RESTART IT BEFORE YELLING TO MY WIFE TO TURN ON EMERGENCY FLASHERS WHICH SHE DID. AS WE SLOWED, I REMEMBER SEEING ALL ICONS ON DASH BLINKING. BOTH OF US WERE KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS AND DO NOT REMEMBER BEING HIT BY THE CAR BEHIND. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. INJURIES SUSTAINED: A CONTUSION AND MINOR WHIPLASH BY HUSBAND; FRACTURED C-7 AND T-1 VERTEBRATES AND CONCUSSION BY MY WIFE. SHE HAS BEEN IN A NECK-TO-WAIST BRACE FROM NOV. 10, 2013 UNTIL PRESENT. WE ALWAYS MAINTAINED OUR PASSAT SCRUPULOUSLY ACCORDING TO VW STANDARDS AT THEIR SERVICE CENTERS BY THEIR TRAINED MECHANICS. ONE MONTH EARLIER WE HAD BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO BE CHECKED BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT WOULD NOT START AFTER DRIVING IT SOMEPLACE. TWICE HAD TO WAIT FOR AAA TOWING. AAA ABLE TO START IT RIGHT UP AS THOUGH NOTHING WAS WRONG. VW RAN "FAULT CODES" BUT FOUND NO PROBLEM.WE BOUGHT A NEW BATTERY AT VW'S SUGGESTION. SOMETHING WENT HORRIBLY WRONG WITH OUR CAR INSPITE OF OUR RESPONSIBLE MAINTENANCE. WE WERE EXTREMELY LUCKY NOT TO BE KILLED. WE WISH TO KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHER…”

“MY 2000 VW PASSAT GLS WAGON BEGAN EXHIBITING A FLASHING/BEEPING RED BRAKE LIGHT ACCOMPANIED BY A SOLID YELLOW ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT TO INDICATE A FAILURE IN THE ABS SYSTEM. ALSO AT THIS TIME THE INFORMATION HUD HAS "STOP, BRAKE FAULT, SERVICE MANUAL" FLASHING. 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 INTEND TO HAVE THE ABS MODULE REBUILT AND DO THE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION WORK MYSELF; THE RESULT SHOULD BE AROUND $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”

“WHEN MY CAR HAS A PROBLEM THERE IS A SCREEN THAT WILL TELL YOU WHAT IS WRONG. WHEN IT GETS MORE THAN 65 DEGREES OUTSIDE THE SCREEN QUITS WORKING, IT GOES BLANK. FIRST TIME I HAD PROBLEMS MY CAR WAS OVER HEATING, IT WAS BEEPING AT ME. I COULDN'T MAKE OUT WHAT IT WAS SAYING ON THE SCREEN. I HAD TO PULL OVER CUFF MY HANDS AROUND THE SCREEN TO SEE STOP OVER HEATING. I LOOKED AT MY DASH SAW THAT IT WAS OVER HEATING. THAT HAPPENED TWICE OFF AN ON WITH IN A FEW WEEKS. MY DAD AN I FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH OVER HEATING. ANOTHER TIME WAS JUST RECENT MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AN ONCE AGAIN COULDN'T READ THE SCREEN. I CUFFED MY HANDS AN WAS ABLE TO SEE EMISSION CHECK. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ME BUT WHEN MY CAR OVER HEATED I USED GOOGLE TO SEARCH THIS SCREEN PROBLEM. TO CHECK TO SEE IF IT WAS ON RECALL OR ANYTHING,THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS ISSUE.THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM I THINK VOLKSWAGEN SHOULD PAY THE $400 IT TAKES TO REPLACE IT. THIS IS THEIR PRODUCT THAT IS DEFECTED! WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR PROBLEM, SOME POINT THE LACK OF THIS WORKING COULD HURT SOMEONE. I'M WRITING TO MAKE SURE THIS GETS FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT. *TR”