2000 Volkswagen Passat service brakes, hydraulic problems

“ABS BRAKE PUMP BOSCH 5.3 VOLKSWAGEN PART 8E0 614 111 AH BEGAN LEAKING AND CAUSED BRAKE PRESSURE FAILURE IN BOTH CIRCUITS CAUSING PEDAL TO GO TO THE FLOOR. THIS WAS NOT THE COMMON FAILURE OF THE ABS CONTROL MODULE ELECTRONICS WHICH MERELY CAUSES A FAILURE IN ANTI-LOCK BEHAVIOR. THIS IS A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM TO ALL FOUR WHEELS. *TR”

“ABS/ASR/BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS FLASHING AND BEEPING. MESSAGE CENTER SAYS STOP, BRAKE FAULT. AFTER HAVING BRAKES REPLACED, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ABS CONTROL UNIT IS DEFECTIVE MEANING THAT I HAVE NO ABS FUNCTION.”

“WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, THE ENGINE ACCELERATED BY ITSELF (COMPUTER FAILURE?). MY HUSBAND, WHO WAS DRIVING, HAD TO USE BOTH FEET, PRESSING DOWN AS HARD AS HE COULD, TO STOP THE CAR. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF US AND WE WERE FAR ENOUGH BACK THAT WE DID NOT ACCELERATE INTO THE INTERSECTION. THE ENGINE SOUND RETURNED TO NORMAL AFTER 15-30 SECONDS AND WE DROVE IT HOME WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT BUT WE HAVE STOPPED DRIVING THE CAR FOR SAFETY REASONS. IN ADDITION, THE ABS COMPUTER MODULE HAS ALSO FAILED, THOUGH WE HAVE NOT HAD ANY INCIDENTS RELATED TO THAT FAILURE AS THE BRAKES ARE OTHERWISE FINE.”

“MY 2000 VW PASSAT 4 MOTION HAS 9K MILES. JUST RECENTLY THE ABS BRAKES LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CAR PUTS ON THE BRAKES BY ITSELF. YOU ARE DRIVING 65 MPH AND THE CAR SLAMS ON THE BRAKES. FEELS LIKE YOU HAVE HIT A BIG HOLE IN THE ROAD, BUT ONLY WITH THE FRONT WHEELS. VERY SCARY. *TR”

“I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES AND THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LINE BLEW. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS MAKING A U TURN WHEN IT HAPPENED AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP USING MY EMERGENCY BRAKE. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC HE SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. THE RUPTURE OCCURRED IN THE RUBBER LINING. HE WAS THINKING IT WAS THE STEERING OF THE FRONT WHEELS ALL THE TIME. THE LEFT SIDE ALSO SHOWED SIGNS OF WEAR. HAD TO REPLACE BOTH LINES. I FELT IT WAS TO MUCH OF AN URGENT MATTER TO NOT LET PEOPLE KNOW. *TR”

“THE ABS BRAKING MODULE HAS PREMATURELY FAILED ON OUR 2000 VW PASSAT. MINE OCCURRED 6 MONTHS AGO. AS A 9 YEAR OLD CAR TO HAVE THE PRIMARY BRAKING SAFETY MECHANISM TO FAIL, IS DANGEROUS, SCARY AND ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. THE CAR ITSELF PROPERLY INDICATES HOW VITAL A FAILURE THIS IS BY SHOWING A GIGANTIC STOP BRAKE FAULT FILLING THE DASHBOARD FOLLOWED BY 3 EAR PIERCING BEEPS. IT APPEARS AS THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON VW AND AUDI FAILURES WHEN WE TALKED WITH THE DEALER AND LOCAL VW REPAIR SHOP AS WELL AS LOOKING ON THE FORUMS. IF YOU GOOGLE "STOP BRAKE FAULT VW" OR ANY SIMILAR TERM (AUDI, PASSAT), YOU WILL FIND HUNDREDS OF ISSUES REPORTED. THERE ARE MULTIPLE REPAIR SHOPS SPECIFICALLY SETUP TO ADDRESS THIS TYPE OF ISSUE UNFORTUNATELY. THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE. HOPEFULLY YOUR RESEARCH WILL ALSO SHOW THIS. WE DID HAVE OURS REPAIRED FOR $1000 AFTER 5 MONTHS OF LETTING THIS GO AS IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PAY FOR THIS. THERE ARE PROBABLY THOUSANDS OF OTHER OWNERS WHO CAN'T SCRAPE UP THE MONEY TO PAY FOR A REPAIR LIKE THIS. VW AND BOSCH SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY HAD THIS FIXED SHOULD BE REIMBURSED. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE…”