2000 Volkswagen Passat steering problems

“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…”

“STEERING TIE RODS AND FRONT SUSPENSION ARE WORN OUT ON VW PASSAT MAKING STEERING VERY INACCURATE AND IN A STATE OF CONSTANT STEERING INPUT TO MAINTAIN STRAIGHT DIRECTION OF VEHICLE. AFRAID THIS WILL LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. CAR HAS ONLY 82,000 MILES ON IT AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER HEARD OF SUCH COMPLETE IMPENDING FAILURE OF A FRONT SUSPENSION. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS COMMON IN PASSATS. IT SEEMS TO ME THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED. *JB”

“MY 2000 VW PASSAT WITH 60,000 MILES HAS 2 SERIOUS AND EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS FIRST ONE WAS WHEN I NOTICED A LOUD POPPING NOISE ON BUMPS AND STEERING WAS VERY UNSTABLE ON BUMPS. TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE CONTROL ARMS AND TIE ROD ENDS AND THAT BOTH WERE DEALER ITEMS. SO UPON GOING TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THEY NEEDED $90 DOLLARS BEFORE THEY COULD EVEN LOOK @ IT. SO I SAID NO BUT HOW MUCH ARE THE PARTS AND TURNS OUT THERE MORE THAN $500 DOLLARS. THREE WEEKS LATER MY ABS LIGHT AND ASR LIGHT COMES ON AND IT READS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DASH TO STOP! BRAKE FAULT SO READING THIS WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR I IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER FIND OUT WHERE THE NEAREST VW DEALER IS AND ASK THEM TO INSPECT THE PROBLEM. WELL THAT WAS EASIER SAID THAN DONE FIRST THEY WANTED THE $90 DOLLARS AGAIN BEFORE THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT AND SINCE I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO! NOTHING THEY CAN DO!! THAT'S CRAZY!! AFTER ARGUING WITH THEM ON WHY THEY DON'T WANT TO LOOK AT IT BUT IT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT THEY SAID THERE'S NO IMMEDIATE PROBLEM ITS OK TO DRIVE BUT IT COULD BE THE ABS MODULE OR THE DASH CLUSTER ITS SELF. SO I ASKED THE PRICE ABS $1200…”

“PREMATURE TIE ROD FAILURE. LEFT AND RIGHT TIE ROD ENDS ARE PREMATURELY WORN RESULTING IN THE PASSENGER SIDE TIE ROD IN BREAKING, PARTS NEED TO REPAIR DAMAGE, LEFT AND RIGHT TIE ROD ASSEMBLY, BALL JOINTS, 1/2 SHAFTS. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST $1678. *NM”

“MY 2000 VW PASSAT, WITH 38,000 MILES, HAS WORN TIE RODS TO THE POINT WHERE I HAVE BEEN ADVISED IT COULD BE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THIS PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE CAR WAS HAVING AN OIL CHANGE AND I MENTIONED I HAD BEEN HEARING CREAKING SOUNDS FROM THE FRONT WHILE DOING 3 POINT TURNS OVER THE PAST MONTH. MY MECHANIC (NOT A DEALER) THOUGHT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM. UPON CHECKING, THE RECALL WAS FOR 1999 PASSATS ONLY. SINCE THE 2000 MODEL IS THE EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE 1999 MODEL, WHY WAS THIS RECALL NOT EXTENDED TO THE 2000 CARS? I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE TIE RODS AT MY OWN EXPENSE. PLEASE NOTE THE SERVICE ACTION ISSUED BY VW IN NOVEMBER 2004 DID NOT INCLUDE THE TIE RODS. *JB”

“WE TOOK OUR 2000 VW PASSAT IN TO THE VW DEALER FOR STATE SAFETY AND WERE TOLD THAT OUR DRIVERS SIDE TIE ROD WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON AND THAT THE PASSANGER SIDE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED SOON ALSO. WE TOOK IT TO OUR REGULAR MECHANIC FOR A SECOND OPINION AND HE WAS SHOCKED HOW BAD OF CONDITION THEY WERE A YEAR 2000 AND HAVING 55,000 MILES. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE LEFT FRONT OUTER TIE ROD END; LINK ROD; AND LEFT FRONT UPPER BALL JOINT TOTAL COST WAS 370.00 AND WE WILL NEED TO DO THE SAME SOON FOR THE LEFT FRONT SIDE VERY SOON. I AM APPALLED THAT VW IS AWARE OF THESE COMPLAINTS IN THE 2000 MODEL AND HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. *AK”