1998 Volkswagen Passat: common problems

Owners of the 1998 Volkswagen Passat filed 331 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 331
involving a crash: 6

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 27% of all complaints
2 Suspension 27% of all complaints
3 Steering 16% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 12% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
6 Visibility 8% of all complaints
7 Fuel system 5% of all complaints
8 Powertrain 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 90 complaints (27% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 90 complaints (27% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 52 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 39 complaints (12% of all).
Electrical system: 28 complaints (8% of all).

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

1.8 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 2 complaints
2.8 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
1.9 L · diesel · turbo · 4 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
automatic, 5-speed
manual, 5-speednamed in 3 complaints

Drive: FWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 331 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine28 · 8%
windows, sunroof22 · 7%
knocking, grinding or other noise12 · 4%
steering or power steering problems11 · 3%
smoke, burning smell, fire8 · 2%
stalls while driving6 · 2%
brake failure5 · 2%
door locks, latches, handles5 · 2%
A/C or heater4 · 1%
engine failure or replacement4 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	90	1
Suspension	90	1
Steering	52	1
Engine and cooling	39	0
Electrical system	28	0
Visibility	27	0
Fuel system	16	0
Powertrain	16	0
Seats	11	0
Air bags	8	3
Equipment	8	0
Structure	8	0
Latches, locks, linkages	5	0
Exterior lighting	4	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

My passenger sufferd a bruised chest from her seat belt. Should either of the airbags in my car have deployed? Thanks for your help.
Air bags · crash · 2005-03-17 · NHTSA complaint #10114236
Vehicle was involved in a head-on frontal collision at 45 mph during which both air bags failed to deploy. Dealer notified.
Air bags · crash · 2000-02-14 · NHTSA complaint #856871
While driving at about 40 mph another vehicle ran a red light an hit consumer on front right passenger's side. Upon impact, airbags did not deploy. Car is now at body shop.
Air bags · crash · 2000-01-05 · NHTSA complaint #853825
Driving back home from store and car just died out than smelt like gas.
Fuel/propulsion system · 2017-10-01 · NHTSA complaint #11030747
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.
Fuel system · 2014-07-22 · NHTSA complaint #10615211
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.
Electrical system · 2010-09-14 · NHTSA complaint #10355489
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.
Service brakes · 2009-01-14 · NHTSA complaint #10255101
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.
Service brakes · 2009-01-14 · NHTSA complaint #10255095

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

199810
199924
200041
200144
200242
200326
200450
200549
200618
20079
200812
20092
20101
20111
20141
20172

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,212 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Passat has 212 complaints (37 years in the data). This year has 331, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1998 Volkswagen Passat?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, suspension, steering. Total complaints: 331. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (8%), windows, sunroof (7%), knocking, grinding or other noise (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Volkswagen Passat?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1998 Volkswagen Passat from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1998 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.