1998 VW Passat 20V gls sedan VIN: [xxx] ABS fault indicated by ABS and brake instrument cluster lights flashing and instrument alarm sounding. 1 faults found: 01203 - electrical connection between ABS and instrument cluster 03-10 - no signal - intermittent diagnosed as faulty ABS control module. Safety issue - according to the owner's manual: "if ABS warning light and brake warning light lit up together, it is possible rear wheels will lock-up early under hard braking. This could cause loss of vehicle control and may be due to the electronic brake pressure distribution not functioning. Have your vehicle serviced immediately by an authorized Volkswagen dealer or a qualified independent repair shop" module in car: [xxx] current VW replacement module: [xxx] I have called around to at least 6 dealers, "list" price ranges from $1500 - $1900 for the currently available "Q" module. My local dealer told me they had stock and list price was $1000, but when the part was delivered that price had changed to $1600 list. I surely would not have ordered the part if it I had been quoted that price! part was refused, however according to the parts driver I talked to a year ago (and as recently as this fall) the part was $1000 list, and lately they have been delivering 4 - 5 of them a week to independent shops doing these repairs. From various forums (vwvortex, club B5 Passat, Audi world, bentley technical web, vag com tech forum) I have learned the failure rates for the 97 - 2000 model year B5 platform cars (Audi A4, VW Passat) that share the same [xxx] (B or P) modules have been failing at an alarming rate. In my opinion vwoa needs to issue a safety recall to address the premature ABS control module failures in these vehicles. Updated 07/27/2012 information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Mill Valley, CA, USA

The car is a 1998 VW Passat 1.8. the car has 61,000 miles. ABS/ brake light including the warning chimes turns on intermittently. The alarm turns off after a few minutes and then goes again. My mechanic tested and confirmed that the ABS control module is faulty. Repair cost is estimated at $1,800. No other car I have owned with ABS has ever had this kind of failure.

- Roseville, CA, USA