: the contact stated the ABS light illuminated and the vehicle was taken to the dealership for inspection. The dealership determined the ABS module needed to be replaced.

- Stuart, FL, USA

1 - I was driving my 1999 VW Passat with 97,630 miles on July 28, 2006 when it seemed to lose power and the "check engine light" came on. I pulled over as soon as possible to check oil, fluids, damage, etc but could find nothing out of the ordinary. 2 - a day later, the exhaust started to make a continuously loud noise and the accelerator pedal now fluctuates up and down automatically without any action from me. It appears like a circuit board or electronic control module went bad. 3 - the "ABS / brake" lights came on and started blinking at this time as well. 4 - my dealer said the modules go bad and it is not under any warranty, so the estimate was around $850 to fix. I called VW's national customer care and they did not have any warranty or recall notices that could help.

- Manassas, VA, USA

Just before the expiration of my 100,000-mile, 6-year extended warranty at 99,938 miles (and 23 days before the end of 6 years) I took my 1999 1.8L turbo Volkswagen Passat (B5) to the dealership. I requested that they perform the 100,000-mile service and to thoroughly check the car for any repairs that may be required since it would soon be out-of-warranty. Five weeks and 3000 miles later (and out of warranty) I was driving home from work when on two occasions my ABS and brake warning lights turned on and three beeps sounded (the first instance occurred at 103,085 miles). Both times the warning lights went off within seconds. Upon researching this problem on the internet, it appears that this is related to a failed ABS control module, apparently a known problem that should have a recall associated with it since it fails prematurely. According to the dealership, it will cost between $1800 and $2400 for them to repair the ABS control module. This is the second large item failure within five weeks and 3000 miles of my warranty expiration (the first was a failed timing belt and tensioner). It appears to me that Volkswagen has instituted planned obsolescence into their products! I am also very upset that both of these failures are well documented and should be known by both the dealership and Volkswagen and could have been prevented with very little effort.

- Gainesville, FL, USA

ABS light, ABS intermitant failure, oil light failure, tachometer failure.

- Bangor, PA, USA

The following is exact comments from VW tech written in dealership invoice. "ABS control unit is faulty ABS light is on and the word brake is flashing when the control unit is plugged in. No tachometer reading and the oil pressure light flashes. 5052 will not communicate with the unit at all. Dealer tech unplugged ABS control unit and the tachometer signal came back and the oil pressure light stopped flashing." **5052 will not communicate** diagnostic tool will not detect fault with ABS module!!!

- State Road, NC, USA

ABS, asr, and brake light started coming on intermittently. When ABS and brake light is on the car's anti-lock brake system is not functioning and the owners manual suggests rear wheels may lock and that the vehicle should be driven slowly to a service station. I took the car to the dealership service department where they ensured me that a new wheel speed sensor and associated wiring would fix the problem. I was very disappointed with the service I received and because I'm a cometent engineer with electrical trouble shooting skills I actually found the problem to be a faulty ABS control module. I'm currently awaiting the rebuilding of the component and will install it when it arrives. There are hundreds if not thousands of these complaints at various sites on the internet. One sight has over 28 pages of complaints about this issue.

- Kirkland, WA, USA

I have a 1999 VW Passat V6 gls. I have 74, 270 miles on the car. My ABS and brake light came on about 1 1/2 weeks ago, then my check engine light came on, then my ABS/ brake and oil pressure light came on and were flashing. I brought it to VW dealer today, and was told my ABS module needed replacement for $975. I went online and found at vwvortex.com that quite a few people had similar problems with their Passat in my year range. I don't feel that I should be charged for a defective part that is jeopardizing my safety. In addition, I received a recall in 11/04 for vehicle control arms. I brought my car to VW dealer on 12/17/04, and was told that my control arms did not need to be replaced. At that time I had 61, 923 miles on the car. Today, I am told only 12,000 miles later that my control arms need to be replaced at my own expense because the recall is closed. I don't feel that I should be charged for this part either, the defective part should have been replaced in 12/04 before it could pose a hazard to my safety.

- Westfield, NJ, USA

ABS and brake light flashes - was told ABS unit needs to be replaced. When lights are on determined that ABS and the proportioning system of the braking system is not operating and feel that this is a dangerous condition. Dealer wants crazy amounts of money for repair which I cannot afford. I found out online that thousands of other people have the same exact problem as I do and we all strongly feel that this definitely deserves to be a recall by VW of America. They know that this is a major problem and won't do anything about it.

- Levittown, NY, USA

Same as previous complaints: ABS warning light flashes constantly w/ ABS chime sounding constantly each time the car starts. I've been told that this is the ABS module and that it has reportedly been problematic in a high percentage of these cars. In my opinion, VW needs to stand by there product in this case.

- Rapid City, SD, USA

The ABS brake system failed in our 1999 Passat wagon with only 70K miles. It failed when my wife was driving and almost caused an accident. The cost of the repair was also extreme.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

The ABS and the brake light is going on. Dealer told me the problem is the ABS control unit. The cost is >$1700.

- Sf, CA, USA

Failure of ABS module on 1999 Volkswagen Passat. My ABS light started blinking at around 60,000 miles. The dealer diagnosed the problem as a failed ABS module. The cost to fix the problem was estimated to be $1,500. For the part alone!!! the dealer said that they fail all the time and that many people do not fix them. I did not want to make a further investment in the car so I let it go. The car was subsequently inspected by the dealer in state inspection and passed. Now, a couple of years later, I am told that they will not pass cars with ABS lights. I am aware of websites (myvwlemon; bentley; and passatworld forum) that chronicle many issues with the ABS module on Passats. It seems to be common knowledge that the ABS module manufactured by Bosch is defective and a cottage industry has arisen of manufacturers of these parts. Some even rebuild them as the defect is known.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Under normal driving conditions the ABS light comes on and the brake warning light flashes intermittently together with 3 beeps. Some days are worse then others, but I would say the problem occurs about 60-80% of the time. When the light is on, the ABS is not functioning and rear wheels tend to break out easily on icy roads.

- St. Paul, MN, USA

ABS warning light flashes constantly with chime sounding each time the car starts. Probably been ongoing for the last 6-8 months. Was told by independent repair shop the problem was just electrical, but now reading numerous other complaints I believe it to be the ABS module failing in so many other cars. Seems like Volkswagen needs to take care of this issue.

- Tampa, FL, USA

Many Audi and VW models manufactured starting in the later '90S and continuing to present, use the Bosch 5.3 ABS controller, which is prone to catastrophic failure, ostensibly due to defective design. This module controls multiple brake-related functions including the ABS which is important for winter driving, but the most critical function of this module is probably the electronic brake force distribution, or ebd. These vehicles are designed such that if the ebd is inoperative, the proportion of hydraulic force applied to the rear brakes during emergency braking is as great as it is during moderate braking effort when there is minimal transfer of vehicle weight to the front wheels. The ebd is supposed to adjust the front/rear braking distribution dynamically according to the measure of the deceleration, so that the rear wheels will not lock up during emergency braking. If this module should fail during emergency braking on dry pavement, the rear wheels could lock up and cause an accident which could easily include fatalities. This is an expensive repair for owners, costing roughly $2000, and many owners have probably put off the repair indefinitely. Evidence which can be found through a simple web search, suggests that the problem is widespread, and that if it has not already led to serious accidents, it is only a question of time. This problem is genuine, and VW/Audi should be compelled to take immediate corrective action.

- Warren, NJ, USA

VW Passat 1999 - failing ABS module (ABS, oil, brake lights on). Internet research showed hundreds of similar complaints. See tech.bentleypublishers.com/thread.jspa?threadid=2447&start=30&tstart=0 for additional details.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

The contact stated the ABS light came on and the brake lights were flashing. He took the vehicle to the dealership, who stated, the control module was not communicating with the computer, which was a sign that the ABS control module failed and needed to be replaced." There have been no repairs made due to the extensive expense.

- Palo Alto, CA, USA

At 52K miles, had intermittent episodes of ABS light remaining lit and brake light flashing. Over the course of a couple weeks, had >100 such incidents. Also of note, vibration was felt upon braking at low speed. Service mechanic at dealer reported faulty ABS control module, which was replaced at exuberant cost. Apparently, hundreds of such complaints have already been reported on this problem, and vwoa have taken no effort to recall such prevalently faulty parts.

- San Diego, CA, USA

ABS control module failure. This failure has been reported by many owners, as reported on various online forums (vwvortex, etc). The failure is well known and frequent enough that there are businesses that sell rebuilt/remanufactured part.

- Alexandria, VA, USA

I own a 1999 VW Passat and had to have my ABS control module replaced in July of 2005 at a cost of $1,300. I have been in touch with many other Volkswagen Passat owners who have also had their ABS control module go bad and have had to replace it. Since this seems like a very common problem I feel that Volkswagen of America should issue a recall on this part and financially reimburse those of us who have already paid out of pocket to replace the ABS. It is a very costly expense and was surprising to me that it needed replacement at only 75,000 miles, in my car's case. Thank you.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA