1999 Volkswagen Passat brakes problems
250 complaints about brakes have been filed for the 1999 Volkswagen Passat, which is 29% of all its NHTSA complaints. It is the most reported problem area for this model year.
At a glance
- Complaints
- 250 29% of this year's complaints
- Typical mileage
- 86,000 miles 174 complaints with mileage
- Crashes and fires
- 4 and 4
- Injuries and deaths
- 3 and 2
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
When brakes problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 6 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 19 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 45 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 45 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 28 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 19 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 9 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 174 brakes complaints that report mileage, the median is about 86,000 miles, and 14% were reported before 60,000 miles.
These complaints mention 4 crashes, 4 fires, 3 injuries, 2 deaths.
What owners wrote
Brakes sticking to drums and no brake light warning of pending stop. Problem never addressed by VW, the dealership or corporate. The problem caused an accident and prematurely caused wear on all brake components. I have had to replace the brakes twice in 40,000 miles. The most recent at 12,000 miles usage. VW says there is nothing wrong and it is not covered by warranty.
At 50k miles the ABS brake light came on and the dealer diagnosed it as premature failure of the control module which cost me $ 1500 in repairs.
Other problems reported for the 1999 Volkswagen Passat
- Suspension 140 complaints
- Engine 87 complaints
- Steering 79 complaints
- Electrical system 62 complaints
- Wipers, windshield & visibility 36 complaints
- Cruise control 32 complaints
- Fuel system 31 complaints
- Air bags 22 complaints