Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 24 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1991 Volkswagen Passat. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–24 of 24
BURNING HOT ANTI-FREEZE AND STEAM CLOUDED THE CABIN OF MY VW PASSAT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, CAUSING AN UNSAFE DRIVING SITUATION AND POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS FROM BREATHING THE HOT FUMES.
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE LOST POWER, STARTED VIBRATING AND SHUT DOWN. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PH
FUEL INJECTIN SYSTEM: ACCUMULATOR ( DELIVERY SYSTEM) WAS LEAKING GAS TO POINT IT WAS POURING OUT. GAS FUMES WERE STRONG FROM IN & OUTSIDE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO MOTOR GARAGE WHICH HAD SEEN A COMMON PROBLEM POSSIBLY DUE TO ROAD SALT ON STREET ADDED TO CORROSION. *AK FUMES POSSIBLY COULD HAVE IGNITED WHEN STOPPING AND COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS. *YH
THE TIMMING BELT FAILED AT 152081 KM'S THIS IS IN CANADA. I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD CALL YOUR SITE AND REPORT THIS PROBLEM. THE TIMING BELT IS SUPPOSE TO BE GOOD FOR 100000 KM. THE TIMING BELT ONLY LASTED FOR 52 000 KM . I REPORTED IT TO VOLKSWAGEN NORTH AMERICA BUT THEY JUST GAVE ME THE RUN AROUND. IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO OR I CAN DO PLEASE WRITE TO ME AT [email protected] OR CALL ME AT 403-212-1034 THANK YOU LEN.*AK
ODOMETER MILLAGE IS TURNED BACK. YH
WHILE DRIVING, VEHCLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND BURNED. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
TEMPERATURE AND GAS GAUGE WERE FIXED ON MANY OCCASIONS BY THE DEALER BUT NEVER FULLY FIXED. WORK ONLY WHEN PUSHED ON THE DASH COVER. THERE IS A SERVICE BULL ON THIS BUT PROBLEM, BUT IT DIDN'T HELP FIX IT. *AK
HAD SMELLED GAS FUMES INSIDE VEHICLE. DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS LEAKING ONTO THE AIR CONDITIONER CLUTCH, WHICH WAS A SAFETY HAZARD. DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE REGULATOR BODY (PLASTIC) HAD DELAMINATED FROM THE BRASS CORE AND WA SLEAKING HEAVILY. *AK
DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE REGULATOR MOUNTED ON FUEL DISTRIBUTOR STRUCTURALLY FAILED. COMPOSITE BODY DELAMINATED FROM BRASS CORE, CAUSING STEADY FUEL LEAK WHENEVER IGNITION KEY IS ON AND ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP IS POWERED. LEAKING GASOLINE DROPS DIRECTLY ON THE ELECTRIC CLUTCH ON THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR. THIS IS A SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD, ESPECIALLY IF THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IS TURNED ON. AN ELECTRIC SPARK OR THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE ELECTRIC COMPRESSOR CLUTCH COULD IGNITE THE LEAKING GASOLINE. *AK
THE AUTOMATIC SEATBELT CONTROL MODULE WILL DRAIN THE CARS BATTERY IN A MATTER OF HOURS. TO USE THE CAR THE PASSIVE RESTRAINT SYSTEM MUST BE DISABLED. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE BELTS EVEN WORK MANUALLY UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. *AK
THE POWER WINDOWS IN THE 1991 PASSAT SUDDENLY DIED. THERE IS STILL ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE MECHANISM INSIDE THE DOOR, BUT THE TRACK/GUIDE OR WHATEVER MAKES THE WINDOW SLIDE UP SMOOTHLY IS BROKEN. CURRENTLY THEY ARE STUCK IN THE UP,SEALED POSITION BECAUSE IF THEY GO DOWN, THEY DONT GO BACK UP COMPLETELY. THE CAR HAS SUSTAINED SOME WATER DAMAGE FROM WHEN THEY COULD NOT BE PUT UP.
TIMING BELT BROKE CAUSING DAMAGE TO VALVES ON TWO OCCASIONS.
THE FUEL PUMP SITS IN A PLASTIC CONTAINER AND THE CONTAINER CRACKED, SUSPECTS THAT IT WAS CAUSED FROM VIBRATION. HOWEVER THE FUEL LEAKS OUT AND LEAKS APPROXIMATELY SIX INCHES FROM THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL. THIS PROBLEM COULD RESULT IN A FIRE IF SOMEONE WALKS BY WITH A CIGARETTE OR MATCH, THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED TWO TIMES, DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, SUDDENLY THE ABS LIGHT SENSOR CAME ON AND VEHICLE LOST BRAKES FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS. ABS SENOR LIGHT WENT OUT, AND ABS SYSTEM RESTORED BRAKES. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
MASTER CYLINDER HAS AN INTERNAL HYDRAULIC LEAK WHICH MAY LEAD TO A BRAKE FAILURE.
CONSUMER DROVE ON HIGHWAY DURING NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. SUDDENLY ABS SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON. COSUMER LOST BRAKES. THREE HOURS LATER, THE SENSOR LIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN AND BRAKES RETURNED. AFTER 6 MONTH SIMILAR CONDITION REOCCURRED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
INTERIOR HEATING CORE BROKE, CAUSING SMOKE TO FILL THE CAR WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, HEATER FAN MOTOR SWITCH FAILED.
THE VEHICLE'S TIMING CHAIN BROKE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL AND EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO VEHICLE.
MOTORIZED SEAT BELTS FAILED, OPENED WHILE DRIVING AND STAYED OPEN. *AK
WAS DRIVING AND SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE VENTILATION SWITCH . PLEASE DESCRIBE . *AK
VEHICLE CAN BE PUT INTO GEAR FROM PARK WITHOUT KEY IN IGNITION DUE TO LACK OF INTERLOCK SYSTEM. *DSH
THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT RETRACTORS SOMETIMES DON'T WORK . TT
FAN SWITCH IS BURNING OUT ON DEFROSTER/HEATER, MELTING THE SELECTOR FACE. TT
FRONT/REAR POWER WINDOWS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY, CAUSING WINDOWS TO FALL DOWN. *SKD
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Data on this page last refreshed .