Owner-reported complaints naming the airbag system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Airbags reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Jun 24, 2005
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
2%
of 331 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
7
What this page shows
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Volkswagen Passat submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Owner reports naming airbag
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Airbags
Filed Jun 24, 2005
DT: CALLER SAYS WITHOUT WARNING THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN CALLER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER THEY TOLD HIM HE HAD SOME RECALLS ON HIS CAR. HE WANTED TO GET A DIAGNOSTIC DONE AT THE SAME TIME ON THE AIR BAG PROBLEM AS ON THE RECALLS. MANUFACTURER SAID TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC AND THEY WOULD PAY FOR IT. MANUFACTURER SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS A SENSOR PROBLEM, AND THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR DIAGNOSTIC BECAUSE IT SHOED IT WAS A LOW BATTERY SIGNAL. DEALER SAID MANUFACTURER WILL NOT PAY FOR IT, BUT WHEN CALLER CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BACK THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE DIAGNOSTIC BACK TO MAKE THAT DECISION . CALLER WAS CONFUSED BY WHAT DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE SAYING TO HIM. CALLER DID NOT KNOW FOR SURE IF RECALL WORK WAS DONE BECAUSE OF NO FEEDBACK FROM DEALER.*AK
NHTSA ID
10126463
Incident
Jun 19, 2005
Mileage
78,950 mi
Airbags
Filed Mar 17, 2005
Crash reported1 injury reported
I WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION ON 3/11 WHERE A WOMAN CUT ME OFF BY MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AS SHE WAS HEADED TOWARD ME. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY CAR STUCK THE SIDE OF HER CAR. THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF MY CAR WAS SMASHED IN BUT NO AIRBAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DEPLOYED. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 30 MPH AND HAVE NOT IDEA HOW FAST THE OTHER DRIVER WAS GOING. MY CAR HAS BEEN DECLARED TOTALED. MY PASSENGER SUFFERD A BRUISED CHEST FROM HER SEAT BELT. SHOULD EITHER OF THE AIRBAGS IN MY CAR HAVE DEPLOYED? THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.*AK
NHTSA ID
10114236
Incident
Mar 12, 2005
Mileage
98,000 mi
AirbagsBrakes
Filed Dec 30, 2004
1. EARLY ON BRAKING (INTERMITTENT) AND NOW ALWAYS AT ENGINE STARTUP 2. THE ABS BRAKE COMES ON SOLID, THE BRAKE LIGHT FLASHES, AND THREE BEEPS ON ENGINE STARTUP. THIS INDICATES THAT THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM HAS FAILED. AND INDEED I CURRENTLY HAVE NO ABS, ALTHOUGH THE BRAKES WORK, AND THE CAR CANNOT PASS DC INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THE WARINING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD. 3. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BY RUNNING THE VAG-COM DIAGNOSTICS ON IT. VAG-COM CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WHICH INDICATES THE ABS CONTROL MODULE MUST BE REPLACED. I AM CURRENTLY IN PURSUIT OF A USED REPLACEMENT PART OR A REBUILD OF THE CURRENT MODULE DUE TO THE HIGH PRICE OF THIS PART FROM VW AND THE FACT THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. I HAVE ALSO SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT TO VW OF AMERICA.*AK
NHTSA ID
10104767
Incident
Oct 15, 2004
Mileage
85,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 25, 2003
1 injury reported
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH DRIVER SIDE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. *AK
NHTSA ID
10024941
Incident
Jun 16, 2003
Airbags
Filed Mar 19, 2001
AT 70 MPH SIDE AIR BAGS WENT OFF. CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE SWERVED OFF ROAD. CONSUMER CONTACTED VOLKSWAGEN WHICH WAS LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM. *AK THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNWILLING NEITHER TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE NOR TO FIX THE DEPLOYED AIR BAG. *YH
NHTSA ID
883376
Incident
Mar 16, 2001
Airbags
Filed Aug 7, 2000
SIDE DRIVER'S AIRBAG INFLATED WITHOUT COLLISION. BECAUSE OF DEBRIS LODGED UNDER THE FRONT CARRIAGE FROM SOMETHING I MAY HAVE RUN OVER, VW REPAIR TECHNICIANS SUGGEST THIS MAY HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO TRIGGER THE AIRBAG MECHANISM. THIS SEEMS EXTREMELY UNLIKELY AND I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRBAG AND WOULD LIKE THIS INVESTIGATED. MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND WILL LOOK AT THE CAR SOON.*AK
NHTSA ID
726934
Incident
Aug 3, 2000
Airbags
Filed Feb 14, 2000
Crash reported
VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON FRONTAL COLLISION AT 45 MPH DURING WHICH BOTH AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
NHTSA ID
856871
Incident
Feb 6, 2000
Airbags
Filed Jan 5, 2000
Crash reported5 injuries reported
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. *AK
NHTSA ID
853825
Incident
Nov 27, 1999
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own