Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Volkswagen Passat submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 25 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CREAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE SUSPENSION. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR SUSPENSION CONTROL ARMS WERE WEARING OUT PREMATURELY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000. UPDATED 02/11/11 *BF UPDATED 05/02/11
FRONT BALL JOINT FAILURE AT APPROX. 35,000 MILES. THEN A LOWER CONTROL ARM FAILURE AT 95,000 MILES. OLD CONTROL ARM IS AVAILABLE. *TR
I HAVE A '01 VW PASSAT. I HAD TO GO TO THE VW DEALER TODAY SINCE I WAS HEARING A PINGING NOISE WHEN I DRIVE. THEY CHECKED AND ADVISED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM AND TIE ENDS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED SINCE THEY WERE WORN OUT. THE CAR HAS 77K MILES AND ON RESEARCHING HAVE FOUND THAT OTHER VW PASSAT OWNERS FROM THE SAME TIME FRAME ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. IT HAS BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO DESIGN FLAWS. I AM WORRIED THAT THIS IS GOING TO DETERIORATE AND LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. ADDITIONALLY THEY IDENTIFIED A VALVE COVER CAMSHAFT SEAL LEAKAGE. THIS IS ANOTHER ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY OTHER OWNERS. *TR
FAILURE OF MULTIPLE FRONT CONTROL ARMS IN 2001 VW PASSAT. WAS GIVEN QUOTE OF NEARLY $2100 TO REPAIR CONTROL ARMS. WAS TOLD THIS IS A "WIDE SPREAD" PROBLEM WITH VW PASSATS AND NOTHING HAS BEEN RECALLED AS OF YET. *TR
ALL 4 UPPER CONTROL ARMS FAILED AT 62,500 MILES. OEM CONTROL ARMS ARE UNFIT FOR PURPOSE AS DESIGNED AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BY VWOA. *TR
THE SQUEAKING AND CREAKING OF THE FRONT END OF MY VW PASSAT 2001 IS HORRENDOUS. MY LOCAL VW AND THE VW OF A HAVE DONE NOTHING TO REMEDY THE SITUATION AND, REGARDLESS OF THE INCREASING NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND INCREASING PROBLEMS IN CONTROLLING THE CAR, ARE ASKING FOR APPROXIMATELY $1500 TO "FIX" THE PROBLEM. *TR
I OWN A 2001 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT STATION WAGEN AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE WITH IT SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE DUE SLUDGE AND VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME BECAUSE I WAS MISSING ONE OIL CHANGE RECEIPT THE LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON IN THE CAR TELLING ME I HAVE ENGINE PROBLEMS ONCE AGAIN, AND I BRING IT IN FOR REGULAR REPAIRS AND CHECK UPS. CURRENTLY THE SUSPENSION PART OF THE CAR HAS GONE AND THAT WILL COST ANOTHER $2000 ON TOP OF THE $7000 I ALREADY PUT INTO IT. THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE NEW TIRES AND OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE GONE WRONG WITH THIS IDIOT CAR. VOLKSWAGEN DOES NOT STAND BY ITS CUSTOMERS AT ALL AND I WILL NEVER EVER BUY FROM THEM AGAIN AND WILL TELL PEOPLE I KNOW THE CAR IS A PIECE OF CRAP. THE PLACE I BRING IN MY CAR TO FOR REPAIR ALREADY KNOWS THAT. DO NOT BRING IT INTO A VOLKSWAGEN REPAIR PLACE TO HAVE IT FIXED> THEY ARE THE BIGGEST RIPP OFFS AND SO TOTALLY DISHONEST!!!! I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM JACK DANIELS IN FAIRLAWN, NJ AND HAVE HAD IT REPAIRED AT TREND MOTORS, IN DENVILLE, NJ *JB
TOOK CAR FOR STATE INSPECTION. MECHANIC FOUND BOTH LEFT AN RIGHT UPPER BALL JOINTS AND BOTH TIE RODS DEFECTIVE AT 53,000 MILES. *AK
ENGINE SLUDGE IN ENGINE LEADING TO FAILURE OF THE OIL PUMP AND THE TURBO. IN ADDITION, ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS ,AND TIE-RODS REPLACED , AND EVEN NOW THERE WERE STILL PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION. I HAVE RESEARCHED AND FOUND THESE WERE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH MANY PASSAT OWNERS. I STILL RECALL THE MAJOR ISSUE / RECALL OVER THE IGNITION COIL FAILURES AND HOW VW OF AMERICA DENIED THERE EVER WAS A PROBLEM. THE ENTIRE CAR SHOULD BE DECLARED A LEMON !!!! THE OIL PUMP FAILURE LEADING TO FAILURES OF THE TURBO, AND SEIZURE OF THE ENGINE SHOULD BE PROOF ENOUGH THAT THIS CAR HAS TOO MANY MAJOR PROBLEMS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED . *AK
I OWN 2001 VW PASSAT WITH 43200 MILES. THIS PAST YEAR I NOTICED FAILURES OF OUTER CV JOINT BOOT BOTH SIDES AND RUBBER DUST BOOTS ON ALL BALL JOINTS WHICH CAUSES A DIRT AND WATER TO DESTROY BALL JOINTS. I CHANGED OUTER CV JOIN BOOT BOTH SIDES AND ONE UPPER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT AND OTHERS WILL FAIL SOON. *JB
DT: ON AUGUST 25 ONWER WAS UPSET BECAUSE HE HAD TO REPLACE TIE RODS, AND HAD THE VEHICLE ALIGNED. HE SAID THE TIE RODS HAD TO BE REPLACED BECUASE THEY WERE FROZEN. THE REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE TIE RODS.*AK *NM
THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS ON MY 2001 VW PASSAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR ONLY HAS 54K MILES ON IT. *JB
CAR WAS MAKING NOISE AT SLOW SPEED AND WOULD SHAKE AT FASTER SPEEDS. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED 2 TIE RODS WHICH WERE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AND I WAS THEN TOLD IT WAS THE CONTROL ARMS AND I NEEDED ALL 4 REPLACED. MY CAR IS NOT EVEN 4 YEARS OLD AND HAS ONLY 45,000. I UNDERSTAND FROM OTHER SITES THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM ON VW'S AND AUDI'S. *JB
UPPER LEFT CONTROL ARM BUSHING FAILURE AT 35,000 MILES. NEEDS REPLACING.*AK
WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE UPPER CONTROL ARM SNAPPED. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE STEERING CONTROL. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *NM
DESPITE LIGHT USE OF THE VEHICLE, BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS ON OUR 2001 VW PASSAT WAGON HAVE FAILED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. ALTHOUGH THE COMPANY RECOGNIZED A DEFECT WITH THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND REPLACED THEM AT ITS EXPENSE, WE WERE CHARGED $600 BY THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS -- EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE HAD FEWER THAN 25,000 MILES AT THE TIME.*AK
THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS HAVE FAILED AND THE VW DEALER RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT AT JUST 67000 MILES. THIS IS PREMATURE. I UNDERSTAND IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND A SAFETY RISK.*AK
FRONT SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS ON 2001 (B5) PASSAT MODEL ARE DEFECTIVE AND FAIL PREMATURELY AT 30,000-50,000 MILES. FAILURE IS SYSTEMIC AND WIDESPREAD. FAILURE OF FRONT CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS CAN LEAD TO THE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL CAUSING AN ACCIDENT, INJURY, AND POSSIBLY DEATH. INVESTIGATION ON THE INTERNET HAS SHOWN THIS PROBLEM TO BE WIDESPREAD BOTH IN EUROPE AND THE US, YET VW HAS NOT TAKEN ANY OWNERSHIP OF THIS SERIOUS PRODUCT DEFECT. CORRECTIVE ACTION BEING TAKEN IS TO INSTALL AFTERMARKET COMPONENTS THAT HAVE BEEN STRENGTHENED TO ELIMINATE THE DEFECT AND ARE MANUFACTURED BY MEYLE OF GERMANY. AS THIS MODEL AGES, THE DEFECT PROBLEM WILL INCREASE.*AK
CONTROL ARMS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AT SUBSTATIAL COST.*AK
UPPER CONTROL ARM ON BOTH SIDES WORN OUT. I NOTICED THIS WHEN I STARTED TO HEAR SQUEAKING SOUNDS WHEN I WOULD MAKE TIGHT TURNS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND VICE VERSA. HAD TO HAVE THEM BOTH REPLACED.
UPPER CONTROL ARMS ON BOTH SIDES ARE WORN OUT. TIE RODS ARE WORN OUT ON BOTH SIDES. CATALYTIC CONVERTERS NEEDED REPLACED. I PAID FOR THE TIE RODS, WARRANTY COVERED CONVERTERS, AND I HAVE NOT HAD THE UPPER CONTROL ARMS REPLACED. OIL LEAKS ON ENGINE. INTERIOR LIGHTS DO NOT ACTIVATE WHEN DRIVERS DOOR IS OPENED.
CONSUMER IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE COIL SPRING PACKS. THE MANUFACTURE IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND WILL ONLY REPLACE THE ONE THAT GOES BAD. PH
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IGNITION COIL PACK. ALSO STATED THAT WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT STARTS SHAKING AND IDLES AND ALSO INDICATED THAT THIS IS THE SECOND TIME.
CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLES COIL PACKS. ALSO STATED THAT THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND HAS KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER HAS STATED THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. PH *DT
UPPER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS RIPPED CAUSING FUTURE FAILURE OF FRONT SUSPENSION LEADING TO POSSIBLE DEATH OR INJURY IF TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED. BRAND NEW CAR WITH ONLY 25000 MILES SHOULD NOT HAVE MAJOR PROBLEM LIKE THIS. PLEASE CONTACT MANUFACTURER AND ISSUE RECALL BASED ON POSSIBLE FUTURE DEATHS AND/OR INJURIES RESULTING FROM THIS MALFUNCTION.*AK
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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