1998 Volkswagen Passat: problems, recalls and complaints

Problems owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 1998 Volkswagen Passat, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.

Suspension90
Service brakes, hydraulic70
Steering52
Engine and engine cooling39
Electrical system28
Visibility27
Service brakes, air17
Power train16
Fuel system, gasoline16
Seats11

NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 12 injuries and 1 deaths reported

Compared with other years

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 199719981999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

NHTSA ODI complaints by model year

New York safety inspections

At its first New York inspection the 1998 Volkswagen Passat failed the safety check 3.03% of the time — 77% more often than the average 1998 passenger car (1.71%). Median odometer at inspection: 151,290 miles.

99first inspections

3.03%failed on safety

151,290 mimedian odometer

NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count

Engines

The most common engines in 1998 Volkswagen Passat cars on Dutch roads are the 1.8 petrol (92 kW, 123 hp), 1.8 petrol (110 kW, 148 hp) and 1.6 petrol (74 kW, 99 hp), out of 6 versions with at least 20 cars.

Engine	Power	Cars	Share
1.8 petrol	92 kW 123 hp	93	35%
1.8 petrol	110 kW 148 hp	45	17%
1.6 petrol	74 kW 99 hp	36	14%
1.9 diesel	81 kW 109 hp	35	13%
2.8 petrol	142 kW 190 hp	29	11%
1.9 diesel	66 kW 89 hp	26	10%

RDW Open Data (CC0): registered passenger cars and their fuel data · engine size rounded to 0.1 litre, net maximum power · versions with at least 20 cars

In the Netherlands

281 first registered in 1998 are on Dutch roads; 9% arrived later as imports.

54.1%had an APK defect recorded since June 2022

92.5%logical odometer history

0.7%with a recall still open

Most common APK defects

Colours

Blue 31%Green 23%Grey 20%Black 14%Red 9%White 2%

RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording

In the United Kingdom

185 cars built in 1998 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025, and 1,117 more were declared off the road (SORN).

185licensed, end of 2025

14%of those still registered are on the road

Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0

MOT test results in Great Britain

In 2023, 355 of these cars first registered in 1998 took their annual MOT test. 58% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 1998 the figure was 64%.

58%passed first time

64%all cars from 1998

154,700 miaverage mileage at the test (all cars 106,100 mi)

Failed on	These cars	All cars from 1998
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	18.0%	16.0%
Suspension	16.9%	12.4%
Body, chassis, structure	12.4%	9.3%
Noise, emissions and leaks	7.6%	7.2%
Brakes	6.8%	11.8%
Steering	6.5%	3.4%

DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail

In Finland

292 of these cars first registered in 1998 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 342,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.

Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0

In New Zealand

16 1998 cars are on the New Zealand register; 94% arrived as used imports, 6% were sold new in New Zealand.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0

Fuel consumption

Official Canadian test results for 5 variants: combined 10.0–12.7 L/100 km (about 19–24 mpg US), CO₂ 230–292 g/km.

Variant	Engine	Transmission	City	Highway	Combined	CO₂ g/km
Passat · Mid-size · Premium gasoline	1.8 L, 4 cyl.	M5	11.5	8.1	10.0	230
Passat · Mid-size · Premium gasoline	1.8 L, 4 cyl.	A5	12.9	8.3	10.8	248
Passat · Mid-size · Premium gasoline	2.8 L, 6 cyl.	M5	13.3	8.9	11.3	260
Passat · Mid-size · Premium gasoline	2.8 L, 6 cyl.	A5	14.9	8.9	12.2	281
Passat Syncro · Mid-size · Premium gasoline	2.8 L, 6 cyl.	A5	15.2	9.7	12.7	292

Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada

Recalls in Canada

3 Transport Canada recalls for the 1998 Volkswagen Passat.

1999195 29 Oct 1999	Steering On certain vehicles, the steering assembly tie rod seals do not seal properly. If moisture and/or dust particles enter the swivel bearing mechanism, the swivel…
1999095 19 May 1999	Brakes On certain vehicles, a control valve in the vacuum hose connecting the brake booster to the intake manifold may not open or close fully at temperatures below -4…
1998126 22 Jun 1998	Engine IN THE EVENT OF AN ENGINE BACKFIRE DURING COLD START, AN AIR SCREEN WHICH IS LOOSELY SEATED IN THE AIR FLOW METER COULD BECOME DAMAGED. SHOULD THIS HAPPEN, SCR…

Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada

Recalls

02V026000 · Fuel system, gasoline25 Jan 2002 · 487,284 vehicles

ON SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL TANK FILLER NECK CAN SUFFER ABRASION DAMAGE IF THE REAR TIRE GOES FLAT AND THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN UNTIL THE TIRE DISINTEGRATES.

99V248000 · Steering13 Sept 1999 · 51,900 vehicles

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE TIE RODS OF THE STEERING ASSEMBLY ARE PROTECTED ON EACH SIDE BY A SEAL TO PREVENT MOISTURE AND DUST PARTICLES FROM ENTERING THE SWIVEL BEARING MECHANISM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME TIE ROD SEALS MAY NOT SEAL PROPERLY.

99V131001 · Service brakes, hydraulic21 May 1999 · 88,121 vehicles

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. A CONTROL VALVE IN THE VACUUM HOSE CONNECTING THE BRAKE BOOSTER TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD MAY NOT OPEN OR CLOSE FULLY AT TEMPERATURES BELOW -4 F UNDER CERTAIN DRIVING CONDITIONS.

98V134000 · Engine and engine cooling22 Jun 1998 · 19,800 vehicles

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE BACKFIRES DURING A COLD-START, AN AIR SCREEN WHICH IS LOOSELY SEATED IN THE AIR FLOW METER CAN BECOME DAMAGED.

Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words

Service bulletins

What Volkswagen told its dealers about the 1998 Volkswagen Passat: known faults, fixes and updates.

Bulletin	Summary
626970	SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MALFUNCTION. *SLC
622409	SERVICE INFORMATION BINDER CONTAINING ELECTRICAL WIRING DIAGRAMS, TROUBLESHOOTING AND COMPONENT LOCATIONS EDITION 09.97. *TT
622400	A CONDITION MAY EXIST WHERE THE RADIO DOES NOT REGAIN VOLUME CONTROL AND / OR THE SINGLE CD PLAYER LED BLINKS WHEN INTERIOR LIGHTS ARE AT THE LOWEST SETTING. *TT
621623	SUBJECT REGARDING MALFUNCTIONING INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. *TT
621617	A CONDITION MAY EXIST WITH NOISE FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. *TT
621613	SUBJECT REGARDING LATCH SYSTEM LOWER ANCHORS AND TETHERS FOR CHILDREN, INSTALLING / RETROFITTING. *TT
621609	INFORMATION IN THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN SUPLLEMENTS AND UPDATES PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WIRING DIAGRAM, TROUBLESHOOTING AND COMPONENT LOCATION INFORMATION. *TTT
610179	THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS NEW AND REVISED WIRING DIAGRAM INFORMATION. *TT
608343	SUBJECT REGARDING VEHICLE'S EXHIBITING FAILURE OF THE TURBOCHARGER DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION ON PASSAT WITH 1.8L 5V TURBO VEHICLES FROM 1998-1999 UP TO VIN #XE000100. *MS
606257	SUBJECT REGARING ENGINE MISFIRE. *TT
604431	SUBJECT REGARDING SPECIAL TOOL FOR REMOVING AND / OR REPAIRING FRONT SEAT WHICH IS EQUIPPED WITH A SIDE AIRBAG. *TT
604051	NEW INFORMATION IN THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN SUPPLEMENTS AND UPDATES PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WIRING DIAGRAM, TROUBLESHOOTING AND COMPONENT LOCATION INFORMATION. *YC
603955	PROCEDURES ON REMOVING THE FRONT SEATS WITH SIDE AIRBAG. *YC
603352	SUBJECT ON COMFORT SYSTEM ECM, UNNECESSARY REPLACEMENT. *YC
603350	SUBJECT PERTAINING TO INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, ODOMETER ADAPTATION. *YC
603337	SUBJECT REGARDING THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE SENSOR AND AMBIENT TEMPERATURE SWITCH. *TT
603336	TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON CARGO SAFETY NET, ASSEMBLY OVERVIEW / RETROFITTING. *YC
603335	SUBJECT ON CARRIER ASSEMBLY WITH WINDOW REGULATOR / WINDOW REGULATOR MOTOR ASSEMBLING. *YC
601874	SUBJECT ON RADIO CODE RETRIEVAL PROCEDURES. *YC
601748	NEW INFORMATION IN THIS TECHNICAL BULLETING SUPPLEMENTS AND UPDATES PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WIRING DIAGRAM, TROUBLESHOOTING AND COMPONENT LOCATION INFORMATION. *YC
601522	VEHICLE WILL NOT START UNLESS CLUTCH PEDAL IS DEPRESSED EXTREMELY HARD. *YC
601070	SUBJECT ON SIDEWINDER KEY AND LOCKS. *YC
600978	REPLACEMENT OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID (ATF) NO LONGER REQUIRED. *YC
600909	FUNCTION OPTIONS FOR CENTRAL LOCKING SYSTEM. *YC
600908	CONDITION WITH TRANSMISSIONS WITH INTERNAL DAMAGE MAY ALLOW DEBRIS TO COLLECT IN ATF COOLER LINES AND ATF COOLER. *YC

NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)

NHTSA investigations

EA04017 · Fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection systemopened 30 Jun 2004 · closed 10 Feb 2005

STUCK-OPEN THROTTLE

EA03020 · Air bags:frontalopened 7 Oct 2003 · closed 23 Apr 2004

PASSENGER AIR BAG LID FAILURE

PE03021 · Air bags:frontalopened 23 May 2003 · closed 7 Oct 2003

PASSENGER SIR DOOR MOUNTING STUD FAILURE

EA00028 · Vehicle speed control:linkagesopened 28 Dec 2000 · closed 29 Jan 2002

FUEL TANK PUNCTURE

PE00033 · Vehicle speed control:linkagesopened 10 Aug 2000 · closed 28 Dec 2000

FUEL TANK PUNCTURE

RQ99008 · Service brakes, hydraulicopened 1 Jun 1999 · closed 14 Nov 2000

POWER BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM BY-PASS

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Cars

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1998 Volkswagen Passat

Problems owners report

Compared with other years

New York safety inspections

Engines

In the Netherlands

Most common APK defects

Colours

In the United Kingdom

MOT test results in Great Britain

In Finland

In New Zealand

Fuel consumption

Recalls in Canada

Recalls

Service bulletins

NHTSA investigations