NHTSA Complaint #10074888 — 1999 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT

CONTROL ARM'S OF '1998-'2000 PASSATS ARE FAILURE PRONE MUCH EARLIER THEN THE NORM FOR PASSANEGER AUTOMOBILES. (A FACT THEY RECOGNIZED BY A REDESIGN OF THE CONTROL ARMS ON '2001 AND UP PASSAT'S. I PURCHASED MY CAR IN 7/99. I DRIVE 70 MILES A DAY, MOSTLY FREEWAY, WHICH AS ALL KNOW IS ACTUALLY VERY EASY ON AN AUTOMOBILE. YET WITH-IN 2 YEARS (40K) MY FRONT SUSPENSION WAS SHOWING SIGNS OF PREMATURE WEAR. I GET MANY "CREAKS" AND "CLUNKS" THAT ARE EASY TO HEAR AT LOW SPEEDS. AFTER RESEARCHING IN POPULAR INTERNET FORUMS FOR THE CAR,(WWW.CLUBB5.COM , WWW.VWVORTEX.COM) I FOUND OUT THIS FAILURE IS VERY COMMON FOR THIS AUTOMOBILE. VMOA (VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA) HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL YET (EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE RECEIVED THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS) AS OF THIS LATE DATE. (6/04) THE RESPONSE FROM VWOA AND YOUR DEALER NETWORK HAS BEEN INCONSISTENT, TO SAY THE LEAST. SOME DEALERS WILL NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE CAR, SOME WILL LOOK AT IT AND SAY NOTHING IS WRONG, AND SOME WILL SAY THAT IT IS THE CONTROL ARMS, BUT WILL NOT HELP OUT THE OWNER WHEN THE TIME COMES TO CONTACT THE CUSTOMER CARE CENTER AT VWOA . VWOA IS NOT MUCH MORE HELP, PROMISING TO GET ON THE PROBLEM AND TELLING YOU THEY WILL CALLBACK, ONLY THEY DONT. OR IF THEY DO ,IT IS, SORRY WE CANNOT HELP YOU.. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT MANY OF THE OWNERS THAT ARE OUT OF WARRANTY, MUST PAY FOR A COSTLY REPAIR OUT OF POCKET. A REPAIR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. (I HAVE NEVER HAD CONTROL ARM BUSHING FAILURE IN MY PREVIOUS 13 AUTOMOBILES!) REPAIR COSTS RUN OVER $700 FOR PARTS, AND THE SAME AMOUNT IN LABOR. I AM PURCHASING MY CAR FROM THE BANK SOON. OVERALL IT IS A GREAT CAR. I MUST REPLACE THE CONTROL ARMS VERY SOON. I DONT LOOK FORWARD TO THAT AND THE HIGH COST IT WILL RUN ME. I WISH FOR VMOA TO TREAT ITS CUSTOMERS LIKE A MODERN CUSTOMER FOCUSED COMPANY. BAD DESIGNS HAPPEN. THEY OWE IT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS TO MAKE IT RIGHT. THANK YOU. JOHN E. TAMI. *AK