1995 Volkswagen Passat

ABS DASH WARNING LITE FIRST INDICATED IN APR 2000. OWNERS MANUAL CALLS FOR SERVICE AT AUTHORIZED VW SERVICE. INITIALLY NOTIFIED VW CONSUMER AFFAIRS AS LOCAL GERMAN CAR SHOP REPAIR ALERTED ME TO POSSIBLE RECALLS. VW CONSUMER AFFAIRS (800) 822-8987 INDICATED NO OPEN RECALLS OR SERVICE BULLETINS REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. GERMAN CAR EXPERT REPAIR, LASLO'S AUTO REPAIR-WOODBRIDGE, VA ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLE SHOOT VIA ONBOARD COMPUTER BUT NO DEFECT CODES WERE DISPLAYED. LASLO'S CLEANED ALL ABS WHEEL SENSORS AND DID FRONT BRAKE JOB TO TRY TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. ABS LITE REMAINED ON. AGAIN CONTACTED VW OF AMERICA TO REPORT CONCERN, THEY REFERRED ME TO KAREN RADLEY VW, WOODBRIDGE, VA. RADLEY SERVICE ADVISOR HAD TECHNICIAN CHECK FOR ON-BOARD COMPUTER SYSTEM FAULT CODES RELATIVE TO THE ABS BUT NONE WERE FOUND. RADLEY TECH RESET COMPUTER BUT ABS WARNING LITE AGAIN ILLUMINATED ON DASH. FAST FORWARD TO DECEMBER 2000. AS ABS LITE HAS REMAINED ILLUMINATED, I AGAIN REQUESTED VW OF AMERICA CONSUMER ASSISTANCE. STILL NO WORD ON OPEN SERVICE BULLETINS OR RECALLS AFFECTING THE ABS SYSTEM. THROUGH THE CONTINUED EFFORTS OF THE KAREN RADLEY DEALERSHIP SERVICE REP, MR MATT BUCKLEY, VW REGIONAL SENIOR TECHNICAL SPECIALIST (OTS IN VW-SPEAK)CALLED IN FOR ASSISTANCE. I LEFT VEHICLE @ RADLEY FOR ONE DAY--4JAN01, HOWEVER, VW REGIONAL OTS WAS A "NO SHOW". I RESCHEDULED THRU MR BUCKLEY AT RADLEY FOR JAN 29, 2001. OTS CHECKED ALONG W/ RADLEY TECH BUT COULD FIND NO FAULT. EVENTUALLY, AFTER THREE MORE DAYS OF TROUBLE SHOOTING ALL POSSIBLE PROBLEMS, THE TECH NOTES THAT ONE OF THE ABS SYSTEM VALVE IN INOPERATIVE AND THE ABS MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AS THAT MODULE WAS REPLACED THE ABS DASH BOARD LITE IN NOW OFF. MY CONCERN IS THE LACK OF ASSISTANCE FROM VW OF AMERICA, AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. IT SHOULD BE APPARENT THAT THE ABS SYSTEM, BEING A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE CAR'S OVERALL SAFETY SYSTEMS, SHOULD BE A HIGH PRIORITY MATTER. VW NEVER ONCE INITIATED CONTACT WITH ME, ALL COMMUNICATI.

CONTROL MODULE HAS INTERMITENT SHORTS - ABS SYSTEM CANNOT BE RELIED UPON TO WORK - MANUFACTURER STATES IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE - ABS SYSTEMS ARE PROVEN SAFETY DEVICES AND THIS SITUATION ENCOURAGES A "RUSSIAN ROULETE" SITUATION BECAUSE OF THE RANDOMNESS OF THE SHORT AND THE EXTREME EXPENSE TO FIX $1,500. DEALER STATED THAT THEY ARE SEEING PROBLEMS WITH THE UNIT ALOT - CAN VW BE ASKED TO REPORT THE NUMBER OF PROBLEMS THEY HAVE HAD WITH THIS PART/SYSTEM? *AK