1998 Volkswagen Passat Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip Problems

NHTSA component category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP · data through 07/12/2026

28Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints

8.5%Of all 331 complaints

#2Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip ranks on this vehicle

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM29 · 8.8%

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP28 · 8.5%

SUSPENSION:FRONT28 · 8.5%

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY24 · 7.3%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE22 · 6.6%

Share of the 331 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1998 Volkswagen Passat overview page.

What owners report

“I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT BOTH FRONT BRAKES REQUIRE NEW ROTORS ALTHOUGH PADS HAVE NOT WORN THROUGH. GIVEN THE MILEAGE, THIS SEEMS LIKE A DEFECT…”NHTSA complaint 741389 — filed 02/23/2001

“WHEN DRIVING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE ARE NO POWER ASSIST BRAKES, AND THE BRAKE PEDAL IS HARD, WHICH ISN'T STOPPING THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAS…”NHTSA complaint 851230 — filed 11/24/1999

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1998 Volkswagen Passat have service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip problems?

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 1998 Volkswagen Passat: 28 of 331 complaints on file (8.5%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1998 Volkswagen Passat have in total?

331 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 6 involved a crash, 4 involved a fire, 12 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.