Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Volkswagen Passat owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Had a creaking sound in the front end of my 1998 vw Passat 1.8t. Took it in to the dealer and was told the left front upper control arm tie rods were bad (and dangerous) and had to be replaced at my cost. Did this and 6 weeks later the upper control arm on the right front side failed while driving and caused me to have an accident. Dealer "fixed" this problem at no charge and now 4 months later the same sound is back and now the dealer tells me that the majority of the front suspension must be replaced and expects me to pay for it.
I am the second owner of a Passat that had been driven 72000 miles. At that time the following defects were noted and had to be repaired: 1. Outer tie rod and cv boot. 2. Cooling system: all cooling hoses, oil cooler, water pump, radiator, & associated items. Vw of America refused to reimburse for the cost of these untimely repairs that were due in part to faulty information in the owners manual, that states that the cooling system was sealed and did not need any maintenance. These enormous and costly repairs at a mileage when comparable cars of other manufacturers need little or no repairs up to and way past 100,000 miles, are excessive in my opinion. (the first owner gets a warranty of 100,000 miles and 10 years, something that for the second owner is reduced to 50,000 miles/5 years. …
My lower front control armes are very squiky and bolt joint boots are ripper. I was about to replace the myself but just before I called vw and found out about the recall on front lower control arms. After 5 hours with my car they told me to come and pick it up. I discovered that only vacuum line was replaced and nothing was done to my control arms. I went over water and the squik was gone at the time the car was at the dealer. So they didn't hear anything. But the rubber boots are still turned appart!!! The manager and the guy who worked on it told me that we didn't see any problem with your control arms. And the recall has been performed. The squik came back the next day, and I know that ruber boots are still ripped on the control arms. Called vwoa and explained the problem. They said that they trust the diagnostic made by their authorised dealer. …
Dec 2004, the driver side lower control arm snapped in two, sending the front end of my car to the ground. Luckily, I was in the driveway as many are telling me (even the dealer) that it would have been deadly at higher speeds. 2 years prior I had eeking/moaning/groaning in front suspension. Dealer said nothing was wrong, as I paid to have the sound checked out. I've seen many many complaints about these sounds being related to lower control arm failure, although I haven't seen anyone w/ one that actually broke like mine! Very scarey... After some fighting (my car as 103K miles) with the dealer and vwoa, they ended up replacing lower control arms at no cost to me. However, I did end up with a $1250 bill for other suspension parts in the front (tie rod, sway bars, link arms). Damage was also done to under side of my car from slamming to the concrete.
I purchased a pre-owned 1998 vw Passat sedan with 36,000 miles on it in 2002 which was a great deal!! Or so I thought. Since that time I have started hearing a noise coming from the front right tire.. Or suspension .. Like a creaking, crunching, knocking noise. I took it to a vw dealership and was told that the control arms on the right and the tie rods needed to be replaced. I found out that the tie rods had been recalled and the ones on my vehicle had been replaced under that recall in 2001, but had again worn out. I find it hard to believe that tie rods would wear out over a 3 year period since the car barely has 70,000 miles on it. I have viewed this website and found over 200 complaints concerning this problem and am curious what vw plans to do.. Wait until someone dies when a control arm snaps? Vw needs to recall this item now!
Our 1998 Passat has only 50,000 miles on it, and yet all of the expensive front control arms are starting to go bad. They are getting play in the ball joints, which are only replaceable by replacing the whole control arms. Since there are a total of 8 control arms, the cost of repair is potentially very high. And if they are not replaced, the potential for hazard and injury becomes very great if the joints get so sloppy that they affect the handling of the car and eventually come apart. Vw should not be allowed to get away with building such an under-engineered suspension system.
I own a 1998 Volkswagen Passat and I'm the original owner. I have done all [even more than] the recommended maintenance on the Passat. I had the control arms replaced once already 2 years ago [not under recall or reimbursed for this procedure]. I am once again getting considerable craking noises from my control arms in my front suspension. I do not drive my Passat abnormally nor had any accidents with it. I feel that this happening to my Passat is not a normal wear and tear issue, but something else - bad design or materials?
Tl contact owns a 1998 Volkswagen Passat. The contact heard a popping noise while driving 3 MPH in reverse. The front end of the vehicle slammed to the ground without warning. The vehicle was towed and a local mechanic replaced the lower right control arm. The contact has the failed component along with pictures. The manufacturer would not perform the repair for free. The purchase date was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 197,000.
The consumer stated that the control arm broke and it was noticed when the vehicle was being towed. The consumer was unable to drive the vehicle and it was no longer under warranty. The consumer was told by the dealer that he would have to wait until this problem was under recall before they would do anything.
Upper control arm failure on my 1998 vw Passat. Dealer quoted me $1200 repair, even though I bought the car "certified". My Passat had only 55,[redacted] miles on it at time of failure. My concern is the repair- I don't have the money, so the parts wear more and more becoming more and more unsafe. Why isn't there a recall?
Suspension complaints in other Passat years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 1998 Volkswagen Passat?
NHTSA has 90 complaints about the suspension of the 1998 Volkswagen Passat, 27% of the model year's 331 complaints. The component named most often is front › control arm (29 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Volkswagen Passat suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 1998 Volkswagen Passat, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Volkswagen Passat suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to suspension problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.