Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Volkswagen Passat owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While attempting to make an emergency stop in my 2000 vw Passat, there was a 1 to 2 second delay in braking power. The roads were wet and the brake rotors were wet due to lack of shields to prevent water from making the brake rotors wet. The 1-2 second delay (from the time I applied the brake) caused my vehicle to not stop in the typical stopping distance and caused my vehicle to impact another vehicle. Vw passats from 2003-newer seem to all have these brake rotor shields "splash shields", but not the older 1998-2002 passats. A call to the Volkswagen customer care hotline [phone]) did not address this serious safety defect to my satisfaction. The agent kept saying "there's no current open campaign for your vehicle". I know of numerous vw Passat owners who have experienced this serious issue.
I drive a 2000 volkswagon Passat glx 4motion. I have felt that I got a bad car since very early on in my lease (I now have 8 months left). On this particular occaision, I had a severe oil leak. The dealer informed me that there was a hole in my oil pan that must have been caused by a rock (I don't recall feeling anything hit the car hard enough to put a hole in anything). I was told that this was not a warranteed item, rather normal wear and tear. I have owned 5 other cars and never had this problem. I also noticed that the car was shaking when the breaks are applied. I was told by the dealer that this is due to warped rotors. I only have 20,000 miles on the vehicle and have never heard of any kind of break problems with that few miles. I was also told that is not covered by warrantee either, again, normal wear and tear. …
(1) no disernable events prior (2) ABS module failure (3) none many Audi and vw models manufactured starting in the later '90s and continuing to present, use the Bosch 5.3 ABS controller, which is prone to catastrophic failure, ostensibly due to defective design. This module controls multiple brake-related functions including the ABS which is important for winter driving, but the most critical function of this module is probably the electronic brake force distribution, or ebd. These vehicles are designed such that if the ebd is inoperative, the proportion of hydraulic force applied to the rear brakes during emergency braking is as great as it is during moderate braking effort when there is minimal transfer of vehicle weight to the front wheels. …
Many Audi and vw models manufactured starting in the later '90s and continuing to present, use the Bosch 5.3 ABS controller, which is prone to catastrophic failure, ostensibly due to defective design. This module controls multiple brake-related functions including the ABS which is important for winter driving, but the most critical function of this module is probably the electronic brake force distribution, or ebd. These vehicles are designed such that if the ebd is inoperative, the proportion of hydraulic force applied to the rear brakes during emergency braking is as great as it is during moderate braking effort when there is minimal transfer of vehicle weight to the front wheels. The ebd is supposed to adjust the front/rear braking distribution dynamically according to the measure of the deceleration, so that the rear wheels will not lock up during emergency braking. …
Details: (1) no disernable events prior (2) ABS module failure (3) none many Audi and vw models manufactured starting in the later '90s and continuing to present, use the Bosch 5.3 ABS controller, which is prone to catastrophic failure, ostensibly due to defective design. This module controls multiple brake-related functions including the ABS which is important for winter driving, but the most critical function of this module is probably the electronic brake force distribution, or ebd. These vehicles are designed such that if the ebd is inoperative, the proportion of hydraulic force applied to the rear brakes during emergency braking is as great as it is during moderate braking effort when there is minimal transfer of vehicle weight to the front wheels. …
Many Audi and vw models manufactured starting in the later '90s and continuing to present, use the Bosch 5.3 ABS controller, which is prone to catastrophic failure, ostensibly due to defective design. This module controls multiple brake-related functions including the ABS which is important for winter driving, but the most critical function of this module is probably the electronic brake force distribution, or ebd. These vehicles are designed such that if the ebd is inoperative, the proportion of hydraulic force applied to the rear brakes during emergency braking is as great as it is during moderate braking effort when there is minimal transfer of vehicle weight to the front wheels. The ebd is supposed to adjust the front/rear braking distribution dynamically according to the measure of the deceleration, so that the rear wheels will not lock up during emergency braking. …
My 2000 vw Passat 1.8t began exhibiting a flashing/beeping red light to indicate a failure in the ABS system. The light activates every time I drive the car, but does not turn on until the brakes are warm. The ABS system is not functional in this state, which means the car is drivable, but significantly less safe under panic stop or reduced traction conditions. Upon further research with other owners of this vehicle, it is obvious that this failure is common on 1998-2001 passats (and Audi a4s) with the Bosch 5.3 ABS module. However, no action has ever been taken by the manufacturer. I May opt to have the ABS module rebuilt by a third party, and do the removal and installation work myself; the result would be at least $200 out of pocket. Outrageously, many people who have sought vwoa dealership service work for this same problem have spent well over $1,000. …
My 2000 vw Passat 1.8t began exhibiting a flashing/beeping red light to indicate a failure in the ABS system. The light activates 99% of the time I drive the car. The ABS system is not functional in this state, which means the car is drivable, but significantly less safe under panic stop or reduced traction conditions. Upon further research with other owners of this vehicle, it is obvious that this failure is common on 1998-2001 passats (and Audi a4s) with the Bosch 5.3 ABS module. The dealership acted as if they had never seen this type of problem, although an independent shop said they had replaced several at their shop. However, no action has ever been taken by the manufacturer. I did opt to have the ABS module rebuilt by a third party. The result was a $400.00 instead of $1000.00 at the dealer. …
I have had my 2000 vw Passat since 2006 and have had only regular wear and tear unitl about 3 weeks ago. I was driving on 95 in fort lauderdale, fl moving at about 65-70 MPH when the engine shut off, power steering was gone and pushing brakes took all I had to try and safely steer and come to a complete stop crossing over 5 lanes of traffic to the break-down lane. Once I was completely stopped I was able to turn the key to the off position and restart the vehicle. Aside from the engine, steering and brakes all other functions were or at least seemed to still be working (ie: dash lights, radio, windows) the vehicle did this 4 more times while I attempted to drive to the nearest exit and call for assistance. I tested all the fuses and they all were in working order and the next set of symptoms occurred a week later. …
The ABS control module on my 2000 vw Passat 1.8l turbo is bad. I discovered this because the light indicating a problem with my ABS came on the dash. The car fishtails if breaks are applied sharply going faster than 50 MPH, even when driving straight. I tested this in a safe place to see if the ABS was really not working. Now I have no ABS and the replacement part costs so much that I will have no ABS for awhile. And the breaks on cars that are built to use ABS don't work properly without it. I am reporting this because I have seen a number of forums with many people who have had the same problem. Also because I bought this car because it was safe, one of the safety features being ABS. Hopefully there have been enough people who have complained about this that it can be taken care of before it causes too many accidents or any injuries. …
Brake complaints in other Passat years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2000 Volkswagen Passat?
NHTSA has 207 complaints about the brakes of the 2000 Volkswagen Passat, 41% of the model year's 507 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (59 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Volkswagen Passat brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2000 Volkswagen Passat, though it has 3 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 2000 Volkswagen Passat brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to brakes 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.