Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
A rainy night, 10:30 pm., on the freeway returning home from a symphony concert, the engine simply quit. I, husband/driver, tried three time to restart it before yelling to my wife to turn on emergency flashers which she did. As we slowed, I remember seeing all icons on dash blinking. Both of us were knocked unconscious and do not remember being hit by the car behind. Air bags did not deploy. Injuries sustained: a contusion and minor whiplash by husband; fractured c-7 and t-1 vertebrates and concussion by my wife. She has been in a neck-to-waist brace from nov. 10, 2013 until present. We always maintained our Passat scrupulously according to vw standards at their service centers by their trained mechanics. One month earlier we had brought the car in to be checked because sometimes it would not start after driving it someplace. Twice had to wait for aaa towing. …
Heat shield caught fire while driving down the road. I had bought the car from carmax who had lied about the auto from the broken seatbelts forward on the day of sale. Vw dealership repaired auto after fire but another mishap with heatshield when it fell off and under the passenger front tire @ 65 mile per hr, while driving down turnpike. I was not injured thanks to a truck driver who assisted my navigation to the side of the road and cut off the shield so I could return home. The tie rod was damaged and had to be replaced, since the fire the car has never been the same and has been a hazard, stalling on a beltway, etc... No apparent reason for this was found on a diagnostic machine as it has been checked several times..it is when the emission light comes on and a bad sensor needs replaced or switch. But nothing fixes this car for long.
My husband pickup would not start, so I lift my hood of my Passat to give him a jump and the whole section all the way across that holds the battery have at least 6 inches of water just standing in there. We have had some down pours of rain,but rain water should never be standing on the inside of my hood. This could have potentially killed me if I never had to lift my hood and try to drive this with water standing around all of my electrical wires and battery. I have taken two pictures for visibility, but I do not know how I am going to get that water out without electrocuting myself. Somebody please help me.
Bought a vw Passat used from private dealer~I owned the car for exactly 1 year, turbo failed ~ check engine light has been on since owning vehicle. Car has been diagnosed with oil sludge issues from previous owners. Just paid for turbo and two oil lines to be replaced. Vw of America stated they would take responsibility ~ never heard from them, I keep calling ~ check engine light has been on since day one ~ no one wants to help me on this quest to seek action. I owe 11,000.00 more on the vehicle car was smoking severely ~thought it was an undercarriage~but it is near the turbo line so it could be mistaken.
I was dirivng the car when smoke started entering the cabin area. Pulled over, and the engine compartment was englufed in smoke. Had to call the fire department to extinguish the fire. There was no flames, but the firefighters had to use a hose to kill the smoke. Volkswagen dealer in tallahassee indicated that the alternator "malfunctioned". I'd like an investigation into how a malfucntion int he alternator could cause a near fire hazard, and if it was a malfucntion -- what caused it, and a bulletin posted as to how to avoid it. This is a very serious matter as the car was paractically in flames.
My 2000 vw Passat was parked for approx. 45 minutes then the engine caught on fire. The only "problem" I had with the vehicle was when I was trying to lock it with the electronic key it would not "beep". I moved closer to the vehicle two times and only the rear tail lights faintly flickered. No beep. Other than that there were not problems whatsoever. The fire was in the engine. The interior of the car was not damaged except for when the fire department came and broke out the windows. Tires and engine melted. I have pictures I can send.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Volkswagen Passat. While driving 60 MPH the vehicle hesitated and there was a loss of power. He noticed smoke coming from the hood. Approximately five minutes later he noticed fire in the engine compartment. The dealer has not been inspected the vehicle to determine the cause of the fire. There is a defect investigation open for the ignition switch (NHTSA action # pe07024). The fire destroyed the vehicle. There is a police report available. The failure and current mileages were 80,000.
Fire: 2000 vw Passat gl - sedan/v6. Spontaneously combusted. Car had not been driven for 3 hours. Fire started in engine compartment on right side and destroyed major components. Fire was not discovered until fuel line breached at which time fire consumed vehicle. Subsequent investigation by insurance company indicated failure of an electrical component, however exact cause remains undetermined.
Was driving down the road today 8/9/10 in my 2000 v w Passat and my car started smoking through the vents. No warning prior to the smoke. Flames began shooting out from under the dashboard totally engulfing the entire car within minutes resulting in a total loss of the vehicle. There had been no prior problems with the vehicle until this event.
For no apparent reason the car caught fire on the right (passenger) side of the engine compartment. The garage where the car is serviced investigated and said that they cannot seem to find a cause other than it May have been electrical. The car is a complete loss.
NHTSA investigations
Passenger/engine compartment fires
Many of the fire reports allege that the vehicle fire was attributed to ignition coil failure.vw provided additional data regarding its analysis of vehicle fires and a detailed description of the three different engines and ignition systems for the subject vehicles.odifinds the need to further investigate this issue.to facilitate acquisition and analysis of additional information, this investigationhas been upgraded…
Passenger engine compartment fires
The manufacturer notified NHTSA on 04-apr-08 that a safety recall action would be initiated to remedy the issue.in June 2008, the manufacturer issued a technical service bulletin (code 26e5/r5) regarding the specific procedures to be employed in this campaign.vehicle owner notification letters were sent beginning approximately June 13, 2008.the campaign was assigned NHTSA no.
Engine stalling
By letter received on June 24, 2005, mr. Ronald m. Strickland of raleigh, nc, submitted a petition requesting that the agency investigate the performance of the ignition coil plugs on model year (my) 2000-2003 Volkswagen jetta, golf and passat sedans.the petitioner alleges that he had experienced multiple stalling events as a result of one or more ignition coil plugs malfunctioning on his 2002 vw jetta sedan.as a…
Electrical complaints in other Passat years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2000 Volkswagen Passat?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the electrical system of the 2000 Volkswagen Passat, 8% of the model year's 507 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Volkswagen Passat electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 10 fires and 3 injuries to electrical system 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.