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 2000 Volkswagen Passat owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
(1) driving on expressway at normal highway speed while rounding curve car made a loud snapping noise and began swervinguncontrolably to the right. (2) car came to rest half on and half off of the highway, lane had to be closed and traffic jam resulted. (3) dealer said right front and rear upper control arms failed. Parts must be replaced.
Over the past couple of years I have noticed various noises coming from the front end of my vehicle. Upon inspection, no problems were noted by the service centers I took the vehcile to. However, the steering control on the vehicle has suddenly gotten very bad. After taking the vehicle to a service center, they told me both of the tie-rod ends in my 2000 vw Passat have failed at 100,000 miles. Both of the front wheels have a huge amount of "play" in them which leads to the car being difficult to control, especially at highway speeds. I have owned many cars and it is very unusual to have these critical parts go bad in a vehicle this early. The estimate for the repair work was well over $500. I have gotten numerous second opinions, and all have come to the same conclusion: the tie-rods are bad. …
Seven of the eight control arms on my 2000 vw Passat have failed. There has been a recall issued in europe for the same problem. Likewise, the Audi a4 shares the same chassis and same front end suspension. Just like the vog recalled the Passat aoa has recalled the a4. However voa has decided to not issue a recall and risking the Passat customer base injury or even death. Why is it the exact same parts were recalled and the same chassis, but voa has not recalled the Passat. The dealership has told me that it will cost 1,400.00 dollars to replace the control arms. NHTSA needs to question voa on this matter. My car has 40,000 miles on it and is being maintained by a Volkswagen technician. There is just no reason why a part that is designed to last the life of the car has failed at 40,000 miles.
Purchased my 2000 Passat in 2003, had numerous problems since. It seemed like everything on the car had to be replaced. The control arms, o2 sensors, twice, belts, stereo didn't turn on, all new hoses right away, all 4 window regulators, and now to top it all off, the ABS lights kept coming on. My husband has a 2000 Audi a4, virtually the same car, and had to replace all of the same things. The ABS seemed to work fine, but the dealer said it would be $1800 to fix it. I looked at some online forums and found thousands of people with similar problems. The manufacturer, (Bosch or Volkswagen, should do something about this. My car has been parked since August 2006 because I don't have money to fix it! I am college student. Help!
Dt: the contact was complaining about a front suspension control arm:lower arm problem. The rubber boot prematurely wore out. He received a special service action for this problem in November 2004 from the manufacturer. He took the vehicle to local dealer for repairs. Later, while he was inspecting the vehicle, he discovered the defective part had not been replaced. When he contacted the dealer, they were no longer willing to offer a free remedy under this special service campaign. The vehicle has not been repaired at this time.
Engine mounts broke and I replaced them on May 10, 2014, then they broke again on July 6, and I again replaced them now they broke again today as I was pulling out of the gas station. Was there any type of recall relative to the mounts of the engine in this model which is the 200 Passat wagon with manual transmission. The windows also keep steaming up and strong smell of anti freeze.
Had to replace all of the front control arms and tie rod ends on my 2000 Passat glx 4-motion wagon. Five out of 8 control arms were in very poor conditions with torn boots over the ball joints. The ball joints in the controll arms were torn and ball joins were dry and noisy. The tie rod ball joins were worn out and making noises. The car has not be wrecked or damaged other wise.
I own a 2000 Volkswagen Passat. I was driving on a city street under normal conditions and the control arm on the front passenger side cracked causing me to loose control of the car. Fortunately I was able to stop without further incident. The control arm is being replaced. However, the incident could have been much worse under different driving circumstances.
Upper control arms are failing and dangerous, which is leading to the tie rods failing. I am told the car is unsafe to drive. Vw quoted me $1100 to make my car safe to drive. I am puzzled that vw is unconcerned about life and safety issue for the owner and other drivers. I have seen many websites asking for owners to contact NHTSA about this issue.
I have owned this vehicle for a little over a year. During this time this Passat has had several suspension problems. The upper control arms have been pointed out as a problem by various service centers and vw. The control arms have been replaced twice and the Passat has again developed a loud squeaking noise from the front end of the vehicle.
Suspension complaints in other Passat years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2000 Volkswagen Passat?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the suspension of the 2000 Volkswagen Passat, 7% of the model year's 507 complaints. The component named most often is front › control arm (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Volkswagen Passat suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension 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 suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.