1997 Volkswagen Passat electrical system problems
13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 1997 Volkswagen Passat — 35% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 volkswagen passat tdi. The contact stated that a fire erupted spontaneously inside the dashboard which caused all of the wires to melt and the windshield to fracture. The fire department was contacted who determined that the fire started in the area where the ignition…”
filed May 7, 2012
“Tl*the contact owns a 1997 volkswagen passat. Whenever the contact attempted to activate the windshield wipers or headlights, they failed to turn on. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. There were no warnings prior to the failures. The current mileage was 62,000 and failure mileage…”
filed Sep 2, 2008
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Updated to include model year 2014 thru 2018 applicability.
TT 271002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 14, 2017
Electrical System problems in other Passat years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 Passat | 10 | 22% |
| 2017 Passat | 17 | 16% |
| 2016 Passat | 22 | 21% |
| 2015 Passat | 48 | 20% |
| 2014 Passat | 73 | 12% |
| 2013 Passat | 93 | 12% |
| 2012 Passat | 95 | 20% |
| 2010 Passat | 21 | 13% |
| 2009 Passat | 18 | 12% |
| 2008 Passat | 21 | 13% |
| 2007 Passat | 34 | 13% |
| 2006 Passat | 79 | 14% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1997 Volkswagen Passat
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.