VW Passat Wagons (GL, GLS, GLX & W8)

markjenn · January 2003

There are lots of cars - FWD, RWD, and AWD - that have insufficent clearance to safely fit chains but that doesn't mean that chains are "not to be put on any FWD car...VW or otherwise..."

I've never heard of such a guideline and don't think it's true.

And personally, I've seen chains successfully fitted and used on tens of FWD cars.

- Mark

4petite · January 2003

Wow, had no idea people would be so precise about the FWD vs. other. I was simply trying to make sure people knew that I did not have 4WD.

wolfwood · January 2003

For me, I just do not want to take so many risks, which chains or cables have.
Need to stay outside long time to put them on (and take them out), damaging alloy wheels, breaking them (will cause serious damage of front wheels), etc.

I'm quite happy with Spikes spider so far.

vwguild · January 2003

If you want to use chains; go right ahead...

markjenn · January 2003

I hate chains. I'm just calling you on your ridiculous statement saying chains should never be used on any FWD car!

- Mark

vwguild · January 2003

Then just Volkswagens...

mauislick · January 2003

should chains be used in the snow?

vikas1100 · January 2003

Hi All,

I am looking forward to buying the 2003 1.8GL Manual Passat Wagon. The test drive was excellent. However I need some advice from current owners:
I have heard a lot about the ignition coils failing all the time. Is the situation really that bad? My dealer claims that the problem was fixed in 2003 model since the vendor has been changed. Has anybody bought the 2003 model and have had any ignition coil problems.

The second question is that my dealer is willing to sell the car for invoice. However, he is including some strange charges like dealer advertising fee and one more 'floor' fee that adds up to another $500 on the invoice. He claims that the charges are standard and are treated as part of invoice. Is he telling the truth?

I have a civic right now and Passat wagon is to be the second car in the family but the quality (mostly ignition issues) are making me sceptical.

Please advise.

markjenn · January 2003

A regional advertising fee is something that most dealers do pay for every car they sell. So it is a legtimate business expense, but whether it is part of the "invoice" is a semantic discussion - I prefer to think of it as just another expense of doing business.

But it really doesn't matter what you call it or whether your deal is $500 over invoice without this fee or $0 over invoice with this fee. What matters is what you pay and you've got to shop a few dealers to find out whether this is the best you can do or not.

- Mark

4petite · January 2003

Don't know how far back in the thread you have read, but some posts from Dec. 12 talk about the coil pack problem. It says the problem is only for 2001 and 2002 vehicles.

As for price, you definitely should shop some more. Check you local paper's classified section for sale ads and e-mail dealers for "Internet" and fleet prices (if you have AAA or CostCo membership).

blancobasin · January 2003

I have a 2002 1.8T with 7000 miles on it. It has been in the shop since 12/26 waiting for the parts. What a piece of junk! I want my 98 Volvo V-70 back. Other problems include the homelink which has now been replaced twice and problems with the trunk release. Soon as I get it back I'm going to unload it.

cttguy · January 2003

I notice that some have asked for opinions on the Passat and I would like to relate my experiences.

I have a 2002 Passat GLX Wagon with 16,000 miles. It is one year and 2 months old.

After 7,000 miles the entire alarm system went out. Dealer said they have never seen anything like it. They replaced it.

After 9,000 miles the entire rear light assembly stopped working. Dealer replaced it.

After 12,000 miles front headlight and rear cigarette lighter went out. Dealer replaced it.

2 weeks ago the engine light went on and the car started wobbling when brakes were applied. They don't know why the engine light went on but are fixing it. The rotary on the brakes is not perfecting round so they have to replace it.

Bottom line, this car is a royal pain in the a#s. I also own an 2001 Audi TT coupe which I love to drive but has been in the shop on numerous occasions for electrical problems. This is probably unfair to the other car makers but I will never, ever, ever own another German car. Higher maintainance than my wife.

mauislick · January 2003

sounds like the wife needs to go!

mauislick · January 2003

but all seriousness aside.......what a great country! it's wonderful to #1 afford a car and #2 have such a great choice of them! If you get one you don't like or has problems....get rid of it and get another......Don't you just love to be able to do that? I sure do......

jb18t · January 2003

I have a 2003 GLS Wagon 1.8t..bought in September 2002, 7,200 miles, no problems yet. Hope my luck holds out or that VW fixed the issues on the 2003's.

wolfwood · January 2003

Until I bought my '03 Passat GLX wagon, I had been thinking that scary stories I read on web sites would never happen to me because I was quite happy with '01 Golf 1.8T I bought for my wife.
However, it seems like I am getting into nightmare. On my 1-month new Passat wagon, I already had broken radio (already out of function when I picked up my car, and I am still waiting for a radio to replace), bad front left bearing (popping noise when shift from reverse to drive), alignment out of spec (steering wheel getting off-center to the left). And now the alignment problem came back again. (This time, getting off-center to the right)
I still love Passat, I think it is a good car basically, but I do not want to say just unlucky for ~$30k car.
I contacted VW America, but no useful help so far. Is there any other way to get dealer or manufacturer's attention more?

Thanks,

vwguild · January 2003

It sounds like you have been well taken care of
by your Dealer...IF cars were perfect there would
be no need for Warranties, and of course, there
would be no need for Tech Support anywhere...

You might want to check out problem areas for
Honda, Toyota, and Nissan here as well...

felis100 · January 2003

I am looking to buy a 2003 GLS Passat Wagon, manual drive with leather interior. I want an out the door price of 25,500. Is this ridiculous? I had one dealer that quoted me 25,995 and said this is great deal -- basically giving me the car at cost. I live in the bay area and sales tax is 8.25%.

sslubliner · January 2003

Our experience: Took our 2003 Passat Wagon GL that we bought on 11/30 in today for the third time because the ABS and brake lights came on again. (We traded in our beloved Honda Civic that did not have an unscheduled service for six years.) The first time the dealer replaced the instrument cluster (in the process removing our odometer and forgetting to give us a sticker and stamp our manual, thereby devaluing our car); the second time they replaced the airbag control module. This time we took the car straight in with the warning lights still on and they were able to diagnose that the ABS control system was not communicating at all. Surprise! As I mentioned in a previous post, we're strongly considering going down the lemon law road (and yes, being a lawyer, I've read the statutes and the manual and I know what I need to do.) Anger at the company aside, we basically like the Passat Wagon. It rides nicely, and we feel safe in it when the warning lights are not scaring us to death. (I do think the overall mileage is not quite as advertised.) I do wonder if we got our money back and went back to Honda (or anywhere else) if we'd do much better. We know some people who bought a new Odyssey and who are having warning light problems. They seem content to live with them the way John Nash ("A Beautiful Mind") lived with his hallucinations, but we would not be. It seems there's a bit of a future shock issue here; the cars have gotten too complicated to diagnose easily and too expensive to fix completely. I now see little difference--in terms of issues, emotions and frustrations--between dealing with a service department/manufacturer relationship and dealing with doctors and an HMO.

vwguild · January 2003

10% of All Cars & Trucks are 5 Speed Manuals...Think about that...

fobare · January 2003

I just bought a 2003 Passat GLS Wagon. I'm having difficulty getting used to the "Lumbar Support" seats. It would be a shame if I love the car but am getting a backache. Any advice? Thanks.

mauislick · January 2003

I used the lumbar after a long period of driving and it gave temp relief......I average build so the seat fits me OK.....they are "german firm" to be sure....I'm driving a rental alero and although the seats are softer still after an extended period of driving the back begins to get sore......so that tells me something....
I pretty much got the car and set the steering wheel and seat once and other than occasionally adusting the seatback a notch and drawing the lumbar in or out...it stayed in the same position......I will say the seats do soften a bit with time.......

alfox · January 2003

If it bothers you, dial it back some.

vwguild · January 2003

your upper back you will need to adjust the fore
and aft & telescope the the steering wheel...You are hunching over...make adjustments while sitting back in the seat; shoulders flush with the seat back...

cyberfire12 · January 2003

My '02 1.8T variant has a problem with the tailgate release mechanism. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, what was the problem/solution?

thx.

FWIW, this is still a great car and my first problem in 9800 miles of driving.

jpdesd · January 2003

Hi,
I am thinking about buying a 03 GL auto wagon or a GLS auto wagon. Is there any real difference in the driving between the the two models, ie. bigger wheels? Are alloy wheels better? Why?

Are there any current financing specials? I heard about a 3.5% for 60 months.

Also does ESP make a noticable difference. I live in the Northeast.

Thanks

4petite · January 2003

My 2003 GLS just turned two weeks new and had 750 miles when I decided to test it on a weekend road trip. I got stuck in a nasty traffic jam where the car basically rode between 15-25 mph for 45 minutes with intermittant stopping (in "drive" position). Ever since that, I have noticed that (90% of the time) the car will jerk or hiccup when it shifts between 2nd and 3rd gears. This happens also if I use the Tiptronic. Anyone else notice this?

The car has had no other performance problems, and I have driven it several times in typical rush hour traffic. I'm planning to take it into the dealer to check, but I wanted to see if anyone has experienced this.

5speeder · January 2003

When I first got my '02 wagon I also had a problem with the tailgate. After I'd close it, the readout on the dash would say "tailgate open", even though it appeared closed securely. I'd open it back up and slam it again, sometimes 2 or 3 times before the warning went away. Then I noticed that one of the two halves of the latch (female end) was stuck in the down position. I simply worked it several times until it would pop back upon its own. Haven't had that problem since.

mauislick · January 2003

the tip was a bit jerky at first epscially between first and second.....it smoothed out as the miles added up.....the tranny needs to get used to you.........and broken in.....

jbleuel · January 2003

I'm getting 22 mpg in mostly highway driving in my 2002 GLS V6 with front wheel drive. I'd appreciate feedback from others on their gas mileage. thanks! JB

vwguild · January 2003

What year is your 4MO?

frapzoid · January 2003

I have a 2002 V6 wagon with stick and my last tank got me 27.2 MPG. I live in a major metro area with some nasty traffic sometimes. I drive mostly highway but I encounter some stop and go during my commute to and from work. I must admit that being a law abiding keeps me from rarely going over 65 MPH. I drive between 60 and 65 MPH...However, a few months back up in the mountains I accidently got it to over 90 MPH but it was downhill ;-).

tmck · January 2003

The windshield wipers in my wife's 02 wagon are starting to screech. We have tried cleaning them using washer fluid as well as isopropyl alcohol but to no avail. She went to Schucks for replacement blades and they looked at the car and said they couldn't put in replacement blades. The car has a rain sensing mechanism to actuate the wipers and I haven't taken the time to find out how that works. When I took the Passat in for a 10,000 service last week the service mgr told me that I needed to buy a whole new assembly that cost $35 for one side and $45 for the other. They did not have them in stock. I also got hit for $130 for the 10K service even though I brought my own synthetic oil. Any comments on the 10K service bill or any idea on getting around buying a whole new assembly? Experience counts for more than speculation but I would like to hear from others. Thanks

vwguild · January 2003

includes a 12/12 Wear & Tear component...READ YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL under *Warranty*...

alfox · January 2003

I have a 2000 GLS V6 Wagon, with 48k on it. Most of my time behind the wheel is mixed driving, mostly low speed short trips, where it has averaged about 22.5 in. Most of the miles on the car are highway miles, during which the mileage goes to 28 to 29 mpg. I have averaged over 30 mpg on a 700 mile drive.

This time of year my gas mileage is understandably lower. You being from the same area should probably expect the same, however length of trips and driving style have a HUGE influence on gas mileage. If I drive agressively, with my foot in that V6 a lot, mileage goes way down, lol!

8u6hfd · January 2003

from the VW site:

http://www.vw.com/SP/SchedMaint.html

10k maintenance

Engine Oil - change

Engine Filter - change

Windshield Washer Fluid - check level

Automatic Shift Lock-check operation

Brake System - check damage/leaks, pad thickness, fluid level

Wheels - rotate from front to rear

Air Bag System - check function/damage

Battery - check electrolyte level

--------------------------

Looks like they charged you for the oil anyway.

The Raintronic system has a sensor at the top of the windshield they triggers the wiper interval.

I've heard mid-2002 the Passats went to a "boomerange" style that requires replacement of the full arm itself. Maybe you can the wiper arm assembly of the earlier ones, the ones that used a normal Bosch wiper blade (which you can't buy refills anymore)

dudleyr · January 2003

Looks like Passat will have a very potent 134 hp diesel this fall. Hope it makes it into the wagon. Only the sedan is mentioned in this article, but it may be written in generic terms.

any info VWguild? Is this correct? Will the wagon benefit as well, and if not can it be special ordered (love the special order policy).

click here and then the article on the Passat.

http://autoweek.com/carnews/index.mv

5speeder · January 2003

tmck--Had the 10k service done on my '02 1.8T just before Christmas at the dealer I bought from (West Side VW, Minneapolis). They charged ~$48. They used 5W30 oil.

sympatico · January 2003

Now this could make me stick with Volkswagen!!!

I have a 99 Passat Wagon and have a great experience with it. But there are 2 features I really want when I decide to trade it in: a modern common-rail type turbo-diesel (I'm in the U.S.) and fore and aft moving rear seats. Give me those and I will be a happy VW driver for another 5 years!!!

8u6hfd · January 2003

VW is the only company that does the Pumpe Duse method. It works though

vwguild · January 2003

From what I understand from Jamie, this is correct...130HP TDI for 2004...No doubt available in both Sedan & Wagon...:)

mpardi · January 2003

I've had mine since November. Except for a round trip - Atlanta to Dallas and Atlanta to Ft Lauderdale, it's a week-end driver so far. But, it is far more than a test drive ever led me to think. It is truly one of the best (I've had Jaguar & Mercedes sedans) cars I have ever had. Just over 4K now, and the performance gets better every day. The only change I've made is a K&N air filter, which smoothed out off-the-line hesitation.

taylorjimb · January 2003

I just purchased a 2001.5 Passat wagon out of state and I just love it! It has 23k miles on it and I immediately made an appointment with my local VW dealer to have it inspected before the 24 mo/24k mi. warranty was up. The service manager informed me that if I could not produce documentation that the scheduled maintenance had been performed the warranty would be void.

Is this a common issue with second owners of cars? I have purchased several used cars from dealers before and never had any documentation transferred from the original owners. The local manger says that each dealer has its own database (no national database) but the owner's manual just has a code number (406 403) for the original dealer. Is there any way I can trace back this data?

vwguild · January 2003

Unless there is a lot of info that you have omitted, this is a bunch of c**p...

Is this a Certified Pre-Owned VW?

You are probably out of Warranty (Bumper to Bumper); it was 24Months or 24K Miles whichever comes first. There is remaining PowerTrain...
5 years/50,000 Miles less Time in Service and the 23,000 Miles on the clock.

Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions.

casecom2 · January 2003

Interesting and well-written article in today's Boston Globe on coil pack failures in 2001 and 2002 1.8Ts.

cmann · January 2003

Just awaiting my '03 GLX 4Mo Wagon (Blue Anthracite/Black) which is now 'in transit'. Time to order some snow tires for it ... I'm familiar with Michelin Alpins and Kumho KW-11's on other vehicles. I've been extremely impressed with the KW11's on my AWD T&C van; even more so cuz they're inexpensive! Currently thinking of Kumho KW15's for my new addition .. anyone have any experience with them?

4petite · January 2003

Some careless driver left a 2-inch long scratch on my one-month old bumper while the car was parked today. Does anyone have any idea how well the paint resists future peeling/chipping? Anyone have a good suggestion on how to best minimize the scratch without paying for auto detailing?

Thanks.

zackiedawg · January 2003

I purchased my W8 Variant in mid-December, 2002. This is my 2nd Passat, with my last being a 2000 GLX V6 Sedan.

My VW experience with Passats has been excellent. My 2000 had only one non-scheduled maintenance issue in over 3 years...the plastic center console lid latch broke, and was replaced for the cost of the part ($2.99). Other than that, nothing but oil changes and checkups in over 30,000 miles. The car was still squeak and rattle free, with gorgeous paint, leather condition, and materials. As for my W8, it was perfect on delivery, and has been flawless since purchase. Since being broken in, the acceleration has improved and the brakes feel perfectly seated. The 4motion system allows for excellent control in wet weather.

The additions of the indirect lighting in the cabin (a la Audi), the auto-levelling bi-xenon headlights with power washers, the 13" Audi S4 rotors with 4-piston calipers, the and the Audi MFD which includes the radio information in the gauge pod, have brought the car to a level which easily competes with Euro sedans costing 10K-20K more, and have made this the best car I've ever had...something which my previous Passat held the title for!

Hopefully everyone's experiences will be as good as mine with Passats. For those of you with problems, good luck sorting them out. Those of you with very bad experiences, you should buy another car...and I hope you do not have any problems with THAT brand too. I am aware that problems can happen anywhere, anytime, with any car...but the likelihood has dropped significantly each year.

I have owned an Alfa Romeo, a Honda, a Hyundai, a Toyota, two Mitsubishis, a Cadillac, a Pontiac, and two Volkswagens. The Alfa was a nightmare of problems, while the Honda, Toyota and Cadillac were all significant problem vehicles spending almost as much time at the dealership as on the road. The best reliability cars I owned were a 1990 Mitsubishi Montero (132,000 problem free miles), 1987 Hyundai Excel (that's right!!, with a tranny rebuild at 84,000 being the only repair up to 90,000 miles when sold), 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP (no problems in 37,000 miles), and 2000 VW Passat GLX (no problems in 33,000 miles). If I were to look at only my experience, I would have to conclude that Hondas and Toyotas are horribly unreliable, while Hyundai and Mitsubishi were the best!

mauislick · January 2003

thank you zackie for perspective!
I just got an 2003 gls tip wagon...the only defect it was delivered with is the vent lights on the dash are not working (all four) certainly not life and death situation and will be attended to at the 5k oil change.......I had a toyota corrlla prior to my first passat (rearended and totaled) and it was a great little car......3 starters, 1000.00 in shocks struts, brakes, 3 batteries, broken parts inside the car, and finally at 114,000 the tranny dropped.
Dont' get me wrong I liked the car and it served me well...those things mentioned just come along with car ownership (IMO) the worst car was a 1979 audi fox.......it drove well but it had continuous problems.......I had a 1976 vw van and all I did was change oil and tune it up once in a while......it was great......
the beauty of it all is in america not only can most of us afford a car......we have a trememdous choice of cars to look at........
we tend to complain too much about our good fortune........

altair4 · January 2003

Oh, man, you hit a chord with me on that one! I had a 76 Dasher...I virtually lived at the garage with that one! Remember when, back in the day, no one knew jack about that jetronic fuel injection system? The mechanics at the dealer didn't have any better idea what was wrong with than I did. In fact, there were times I definitely knew more because I had studied the Bentley manual until it was ready to fall apart.

We traded that car and a couple of weeks later some poor [non-permissible content removed] called the house, wanting to know if we knew what was wrong with it, when it wouldn't start. I gently asked a few questions about what was happening and what he had already tried. When he got the point of telling me that he was "priming the carburetor" (which it didn't have) with gas, I told him get to the dealer. But I did manage to sell him the Bentley's for about 3/4's of what I paid for it!

VW Passat Wagons (GL, GLS, GLX & W8)

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