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

jmulls

My brakes on a '99 GLS sedan have always squeeked even after I replaced them at 50k miles. Everything I keep hearing is that it's normal. I've heard similar complaints from other Passat owners.

mjcf

I am planning to buy a 2003 GLS wagon and I am trying to decide what features to add. I don't really know if the electronic stabilizing program is worth the money.
I also would like to know...
what the "transponder lll ignition" is?
what the " 4 wheel AMS" does? (is it worth $)
what the "Homelink w/ sun visor extension" is?
why or why not invest in 17" wheels.
THANKS FOR THE HELP! I am a 1st time buyer.

mauislick

the only opitons on a gls are
leather(includes heated seats)
monsoon stereo
ESP (stabilization program)
tiptronic transmission (manu matic)
homelink ( garage door opener on the sunshade)

I got the auto/monsoon/leather/ESP and that's all I wanted...other wise the car is loaded with lots o goodiesI don't know what those others you listed are......

IMO, get the leather for sure.....the esp may be good if you live in wet/snow type climate......the homelink can turn on/off the light in your house/garage also/ but somewhat difficult to program...I don't have a garage so.............

allhorizon

ESP is definitely worth the money. It is extremely inexpensive for one of the most sophisticated systems out there. You may only need it once or twice a year, but then you'll be glad you have it.

17" wheels are not an "investment". They can look good, but provide very few benefits and will almost certainly make sure you need to change to winter tires/wheels if you get snow where you live. They can also make your ride harsher. The quality of your tires is more important than whether you have 16" or 17" wheels.

- D

knielsen3

Does anyone here care to comment on purchase prices? Edmunds TMV seems like a really good deal on a GLX ($29,210.00). Has anyone been able to do much better? I realize this may be viewed as tacky, but it never hurts to ask.

Thanks

Kev

vwguild

You could probably get a Mojave Beige with Beige Leather for a bit less...:)

rrwms

I have been reading these posts with interest. I have owned a '99 1.8T 5sp sedan since July '99 and have put almost 112,000 miles on it since. I have experienced exactly 3 "problems". 1. Left rear brake bulb burned out at around 70,000; 2. left headlight burned out at around 90,000; and the water pump was replaced Under Warranty at 85,000 miles. I also had the timing belt replaced when they did the water pump and that saved me $215 in repair charges for the timing belt. All in all this has been an excellent car.

My mileage remains in the 32-33 mpg range for a mix of mainly Hwy and in the 28-29 mpg when I throw in more city driving. I have always used the 89 octane fuel, occasionally using 91 when I go to Costco. With prices hovering around $2 per gallon now, I have tried 87 octane with no apparent negative consequences.

The slight turbo lag has never bothered me and the exhilaration of the turbo when the tach gets above 4000 is a true pleasure (150hp version).

I want a wagon and have decided to go with an automatic (ugh) because I recently moved to a larger city (SF Bay Area) with more traffic and the convenience of not having to shift constantly is looking awfully good to me - and don't think I would like the 1.8T coupled to an automatic.

I agree with the folks who espouse leather over velour......easier to clean, more comfortable, and, I would imagine, holds up better over the years.

I have not even had to replace the brake pads yet (possibly due to my long distance driving & downshifting). I am on only my second set of tires: OEM Contis lasted 61,000 miles and the Michelin MX4's I have now have 1/4" tread left after 51,000. I mention this because my wife's Volvos chew up Michelins every 28-29,000 miles (2001 V70 and previously a '95 960 wagon).

My question: does anyone think the GLX version is truly preferable to the GLS V6??

wrxsoon1

OK. I admit I haven't read the WHOLE discussion but I've gone back a few pages and can't seem to find anything. Could someone point me to somewhere I could read some details about these options. Any idea when they'll be available?

Thanks in advance!
-Ian

wagoneer2

I have a sales rep looking for a 5-speed GLS Wagon 1.8T (monsoon and no other options) who claims that no one has them. Could this be true or am I getting the run around to squeeze me into an automatic car in stock (instead of waiting 90 days to get an ordered vehicle)?

jmad456

I don't know where you are but my wife was calling dealers in the Atlanta area to find a black on black GLX and one of them had a five speed. Unfortuntely, she now wants an automatic and she doesn't remember which dealer but there are only about 10 or 12 in that area.
  We actually tried to purchase a five speed several months ago and had no luck finding one, it had to be ordered at the time which is why I was so surprised that a dealer actually had one on the lot. Good luck

vwguild

5 Speed anythings are scarce compared to automatics in ANY Brand, but more particularly true with European products. DMV Fees is Europe are based upon engine displacement, hence manual transmissions are very desirable...

5 Speed Manual Passat/Jetta Wagons are available,
but require your patience because if you are looking for something specific an order will be necessary...and a wait of 60-90 days. If you are
very open to colors and trim levels you can do a search, on line, through www.vw.com

wagoneer2

VWGuild,

The problem with vw.com, as far as I can tell, is transmissions are not indicated under new car inventories. I am searching under "Find a Dealer." Is there a way to do a more advanced search, including how to look for a manual transmission?

revka

Have you tried using the Shopping Tools in our New Vehicle Pricing Guide? Select your model and trim level, then click on "continue" for a list of all the VW dealers in your area. From there, you can use one form to let them know exactly what you're looking for.... Good luck.

Revka
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Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

vwguild

Reb...

4petite

Every so often (less than 10 times total), when I turn into a parking space, I notice my headlights or dashboard will dim briefly. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this. Should I be concerned? I am just over 3700 miles on my 1.8T GLS.

Also, anyone have all there radio presets unexplicably clear? It's only happened once, so I'm curious if it's just a fluke.

wagoneer2

Revka,
That just puts me back where I started -- relying on the dealers to supply the information. None of them (Columbus OH area), by the way, offered an answer by email -- they all insist on a call. Seems to defeat the whole purpose of internet shopping. I prefer email so I don't get sucked into the sales pitch right away, plus have time to think about my response.

revka

Sorry, this didn't help. Sometimes dealers don't like to respond by email. I suppose it depends how hungry they are for the business....

I've had success in getting responses by email. Try putting a note in the "additional comments" letting them know that your are serious buyer, but only want to communicate by email at this point, because you're are looking for something specific....

Others here may have more to add. Good luck.

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

vwguild

Can be a very effective tool, if used properly.

99% of the 1st contact email I receive requests information about a specific model car do not include options, colors, interior requirements...
Leather or cloth, and often even when they are included there can be accidental/typo input errors...

And because I have been doing this for so long, I am well aware of the fact that my inquiry is probably one of 4 or 5 or more sent out by the customer. As a matter of fact, of late I have found that customers are sending out so many that they cannot keep them straight. Additionally, I have learned that although our target response time is from 2-12 hours, often times people don't check their email for days.

It is very important for customers to bear in mind that the only salaried employees at an Automobile Dealership are those that work in the Business Office and Parts & Service. Everyone else is on some sort of commission or bonus program. Time is Money.

Actual, Real Time communication allows the customer to determine if they like the Dealership, to explain their needs and to learn more about the car they are looking for.

If the customer feels that they know everything available about the car, it's Warranty, and the Dealership, then a better email format would be
to request availability on a very specific car and what they are prepared to pay and how and when. This would allow the Dealer to answer in the same succinct way...We have the car, we will meet the price, and we can offer this rate & term.

vwguild

Did not want to lose all of the last in a timeout...

Finally, let me say that during the past six years that I have been an E-Commerce Manager for Volkswagen, I have seen some not so subtle changes in the process.

In the late 90s people would contact me for information and to open a dialogue. In 2000-2001
people would contact me looking for hard to obtain VWs. In both of these cases communication was open and warm and easy. But beginning last year and continuing into this year the focus has been primarily on price. And I mean at the expense of real knowledge about the products. I cannot tell you how many times I have quoted an
agreed upon price only to discover at the time of delivery that the customer had a very limited knowledge of all of the features and benefits of the car, the Warranty, or all of the safety features.

Doesn't make much sense to me...it seems that the entire purchase process has been turned around backwards...Get a price and then learn about what you just bought...It used to be the other way around...

wagoneer2

I guess one of the ways to improve the whole process would be to include more details on cars in stock. Some of the dealers have more detailed information on inventory than what you see from the vw.com pages, but they are still lacking. When I first started shopping for cars, I was looking at Subarus, and they seem to do a better job at providing detailed information on inventory at particular dealerships than any of the vw dealers I saw. I understand that this can be a time-consuming process. I am responsible for several web pages, and I know it can be a pain to keep them updated. I am not sure what Subaru does (better central control of inventory?) but VW might do well to copy them.

I guess my point is that if the online inventory was more detailed (including options, warranties etc), emails could be for prices about specific vehicles and with knowledge of that vehicle already in hand. This may not work for all buyers, but it would certainly work for me (and I'm guessing I'm not unique!)

altair4

When I did my search via the web back in November, many dealers in my area weren't listing whether a car had tip or manual! What's with that? It got to the point, though, that I could pretty much tell what a car had by the sticker price alone, since the dealers here seemed to order in only a few different configurations (none with ESP).

5speeder

I had the same problem last year when I was trying to find a 5-speed wagon. I did what Altair just suggested. Configure the car as you want it, note the MSRP, then when you go to the inventory lists look only at those cars with the exact same MSRP as your configured one (or two or three if you are flexible).

vwguild

are handled by the Cobalt Group in Seattle, and are uploaded using ADP, Reynolds & Reynolds, etc.
These are the in-house Dealership software programs in common use today. They do not provide
detailed descriptions of each car; just the bare bone basics.

When I load Inventory by hand, it is necessary to point and click on each and every item...from
*Premium Sound* to *ABS*...Very, Very time consuming and BORING...which is why I have always just put a a cross section of the more unusual...We will be doing batch loads soon
courtesy of a a new "Nitra 2.0" from Cobalt.

knielsen3

Went to a local (SF Bay Area) dealer today to test drive Passats. Two of the vehicles would not start. The battery wasn't dead; all electricals worked, but the starter wouldn't turn. The salesman carried a small chip that he plugged in under the dash before using the key (with remote) to start the car. He thought perhaps the vehicles were not set up to accept his chip or the remote hadn't been set up yet. Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks

vwguild

In a really large Dealership...400-600 Cars...It is impossible to keep a Keyboard with all of the keys...Totally unworkable. We use a Safe-T-Key System...An electronic block to the starter.

All Sales People carry a "key" that allows for the bypass of this system..

NEW sALESMAN...!!!

knielsen3

VWGuild - thanks for the reply. B***S***8 ? Is this a reference to bovine dung, perhaps?

Does the dealership normally remove this System upon delivery of the car?

Thanks

vwguild

We have silicon chips that are referred to a *Blockers*...net, net,
it is like the Safe-T-Key does not exist...

knielsen3

Hi VWGuild:

Umm, I didn't catch the meaning in your last post.

...*Blockers*...net, net,
it is like the Safe-T-Key does not exist...

Does this mean that the dealers don't remove the "Safe-T-Key" device? Can the device be removed by the purchaser? I'm a little nervous about the reliability of the chip - it looks easy to remove - without it, the car doesn't go anywhere, as proven to me with two "immobilized" vehicles on the dealer's lot. Certainly, it seems like a proven technology, but whom does it benefit after the vehicle is sold?

Thanks

vwguild

The Dealer to remove it if it is an issue. We sell about 2000+ cars a year with no side affects...

Your call...I am sure that it would not be a problem...I would have no difficulty in asking for it to be removed.

wdubs

This weekend I tried to do the first oil change on my 2003 VW Passat 1.8T and was unable to find the oil pan or the oil drain plug. Does anyone know where I can find this? There is a big plastic cover under the car. It covers approximately half of the engine. I suspect that it might be under there but don't want to remove it unless it is necessary. I've done oil changes on our VW Cabrio and many other vehicles and have never had a problem finding the oil drain plug. Please help! Thanks!

barelyg

I'm not sure about the 2003 Passat but I own a 1991 Audi 80 and a 1999 VW Passat wagon and both cars require removing the large plastic cover that you describe. After removing the first time you will see that it's not hard. It helps very much in keeping the engine compartment clean.

barelyg

I have a problem starting this car after it is started and runs for a very short time and then shut off and sits. Example: I start the car, pull out from the garage to wash or vacuum. Shut car off once outside. It runs for maybe 30-45 seconds. If I let the car sit for an hour or so while washing it and then try to start it again it cranks and cranks but never turns over. I can eventually get it started if I pump the accelerator frantically. But it still takes several minutes to get running. Once running it smokes severly from tail pipe. Dealer has no idea what it is and they say they cannot reproduce the problem. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

simonsez

Does anyone know when the 2004 model Passat will arrive and if it will be basically the same as the 2003?
I am seriously considering buying a new Passat GLS Wagon but will wait if a new version is just around the corner. Also, does anyone know if the GLS Wagon will be available in 4 Motion?

jfgreen

I am considering a Passat with beige cloth, but wonder how difficult it will be to keep looking good (I have kids and dogs). Would grey or black be a better choice, or leather? Any comments/suggestions would be appreciated.

vwguild

deserve Leather. Cloth will absorb all manner of stuff & scent...After all, they don't make boots & saddles out of velour...:)

jmulls

Go with leather. The cloth attracts everything!

diehla2

Trying to decide if I should go for the GLX 4 motion (AWD) vs just fully loaded GLS with ESP? I do live in an area with snowy winters. However, I've been told by several people that front wheel drive should be fine and the AWD doesn't really add that much? Any added benefit from electronic stabilization AND AWD?

Interested in any comments.

allhorizon

Amy,

How many icy/snowy days do you get? How well and how fast are your streets cleared? For the FWD version you may need to (or really should) change to winter tires. With the AWD you probably can get by with all seasons (although you may still want to change for super traction). I would say, if you don't like having your tires changed every winter, go with the AWD. On the other hand, a FWD car with winter tires and traction control does very well except for the most slippery conditions, or if you have lots of steep hills/ narrow trails/ long driveways.

If you like spirited driving, AWD also improves handling on dry and wet roads. It feels like you are driving on rails, and it has more neutral handling (less understeer). However, you are unlikely to feel the difference if you are a very conservative driver. Definitely get ESP, it works very well and is quite an inexpensive option.

- D.

dudleyr

FWD will use less fuel than AWD, will be lighter and more nimble, will accelerate better, will be less expensive, and if you use snow tires will do just as well in the snow (better at braking) especially with traction control. I have a FWD with snows that is 600 lbs lighter than the Passat, and does not have traction control. I have no problems in the snow. The Passat would be better still.

The FWD Passat is an excellent handler for its class, the AWD does not really improve on this.

nedzel

FWD with snow tires will do almost as well as AWD with all-season tires. But FWD with snows will not do as well as AWD with snows. The issue is, how much does it snow where you are and how hilly is it? We had a lot of snow this year in Boston. My FWD GTI did just fine with snows. I took my snows off too soon and suffered through a couple storms with my summer performance tires. Yup, summer performance tires aren't any good in snow :-P

If I lived in hilly northern NH, I'd certainly prefer AWD. Here in flat Boston, I don't need it and, as dudleyr points out, AWD does bring a penalty both on the sticker and at the gas pump.

You'll have to decide whether the advantages of AWD outweigh the disadvantages, based on the climate and terrain where you live (and your ability to say "the heck with it, I'm staying home from work today because of the snow."

jb18t

I have a FWD GLS. Live in mountainous Northeast Pennsylvania. We had a very snowy winter. Never missed work. I live at 1800 ft above sea level and went down to the valley and back without any problem. That includes in 3 decent size storms. This car is great in snow. I ran the OEM Contis too! Next year will try some snow tires as the Contis will be a bit older and more worn by then. Like the more lighter weight of the GLS and better gas mileage.

diehla2

Thanks for the responses. I live in Philadelphia-Generally, winters aren't too bad, but then again this year we had 22+ inches. Of course this is a sensitive issue with me because I'll be trading in my 1995 REAR wheel drive BMW 325 (which I have adored, but baby on the way means wagon). Gas mileage is an issue too- so at this point I'm leaning toward the 2003 GLX FWD w/ESP.

Now- is $500 below invoice reasonable to offer (with 2% dealer holdback and some current marketing spiffs being offerred to dealers?)

vwguild

I believe you are over reaching a bit...Eliminate *Holdback* from evaluation; never a good negotiating tool.

VWs are not exactly distress merchandise...Better tact would be Invoice or $250 over(depending on Color) coupled with VCI financing at 1.9%.

krzyss

Make your offer and see what happens. You might end up where vwguild points you.

Krzys

hiflyer

"I live in Philadelphia-Generally, winters aren't too bad, but then again this year we had 22+ inches."

If it makes you feel any better, the snow fall around the Boston area this winter totaled close to 71". Of course, that amount makes those in upper state New York probably envious.

nedzel

In Philly, definitely skip the AWD. If I can make it around Boston with 70+ inches of snow this year, you can make around Philly in a "bad" year.

8u6hfd

But the 22+ inches in the Philly area was in one day, which also hit New England

krzyss

and it is not plowed you are not going anywhere.
It is called ground clearance.
Your options are:
tank with a winch
hoovercraft
motorized sled

Krzys

hiflyer

"...this year we had 22+ inches."

I was only responding to what you actually said. Besides, as krzyss has already pointed out, a car with less than 5" of ground clearance is not going to get you through a 22" snowfall regardless of whether it has AWD or not.

A FWD Passat with a good set of dedicated snow tires will probably be more than enough to get you through a typical Philly winter. Now if AWD will satisfy a want that you have, well that's fine too. Just be aware of trade-offs it will present in terms of fuel economy and certain aspects of performance.

tjq1

I am purchaing a 2003 passat wagon. Does anyone know if the monsoon radio is still problematic?