Volkswagen Passat 2005 and earlier

carczar

About three weeks ago I was visiting a Mazda/VW dealership to test drive a new car. In the lot there was a brand new loaded v6 Passat sitting near the entrance of the dealership. It was a rather hot day (93 degrees). Suddenly, when I was finishing my test drive ( I was driving a Mazda MPV) and driving back to the dealership, I saw smoke coming out of the engine bay of the parked Passat. Obviously the personnel there noticed it too. The Passat caught on fire and the floor manager ran to the car, yanked the door open and tried to put out the fire. Within minutes the fire engine showed up, and the fire was put out. Needless to say, the Passat was ruined.
Witnessing this weird event (it happened at a dealership in Maryland), I wonder if hot weather can cause a fire spontaneously, or is this one of the occurrences that belong to the X-files?

pkradd

I live in South Florida. It's been in the 90s for the past several weeks during the day. My new 2001.5 Passat has not caught fire (yet).

November

I'm also a Floridian and cars routinely bake in the sun here year round. I have yet to see or hear of any car bursting into flames. Possibly a can of something flammable was left in the trunk or directly in the sun on a seat. I once left a bottle of red wine on the back seat of my Jetta and the cork blew out from the heat. Had to pressure clean the entire back seat and it took months for the smell to go away.

pkradd

You think that smell is bad. My elderly parents, who lived in Boca Raton several years ago, had made their weekly shopping run. When emptying out the groceries, a nice Porterhouse steak somehow fell into the side of the trunk, out of sight. They didn't remember they bought it unfortunately. When I visited them a few weeks later I told them that the car had a terrible odor. They also noticed it but didn't know where it was coming from.. I found the steak, now well-done in the trunk and it took days for the smell to go away after that. So, of the two, I think wine is the preferred odor!

bengalman

echoschiang:

I have a 2001.5 1.8T auto. It too does the same thing when I brake, stop, or just take my foot off the gas pedal. It seems to work well otherwise...I don't think it's a problem. I always like cruising down the hill, tapping the gas pedal, and telling my wife & kids that we are getting 199 mpg...great looks, great value, and great mpg too boot! (Okay, the real truth is that I'm getting about 23 mpg overall - after about 1500 miles)

To the people with the blue-silver - that is a great color. Mine's Mojave beige - and I love it!!! It's just a base GLS w/auto and the single-disk cd-player - and I got it for $22K even. I catch myself in the garage doing that Hyundi (sp?) commercial thing..."singing in the rain."

Looked hard at a Camry or Accord...but they PALE in comparison to this New Passat!!!

big_guy

I just recently leased a 2001.5 Passat GLS. It is Candy White with the black interior. The only options I have are the cold weather package and the Monsoon stereo and in-dash CD player. I would have preferred a lighter interior color but both the gray and beige interiors are too light. I have kids and I can see those light colors getting stained very easily. I would have preferred a darker gray. Other than that, I love the car.

I have the 1.8T engine and tiptronic tranny. I have noticed a little turbo lag in first gear but only at very low rpms. I have just over 600 miles right now and am averaging around 22.5 mpg in mostly city driving. I really like the passenger space (I'm 6'7" tall and have plenty of head and leg room), trunk space, and attention to details. I especially like the big dead pedal to rest my left foot on while driving. The car handles very well and feels very solid. No complaints so far. I just thougt I would chime in as a new owner.

vwguild

Congratulations! And welcome to the VW Family...Enjoy!!!!

vocus

Try having a gallon of milk in the trunk of the car in the middle of summer. Then have it break in the trunk and spill onto the carpet. Ugh, talk about stink! The steak story was funny though!

Flaming Passat: Was that as Russell Mazda/VW? Just thought it was, because they sell both VW and Mazda.

scooterooo

I am considering a Passat and have some questions I was wondering if anyone could answer. Does anyone notice a difference, in test drive or ownership of the 4-motion vs the regular FWD GLX model. Road feel, speed, gas, etc...

Any ideas on any changes to the 2002 model besides warranty change?

pkradd

I understand that the 2002 model has a Single CD changer in-dash included and emergency release handle inside the trunk in case you dedcide to climb in and close it. There's also an dash light when the cruise control is turned on. There may be some other things but I think that's it. Otherwise it's the exactly the same. P.S. There are rumors that color choices may be different also.

hayabusa

s852 here are some pictures from vw that are as big as a wallpaper... It's on my webpage, just click the wallpaper link...

http://members.home.net/gxshiem/

thor8

We are thinking of trading our 98 Passat 1,8T with 5spd for a GLX new Passat. The car has been flawless in four years but the wife don't want to shift gears no more. We tested the new Passat with the V6 and auto, it felt quieter than our Passat, the transmission shifts as silky smooth as out Mercedes and the stiffer body definitely gives a ride with less body roll. The car is loaded, what a beauty and pleasure to drive.

baisee00

Hi, I'm in the process of getting a new 2001.5 Blue Silver GLS. I'm still kind of torn on whether I should get Grey interior or Beige...I haven't seen one wiht beige yet, but the grey looks GOOD. People with the Blue Silver...what color is your interior....I can't wait to get my car! Just reading about how much you people love your passats makes me want to go out and get my own NOW! haha

deerlake7

I ordered a Blue Silver 2002 Passat with a black interior. Black may not be the best color if you live in the south, but it's been my experience that the beige and grey cloth VW interiors just get dirty looking too quickly. I presume the story would be different with leather. I've got black in my 2000 Passat and my only complaint is that it is a lint magnet. I'm suppose to get my new one in three weeks. No price increase and the new warranty sold me on the 2002.

tvmom

I have the Blue Silver GLX Tiptronic with black leather.... I have kids, so beige (although beautiful) and gray were out. Anyone I know with the cloth (co-workers, neighbor) wish they would have gotten the leather regardless of color. Although the leather cleans better (the cloth IS like a lint magnet), the carpeting matches the upholstery, so beige and gray are VERY light. My neighbor with no kids has beige and said the carpet gets very dirty very quickly. And the black cools off quickly with the AC plus I keep the sun roof vented and a sunscreen on the windshield--it all helps! Good luck, it's a great color (shows little dirt too!)

shark110

CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND A WV DEALER ON THE N SIDE OF CHIC AGO---GOOD SERVICE WITH FAIR PRICES?--LOOKING FOR A GAS 1.8T WITH LAX AND LEATHER PKG, AS WELL AS DC I/ MONSOON--DOES ANYONE HAVE THE BLUE ANTHRACITE COLOR AND IF SO WHICH INTERIOR COLOR GOES BEST?

pkradd

I don't live in Chicago. Even still, there's no need to SHOUT!

g20eng

Hi,

I bought a 2001.5 Passat in June. I recently noticed that only one of the windshield wipers (driver's side) has a "wind deflector" attached to it. I called up my service department and was told that this is normal--that the passenger side windshield wiper is not suppossed to have this piece to it. But when I turn on the wipers, there is a very noticeable warping of the passenger side wiper. Has anyone else noticed this? Is this normal/expected? I'm not sure if the service guy is just blowing me off - I was told that because one is much longer than the other there would be warping. Every time I look at it, it looks as if it will break right in half. Thanks.
g20eng

ulurutech

I regards to the Blue-silver color, I bought mine with the Beige interior. I live in a hot climate in the summer months (e.g. 100 F) so I fixated on the beige interior. I think the color combo loks great and have gotten compliments on the color. The grey interior would also look good so it boils down to your preference. Don't worry about what others think, get what tickles your fancy. Some folk hate the beige (too buttery for them) but I love it. It is your car so go for it.

Diane

ulurutech

Scooterooo:

I was in the same situation. I wanted the GLX but wasn't sure of the 4-Motion or not. Originally I was looking at the Audi A4 Quattro. However, I found that there was more room in the Passat. Being tall (6'1") that the the deciding factor for me. I was torn as to whether the $1,700 for the option was worth it. Also I had heard that the 4-Motion/Quattro had some performance impacts on the car.

I test drove both and did notice a little less "pep" from a stop with the 4-Motion but not much other than that. I definitely noticed better handling with AWD. I guess it boils down to what kind of driving you'll do. If it's all flat land freeway driving, then the extra $$ probably won't be worth it. What clinched it for me was that the dealer had several 4-Motion GLX models that they were selling for LESS than the FWD GLX models. They had too many and wanted to clear them out. Since they had the color combo I wanted, I got a great deal. Plus there was a CD changer in the trunk that they did not know about so I got it for free. Sweet....

mulfomi

g20eng

My passenger side wiper does the same thing. My car is about 6 weeks old and they work fine. I also have the wind deflector on only the drivers side. Im not worried about it.

I now have over 1500 miles on my 1.8t 5spd passat and I am averaging 28.7 mpg in mixed driving. I use 93 octane fuel in it as well. Seems in my neck of the woods, northwest Ohio, that many stations have premium gas at 93 octane. I would assume if I had to put in 91 octane that the car would be fine.

My city driving may be significatly easier than other peoples. Rush hour where I live means that traffic is heavy from 5:05 to 5:20. I am enjoying every minute with the car with no complaints. (My wife complains that I wash the car too much)

samsvr6

g20eng and mulfomi,

guys, the Passat wiper system is design the way it is. the driver side blade's airfoil is to prevent windlift at autobahn's speed >100mph. windlift feature is not mandated by EU in the passenger side. also, the passenger side blade is not warped. it is a 'curved' design to blend into the windshield, a styling want....
hope this explanation will chill you guys out.
You must be wondering why I know so much..... I work in the wipers business and co-incidently, my company produces the wiper arms/bldes for Passat.

scooterooo

Thanks Ulurutech. How about your gas milage? Anything there? What are you getting?

razorclam

Hi everyone! In regards to interiors. We have Indiego Blue with gray leather and I think it's fantastic!! The charcoal on the upper dash contrasts nicely with the lighter grey above and the darker grey seats. The black lower outside door pannel/mudflaps completes it.
2001.5 Passat 1.8 auto wgn

stgreen

Purchased Fresco Green and Beige/Yellow/Canary interior. At first, I thought "This is going to be VERY difficult to clean," and to some extent it is. I got black rubber mats for winter (new england) and these were great. I simply spend 5 minutes twice a month using a 3M adhesive cleaner and a clean rag to keep problem areas: drivers side door near bottom, cup holder area, etc clean.

The rest pedal (for left foot) is also yellow and that will never come clean unless i scrub it every other day. Wife wanted this color so we did it. It DOES however make the interior bright, cheerful and look very big.

my 2¢...
stg

blane17

What are everyone's opinions on a GLS vs. non 4 motion GLX? Is the GLX worth the extra dough? Is the GLS peppy enough of a car?

Thanks for your input.

pkradd

I have a GLS 1.8T with Tiptronic. It's peppy if you don't mind the somewhat slow start off the block. All 4 cylinder engines are like that and generally are less smooth and somewhat noisier than 6's. Once you're in the 20-50 mile range the car runs extremely smooth and the Turbo gives a nice jolt when you need the extra power. The advantages of the 4 are better gas mileage, better handling (it's lighter) and less cost (obviously). My 2001.5 Passat is Reflex Silver with grey cloth interior. It looks very nice with the grey/matte black accents. I have the lux package and the rear sunshade is great. I'm in South Florida and it makes a difference. I have about 2800 miles so far and no problems. (Well, the alloy wheels do get very dirty). All interiors, whether leather or cloth get dirty. So far no problem with lint. If there is some just get one of those lint roller thingys and brush the seats from time to time. No kids in my car so there's generally no problem. I'm thinking about possibly having the dealer add some wood trim. The aftermarket offer from VW includes wood around the dash console and wood trim around the front vents. I love the car!

stgreen

Pkradd:

I too opted for the 1.8T and got the VW aftermarket 'wood' trim. Horrible. It was actually wood stickers and basically, I said "I will not buy this car lookin like this." I went home, came back 2 days later and it was taken off. It looked like the stickers you got when you made that model airplane at age 10 and wanted to decorate it.

They also told me such garbage as it would be "pressure sealed" and the labor warranted the $400 price. It was a joke.

The car is wonderful and i like the wood of the v6, but my experience would hopefully, make someone else rethink it.

stg

louieandjen

My husband and I own a 2000 passat and have noticed three extremely annoying squeaks/rattles!!! One is located in the dashboard behind the steering wheel (where the speedometer, odometer, etc are). Another is due to the driver's side door storage compartment vibrating (soooo annoying!!!). The final and most annoying one is on the gear shift. The button that you push in to change gears (automatic) is loose I guess and vibrats loudly anytime you go over 20 mph!!! They drive me so crazy that I have to drive with the radio on all the time! It's even more annoying b/c other than these three rattles, the car is spectacular. So cute and performs so well! If anyone has any suggestions as to how to fix these rattles/squeaks, PLEASE, PLEASE let us know!

dippinpete

I'm about to go buy a 2001.5 GLX 5 Speed. The dealer is at $27,100. Is this a good deal? I am using the 5.9% deal as well.

Also, I've seen the 2002. What's the differences?

Any other info?

DP

pkradd

Stgreen. Thanks for the info. I only saw it in the magazine VW sent me. I'll probably go for the 6 CD changer if they give me a decent deal. I've read about too many problems with non-factory installed changers. Maybe my tax refund will pay for it? Again, thanks for your comment. Actually, the interior is very nice. I've had lots of compliments on the quality.

flogson

I've been reading posts in this message board for about a week and decided to join this evening. I will be picking up my new GLX Passat tomorrow afternoon. I first read about the Passat on the consumer reports web site - I was checking out the top picks in the various categories and noticed the Passat was the top choice in 2 of them. This got me interested enough to read some road tests and visit the VW site. Then, someone I work with mentioned they just got a new Passat. We went to lunch and I was impressed with the car - then I got hooked when they let me drive it back (a few miles). I went to a dealer after doing more research - about a month ago. I decided to sell my '98 Dodge truck instead of trading so I could get a better price on the car and get more for my truck. I'll be using VW credit since the rate is lower than the banks in this area for 60 months - anything I should watch out for on this ? thx....flogson

car_nut1

I got my GLX.5 w/tiptronic & cd-changer for $28,750, about 3 months ago. I thought it was a fair price. If you subtract the 2 options it's about $27,300. Your price seems good, it should of course include the destination charge. Because the 2002 are almost here, you may be able to do a bit better. Also, it's been said here that the 2002 has double the warranty, but may not include the maint. (oil & filter changes). If your planning to purchase an extended warranty, you may be better off paying a little more for a 2002.

Others here who may live in your part of the country can give the best pricing info. Car drives and handles way beyond, I think, anything in it's price range. BUT, read all posts here and other sections, this car truly personifies the adage, "Buyer beware!" and "Careful what you wish for". Good Luck.

gambhir

I looked at some awesome pictures on Passat Plus--likely introduced Jan 2002 after the north American Trade show--
Any price points--any more details--the car geniuses--please enlighten me

vocus

I live in Baltimore, Md. and ran a Passat GLS 1.8T on CarsDirect.com the other day. It was like $500 below invoice price. I was really surprised. Do they really deal that good on them around this time of year?

Also, does the 1.8T require premium fuel, or simply recommend it? I was just curious. I don't mind having to add premium to my tank, but only if it's required.

Also, how is reliability of the Passat? I like them alot, but wanna be sure the car is pretty safe reliability-wise. Thanks!

moonbeem

I have a 1.8T and they recommend using 91 octane or above. I have heard people using lower grades, but come on, if you are going to pay $25k for a car you can afford premium fuel.

As to reliability VW has come a long way. I have no issues with my 2001.5 and know several people with 99,00 models with no problems. If you don't feel totally comfortable, get a 2002 with the extended 4/50 B2B warranty.

pkradd

I have a 2001.5 1.8T Tiptronic with 2900 miles and so far no problems. I"ll go along with the scheduled maintanence and get my first one at 5,000. I use 93 Octane (no 91 here in South Florida). Gas prices have dropped dramatically since I bought the car, about 20 cents! I'm averaging about 23 mpg in city traffic. The car is fun to drive and it really looks great. It's the kind of design that will not get tiring methinks. I've had comments about how people didn't know VW made such a nice car.

I did get $1100 off the sticker so I bought an additonal 5 year warranty. Unfortunately the dealer here in Florida didn't provide the VW one. However, it is through Royal which is a good company and it has no deductible for the 5 years, 50,000 miles.

shawn35

I was driving my 2000 Passat with the 1.8t today and the check engine light came on and in the message area it stated "EMISSIONS WORKSTATION". Anyone know what this could mean??

jconcep

Recently bought a new passat. has anyone had a aftermarket cd player installed? i hear that a special adapter is needed and VW may even need to reporgram the radio after it is installed.
any experience with this?

kalci

I have a Passat GLS 1.8T 2001. Runs great. I have already 20K miles on it. For the past 2 weeks, when I start the car first thing in the morning, it fails. Its always the second time, the engine comes to life. Same in the evening, when I start from work Any clues on this ?

During the initial acceleration, somewhere after 2000 rpm, or in 20-35 mph, it gives out a loud swooooosh sound. But once the 40 mph speed is hit, its a smooth ride. Also during this phase sometimes, the car gives jerks, you could see the rpm pointer moving up and down and car too pulling and pushing. Any info on this ???

I have a service coming up, but would like to know anyone's comments on this. Thanx.

moonbeem

I would post your problem or do a search for it on http://www.vxvortex.com. I think I remember seeing something like that before with the Emissions Workstation.

dumbdog

Took delivery of my 2002 Silverstone/Black Leather Passat GLX today. Was very surprised to hear from the dealer two days ago that the car I ordered in May was in. Was very happy with the price = $28004 (less than 1% over invoice). Has new warranty, no free maintenance, no in dash CD. Very happy with my decision.

vwguild

It sounds to me like you were *dumb like a fox*...

There are really some very poor Sales people out
there...please post the name of the Dealership!!!

ivan_99

It's probably nothing. I had the same thing with my A6. The dealer decided to change the O2 sensor.

Later I learned that my wife forgot to turn the gas cap all the way. This is most likely what caused the problem (car has tight emissions).

Dealers like to change parts.

pkradd

After I picked up my 2001.5 Passat the service guy gave me a run-down and one of the first things he told me was to make sure the gas cap was on tight. 2 or 3 clicks should do it.

pkradd

The current issue has a photo of a Passat heading straight at ya. Interesting article inside.

reeder1390

I am purchasing/leasing a Passat 1.8T(A) by the end of the month. One of the dealerships indicated they will be getting in the 2002's soon. Any websites out there that are showing the new features or prices. Mainly interested in the numbers. Any suggestions!!

vwguild

No changes in Features, Colors, or Prices in 2002...*Running changes* will include
an AM/FM/CASS/CD (week 32-34 production) , internal trunk release...for whatever
that is worth, and a Cruise Control Indicator light in case you wonder why your car
is going 70 MPH and your right foot is over in the passenger seat...

jtouga1

All you European car lovers out there, please check into "European Parallel Importing" on the Smart Shopper in the Town Hall.

I really need you opinons and advice on this subject. Thanks...

Jon

johnblaze

what should the air pressure be for the passat. I know it depends on the tires u have and what the manufactures recommends. but i am just curious as to what the other owners have decided on to set the psi at. I have the tires that came orginally with the car. can anyone help me out? thanks..