Volkswagen Passat 2005 and earlier

samaritano

I want to know what you guys think of this price that they give me in a local dealer on a 1.8T w/tip leather and luxury package, monsoon system and homelink. Car price is $24858 plus TT&L comes to a total of $26620. Does it looks like a good deal?

crisscross

If this car is a 2001.5, it is already a year old and you should be able to buy it at invoice or even below. Invoice should put it at about $24,500. That's what I would offer them.

ivan_99

Remember you only get 2 years warranty…not 4.

samaritano

Actually guys is the 2002 model.. My mistake.
with the new warranty. $26620 for the 2002 model is that a good deal?

timtran

$3000.00 off MSRP would be a good deal.

glouie

I am interested in hearing from others with a check engine light problem. Just bought a 1999 Passat V6 and currently having this problem. No one seems to know how to solve it...

storyteller

glouie: You should know that Check Engine Light problems seem to be the Achille's heel of modern cars. If you roam the Edmunds' boards for a wide variety of manufacturers, this complaint comes up over and over. That one light is connected to a great many sensitive monitors of engine performance, and it takes just one problem (or one bad sensor) to cause that light to come on.

There is one easy cure for SOME CEL problems. If you don't tighten your gas cap enough after a fill, the CEL comes on. Some makers have clicks built in to the gas cap so it is easier to be consistent when replacing the cap.

mentor34

Any experience out there for selling a 2002 Passat? Hard to get accurate data since it is a current model year vehicle. We have a 2002 Silverstone Grey 1.8T, Manual, PJ6 luxury package (moonroof, alloys), heated seats and nozzles, cloth interior, Monsoon stereo, 5,700 miles. Looking to get a pickup to tow a boat we've aquired, so in the mix we are in the bizarre position of trying to establish a fair asking price for a brand new car. Located in Madison, Wi, any info or tips are welcome.

soupnazi

Glouie-
If you're looking for a solution to the check engine light coming on in this forum, you're probably going to find a thousand possible explanations. None of which may be correct. Unfortunately the best way to determine the cause of the light is to take it to the dealer. The longer you drive with the light on, the further risk you taking in damaging a variety of emissions related components of the car. Say for instance, a mass air flow sensor has gone bad. The consequence is poor gas mileage, low power, rough idling/operation, damage to injectors, oxygen sensors, catalytic converter, and so on.
The most prudent is bite the bullet and pay to get it fixed ASAP. Better to pay a few dollars now than to have a massive money pit and headache later. Unfortunately, this is the consequence of having federal agencies that force auto manufacturers to limit emissions as they do now.

steveiowa

Last October, I bought a 2001 GLX 4Mo on which the dealer's wife had put 7,000 miles. It had never been titled. I paid $27K for it. The "sticker" price was $32K. I dunno if that helps but if I were in the market for another car, I'd sure be interested in yours, since you're going to take the initial depreciation hit. You're going to have to price it low enough to make it worth someone's while not to buy a brand new car.

hiflyer

Although you can never go wrong with soup's advice (assuming the service department is competent), if the CEL stays steadily lit and is not flashing several seconds after start-up, then you may want to drive a couple of hundred miles (about a tank of gas) before bringing it to the dealer. If the light remains on at that point then it is less likely that its due to a simple thing such as a not sufficiently tightened gas cap.

In cases when the light remains flashing, stop driving the car immediately and have it brought directly to the dealer.

Sometimes by rushing to the dealer, you wind up needlessly paying a service fee and wasting your own precious time only to become frustrated that nothing was found to be wrong.

cabover

My wife has a 1999 passat that she purchased used. When we got it I noticed that the passenger side mirror is considerable smaller than the drivers side. At first I thought that the car must have been wrecked but have since seen at least six other passats on the road with this small mirror. Most however, have a passenger mirror that is the same size as the driver side.

Does anyone know about this? Was it installed on 1998 and 1998.5 or early 1999?

Thanks

vwguild

New or regular, full size mirror returned for
2000 MY cars...

mbnut1

How do you like your 4-mo? Is it a 2001.5 or 2001? How is the wind noise level on the highway and the gas mileage?

wact8k

This is in response to message 2650. My check engine light has been on for about one year. I have sent the car to different shops and dealerships and no one has been able to find the problem until this week. After about a week of scouring my electical system, the dealership determined that the electrical lines running to the fuel pump had gone bad. It was incredably expensive to fix but seems to have worked. I have not experienced any problems with the TIP yet, but considering the myriad of problems that we have had, I assume that that will be next.

jk2468

Hi,

I was hoping to get the opinions of some of you Passat owners out there. I just took a test drive of a 2001 Passat 1.8T. It's got cloth interior, no moonroof, Monsoon stereo, heated seats, 5-speed, no CD changer, regular wheels. It's got 5300 miles on it and seems to be in almost brand-new condition. The dealer told me it was a factory buyback from VW. According to him, VW purchased the car back because it had a paint problem. He said the car was repainted and that was all. (Has anyone heard of this?)

The asking price is $16,900. To me it seemed like a good deal; it's right around Edmund's trade-in value for this car. It's also an older 2001, not the one with the new body upgrades.

What do people think about this deal? Also, has anyone had experience with rechipping a 1.8T for a Passat? That's what has me interested in this car primarily.

Justin

vwguild

Is this a VW Dealer?

steveiowa

I absolutely love my 4 Mo GLX. The winter has been incredibly mild, so I haven't had the "opportunity" to experience the AWD on snow and ice. But that's OK...
The wind noise gets noticeable around 80 mph, a speed I attain more frequently than when I drove my Camry. As far as mileage is concerned, the 4Mo GLX is no Civic. I get around 21.5 mpg.
I have a 2001...not the midyear 2001.5. The things I don't like about my Passat: not much storage space in the cabin; hard to reach into the back seat; uses premium fuel; easy to drive too fast because it handles so well at speed (my 76 year old father hit 100 in it, a speed he hadn't attained, according to him, since he owned a 1958 Chevy Bel Air).
Because of all the electronics and because of VW's history of electronic iffyness, I spent a grand and got a 10 year, 100K extended warranty. Since I put about 24K a year on the car, I will hit 100K well before I hit 10 years.
Hope this helps. Email me at SteveIowa@aol.com for more.

vocus

Why would the dealer buy the car back and then paint it? Why wouldn't they just repaint the car under warranty? I smell something fishy... I would forget the deal and move to another dealer or car if I were you.

jk2468

To vwguild: No, it's a used car dealer. He specializes in late model used cars. Tends to get them at auction I believe.

To vocus:

Don't know about why they would buy it back. I did a Carfax check on the car and it said the car was repossessed. Don't know if that means the car was repossessed by VW or a bank. Is it something you've never heard of? I've never heard of a manufacturer buying a car back.

vocus

I have heard of a manufacturer buying a car back, but it was a car with serious mechanical problems. If the Carfax says the car was repossessed, that's different. That means the person didn't pay the bill on the car and it was more than likely taken by the bank. So maybe the dealer doesn't know what the heck he's talking about. I would see the sales manager about it if I were you.

mirth

I was checking out carsdirect.com's price on a GLS V6, at the website said that it would be factory order only. That sort of confirms a pattern I've noticed on dealer web sites. There seems to be plenty of GLS 1.8T and GLX's out there, but no GLS V6's. Has anyone looked at or purchased a GLS V6 recently? Any troubles finding one? Thanks.

mulfomi

I just drove from Columbus Ohio to Toledo Ohio (about 150 miles) on Sunday with the tempature of 50 degrees and with cruise on most of the way. My speed varied from between 65 -72. I got 34.7 MPG for the trip. I was extremely happy. My Passat is the 2001.5 1.8t 5 spd. I just switched to Mobile 1 so that may have had something to do with it as that is the best mileage I have gotten on the car. I have exceeded 31+mpg before but not that high. I was on a stretch of road that I had the cruise set on 65 for about 100 miles so that had something to do with it as well. I also use 93 octane fuel.

In any event. Love the car. Fun to drive and great gas mileage as well.

jk2468

to vocus:

I just asked the dealer about the car again, he said it was a program car (lease car) and there was a problem with the paint, so it was taken to the dealer to be repainted on a buyback. I'm not particularly worried about it. I've bought used cars before where the history of it was not completely clear. Part of the gamble with used cars I think.

I think as long as the car checks out OK with my mechanic, I'll be fine with it. The used values I've seen on Edmund's and KBB say I'm ahead of the game on price. The car's practically brand new. Hardly used.

deerlake7

I bought my 2002 GLS V6 last September. There were ZERO allocated to our area and the zone rep was able to find one in transit and did a swap with another region. So they are very scarce. On the other hand, I had a 2000 with the V6 and I liked it much more than the 1.8t and I do not like leather, so, for me, it was worth the extra hassle.

mirth

Thanks for the feedback. I'm like you - I don't particularly care for leather. Plus, the GXE is more money than I want to pay for my next car.

gimpsunlimited

Hi,

I had to replace my 99 VW Passat's battery today as the OEM battery died in less than 3 years. I found the OEM battery is unlike any other ones I have seen: it has a tube on its upper side (near the + terminal) and it is connected to something down in the engine compartment.

As a result, I had to buy the same weird type of battery (only one type fits) and it costs me a hefty $100. Although it does have one of the highest capacities I have seen (840 AMPS).

Any ideas?

rebeccasw

Greetings -- I am a newbie here, having found this board while searching for info on the new Passat. I test drove a 2002 Passat 6 cylinder GLX 4Motion and rather liked it -- it was the only one at the dealer, so no real choice in colors. No other 4Motions. Drove around and found most of the dealers around here have only one or two, usually the GLX. These are the places within 30-40 miles. Online inventory for places about 75 miles away show 4-5. Local dealer says he only gets one per month. We made the drive back to a dealer about 40 miles away tonight and got rather annoyed that we left without any info . . . we said what we were hoping for -- trade in older Nissan Quest, pay $30,000 total, including Maine 5% tax. We'd do a 3 year for less than 4% or 5 year for less than 5% as per accountant recommendation. They gave us NO info, and I felt a bit talked down to as a female, though my husband was there. So let me ask, am I unreasonable? This would basically be asking $800 off the sticker. I based my request on seeing the "True market value" on this site. The dealer actually did laugh in my faced when I mentioned it, which is why I have been checking other inventories. He made it sound like there was no movement on 4Motions in price. Is this true? Would I be wasting my time? I am debating dropping to the GLS as I don't care about the leather, but I like the bigger wheels. It should be possible to switch though, right? Any idea on cost. I just am having trouble with the idea of paying more than 30K for a car :-)

One more thing. My brother-in-law suggested an Audi A4 instead, saying they were the same price. Not that we saw, plus only one dealer in area. Anyone know if they move more on price than VW to bring the costs closer?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I hate this car buying process -- very stressful! Anyone know current loan rates from VW?

Sorry for the length and thank you in advance.

storyteller

Rebecca: Doesn't sound like you are ready to buy yet. Yes, the process hurts, but it pays off for those who persevere, get their facts and find the right dealer. Don't dream of giving this dealer your business. Passat is one of the most elegant car designs of our era, yet the VW network has more than its share of arrogant and incompetent dealers. Keep looking until you find one where you are treated properly! You don't have to buy locally.

Don't buy before trying the GLS. The 1.8 engine is a sweetie. Might be hard to find 4MO on a less expensive model. I'd separate the sale of Quest and purchase of the Passat to make it easier to deal on the VW. Old Quests aren't hot movers (I own one).

Doubt you find a comparable price on an Audi A4, but it might be worth the effort to cross-shop.

Anyone out there know a good VW dealer in Maine?

Good luck.

markcincinnati

Last year while assisting a friend in buying a new car, we test drove Audis and VW's (amongst others). The VW Passat 4motion (GLX) was about the same price as an A4 1.8T (fully loaded, minus the premium paint). The Audi was "cheaper" on two counts -- discount off sticker and lease rate.

While the Passat did not have a stick shift (which my friend wanted) it was very nice -- the A4 had sport, xenons, upgraded stereo, ESP -- all the toys. The price difference (on a lease) was almost $100/mnth more than the Audi. It was a no brainer between the two. I don't know if this still holds true, but the new A4 is a bit bigger (not quite as big as the Passat, however) and the Audi advantage (full maintenance for 50,000 miles) was not on the Passat (20,000 miles I think).

So, if you are price shopping and not paying cash, the Audi deserves your attention.

trmichaels

Just took delivery of my 02 GLX automatic yesterday (black/beige). What a beautiful car - classy, refined, sophisticated. Very upscale interior, eye-catching exterior. Definitely looks like it cost more than it did. Loads of fun "gadgets," and, to my great pleasure, a FANTASTIC Monsoon sound system. The '02 model's stereo (w/CD, late introduction) is even better than the 2001.5 that I saw. The buttons are improved and it is much easier to use. And the nighttime blue/red instrumentation on this car is extremely impressive - every switch is illuminated, even on the rear doors and steering wheel - something I was not able to experience during my daytime test drive, and I suspect this is true of many others who test drive in daylight.

Having taken delivery last month of an 02 Nissan Maxima GLE and driving it for 3 weeks before returning it (long story), I can truly say I am far more happy with the Passat. It looks better, it drives better, it feels much more upscale, and there is absolutely no comparison on the Monsoon vs. Bose stereo. The Monsoon sounds far better. The Bose I would have replaced, as it was a huge disappointment.

to rebeccasw: Keep looking! I paid $100 over invoice for my brand new model (that was still in Germany just 2 months ago) from a dealer 40 miles away. And they had to get the car from a dealer 100 miles away - there was only one car in the state with the exact color/feature combination I wanted . If the dealership wants your business bad enough - and many do - they will search for exactly the car you want, and give you a good price. I solicited quotes from 6 dealers ONLINE. Three responded with true online quotes (including a quote on my trade in), and all were in the same price range. However, to anyone in the CT area, I highly recommend Gene Langan VW in Glastonbury and Meriden. They treated me great, with no BS and no tricks. They got me what I wanted and gave me a great price. And they delivered it to my door! What more could you ask for? It might even be worth the trip from Maine (esp. if you're gonna save a grand or more).

I initially stayed away from the Passat (and went with the Maxima) for three reasons: 1) It was more expensive 2) It's reliability rating was not as good as the Japanese cars and 3) The dealership was not local (meaning more inconvenience when reparis are needed).

On the first item- price - this car is worth every penny. In fact, IMHO, this car is worth more than 30K considering the features and quality you get. If you can afford it, go for it.

On reliability - OK, so maybe it will need a few more repairs than a Maxima over the years. But, in spite of that, what car will I be happier driving day in and day out, and more proud to own?The Maxima bored me. It was plain and bland. The Passat has more class and more character.

On dealership - I won't mind driving the extra distance in this baby! I'm looking for long trips to take!

I hope I haven't offended anyone (esp. Maxima owners). The Max is a nice car and has a great engine. It just didn't excite me like the Passat does.

(An interesting side note: last night when I first got in my new car, I was flipping through my CDs because I wanted the first song I heard on my Monsoon to be special. What did I pick? "Take a Chance on Me" by ABBA. Seemed most appropriate. Take a chance on the Passat!)

silvercrown

Your hesitation in buying the Passat echoes some of my concerns, mainly reliability. But for that one thing, I would be totally sold on the Passat. I have a Camry right now and while Toyota may not make the most dazzling cars (looks-wise) they are reliable and that means a lot. I even started looking at the Highlander as a possible future alternative, although I'm not entirely sure that I want an SUV. I'm mostly interested in the safety features and AWD, which can be had in the Passat 4Motion.

But there is just something about the Passat that keeps it on my consideration list, in spite of my unease about its reliability. You make some good points about taking a chance on something that will make you happy. Please keep us posted on your ownership experience both good and bad (hopefully, it will all be good).

What happened with the Maxima, if you don't mind me asking? I always thought that Maximas were nice cars if you liked their somewhat unique styling.

Congratulations on your new Passat. May you thoroughly enjoy it from the first mile to the last!!

nyccarguy

It only looks like a million bucks.

silvercrown

Does anyone know if the 2002 Passats have this weird battery that gimpsunlimited described in his post? Where do you get the replacement? From the dealer only?

silvercrown

To Steveiowa and other 4Mo owners: is there any difference in acceleration and power with the 4Mo compared to the FWD V6? I'm wondering if the Passat feels more sluggish in the 4Mo version due to the extra weight of the system and or the AWD itself. Also, does the ride feel different (better or worse) with the AWD?

raybear

Can you hold off until spring? It's the dead of winter up there, makes a seller's market on the 4motions.

Take Edmund's advice and fire off a few emails to dealers when you are ready, and make them the offer. You may have to travel to NH or Mass.

trmichaels

Don't get me wrong, the Maxima is a very nice car. It drove very nicely and has a highly regarded v6 engine and boatloads of HP. It drove very smoothly, and I'm sure it would have been reliable and trouble-free. That just wasn't ultimately my main priority.

The reason I returned it had more to do with a disagreement on the value of my trade-in with CarsDirect and their dealer. I was quoted one price prior to deal, and then a price $2000 less after the deal. Like I said it's a long story, but suffice it to say I never technically bought the Maxima (they never cashed my check) nor registered it. It was basically a 3-week test drive while the whole mess was ironed out.

But it was a blessing in disguise, because after my 3-week Maxima experience, I was unhappy with a number of things: the styling bored me after a few days (one reviewer called it a "Japanese Buick," and, having owned two Buick Rivieras, I'd have to agree with that; there was nowhere to comfortably rest my left foot, as the tirewell curved in there; I hated the Bose stereo; I found it awkward to get in and out of.

Could I have been happy with it? Probably. But I think I will be much happier with the Passat, in spite of nyccarguy's comment. Consumer Reports, JD Powers, and many other reviewers have ranked the Passat #1 for years, and CR gives it a decent reliability rating - just not AS good as the Japanese models. ANY car can have problems, and defy the statistics.

silvercrown

Thanks for sharing that with me. That's a pretty unusual situation. It sounds like it worked out for you in the end, though. I'm glad you are happier with your Passat than you were with the Maxima. I'm actually a little bit jealous .... ;-) Just kidding!

I wish I could get a long term test drive of a Passat, but around here (SE Michigan), they won't even let you take the short test drive without the salesman riding shotgun. I hate that, I get a much better feel for the car without being observed like that. VW is the only one (I've been to 2 different dealers) who does that. Toyota, Nissan and Saturn all let you take the car for a spin unattended. What's up with that? Doesn't VW trust its potential customers? Or is it just me?

nyccarguy

I didn't mean that as a comment at all. More of a compliment that the new Passat is a truly wonderful car that really behaves like a car costing much more money, just as the advertising slogan suggests. I'm happy for you. I can't believe your check wasn't cashed afetr 3 weeks!

trmichaels

Oh! NOW I get it.........

I guess you can take their ad slogan two ways... they may want to rethink it!

Thanks for clearing that up!

rebeccasw

Thanks very much for the replies. I did find at least 12 other Passat 4Motions at dealers in Maine, and the bigger cities seem to be offering better deals. Responsiveness seems to vary a lot -- from nothing, to fast and tons of info. I have an email here giving me all the up front info I wanted before even making the drive, and offers to deliver it. It's within a few hundred of what I asked the other place, so I guess my offer wasn't that unreasonable!

Some friends have suggested that this is buying into a club. The VW dealer doesn't want the trade-in as it isn't a newer VW. Understandable, but I should have still been given a price w/o trade-in from anyone who wanted to sell to me. We've told the annoying dealer that they lost the sale and my husband also noted to them that their senior sales staff was condescending.

On the Audi, we haven't had a chance to ask what the deals might be, but the stickers were mostly about $37,000. I guess that would require a lot more movement on price. -- perhaps things have changed in the past year? We will price them just to be sure and check interest rates. VW's seem about a point higher than our accountant feels they should be, but less than we can get ourselves.

I think what we're going to do is just take our time and make sure we can find what we want. I do want to test an XLS, but they didn't have one at the place we did the test drives. I am really not sold on leather interior with a preschooler in the back seat :-)

Thanks again.

storyteller

. . . to do is take our time." Smart!

Good luck.

markcincinnati

An A4 1.8T (according to the web) is about the same price as a Passat (both equipped with all wheel drive). The content of the Passat will be higher, the car bigger and IMO more luxurious. Another friend of mine when ending his 1998 A6 quattro lease got a 2002 Passat GLX 4motion and absolutely loves it!

The Passat seems to me to be an Audi A5 (is such a thing exsisted). The Passat GLX 4motion, based on MSRP and content is, frankly, about the biggest bargain out there. Some other car company once said "nothing even comes close."

My prior point pertaining to price was based on very aggressive lease deals on Audis that, at that time (pre 9-11) didn't exist on Passats.

Paying cash for the cars, the differences become one of features and personal preferences.

Frankly, I have been very curious about the new W8 Passat (coming this spring) which for an MSRP of $37,900 (loaded) seems like it will "do some damage" to Audi sales especially high line A4 3.0's and low line A6 3.0's.

So, the VW is a great car -- I did not mean to imply that the A4 was -- for you -- superior, only that for my "frugal friend" -- the A4 was, from a lease payment standpoint, more affordable.

For $37K you would be looking at an Audi A4 3.0 quattro with several options -- not the 1.8T I referred to in my previous post.

Good luck, good hunting. Keep doing that research and I am certain you will join either the VW (all wheel drive) or the Audi (all wheel drive) family.

frankie33

I am the proud owner of a 2002 Passat GLX, with 10,000 trouble free miles on her. After reading some of the disappointing reviews, listed in this forum about Passat's reliability, I decided to do some comparison checking.

MSN CARPOINT listed the following results on Consumer Satisfaction, with 10 being the higest rating!

2002 Passat----8.8
2002 Accord----6.8
2002 Camry-----6.4

The scores speak for themselves; as for me, I would rate my Passat a 10!

pkradd

Those are great ratings. But are not exactly "reliability" ones. They are more "emotional" ones. Nevertheless I have 7500 miles on my 2001.5 1.8T and so far no problems. On another subject, sort of, the February Automobile Mag. rates the 2002 1.8T Tip the top "family sedan" against Accord, Camry and Altima.

frankie33

I am the proud owner of a 2002 Passat GLX, with 10,000 trouble free miles on her. After reading some of the disappointing reviews, listed in this forum about Passat's reliability, I decided to do some comparison checking.

MSN CARPOINT listed the following results on Consumer Satisfaction, with 10 being the higest rating!

2002 Passat----8.8
2002 Accord----6.8
2002 Camry-----6.4

The scores speak for themselves; as for me, I would rate my Passat a 10!

frankie33

Of course the ratings are "emotional" ones, but they are made by the "owners" of all three automobiles; and still, Passat comes out ahead!

pkradd

Accords and Camry's still have a better reliability record in the area of nuts and bolts. Having had a '95 and '98 Camry I had no complaints about their lack of problems. But, the cars, particularly the '98 became very boring. Everytime I get into my Passat I smile and know our little secret about how great the car is. I hope too many people don't find out, keeps the resale value up. There are so many Camry's on the road that they are not worth much after 3 years anymore.

steveiowa

Let me tell you a (true) story. My wife and I commute together 25 miles one way every work day. During the seven years we did this prior to buying a Passat, I think she drove perhaps five times total. Since we bought the Passat, she INSISTS on driving home every single day...EVERY SINGLE DAY. She loves that car...calls it a Zoom-Zoom. (Where do women come up with this stuff?)

Silvercrown...In answer to your question, I have no idea what the difference in acceleration is between the V6 FWD and 4Mo but I bet it's significant...and the 4Mo is a Zoom-Zoom (as mentioned above). You deserve the best Passat EVER for hanging on this board as long as you have. You should just jump in!

lobeck

Just a general question to any of you who might be "in the know"...We're going to be ordering our GLX4MO in a few weeks (yay!), and, when I was test driving one a few days ago, the dealer told me that since I would be ordering one and not buying off the lot, I could expect for there to be "no negotiating on the price" and that I would be paying sticker price. As a general rule, is this true, or could the dealer have been getting in a preemptive strike in the negotiation wars by trying to get me into the mindset that I wouldn't be able to negotiate and that I'd have to just deal with that?