By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
Our Audi's do the same thing, and initially it was the gas cap -- frankly because we didn't like or feel the need to turn it until it clicked.
Your overall experience would lead me to say for a few k extra you could've had an Audi.
On the other hand, there are less than satisfactory Audi, BMW and VW dealers -- your mission is to tell them what they do wrong and promise to tell others what they do right.
I would also suggest that you tell VW of America both what they do wrong and right.
It works!
VW, let me apologize for a less than *Perfect Delivery*...
Why your original car was not buffed out by the
Dealer, or Professionally touched up; I cannot imagine.
Your Passat Wagon and it's specific differences
are clearly pointed out in your Owners'Manuals...
just go to the Index, in the front of group of
booklets, and look up *windshield wipers*. If you
read that carefully; you will find the special
instructions for your Variant...
As to the MIL...Your Sales Person should have pointed out to you, at the Delivery, that there is
a vacuum sensor, that REALLY WORKS, in the Fuel Line...If your gas cap is not *Turn to Click*...
as advised right on the Gas Cap itself, it will
prompt the MIL and Check Engine Light will come
on...the only way to turn it off is to put it on
the VAG and verify the source of the code. This is an Extremely Important Part of the Delivery Process...Most Dealerships will *Comp* this service secondary to incompetent Sales People, but because it is such a simple thing to do...once is about all one will get...
It is important to point out here that there is no
excuse for your poor delivery experience, but on the other hand...This is Your Variant...Reading
the Owner's Manuals will benefit you greatly, and your enjoyment of your new Volkswagen, or MBZ, or Porsche, or Rolls...
I learned this from the service technician who told me that the computer "flash" memory only retains the error code if it is permanent and that starting the engine, driving and stopping the engine is the equivalent of booting a PC. The memory that holds the error code is cleared.
I don't know if this is true of VW's but it would seem at least possible. Any info on this vwguild?
I called today to get an update (yes, I'm just a bit impatient), and it's still listed as "on the water". He mentioned that as soon as it gets to "Charlston", he'd give me a call.
Do Passats end up in the Carolinas before heading up to Massachusetts? How long should I expect to wait?
Thanks..
-Craig
I think VW really needs to look at a new engine for the Passat. A 220hp would make it competitive with the BMW 330 again, while the above mentioned 3.2L 240hp might be too close to the W8.
A Passat with 220hp, AWD, and a 5 speed manual for around a 30K price point would move to the head of the line for my Jeep replacement next year.
Anyone heard anything?
I wonder if the 2.8 will soldier on in the Passat or if the Passat will "eventually" get the Audi 3.0 engine? Or why not move the 2.7T to VW -- but then again why bother if you've got an unblown W8 in the bag?
Based on what you read and when it was written, you could conclude that we are approaching the end of the "shared" stuff between Audi and VW -- but one article said the divorce would not be final until 2005.
Far as I know, none of these "reports" came from Audi and/or VW press releases -- be guided accordingly. I would trust our friend VWGUILD about 99% -- since he is once removed from the top of the VW food chain (no offense).
Mark
I am quite sure that Passats are delivered to MA and to Virginia area (Wilmington??) on the east coast. I am not sure about the Carolinas. I understand (just) the shipment time to be about 2-3 weeks. Add to that the clearance process at the port, delivery to the dealership, etc. and you could well be looking at 3-5 weeks for a car to come to the dealership from Germany. I would say 2-3 weeks for a car "on the water" is about what I have been hearing.
From my weekend visits to dealerships, I believe a couple of ships have docked on the east coast and a few more an expected in the next week or two. Hopefully, your GLS in one of these shipments.
It took several days, but the light eventually went off of its own accord. I had the dealer check for stored codes at the next oil change, but they reported that none were found.
Last Monday I experienced the "Engine Cranks but will not start" problem (Both Audi & VW have TSB's out with that title, for the 2.8 V6). The only cause I can point to is having backed out the garage Sat afternoon, and then pulling back in Sat evening (about 2 car lengths each trip): again, short ON/OFF cycles apparently 'fooling' the control box into thinking that something was wrong - only this time it responded by not allowing the engine to restart!
I obtained a copy of the Audi TSB online (VW TSB was not avail online), read it through, did my best to eliminate obvious faults (we have power, we have oil, we have gas, nothing appears to be leaking or broken, gas cap is on, fuses are OK...) & then followed the advice of the TSB to "Crank engine until it starts... run at 4-4,500 RPM for 10 minutes." (The old "Italian Tune-up"?). Car started, check engine light came on, ran at high rpm as advised, and it has ran fine since. Got car started Wed afternoon - check engine light finally went out today - probably 12 - 15 start / stop (on / off) cycles, which memory suggests meets with dealers stated expectation from first experience.
Found one other reference to this problem, with suggestion that the 2.8 V6 "always" be run for at least 1 minute. Seems like a glitch, but hopefully one that will not get worse. Car is a '99 GLS V6, 5Spd, over 32K; again, this makes 2 problems during ownership (although first was "concern only" as it started & ran fine). I was pretty UNhappy when it failed to start last week, but all-in-all am absolutely on the "although not perfect, this is a great car for the money" side of the coin!
Reid / SE MI
I am slightly amazed at the Check Engine Light issue. My GM car will also set this light when the gas cap is not tight, it has happened to me twice in four years. After tightening the cap, the light goes out after about 10 minutes of driving. Why the VW system does not do the same is puzzling (but a nice source of income for the service department)!
This kind of crap would not be accepted long enough for the revenue generated to have been meaningful. This engine that you are referring to qualifies as a low emmission vehicle powerplant -- no excuses, but such a qualification does, from time to time, cause "false positives" -- in 30k miles on a 1.8t engine it has happened three times, two of them were recent and "real" -- the first one was the gas cap issue and it went away of its own power.
Take a deep breath -- these are fine cars.
for the US Market...Halifax serves eastern Canada.
Boston, Wilmington, De., and Brunswick, Ga.
Travel time from Emden to Boston is approx. 10-11
days, and so if you are in Natick I am going to
presume that the Dealer is speaking in terms of
time to the Dealership...
The *Port Process* takes 12-14 days and then there you have to figure a couple of days on thge ground to the Dealership.
Secondary to vacation schedules, I do not have a
new *Ocean Shipping Forecast* tonight, and the last vessel that I show into Boston arrived on
15th of March.
If you have a Comm.#; I can give you an exact tomorrow...
ps: Your Dealer should really learn that BS, really does not
cut it in the 21 Century...:)
between 271-274HP/273lbs-ft. Torque and 4 MO....
I do not believe that it has any competitor!!!
A comparable BMW 540i Sports Wagon tickets out
at $60,000+ and, without All-Wheel Drive!!!
There is a 3.2L V6 slated for the *Phaeton*...
It is rated @ 241HP/232lbs.-ft. of Torque...this
will be the *entry level* engine...
I do not believe that this engine will end up in
a Passat...There is a *Stair Step* concept to
the VW/Audi Marketing Program...Back & Forth, Back & Forth...There is no A3 available in the US; so it is necessarry to start with the Golf and work one's way up the ladder...price point &
performance...
The W8 will never get a 6 Speed Manual...If a customer wants that kind of performance...go to
the 3.0L V6 Audi A4 with Quattro & the 6 Speed...If you want a *Star Beater*...you will
want the W8; the equivilant E430 AWD with 4MATIC
goes for $60,000+
All of these cars will criss/cross all the way up
to the Alcoa SpaceFrame S8Audi @ $80,000USD...still AUTOWEEKS favorite...
vbi4 and vwguild, thanks for the info. I'll try to get the commission number from them one of these days.
-Craig
And, is your opinion concerning the W8 Passat that "no manual" because little or no demand? And, will the Audi 3.0 engine be united (again) with a manual transmission? It currently has none -- only the 2.7T and allroad (in the A6 family) can be had with a stick shift.
What about the 2.8 in the current Passat, will there be a replacement engine for the 2.8 soon?
Thanks!
believe that a firm marketing plan is in place yet...decisions will be made about this at planning meetings during Q1 2003.
With the Glass Factory producing this car, in all
configurations, and a new European Delivery Program scheduled for 2004 some *Focus Group*
information will also shape these decisions.
And finally, Brand Standards...How many Dealers
will be qualified to handle this product? Although
this has nothing to do with engine availability,
it is a very sensitive issue, for the success of
this Program is the cornerstone for the Phaeton and
several other new Products in the Pipeline...
It is my belief that with all US Dealers having a
Deadline of Q4 to be on line, the first squeeze will come to those who are not, with the introduction of the New Beetle Cabrio Q1 2003...
Those who are not compliant probably will be hard pressed to get this car...an other instant Best
Seller...to be followed by the SUV...and so it goes...
The 3.0L is available in the A4 with Quattro & a
6 Speed...a dear friend just got one in January
in Dolphin Grey...
I don't forsee any changes in the 190HP V6 this
year...the success or failure of the W8 will, no doubt, be a consideration in this matter...
6 Speed A6 customers are really out there?
First gear, it's all right. . .second gear. . . . .hold on tight. . .
o If VW extended the APR rates from March (4.9 for 60 months)
o The commission number for the vehicle I have reserved
He didn't know if the APR was extended, and came right out and said "I don't ever know what a commission number is."
I was kind enough to explain the commission number, so he's going to try and find out answers to both questions.
-Craig
Further, if one has been approved for the scheme that was in existence until 04/01, they should get the rates even if the vehicle delivery is post 04/01. I am not sure whether that is the case with 'outrun'. However, I wonder what happens if the rates go down !
/vb
As far as I know, those APR rates through the dealership (of any brand) are only good when "delivery" of the vehicle is taken during the incentive period. They want to push "in stock" vehicles, not "ordered" vehicles.
Still waiting to hear back from my salesperson (been over an hour).
-Craig
/vb
Also got the commission number (vwguild, check your email).
Guess I educated the salesman about commission numbers.
-Craig
VW's website states 0.9% financing available through 4/30/02, but doesn't go into details of length or the other rates for longer terms.
So I called up VW Credit, who should know these details. "Jeffery" answers after a 5 minute wait, and said "Your local dealer has this information. We aren't allowed to disclose this."
So I told him that I saw 0.9% on their PUBLIC website, and just wanted some details. Again, he replied "Call your local dealership for details."
Talk about useless.
-Craig
He was curt and rude. And this is coming from a very easy going guy who doesn't get upset often.
-Craig
"Car and Driver", "2002 New Car Guide" says on page 135 in the VW Passat section, after talking about the W8, "There are two other engine choices-a 170-hp 1.8-liter turbo four and a new 220-hp 3.0-liter V-6. Transmission choices are a five-speed manual or a 5-speed manumatic."
I posted this before but it must have fell on deaf ears. Maybe the A4 will get the 3.2-liter?
Whatcha think guild?? Anyone???
Thanks, Dave ;^)
I have not seem any of it on the dealer lots. Grey leather on black is nice but something
about black on black set up make it really special. Does anyone already own one thinks
the same? Last question, what extra fees dealers added at the last minutes to be
included in your purchase? I have heard port prep fee, floor plan fee and region ad fee
could total to hundreds of dollars extra! Any comments appreciated!
You can use seat covers, only if they are approved for side airbags. Wet Okole makes neoprene seat covers which still allow the operation of the side airbags.
As for charges, the Edmunds TMV does not include the port fee ($25), floor plan ($92) and ad fees. I have seen invoices in the NJ area that add about $100 for ad fees. That makes the invoice price 27187+550+25+92+100 = 27954. Depending on the ad fees, there may be a slight variance between 27854 and 28004. I would suspect if ad fees are greater than 150. Also, the only other fee that one may see added to the above are reasonable documentation fees.. about $50-75. Ofcourse, you would add the local state taxes and DMV fees to calculate the final price.
/vb
On more than one occasion, I have noticed a leak in a car engine and I was able to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from. I couldn't do that if it were covered up.
The engine cover seems kind of stupid to me.
Bob
I agree with vocus - it's to make you say 'Wow, looks simple' when looking under the hood.
But when the VW V6 starts to leak oil, the cover will redirect it back into the engine. It's a feature.
-Craig
Alot of higher end automakers have been using the engine covers for years, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc. I think it looks sophisticated..
Anyway, I've been wanting a Passat for about 3 months now....but I'm not so sure. In the past week I've driven a 2002 Maxima SE 6 speed and an Altima 3.5 auto. I know all about the negative comments about the Altima's cheap plasticky interior and new style tail lights..but damn...it's a sweet car. Much faster than the Passat, better lines on the outside I think, more room, and it has the V6 that Nissan keeps improving on and it's already the best in the world. The Max is GT Mustang fast and has a 6 speed....more room than Passat, 6 disc in dash changer, etc etc. I do like the semi-BMW German styling inside the Passat, but I'm going to have to think really hard about this one. Plus I've read in alot of places that Passats haven't been as reliable. Any opinions?
OTOH the Passat still has above average reliability, decent room for 4 people due to its upright stance and more standard features, especially those dealing with safety (e.g. head air bags).
If your priorities are more toward performance and reliability, probably the Altima or Maxima would better suit you.
If you seek more of a well balanced car that is safer, more solidly constructed while still providing an element of fun, then the Passat may be the way to go.
Given the trade-offs, I'd just follow one's heart.
You say "After a gas cap issue, the light does reset itself, it is just different than the GM version."
That's not what VW customer care and my local dealer's service department say. They both believe that the check engine light will not necessarily reset, even if it's just the gas cap. The one time it happened to me, I tried to get it to reset but it didn't after at least a dozen starts. I love the car, but this check engine light thing is a disappointing flaw.
I agree this (when it is just the gas cap) is quite probably a flaw and perhaps "we got lucky" or perhaps there has been an EC so that whenever the light comes on you must have it reset at the dealer (just in case).
The light seems to me to be virtually a mystery light in that the reasons we get for its illumination are always somewhat vague.
The "user interface" program needs to have another subroutine or two put in to allow the thing to auto correct for "minor" infractions (like gas cap clicking -- we were told, "one click" is enough, but more would not hurt anything -- but that one click was mandatory).
It is like when your parents told you "because I said so!"
They ARE great cars, though --
2) Are there still 2002's coming into dealerships or is what is on the lots what I have to work with.
I am looking to get a 2002 and my thought is that I will get the best deal when 2003's start hitting dealerships.
Port of San Diego between the DYVI/PAMPLONA that
arrived this Past Tuesday, and the NEW YORK HIGHWAY that arrives on 25 May... 6 other vessels
arriving from Emden in between these two dates..
I do not have a numerical breakdown on VW vs Audi, or Passat vs. Jetta Wagon...
2003 Product will rest in Port until 2002s are pretty much gone; so I can't give you a date...
Typically...any brand, you will get what no one else wanted if you wait too long...timing is
critical...
If *Incentive Money* kicks in along with rate you
will know that the crunch has begun...But if you
looking for something specific; check your local
Dealers for what they may have en route...
'02 Passat GLS, Silverstone gray (kickass color), black leather, 5 speed, luxury, monsoon (better than I expected).
All I can say is: What a car.
I'm thoroughly impressed with the build quality and solidity of the vehicle. More than I expected for $24k.
Few comments:
Things that feel "cheap":
o Cruise control button on stalk
o Buttons on steering wheel
o Dome light switches
That's about it. Everything else feel like it belongs in a luxury car.
It's REAL tough to keep the RPMs below 3k for the first 1000 miles.
-Craig