Volkswagen Passat 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • sam082158sam082158 Member Posts: 5
    Had the pleasure of a test drive yesterday in a 2001.5 GLX automatic. Wonderful time. I've got to have one. Has anyone out there done business with Southpoint Volkwsagon in Baton Rouge, LA?
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    The New Passat has had Side AirBags Standard
    since it's introduction in 1998. Full Curtain
    Side AirBags were introduced in Q2 2001 MY
    Cars.
  • tomas1tomas1 Member Posts: 3
    G'day,

    I own a 2000 Passat Station wagon with the V6 engine and manual tranny. Since Xmas the "check engine light" has come ON & OFF for a few days at a time. I brought it to the dealer the first week of January and all they did was a computer reset + gave me a story about sensitive sensors & tightened government controls. Yes, they are clueless. Needless to say, a couple of days later, the light came back ON for a few days, then turned OFF for a day, and then turned ON..... When the Check engine light comes ON, it's usually accompanied by an "Emissions Workshop!" message in the middle message section of the dash. I've made an appointment with the dealer for Wednesday, but I fear that I won't get any further with them.... In case you're wondering, yes I've gone to different gas stations for gas and the gas cap has always been nice & tight. Do you have any ideas ? On pure speculation, I'm down to a faulty oxygen sensor or faulty idiot light or.... Help !

    I've always owned Hondas/Toyotas and have had excellent reliability. I still like my Volks but I hope this isn't the beginning of a reliability issue....

    Tom
  • buyingbillbuyingbill Member Posts: 3
    i have the same problem. 2001 v6 auto wagon. i have been to the dealer once and they said make sure gas cap is tightened. i have been doing that but the light seems to come on after every fill up. someone else posted the same problem in the passat problems town hall a little while back, but no solution. i am going in for 5000 mile service soon and will have it checked again then. please let me know anything you find out so i can pass it on to the clueless service people. like you my other car is a honda, 2 years and not even a rattle, its perfect. i really like the passat but am getting disappointed by this. thanks.
  • jonrickjonrick Member Posts: 8
    Like most of you here, we just happened to see the new Passat and were "wow-ed" by how much better it looks. We test drove both the 170HP 4-cyl and the V6. Both engines are great but the v6 is awesome with the tiptronic (merging into traffic, etc).

    -We had written off the 2001 Passat (GLS-V6) because it had a lot of wind and road noise compared to other cars we were looking at.

    -The new Passat, in addition to the improvements inside and out, is MUCH MUCH MUCH better insulated than its predicessor; we were very impressed with the reduction in wind noise at highway speeds.

    -We placed an order for a 2001(1/2) GLX 4 Motion in Mojave Beige.

    Having never ordered a car before, I take it we haggle over the price after the car comes in? The MSPR is over 32K, any realistic idea on an acceptable counter offer?

    Thanks!!!
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    It would seem to me that you would probably want
    to get the price of this new Passat nailed down
    before you go any further; that would be in your
    best interest.
    When I take an order for a car here that is done
    first, and I take a $500 deposit...That deposit
    assures the customer that the car is theirs, and
    that the price is fixed as agreed on the order.
  • r34r34 Member Posts: 178
    Get a quoto from auto-by-tel or dealers for a 2000 and 2001 A4 2.8 quattro. You may find the prices could be very closed to the 4Motion. Use those prices and other competitor's prices to bargain with VW may help.
  • toddyhill2toddyhill2 Member Posts: 2
    We must be twins... our stories are very similar. I've been searching for the perfect vehicle and "found" it last Friday when I saw the new 2001.5 Passat. Within the first few feet, yes feet, of the test drive, I knew this was my car.

    Unfortunately, the car I want is not readily available. So, I placed an order for the GLS with the 4 cylinder engine and the 5 speed manual transmission, Monsoon, black velour interior and silver stone gray metallic exterior. And like one of the other messages before me, I secured the order with a $500 deposit. VW will search to see if it's available... if not they'll build one in Germany and ship it to me..which they say is a 12 week process (I wonder if that's true?)

    But unlike your situation, I closed my deal. I'm sure I might have done better if I tried, but I took his initial offer of $500 over invoice (a 6% discount from MSRP). Candidly, I figured I'd do well to pay $1000 over invoice.

    To each his own is my motto. But in my case I wanted to get the deal done and wait for the car, rather than get the car and then start the process of negotiation.

    Good luck with your Passat. Like me, I know you'll love driving it.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    I would be very surprised if this 2001.5 is not
    either in Delaware, Houston, or San Diego and
    that would mean that your Dealer can order it through the normal self-allocation process. The
    only situation that really warrants "ordering"
    a car is when the customer is looking for somethng
    out of the ordinary...For example, I had to place
    such a *custom* order for a couple that wanted a
    Golf GLS 1.8T with no SunRoof or Alloy Wheels, but
    with the ColdWeather Pkg. This car was in the *Order Bank* but w/o the CWP...It had not been built yet; so we were able to add that option.
    It will not be built until next month, but I took the order on Dec. 28th...so 12 weeks is not unreasonable, but it certainly would be with your
    car as described...
  • xianexiane Member Posts: 4
    There seem to be a goodly number of 2001.5 Passats in Houston, but they are moving fast. I can say this because I've made a number of visits and watched the numbers dwidle, but it should be possible to get normal configurations and colors.
  • qqq1qqq1 Member Posts: 8
    I've been gone from this forum for a few weeks.


    Since making the post referenced in the subject line, folks over at the B5 discussion forum at vwvortex.com who had already driven the pre-2001.5 B5 have now also driven the new B5 (B5.5 as many call it) and reported that the steering in the new model is at least as good as it is in the previous model. Looks like I mis-interpreted Hall's words. See the referenced post if you want to know what I am talking about. (qqq1 Jan 19, 2001 9:46pm)


    In short, the steering in the B5.5 is apparantly just fine. My new interpretation of Hall's words: with the new, stiffer chassis, if VW turned down the steering boost, the handling to be even sportier.


    Check out this quote from one of the forum moderators at http://forums.vwvortex.com/vwbb/Forum6/HTML/011415.html


    "Overall I thought the new car was very nice and it was obvious to me as a current Passat owner that the new models quality is tremendous. The chassis feel was great. Handling is just as good if not even better than the outgoing model and I didn't notice any numbing down of the steering feel in this car."


    Here's another quote - from another current pre-2001.5 B5 owner - on http://forums.vwvortex.com/vwbb/Forum6/HTML/011434.html


    "The steering is tighter than my car, with a little less on center play. My best description is "surgical." I felt a littler more boost around the parking lot, but nice firm balance up to speed. My guess is that Audi assist has trickled down."


    Also, I've been watching, and I haven't read any negative comments about the new steering. Can't wait to get my B5.5!

  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Thank you...
  • ramped1ramped1 Member Posts: 159
    I'm considering a 1.8T Passat for a second vehicle. My previous experience with a turbo engine, a 1990 Eclipse, was satisfying except for the warm up and cool down process. Is this a problem with the 1.8Ts, and how reliable are these vehicles? Thanks in advance for your input.
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    I had the chance to check out the new Passats last Saturday at the local dealer in my area, and I must say that I really do like them. The dealership had about 7 on their lot at the time, and most were GLXs. The model that I liked best was the Ink Blue GLX inside the showroom. The car is elegantly styled and has many nice features to it. The car had the optional mudguards and the I believe pin stripes, they really added to the classy look. I really want this car. There was another Passat, the first one I saw, I recall seeing, it was a Indigo Blue gls. I can't remember if it was a 1.8t or a V-6. I was not so impressed by this car; the wheels are what turned me off. I think that VW should honnestly make 16 inch alloy wheels a standard feature. As many of you know, they have added a few features to facelifted Passat this time around. The have added a homelink system, a larger console, and have returned the rear armrest in the back seat.

    There were two passats, a 2001 and a 2001.5, they were side by side. I had a chance to compare them to one another, and I thought that the 2001.5 looked somewhat better than the 2001. Both are great cars, and should not disappoint their potenial owners.
  • chippervwchippervw Member Posts: 24
    Read that there is an updated key or keyless entry. Anyone of you with the 2001.5 let us know what's changed?
    Thanks.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    The *new* key is only really new to the Passat.
    The 2001.5 Passat now has the same engine defeat
    mechanism that has been Standard on Beetle, Jetta,
    and Golf for the past year...Each key is chipped
    with a matching chip in the ignition. If a bogus
    key or if the car is "hotwirred* to start it; the
    car will not continue to run after 5 seconds...it
    simply shuts down...making it virtually theft proof.
  • mikeinhoustonmikeinhouston Member Posts: 19
    I don't know where you live but the exact car that you described is sitting on the lot at Advantage VW in Houston, or at least it was on Tuesday when I went by there to test drive one. I ended up buying a Silverstone Gray GLS, 1.8T, tip, leather, luxury and monsoon equiped car the next day from another dealer. I've had it for two days now and abolsutely love it. Drove a '98 GLS before that and it is much better the old B5.
  • chippervwchippervw Member Posts: 24
    Oh, OK.
    Glad to have it. Wouldn't want anyone taking my future Passat!
  • chippervwchippervw Member Posts: 24
    Went to a dealership last night in Orlando, FL. I got to compare the B5.5 to the B5. Actually side be side, the changes are pretty subtle.But definitely an improvement! Interior is very nice. Cupholders are great. 2 more when you open the glove compartment. Also a cool little thing in the back seat- a flip down power outlet for cell phones on the back of the center console. . I didn't even get to drive this car, but seeing it in person nailed down my decision to go for the 2001.5 instead of the "classic design" 2001.
    Does anyone know if the 2001.5 models might be discounted when the 2002 models come out? Would this be something to look forward to, or should I just start shopping now. Will probably be this summer b4 I can actually get one.
    Thanks for any advice.
    -Chippervw
  • pwash19pwash19 Member Posts: 14
    Drove the 01.5 tonight. One month ago the wife talked me into looking at the Passat and we drove the V6. After reading that the 1.5 was about to be released I waited like the rest of you have. Tonight I took the 1.8 with an automatic for quite and extensive test drive and I was impressed. Got out of the 1.8 and took the 01.5 V6 for another spin and I think I like the 1.8 better. I'm sure my wife will want to stay with the GLX so that she can have all the goodies. The only thing that bums me out is I will never get to drive the thing, it will be her car.
    The styling and colors are very sharp. It appears that WV listens to it's customers and reads these chat rooms. Most of the items that owners and test writers complained about have been fixed, from cup holders to a different brand of tires.
    As soon as we can sell our SUV we will be driving a Passat.
    The dealer had nine of the 01.5s on the lot and several 01s. Southern VW in Waldorf, MD.
  • sundance_goldsundance_gold Member Posts: 19
    One big bummer with the GLX sedan with 4-Motion is that the rear seats don't fold down. Has anyone heard about when the will be released?
  • buckwbuckw Member Posts: 1
    I tested the following all with Tiptronic 6 cylinder:

    2000 GLS with 4motion
    2001 GLX and GLS
    2001.5 GLX

    I pushed them around a lot and found the 2000 4motion to be the roughest and there is no snow and ice in Houston so I ruled it out. The 2001 has significantly more power and acceleration than the 2001.5. I checked it out twice on 2 different days just to be certain. I don't know if it is weight difference or something else but there it is. The 2001.5 is a little smoother, a debatable plus in this car.

    I like the 2001 instrument lighting better too. As far as the exterior cosmetics go, in my opinion the chrome siding works on the silvers and white and nothing else.

    All in all, the 2001 is wolfier. It is closer toward being and feeling like a sports car. The V8 next year may change that, but at what cost?

    I'm picking up my 2001 today. Hurry as they are being discounted and are going away.
  • nmayrnmayr Member Posts: 7
    Hi Folks, does anybody know who makes a trailer hitch for the 2001 or 2001.5 Passats? I've tried Drawtite (which makes hitching equipment for most vehicles) and several other manufacturers--all to no avail.

    Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

    NMayr
  • littledeb74littledeb74 Member Posts: 4
    I got my new 2001 Passat on Saturday. We got a great deal. Got a black GLS with tan interior. Got the luxury package, CD player with Monsoon, and the cold weather package. I just love the car.

    But I noticed a little hum or whirl sound also this morning when the car hit 10, 20 and then 30 mph. It is very slight, but I can hear it. I am going to have my husband try it tonight to see if he hears it. I noticed someone else commented on this problem. Any resolution to it? Or any thoughts on what it might be? Could it be the car breaking in?

    Thought I would check with all of you first before I called the dealer. I hope it isn't anything. I have only had the car 2 days and would be very upset if there was a problem.

    Hope someone has thoughts or can share the antidote.
  • passat_manpassat_man Member Posts: 1
    After stopping by 3 other VW dealers in Northern VA, we just came from placing an order at Farrish Volskwagen, in Manassas. The experience was actually enjoyable and we got the deal we were looking for--on the brand new (facelift) Passat (2001.5). The other dealers would not budge on MSRP and one was rude to us when we suggested dickering on price.

    Its worth the drive out to Rt 28 in Manassas--and talk to Nazzi!
  • matsocksmatsocks Member Posts: 4
    OK, so here's a possibly silly
    question from an excited guy who's about to pick up a gorgeous Mojave Beige GLS with Leather and all, his first new car in 10 years...
    Should I ride it around the block before I sign off on all the papers? Do I get it out on the highway and check for rattles, funny noises and such? Push all the buttons first?
    I've researched the hell out this purchase and
    now that it's days away from delivery time, this seemed to be about the last thing I need to know.
    Thanks,
    Hardly sleepin
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    By all means take your New Passat for a thorough
    test drive before you sign the contracts!!!!

    First of all, it will give you an opportunity to
    make sure that EVERYTHING works...Windshield wipers & wash, horn, sound system, DRL, brakes,
    everything. Do not redline it or be alarmed at the
    new brake smell...your car should not have more than a few miles on it...

    Just as importantly as the above; it will give your Sales Rep an opportunity to go through the car with you from where the spare is, to where the
    windshield wiper fluid goes. You will also be able
    to ask some questions about the car that you may
    have overlooked the first time you drove the new
    Passat...Don't forget, if you have not already
    been told...92 Octane gas is a must with the 1.8T,
    and you will have to ask to have the tires rotated at 5K & 15K in order to be compliant with
    the Tire Warranty...This will automatically be done at 10K & 20K, but you do have to ask that it
    be done at the others...nominal fee of $20 or so.

    Aside from that, all I can say is ENJOY!!!!
  • bumski2bumski2 Member Posts: 1
    I have heard about this exciting new color called Silverstone Gray but my dealer is unaware of it and could not locate anything on VW web site. Any ideas on where I might find it? They tell me they are only aware of Satin Grey color
  • guestguest Member Posts: 770
    It's a car, of course you need to test drive it before you sign. I don't care what brand, once you sign you instantly lose some of your leverage with the dealer. At this point you have their undivided attention. That eager car sales person that you have been dealing with all of a sudden be no where to be found. My statement, It's a car was meant to address the fact that it is a piece of machinery that was assembled by the human being. Humans make mistakes, some countries more than others but they all have faults.
    Call it being over cautious, I call it buying to many (one) GM products, so do yourself a favor and don't get caught up in the moment and take a subjective test drive before you sign. You'll thank yourself later.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    The first thing that you need to do is find another VW Dealer, or at least find the Internet
    Sales Manager or Fleet Manager...Silverstone
    Grey is a GunMetal color and the Dealership should be more than well aware of it...and probably have some on order...The really beautiful
    new color is Blue Silver...delivered a GLX in that
    color today...Gorgeous...But it is very subjective

    Keep checking VW.COM the new colors will be posted
    shortly...
  • merckxmerckx Member Posts: 565
    Re #425-the car does have a very low-key whistle from the motor's turbocharger. I've never heard it at 10mph,but if you accelerate hard enough...
  • eagle63eagle63 Member Posts: 599
    Hey guys. Just bought a '98 Passat from a friend of mine. awesome car! Unfortunately, it has the steel wheels on it and I'd like to upgrade to the 5 spoke alloys. Problem is, my dealership said that the alloy wheels were $260 each. (ouch!) anybody know a cheaper way to get ahold of some??
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Best advice for New Wheel & Tire Packages...
    go tirerack.com

    In addition to a fantastic selection of European
    Wheels and every tire brand known to modern man,
    they will also make sure that what you get has the
    correct *Fitment*....They will tell you what that is too...
  • littledeb74littledeb74 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for your reply. I have paid closer attention to the noise and it doesn't happen at 10mph. It happens when the RPMs are at or between 120-130. Do you still think it is just the motor's turbo charger? Should I be concerned?
  • merckxmerckx Member Posts: 565
    I am most certain that you are hearing the normal,unavoidable turbo whistle. many enthusiasts actually enjoy this noise;it sort of spurs them on with"the fun's about to start"(more rapid acceleration). I commend you on being sensitive to your car- I'm sure this will increase your enjoyment of this excellent car you just purchased.
  • burn3burn3 Member Posts: 3
    I just read from Matt that the 1.8T GLS has to have 92 octane or above. I had an GLS 1998 Passat and put 93 octane in the gas tank. But I have now purchased a 2001.5 GLX Passat. Do I still have to put the high octane gas in the new six cylinder?
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Although the Owner's Manual advises it...my experience is no. The 1.8T is the only engine
    that absolutely & positively needs the 92...I have
    driven a V6 Passat for two years on 89 with no
    complaint from the engine...personal call though...
  • tylerwhitetylerwhite Member Posts: 1
    I have a '99 GLS V6 and have had problems with the alignment (apparently).

    I have had all of the scheduled maintenance and had the tires rotated regularly. After a tire rotation at 15k the car sounded horrible. Tons of road noise.

    Dealer found no problem (of course...bad dealer), brought the car to the tire place and had the tires replaces under the tire warranty. Tire place said it was a bad alignment, and they fixed all that.

    Now I'm at 22k and after the 20k service (and tire rotation), more road noise.

    I drive the car normally...no rough driving or rough roads.

    Anybody else with a similar experience?

    --Tyler
  • wies1wies1 Member Posts: 14
    I am considering to purchase a 2001 or 2001.5 Passat LS automatic,I/leather & sunroof. Any suggestions on pricing I should go with? I am looking in Cincinnati/Day ton, Ohio.
  • matsocksmatsocks Member Posts: 4
    Mark, thanks for the excellent advice.
    I will give it a good going over and make sure that the salesman shows me all about it.
    As funny as it sounds, I remember years ago just buying a new and driving off.
    I think a healthy bit of skepticism is always a good thing. I'll let you know how it turns out.
    thanks,
    Mat
  • storm77storm77 Member Posts: 1
    I am purchasing the 2001.5 GLS V6. I was told by the salesperson that I needed to purchase the CD Player/Changer $595 when I purchased the car. He stated that if I purchased an aftermarket CD Player that it would not be "coded" to the VW Car and that it would probably be connected via the K-wire. He said that this is same wire that they do diagnostics on the car and that connecting the CD Player to this wire might void the warranty.

    Any opinions or experiences? Is it better to get ANY (audio, sunroof, etc) optional package with the car at purchase or does it matter?

    Any opinions or good experiences on aftermarket CD Player models that are "coded" to the VW and work well with the Monsoon speaker system?
  • goldnbrgoldnbr Member Posts: 8
    If you're talking about just the CD Changer itself that goes in the trunk, the list price on that is $350. The in-dash CD player is under $300. There's a lot of conversation about the CD Changer subject over at vwvortex.com in the Passat forum. Installing the CD changer yourself is a snap and takes less than 10 minutes - the debate is whether or not it really needs to be "coded". Several people on the forum, including myself, have installed it ourselves in 2001 model Passats and think the sound quality is just fine without any coding by the dealer.
  • matsocksmatsocks Member Posts: 4
    We finished the negtotiation for our new Passat 2001.5 at the following price:
    leather, luxury package, automatic, monsoon
    the dealers price was $ 24,978. I think we did well. Opinions? We added on the dashboard cd player at an additional $350 which may be a little high but seems ok I guess.
    The finance mgr. tried to add in the etch the window stuff and I said no thanks.
    As I mentioned we're picking up the car on Friday. Aside from possible dings, rattles, wind of funny noises etc, any little games I need to keep my out for? Thanks.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Just follow instructions in POST #428....
    Congratulations!!!!
  • cacoucacou Member Posts: 2
    I am considering the purchase of a 2001 Passat GLX with Tiptronic. I wanted to try negotiating it at 26700$, which is the invoice price, but if I can get the new 2001.5 for 500$ over invoice, I'd rather get the latest model available.
    What should I expect to pay for 2001 GLX? Less than 26700$ I'm excluding the destination charge. How much of a difference should I expect between the 2001 and 2001.5? Are the dealers still getting rebates for the 2001?

    Thanks for you replies.
  • csl10csl10 Member Posts: 4
    I am planning on buying a car soon, and I am debating between the 2001.5 GLX 4 motion, or a Mazda Millenia S with traction control. The Mazda S model has an excellent engine, and I haven't heard much about the Passat engine. Comments would be appreciated. I'm disappointed with VW's warranty also. I was able to view the Passat and all the colors at the Chicago auto show recently and was impressed with the Passat's leg room in the front and back. I am also wondering if dealers will install a Bose stereo system...is this an option? Thanks.
  • eagle63eagle63 Member Posts: 599
    Is regular old 409 ok to use for cleaning the interior? (dash, etc.)
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    I use an old T-shirt soaked with warm water & wrung out...if you can't drink don't use it.
  • raprorapro Member Posts: 30
    Does the new Passat offer a sports package as an option and does it include 17 inch wheels? You can include prices as well. Thanks...
  • raprorapro Member Posts: 30
    I personally think Millenia looks better than the new Passat, though I've seen the new Passat only in pictures. Millenia has also better front seats. For me Passat seats are smallish and very uncomfortable. However as far as driving is concerned Passat is a far superior car, it's close to a bimmer with less sporty but more luxurious ride. Millenia drives like a typical Japanese car without much feeling or enjoyment. If you don't care how the car drives you're probably better off with Millenia, if you do then it's Passat all the way. The V6 engine in the Passat is very smooth, with the manual it's also very quick (for a family car) and should be more reliable than the Miller-cycle engine in Millenia.
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