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Of course, the trunk latch broke internally just before I took it in. Never seen so many problems on a five year old car.
About 30 % in highway with AC most of time, mpg is lower than I expected, ~25mpg.
Anybody have any suggestions? One reason for staying with Michelin is so I have the same tires on all four wheels (after the next one blows, or if I have to replace just three of them). But ... anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks!
Any comments? Sounds to me like I should go with the "Pilot"
Sorry, I'm sure this has already been debated many times. I know back in 02 there was a topic regarding this question.
With the price of gas as it is, I was wondering about using regular instead of premium. I know the manual recommends premium, although I've read many opinions whether that means you have to use it.
I know VW, in the past couple of years, has gotten very specific about what kind of oil we must use. Does anyone know if there is anything about what octane level we must use for our fuel? Does VW consider using a lower octane fuel a contributor to the sludge issue?
For the record, I'm leaning toward using regular, but am a little worried about running into any warranty issues.
I was planning on replacing the OEM Continentals on my 02' 1.8T Passat with Falkens, if I decide to keep the car (another story). The price for the Falkens is good, and I have not heard a negative comment about them, except from one dealer, who did not carry Falkens and obviously wanted to sell me a tire he carried.
My second choice was Michelin, but I was upset with them after the fiasco with the Indy Grand Prix. :P
Used to live in the city so didn't get it to drive it except on the weekends, so I have only 46000 miles on it.
In that time:
Broken Power Steering pump
Needed new brakes (all four)
Driver side tire rods replaced
Rear speakers stopped working
The ABS system has failed on me.
Mechanic says he sees the VW Passat / Jetta more often than any other car.
He said he's made enough money on me and I should trade the car in.
I also know quite a few people who have Passats with similar experiences.
What a :lemon:
I'll never buy another VW again. I also work hard to disspell the notion that VW makes good cars.
Please everyone get rid of your VW's and get something reliable like a matchbox car.
My daughter's Passat (94) with 115K miles just started having ignition problems, you turn the key and it will not start, sometimes after several attempts it finally starts. Not sure if it's the starter or ignition switch.
Let's look at the numbers though:
Assumption: 12,000 miles a year, overall average 22.5 mpg, and 20 cents price per gallon difference between premium and regular.
Right now, prices in my area are $2.299 for 87 and $2.499 for 93. So, over the course of a year, I would need 533.3 gallons of fuel. For regular, that's $1,226.06. For premium, that would be $1,332.72 for a difference of $106.66 over the course of a year. That's $8.89 a month, or $2.05 a week, or $0.29 a day. Interestingly, this price difference was the same when premium cost $1.499! The price spread between regular and premium has stayed at $0.20 during the price raises.
Personally, I'd rather give up one decent coffee a week and run the recommended fuel in my car, especially since I drive the 1.8T.
Now, Car and Driver magazine did a test on this very issue. On cars that don't recommend premium, they concluded you would be wasting money buying it. However, on cars that do recommend premium, their testing revealed a loss in performance and economy roughly equal to the price difference, roughly 10% loss, when using regular. But that article is a couple of years old when gas was much cheaper.
I'd say if their findings were true, the price of fuel has risen high enough that running regular in a Passat could actually cost you more than running premium! Again, let's look at the numbers. If C&D is correct, and you lose 10% fuel economy running regular, my car would get 20.25 mpg. I would now need to use 592.6 gallons of fuel, at a cost of $1,362.39.
I'm sticking with premium from top tier suppliers to minimize my chances of fuel problems. In the truest sense of the phrase, YMMV!
The sludge (I'd prefer that it be called a "coking problem") problem appears to be directly related to the following:
1) Hot turbocharger.
2) Small total oil capacity for a turbocharged engine.
3) Poorly phrased owner's manual that should have come right out and said, in plain English, that the 1.8T engine requires high quality synthetic oil in the correct grade.
4) Poor maintenance by owners - too long of oil change intervals using poorly chosen oil.
5) Poorly written owner's manual that doesn't specify what constitutes "severe" usage.
6) Lack of 2 minute turbo cool-down by most drivers, when stopping after hard driving.
Experienced VW techs have written in some other forums that what actually happens is the oil cooks in the turbo and cokes into hard particles that make their way back to the oil pan and then clog the oil pump intake screen, under some circumstances. The clogged screen starves the engine of lubricant. Undetected, this will eventually destroy the engine.
Your best defense is to use synthetic oil meeting VW's 502.00 spec, change the oil at no more than 5,000 miles or 6 months, use the larger "068" oil filter, and let the engine idle for two minutes after a hard run before shutting down.
what do you reccomend ?
thanks
alternatator (ball bearings replaced) - $365
timing belt - $300
plastic container that holds wiper fluid - $280
July '05
brakes and rear disk - $639
a/c - 1056.62 :sick:
front passenger side window 'droped' - ???haven't fixed it yet??? (anyone know) :lemon:
August '05
trade in - PRICELESS!!!
Also, for your $639 brake job, was that just the rear brake pads and rotors, or brakes all the way around plus rear rotors? I ask since I just replaced my rear brake pads and rotors for under just $80.
So, what did you buy to replace it?
Mine was fine for the first 3 1/2 years too.
Here's the breakdown:
Original Equipment front brake pads $119.99.
Original Equipment rear brake pads $89.99.
Original Equipment rear brake rotors $159.98.
Labor $170.
Shop fees and taxes bring the price to $619
2000 GLX V6.
I haven't replaced it yet.
I brought my car over to the states and since have had nothing but trouble.
The check engine light keeps coming on. I go to auto zone and I borrow their computer reader and the fault is that the Evap System purge flow valve is bad and that the system is running to lean. I have replaced the fuel filter Apr 2004 and the gas cap May 2005.
I also have the same problem with the presure paint peeling off inside of the car.
I also had to replace enitire bracking system $500.
If you have any information about the error codes and what i need to do to fix the problem please help!!!
Here's the breakdown:
Original Equipment front brake pads $119.99.
Original Equipment rear brake pads $89.99.
Original Equipment rear brake rotors $159.98.
Labor $170.
Here's my breakdown:
Upgraded PBR rear pads: $26.75
ATE (OEM) rear brake rotors: $25.77 x 2 = $51.54
Labor: D.I.Y.
Total: $78.29
Haven't done the front yet, but:
Upgraded PBR pads: $46.81
Brembo front rotors: $41.20 x 2 = $82.40.
Labor: D.I.Y.
Total Expected Cost: $129.21
Wow, 200% mark up on parts....
I'm a 1996 passat owner. One of my headlight bulbs was blown off.I need your advise weather is it a do at home thing to replace the bulbs or do i have to take it to the dealer??
can't afford to take to the dealer. for a 10 min work he is going to charge for an 1/2 hr work. already spended more than 5000$ :mad: in last 3 yrs at the dealer.
need your advise people.
thanks
Understood; I actually have a '96 Saturn that I brought brand new and it's only had an alternator relaced and regular maintence.
Where ever you have taken your passat to get repairs done have really enjoyed your business. Those prices are insane
Now I'm not handy by any stretch of the imagination. But I know enough to shop around. I don't even think about the dealer! for the a/c compressor (rebuilt) and dryer with labor two different places gave me quotes of $900 - $1000 (these were the best I could find). The two dealers I called wanted $2000!
Could high prices be a result of the area you live in almost like realestate? I live in Miami and I'm just about convinced shops here are thiefs and in league with each other.
As most people that come on here to complain about vw, you didn't register to this site until you were already fed up with vw
True. I didn't even know about these fourms until I started looking for a replacement car. I actually searched different fourmns to see what car had the least complaints. Seems to be the civic, but I don't know if I can handle the step down. The VW is a sweet ride.
Alot of people on here support vw products and would have been more than happy to help you with any questions.
I got a quote for the dropped down window - $275
Also, The mechanic says my engine mounts are going bad. I asked him how much to fix it and he just stared at me with a look that said don't ask. How much should this run me?
The transmission went immediately and the tech's cannot figure it out. They are fix #3 and may have it ready in another 5 days.
VW Corporate refuses to switch me into another comparable car or buy me out.
The dealer suggested that I get a lawyer and to document everything as it is most likely a LEMON. Neither the dealer nor corporate care about me.
Beware - VW's #1 priority is FIXING THE CAR. This means they want to fix the car and keep my money - no wiggle room at all.
The "Customer Advocates" told me that the customer is not a priority and telling me otherwise would be a lie.
Vincent Volkswagen in East Rochester, NY SUCKS as does VW the company.
If I'm stuck with this Lemon it will be the last VW I ever buy.
Tell a friend and be forewarned.
I also had no desire (or have the extra $) for a BMW, Mercedes... (those are pretty common too).
But to say the car is meant for people who know how to fix it themselves essentially limits the audience down to about 2000 people (okay I know it's not the exact number, but you gotta admit it won't be a lot of people).
More so, is that the motto for VW - "Be different, buy a VW -but make sure you know how to fix it yourself because this baby's going to cost you"
It's doesn't make much sense. Make the car work and stand behind your product. Otherwise the only way you're different is that you look like a fool.
Can anyone point me to where there might be some more backup for this problem, or expand a little more on it in here. I have had both of the replacements done at Stohlman VW in Tysons Corner, VA (where I purchased). I had both Springfield and Brown's tell me there was nothing wrong.... Thanks!
The second thing I'd do is consult with one of the lemon-law attorneys. In my state, it appears that they get their money out of the auot companies, not the customer. It looks like you have a :lemon: .
And exactly what is the problem? Are the brake pads wearing out? Are the rotors warping? Both?
I vaguely remember reading somewhere that there was some type of flaw that has the rear brakes engaging before the front brakes? I have found numerous posts on the consumer complaint board on NHTSA of people having a lot of problems but nothing from VW itself.
I vaguely remember reading somewhere that there was some type of flaw that has the rear brakes engaging before the front brakes?
This has been debated back and forth. Does the Passat have a rear brake bias under some (light to moderate) braking conditions? Whether it does or not has never been fully clarified to my satisfaction.
The rear disc does has a tendency to warp. I've read that it's due to the brake bias, or that the rear disc is smallish for the size of the Passat, or that it's due to over-torquing/unequal torquing of the wheel bolts.
All I can tell you is, I replaced my rear rotors and pads at 25,000 miles. The pads were worn more on the left rear than the right rear. I can't say that I noticed any warpage while driving. I did an extra thorough job cleaning the brake carriers to remove as much rust as possible and I lubed everything well. I wouldn't have put new rotors on a car without changing the pads, as happened to your car at 28K. I think that's just asking for trouble. If they machined your rotors at 28,000 miles, that would lend itself to having the rotors warp - rotors on many cars are not thick enough to re-surface.
http://www.meguiars.com/whatsnew/quikinterior05.cfm
But I currently have a problem that has me and the local european auto mechanic baffled and hope that someone might have some past experience or insight they can share.
If I drive my car around for about 20-40 minutes, park for 10-20 and then attempt to restart, the car will not start. The best way to describe the situation is to imagine you are attempting to start an old car with a manual transmission, you turn the key, hear the engine and then start pumping the gas pedal until it catches. That is essentially what happens here, though pumping the gas pedal does not help.
Normally I can get the car to start within about 10 minutes after repeated attempts so long as I am patient a take my time, but it seems to be getting worse and I do not look forward to getting stranded somewhere.
Now here's the catch. This problem NEVER happens when the engine is cold, in the mornings or after sitting for an extended period of time...NEVER! I hear the term vapor-lock a lot, but that pursuit has not yielded any positive results.
Suggestions and ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Those are the first three items I would check out before proceeding any further.
Good luck and let us know the outcome...
Fuel filter...well, why does it start when it's cold? Fuel pump...some owners have had failures and at some shockingly low mileage numbers, but all of I've read shows the failure to be immediate and complete; suddenly the car won't run and it won't run again until the pump is replaced. Dunno...I'm stumped.
PS: Temperature sensor is pretty cheap (under $10). Might be worth a try.
PPS: What elese has your tech done or suggested?
My car has ~90K miles on it, regular synthetic oil changes and use premium gas. Fuel filter, timing belt and water pump were changed after this problem began (within the last two months). Fuel pump was successfully tested at that time too. Oil does not smell like gas and no smoke from exhaust. Do not believe it is flooding or starved for fuel, though twice I have been able to start it by opening the hood and manually rev'ing the engine while someone else turned the key, but does not always work.
Have not changed the ignition coils, it's been a while since I looked at that topic, but I thought that recall didn't affect my particular year/model. I'll have to go back and double-check. Also, I will look into a temperature sensor, I assume something I can get from an autoparts store.
Tech suggested replacing/resetting timing belt, fuel filter, also resetting the onboard computer and that has been it so far. I think they are stumped.
To describe the sound, it would be similar to rubbing a wet finger around the rim of a crystal glass, but the pitch would be lower and the sound volume much higher. Hope that helps.
They detected the problem. I contacted Road side assistance, they towed the car to 3 Rivers Volkswagon in McMurray PA.
VW called this AM, and told me the same as my independent dealer. They want all oil change records before they touch my 4cyl "03 Passat w/ 1.8 turbo. That's fine. But I have the feeling, while the car is still under warranty, they're going to attempt to stick me with the bill for synthetic vs regular oil, even though the oil was changed on or before each 5,000 mile recommendation.
Is synthetic a requirement or a recommendation? Is anyone else seeing a problem coming? If so, what do you anticipate.
Thanks,
tom
I just purchased a new 2005 Passat GLX V6. The car is a real pleasure to drive, however, with the first tank of gas, it went only for a 240 miles with average consumption of 14-15 MPG. I got concerned and after I put gas for second time, I have been closely monitoring the MPG numbers which so far show average of 19 MPG. 19 doesn't sound so bad if I was not driving 90% on the highway.
I am very disappointed and my question is: Is this normal or not? Should I go back to the dealership to complain. Most important indicator for me is - how many miles does a 2.8 V6 engine go?
Thanks for your help!