How specific brands ranked in J.D. Power and Associates' annual vehicle dependability survey released Tuesday. The study is based on responses from more than 55,000 original owners of 2000 model-year cars and light trucks. The figures represent the number of problems per 100 vehicles.
Brand ......Problems/100vehicles Lexus 163 Infiniti 174 Buick 179 Porsche 193 Acura 196 Toyota 201 Cadillac 209 Lincoln 212 Honda 218 Mercury 240 Jaguar 247 Saab 255 BMW 262 Subaru 266 Nissan 267 GMC 269 Chevrolet 272 Saturn 273
INDUSTRY AVG. 273
Oldsmobile 283 Mazda 288 Pontiac 293 Chrysler 295 Ford 295 Plymouth 302 Dodge 312 Audi 318 Mercedes-Benz 318 Jeep 321 Volvo 330 Mitsubishi 339 Hyundai 342 Isuzu 368 Volkswagen 391 Suzuki 403 Daewoo 421 Land Rover 441 Kia 509
I have a 2001.5 Pasat Tip. 4 Cylinder and have had no major problems....just the trim falling down over the passenger side door and brake lights burning out after 8 months. I believe the brand suffers from the Mexico, Brazil manufacturing facilities. However, the company should be ashamed of itself for this showing. They need to get their act together!
My '02 1.8T Tip leather Passat w/43K mi is still going strong. It does seem too bad that OVERALL the VW line, as rated by J.D.Power for my2000 cars is way down there (so is Mercedes). I have had few problems (none major), and the dealer has been no less than acceptable. Build quality seems to have a definite influence on the long term service the car provides. Mexico or Brazil may not provide that level of quality. However a car is no better than the PARTS it is assembled with. Manufacturers redesign systems and parts that cost them money due to excessive warranty claims. This may not be a high priority in those cars that are slated to end production or be completely redesigned as a new model. A possible example might be the Passat that was redesigned as a 2001.5 model (B5.5). As I understand, only the doors and roof were retained from the 2000 model (B5). Also, I have read that VWAG has dispatched some of their big shots to Mexico and Brazil to determine actions to be taken to bring the quality up to acceptable standards as in Germany where the Passat is built. It seems that 5 of the top ten cars are from Japan even 'tho some are assembled here. Four of the others are GM or Ford. Porsche is there too.
As I said in post #105, I have only some nagging minor problems. (The door trim above the front passenger side is starting to come loose again). However, I have very low mileage. Just passed 18,900! VW sent out a recall a few weeks ago to replace something in the right rear wheel well. Says it will take less then an hour. I am bringing the car into the VW dealer tomorrow. I'll get an oil change as well. Unfortunately, they are very SLOW. Bet I'll be there 2 1/2 to 3 hours. That's really unacceptable, but it's all part of the VW experience I guess. Oh yes, the build quality of the Passat did undergo a major overhaul for the 2001.5/2002 model. I still love the car nevertheless.
35k, major accident and just 1 problem. Security light stop blinks and stay on all the time. This is when I realized: VW teck's is a same teck's who works on 1955 dodge. They have a car for 10 days only to recomend replace all wiring in it. It took me 30 min. to fix with help of transistor from old Tv set. Oil change at dilership faster the 2 hours? this is a joke. This is why I am staing with Volvoline it take a 15 min top. Overal I love the car, no complaints. VW wiil cover any recals even after accident. My only wish is a more smarter teck's but this will hapen in my next life.
I am another suffering owner of a 1999 V6 manual Passat. Its a love-hate kind of thing.....Here's my story:
1999 - bought new with a 2 yr BTB warranty and 10 yr Powertrain warranty. Everything went smooth for about one year and then:
1. boots cracked - fixed under warranty. Also the cupholders in the back are falling apart and VW makes an attempt to patch them back together.
2. 2 yr warranty up
3. lights in dash behind temperature control go out - never did fix that
4. rear passanger window drops (!) scaring the sh-t out of my 3 year old sitting in her car seat there, VW fixes and charges us $200
5. Cupholders in the back fall apart
6. 38K (3yr old) the brakes need to be done...and you have to do the rotors too maam...and by the way it'll cost you about $900 when its all said and done. We ordered the brakes thru a friend and had them put on at a local repair shop. Didn't do the rotors and the car brakes fine.
7. Oil begins to leak onto the plastic piece underneath the engine. I only notice it because when the heat is on there's a big stink in the passenger cabin. Fixed by VW under the powertrain warranty
8. Boots cracked again. VW covers it under the powertain warranty and fixes not only the boot but some other piece that is causing the boots to crack in the first place. Husband knows the details.
9. Rear window brakes again. Fixed by VW no charge.
10. Original carpet padding worn out. i bought the monster mats - the black rubber ones form VW and they are fantastic.
11. Rear window breaks again. Fixed by VW - no charge.
12. Went for an oil change today at the local guy. he makes a note on my bill THAT THE BOOT ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE IS CRACKED!!!!!
I can't take it any more!!!!!!!! I love the way the car drives but this is really it. I'm DONE! I think I'll cut my losses now (the car still has a nice book value - thanks to all the nuts that are praising this piece of crap) and get my dream car!
Hi - 2002 Passat - @ 25k miles brakes vibrating - dealer replaced rear brake pads cost of almost $200.00 - now at 32k miles more vibrations - dealer says needs to replace rear rotors for cost of $400.00 additional - they are "throw away" rotors and can't be recut - says I'm in for another $600.00 replacement on front brakes soon too. I use the tiptronic to downshift to brake alot - I'm not that hard on the brakes - - This is crazy - right? Anyone know of reasonable VW repair place in monmouth county NJ? This dealer is killing me! thanks, steve
As I have stated in some previous posts, I have had numerous electrical problems with my Power Mirrors and Power Windows. I own a 01 GLX Passat with 19k miles. I brought my car in and left it for two days. It turns out they replaced the comfort control module. This module controls the windows, mirrors, interior courtesy lighting and power seats. If any of you are experiencing similar failures do the following. If your mirrors stop working, check to see what other components are also not working. This may lead you to the same area of the module. Thank god I spent 1500 bucks for an extended warranty! (had the 2yr 24 month factory) This could have been a $600 fix. P.S. I'm still getting rid of this car while the going is good. I know there will be other problems on the horizon. Where there is smoke there is fire!
I had a '99 GLX, bought new. From the start the radio had terrible AM reception. That took the dealer 5 tries to fix. I had problems with misfit doors, squeaks and rattles, especially in the winter. The front suspension had parts replaced after it started creaking. The air injector needed replacing, but I never did it. At 30,000 miles plus, the car started smoking and smelling like something was burning. They replaced the cam tensioners. At 40,000 the water pump went. At 42,000 the timing belt broke. That also involved replacing cam shafts. I too, could not fold in the mirrors because they would not go back out. The cruise control worked when it wanted. A month ago I traded it in on an Infiniti FX35. Every time I go over a bump, I expect to hear some creak or rattle. Of course, there are none. I am conditioned to hearing strange noises from the Passat. I was telling someone, that within a month, I had a list of things wrong with the Passat. Not so with the Infiniti. It is too bad, because the Passat was such a nice looking car with one of the best looking interiors in the industry. I have friends who have a Passat and love it and have no problems with it. I can't blame the whole line, just my car, and the poor dealer service.
Our late '98 Passat has had its ups and downs, but is has never stopped running, and we still love the car.
We've had problems with boots and the costly brakes, too. Recently had to replace the front axle, struts, and bushings, and a few other little parts -- which came to around $2000 total! However, the engine and tranny sound good. Drives perfectly, with excellent handling. No leaks. Hardware is holding up. Paint (white) looks great. Black leather has worn well. The wood is still gorgeous.
When we bought the car in late '98, the new body style was so cool, and it still is. We hope to get another 50K miles out of this car (yes, that is asking much from a VW) and we will be satisfied. Cars are never going to be trouble-free. But, given the good safety features, high resale and that the car is still fun to drive -- we are very thankful.
Those prices are definitely ridiculous. Look on line for parts. Set of OEM rear pads run around $35. Set of rear discs $70. You have the following options in my opinion in order of increasing expense:
Buy the parts and install yourself (or friend) Buy the parts and have an independent install Buy the parts and have the dealer install (if they allow customer parts)
Just make sure you order the right things. Do you have wear sensors in your front pads? Are they round or square?
Just purchased a Passat turbo 4....Does the gas mileage get better? I only saw 270 miles on the first tank compared to my Honda Prelude that I traded in and got 370! HELP!
I am SO confused. We are really leaning towards buying the passat (like, this weekend!), but heard from a few people that once you get above 60k miles all kinds of problems turn up. I typically put about 25k/year on my car. Is the VW Passat a good choice for me? I am also looking at the Nissan Altima. Any advice will be greatly appreciated! Thanks.
I would not hesitate to buy a Passat. When my lease is up on my Jetta, I will look into a Passat or Jetta. I don't think you should judge your purchase decision on this board. Along with this board, do additional research. Ask current Passat owners, search the web, read car magazines etc. If it would give you additional comfort, buy an extended warranty (FROM VW). It will give you peice of mind. Judgeing your car purchase on this thread alone is not the best way to go. Yes, this board will give you good (or bad) insight. But, extensive research is required. I think Consumer Reports rates the Passat best sedan...which includes the company of camry and Accord.
I wish I could have gotten 60,000 miles out of my '99 Passat. By 44,0000 miles when I got rid of it, parts in the front suspension had been replaced twice, the radio took 5 service calls to get AM reception, at 35,000 miles the engine started smoking-they replaced the cam tensioners, at 40,000 the water pump was replaced, the check engine light came on for the air injector which I never bothered to replace, the timing belt broke at 44,000 miles-required new cam tensioners again, and cam shafts. There were numerous problems with misfit doors, rattles and squeaks, a leaking sun roof, distorted windshield. I never had a car that looked so nice, had such a nice interior, drove so well (when it worked), and was such a disappointment. I have not seen such poor dealer service or unfriendly people to deal with. VW picked up the cost for most of the repairs, but most of these problems do not usually show up in less than 45,000 miles.
I recently took my 2000 Passat in for the recommended 40,000 mile service. I also informed the dealer that the check engine light had recently come on with the "Emissions Workshop" warning. They perfromed the 40K service and replaced a vacuum hose and a valve for the paultry sum of $650. Not 24 hours after picking it up the check engine light returned and it began to idle extremely rough. I returned to the dealer at which time they replaced the secondary air pump (associated with the catalytic converter, but oddly, not covered by the emissions warranty ?!?!?) and now they are telling me the air flow sensor has shorted out and needs replacement as well.
The air flow sensor problem seems more than coincidental to me. I only began having a problem after they performed the 40K service and replacing the vac. hose and valve. I'm convinced that if I had simply opted to get an oil change and not the 40K service I wouldn't be having this problem.
I have read posts on this board that indicate VW has replaced secondary air pumps under the emissions warranty. Why not now? Has anyone else had an air flow sensor fail? Could any of the work the dealer performed have caused the air flow sensor to fail?
Just some honest advice to those who consider VW/Passat.
When I bought my 2000 Passat (as new, Made in Germany) 3 years ago, I was influenced by good ratings at Consumer Reports. However, after 3 years of ownership, I truly understand why JD Power survey gave VW such poor ratings. There are just too many annoying problems, and it is costly to fix them! In addition, VW is really sleazy in denying warranty services.
So far, my car is only 23k miles, but I have experienced a number of repairs. To make it even worse, their warranty document is very misleading, and dealership would try all the tricks to deny warranty claims. VW Cutomer Realtion offers very poor service, and just echos whatever dealership says. The repairs I had include, - Engine malfunction light was on, and the dashboard console pointed to emissions problem - Loose/broken housing for both mirrors - After they fixed mirror housing, one of the mirror does not defrost, and VW simply threw burden of proof to me, and denied any possible link to their repair. What a coincidence! - Annoying rattling noises due to loose parts under seats - Squeaky noise between steering wheel pole and surrounding plastics - Blown engine pipe gasket
People may have different opinions based on individual experience, and I understand the temptation of the "cool" look and feel when the car is in the shown room. However, unless you have a lot of time in your hands, and money to throw away, why would you put down $25k for more hassles down the road?
I keep hearing the same problems with the Passat. Is it the Passat quality or just Volkswagen there service quality that is the problem? From reading the posts, it appears to me the problem are on models prior to 2001. This is a concerning issue as i am about to make a decision between the Forester XS or XT and the Passat GLS 1.8T both in 5 speed. Any help or advise is welcome.
I'm seriously debating between a Passat sedan and an Acura TSX - very different vehicles, but both appeal to me and suit my purposes.
The fact is, I prefer the Passat - Acura has a reputation for bulletproof Japanese reliability, and the TSX is nice and fun to drive in a sort of sterile way, but the Passat is more fun and has much more character in my opinion.
But I'm terrified by some of the things I'm reading on VW reliability and customer service. I take it as a given that people who run into problems tend to be much more vocal than people who have a great experience with a vehicle, but I've seen enough disgruntled VW owners to scare me.
Add to this the fact that a Google Groups search on my closest VW dealer (Charles Maund in Austin Texas) brings up a litany of complaints and problems, and I'm thinking the bland Japanese reliability might be the way to go. Anyone willing to argue for the Passat?
There are a number of criteria for people to choose a car. To be objective, there must be something of Passat that attracted me. I appreciated its "style and character" too. Ironically, when I bought my Passat in 2000, I saw similar messages in this discussion group saying that "it seems the reliability problems are on models prior to 1998/1999?"
However, compared to other cars (Camry, Accord, Maxima, Subaru Outback, etc) that my friends and I bought around the same time, there is simply much more hassle and money to spend on a Passat. I reluctantly experienced a transition from denial to acceptance of this reality.
Again, let yourself be objective. If reliability is not your top concern, you may look at Passat from a different angle. But still be prepared with the unexpected. If you are concerned with time and extra money to spend down the road, you need to think twice.
Don't get fooled by the propaganda in VW show rooms that how they care about quality. They may be good in some aspects, but quality is certainly not of them in my opinion.
One thing to keep in mind is that satisfied Passat owners may not bother coming here... The only reason I got back into Edmunds was that we're looking to buy a Toyota Sienna minivan (replacing '93 Volvo wagon).
Our '99 Passat has been superb (not 100% perfect but no car is!). We have 112k miles on the car. Never had a breakdown. There is one flaky recurrent problem that we have had. The left headlight likes to burn out! We are on our 4th headlight (the original + 3 purchases). Haven't replaced the right headlight at all. My sister-in-law & her hubby have also experienced a higher than normal replacement rate (also a Passat). From prior experience with other cars, I have only RARELY replaced a headlight (once or twice in 200k miles). This is kind of odd.
Overall, I'm tickled pink with the car. When the engine eventually goes (depending on the condition of the car overall), I may have a rebuilt engine dropped in. I like keeping cars 'til they won't drive anymore. My prior experience w. VWs is good (87 GTI w/ 213k miles, engine did go, 86 Golf w/ 195k miles, sold when we had a third child & needed more space).
BTW, one of the keys to long engine life is frequent oil changes. With my earlier VWs, I used conventional motor oils, Fram filters, replaced every 3k miles. With Volvo wagon & Passat, it's synthetic oils, roughly 5k miles (OK, sometimes 6k miles...).
We have had a '02 Passat Wagon for about 18 months with current mileage of nearly 20,000. Only one problem: replace a headlight. Our dealer volunteered to replace all the coils even tho we have had no problems. I disagree with the writer who said that VW is not interested in quality. This wagon is beautifully assembled with outstanding paint quality and interior fittings and very decent leather. I have owned 5 Accords in the 1980's and 1990's and none of them seemed to be as well assembled. Besides the Passat is a lot more fun to drive.
I owned a 2000 Passat GLS and loved it the minute I drove it. The car handled well, cornered flat and had decent performance for a reasonable price. I loved the way it looked and felt. But man, did I ever have problems with the car.
It started the day I drove the car home. I opened the trunk that night and realized the trunk light was flickering out. I took it in the next day and that was that. But the check engine light came on a couple thousand miles later and that was to become a recurring problem for me. Various warranty repairs took care of that.
But the charges after my 20,000 mile mark passed were the beginning of the real trouble. The check engine services started costing me money. One tire rotation revealed a bent tie rod, which was hard to explain since I had never had an accident at that point with the car. The 30,000 mile maintanance was pricey, needing a new O2 sensor and some various other engine problems. It ran over $1,000.00.
The 40,000 mile job was the kicker, though. My usual dealer wanted $2,300.00 to fix a whole array of problems (check engine was on again). The brake wear meant not just pads but new rotors - I was told they could not be surfaced - and a secondary air pump needed to be replaced, the O2 sensor was bad again, etc. I thought I was being ripped off and went to another dealer. This one wanted less, partly because they were saying they could surface the rotors (later turned out to be a big mistake).
At the 50,000 mile mark someone backed into the hood of my car and it went to the body shop. The guy there explained that my brakes looked like crap and had been butchered. He told me that the European cars usually have thin, dense rotors not suitable for surfacing. As a result, my rotors were pitted and uneven. The car didn't stop well.
The last visit to the dealer came when the car wouldn't start one morning. It was towed and the resulting repairs cost me $1,200.00. I wrote the check in disgust and sat waiting for the car to be pulled around for me to leave. Well, the mechanic couldn't start the car. I waited for an hour for them to try and rediagnose the problem, but it couldn't be fixed without more time. I left without my car, already $1,200.00 poorer with the chance of more expense to come. Nice, huh?
Two days later the mechanic tells me he replaced the main control unit and every other part he could think of and finally nailed the problem. The part had to be shipped and that finally fixed it. It still ran poorly and I could smell gasoline inside the car at a stand still. He had mercy on me and only charged an additional couple hundred dollars, sensing the abomination that was taking place. He charged it off to VW even though the work wasn't under warranty.
I asked the mechanic if he thought the repairs I was having done so frequently made sense. I didn't drive the car very hard, and it seemed like expenses that someone who owned an $80,000.00 car might be prepared for, but not a guy on a tight budget like me. He asked if I wanted to hear the "real answer," and I said yes. He told me that it happened all the time, and that although my car was a good performing car that was well conceived with great technology, there were all kinds of electrical and mechanical failures that would creep up way sooner than they should have.
I wish I could say that I chanced out another VW, but I recently leased an Acura and have had no problems but will withhold judgment until I've had the car a little longer. The bottom line is that after owning the Passat and a '96 Jetta before it, and having lots of problems with both, I was gun shy from buying another VW. I wanted to because I loved the car in theory, but the reality of the costs were too much to risk another bad experience for me.
Just one experience, I know. But for myself, the decision was easy. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I sure hope those of you with Passats don't have experiences like me and that mine was an exception.
There's no doubt in my mind that the current model jettas and new beetles are LEMONS. Both are manufactured in Mexico. The Passat is assembled in Germany and has had average reliability according to Consumers Report.
I used to think VWs were the coolest cars on the road that I could afford. Finally, 3 years and 2 months and, surprise!, 15,500 miles later I'm looking to dump my jetta. My glx still looks new inside and out and is running great right now. I just don't have confidence in the car anymore.
It would be nice if we didn't have to take our vws in so much except for routine maintenance. My sister owns a 2000 Civic and only has the oil changed every 3k miles as well as other scheduled maintenance. She's gone over 100k miles with her Civic.
I've decided that I won't be buying a VW in the near future, not until I see at least five straight years of above-average reliability for all their cars and better reviews from real vw owners like you and me. Plus, I don't like buying cheaply-made products from Mexico.
It's funny that I'm always wondering if the other vw drivers I see on the road are experiencing similar problems as I have had with my jetta.
I hope someone from Corporate VW is reading this web-site and does something to improve their reliability.
I'm just curious. If you don't like buying cheaply-made products from Mexico, why did you buy a Jetta? It's no secret that they actually are cheaply-made products from Mexico. I just bought a brand-new Passat GLX 5 weeks ago. When comparing the Jetta to the Passat originally, I decided to go for the German made car rather than the Mexican made one.
I have only had my GLX for 5 weeks now, but I love it It has 1700 miles on it. It's so fun to drive that I just can't stop. The only problem I have had is a discoloring on the chrome trim around the rear windows. The dealer is going to replace the defective trim, though, so I'm happy. I love the climate control, the alarm system, the black leather interior, the radio controls on the steering wheel ... My only complaint is the mileage, which has been about 21-22 MPG so far with mostly city driving, but I bought the car expecting that.
I thinking of getting the 2003 wagon GLS 1.8T, but I have some reservation in regards to the reliability of the Passat. It has been up and down. Some of the reviews I have read on this site range from either good or poor. There seems to be constant glitches with this car. However, Volkswagen is now offering 48 months/50,000 miles, which at least shows that the are standing by there product. what are you thoughts?
I chose the GLX because that was the car Consumer Reports ranked as the #1 vehicle of choice this year. The other Passat models ranked well too. Most people who come to these sites want to vent their problems. A lot of people who are content with their cars don't come here. The longer warranty was one of the reasons I chose the Passat. I also had a great experience with the dealer when I was just looking last fall. I received a thank you card for looking, while none of the other dealers for other cars I looked at acknowledged my presence after the fact. I think the roadside assistance is also a benefit, although I hope I'll never need to use it. There are a lot of satisfied Passat owners out there. You should check out www.clubb5.com, where a lot of VW owners hang out. So far, I'm extremely pleased with my purchase. I don't know what other cars you are looking at, but I would recommend the Passat. Another reason I bought it was for all the safety features and the great crash test results.
Thank you for your input. I am going to that web site you provided. Indeed the Passat offers plenty of options and safety features, which are important since I have young children. On another note, I am considering the Forester by Subaru XS or XT, with almost a bulletproof reliability and also great in safety features. This is my dilemma!
Good luck with your decision. I was actually torn between the Passat and the Outback sedan when I was looking, but the Passat just had more of the features that I wanted and the better warranty. Also, like I mentioned earlier, the VW dealer contacted me after I took a test drive to thank me, while the Subaru dealer didn't even take down my name and address. The VW dealer was also much quicker at reponding to my e-mail inquiries. Just food for thought. I don't know how the dealers are by you.
Thanks for your response. I was really interested in buying a new passat glx but decided on the fully-loaded jetta (more my size and less expensive). At the time I wasn't aware that jettas are assembled in Mexico while the passats are built in Germany. That may account for the passat's average reliability compared to the jetta's poor rating in Consumer Reports in recent years.
Since it was my first NEW-car buying experience, I have learned that a prospective buyer should do a lot more research than just haggling for the best price. For example, this is an excellent web-site to find out what kinds of problems peeps have with their cars. There are lots of complaints about jettas, fewer about passats, and virtually none at all about Lexus and Acura. Consumer Reports is another excellent resource, especially the section on car repair history.
Your description about your new passat reminds me of my initial excitement over my jetta glx. I'm glad the new vws have 4 year warranties. If I ever buy another vw (passat), which IS a possibility, I'll make sure I also get an extended warranty, too. Corporate VW impressed me when they monitored and picked up the tab on the repairs of my car beyond its 2 year warranty. The problems were primarily with the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) lighting up and buzzing for a stretch of 8 months. I know a lot of the readers out there know exactly what I'm talking about.
As for the person who commented about peeps dumping their complaints on this site, well, it's been therapeutic for me to vent here rather than at my local vw service writer. I've also learned a lot from the experiences and input from other vw drivers.
Keep in mind that I still think vws are the most luxurious, safe, fun-to-drive cars for their class--only if they aren't in the service bay too frequently for unscheduled service repairs. And I still stand behind my statement of "5 straight years of above-average reliability" to any prospective working-class car buyer like myself. Good luck with your passat glx. It's a nice-looking car. Hope you know they're due for a re-design and a hp upgrade in a year or two.
I got the impression some people blame VW quality on Mexican built cars. Sorry, but that's a false excuse! VW does poorly in Europe too. In fact none of the Germans, MB or BMW, does well.
Here's a quote from a BBC article: "Dominating the top reliability places for both manufacturers and individual car models were the Japanese and other Asian makers, with Honda, Hyundai, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota all in the best category for maker-reliability."
Just some positive comment. My passat has been performing fine so far.
I have a 2002 GLS Passat wagon w/ 1.8T engine and 5 speed manual with 40K on it. It was bought on 7/01. I have been getting 30-34 mpg going to/from work everyday. The only real problem I had was with the head light. I had three (3) burn-out bulb so far. All changed under warranty. I did my regular oil change 1st in 3k interval now at 5k, change my brake fluid as perscribed in the maintaince manual. The two recalls (ignition pack and re-enforcing of wheel well) were performed during my regular maintance without any problem. In fact my car was made so earlier in the model year that it had the "G" series ignition pack, but they were all changed out during the recall anyway.
I was trying to look last night for some "bigger picture" evidence, not sure i can put it all together, but: (1) Consumer Reports 2003 Reliability report, looking at years 2001-02, lists Passat reliability as average. But in fact its score was about 12% above average. (Anything that's within 20% above or below average is considered "average'-- I hope that's statistical significance, but in any case, the Passat scored about the same as the Camry, which wa about 15% above average). The Jetta, btw, was 60% below average. Scores seem to reflect consumer feedback/complaints. (2) MSN Carpoint keeps track of tech-service calls by mechanics. I don't know how valid it is. But their most recent score for the Passat is 1999, and it gets a perfect score of 5 stars out of 5. (3) NHTSA has I think one recall of the 2003 (fuel cap filler), two defect investigations of the 2002 (one is with bad bolts on the airbag, which occurred on two cars, a particular 2000 that was in an accident and a particular 2002), and 51 complaints on the 2003. I haven't read these yet, and there were 60 for the Camry (but it has much more sales, so the numbers would need to be adjusted). I don't know how bad that is compared to a similar car. Trying to tie that all together, I'd guess that the 2003 Passat does have okay reliability--neither great (like a Subaru) nor lousy (like a Jetta). But can anyone else add to this or help make sense of it? Thanks.
Taking a quick peek at the NHTSA complaints, it looks like the bulk of them are related to the ignition coil problems, or rather FIASCO, VW had awhile back. There also seems to be a number of complaints that are posted multiple times (one of them nine times!), so the number of total complaints isn't as high as 51. Does anyone know how the NHTSA addresses these complaints?
One concern I have before plunking down money for a Passat: somewhere on one of these discussions someone said that the turbo engine on the base Passat will have a shorter life than a V-6. (I admit I've never taken the time to understand turbos, so I can't explain why that might be so.) In any case-- can anybody verify or dispute that statement, and explain why? Thanks!
I have been experiencing hesitation problems with my V6. auto 2002 Passat GLS. It hesitates from a dead stop mostly when I'm turning left or right. It does not happen all the time. I have brought my car in for service at least times and they are unable to fix it. VW tells me that the car is performing as designed??? Is anyone out there having hesitation problems?
For those of you that own a 2000 Passat, check out NHTSA recall 01V157002. Plug that in Google and search. This applies to the fuel sending unit. I called 3 dealers; none knew of the recall.
I own a 1999 Passat with the exact same fuel sending unit in the 2000 model (part #) as verified by VW. VW refuses to recall my car, even though my car suffered the exact problems under this recall, twice. They fixed it 2 years ago and paid 75 percent but now I find that Audi (also VW) has the same recall for 98 thru 01 A6's. Audi recall 01V157. They dropped the 002 at the end for Audi. Why hasn't VW recalled 98-01 Passat's since they used the exact same unit in the Audi A-6 as told to me by various dealers and mechanics? Could VW be trying to avoid a very costly recall and ignoring a tremendous safety hazard? My gut tells me yes, since the part numbers are the exact same between VW and Audi and from years 98-01.
My wife ran out of gas with the needle near half a few weeks ago. The fuel gauge stays on full for over 200 miles then bounces around. I'm told my sending unit is bad (which we knew from the same problem in 01) by my dealer but they want $500 to fix. I say phooey to that. If you have a 2000, make sure you had the recall done. It's concerning that 3 dealers knew nothing of this recall.
I've reported this to NHTSA for my model plus other years per the Audi recall. I have also reported this to the BBB. I have also written the CEO of VW America, awaiting his reply.
Anyone else going through this in models other than 2000? Many thanks in advance.
Have appreciated the recent posts and found the Clubb5 link especially welcome and helpful. Thanks for the reference. BTW--a similar forum,MercedesShop.com, is an equally great resource for any MBZ owners or enthusiasts.
I have a 2000 VW Passat with about 110,000 miles. I bought the car in 1999. I've experienced a myriad of problems with the car since I rolled off the dealer parking lot, but this new one was down right scary and troubling.
I was driving yesterday when smoke came out to the vents. I pulled the car over and to my horror smoke was pouring out of the hood. I immediately secured my valuables and called the fire dept. The smoke smelt of rubber burning. After repeated CO2 applciation, they resorted to suing the hose to end the smoke condition.
Today my dealer (Capital City Eurocars in Tallahassee -- that' another story) told me that the Alternator malfunctioned and sent too much power to the battery which created the smokey condition.
Has ANYONE ever had a problem like that with their Passat. VW's were always notorious in the 80's for electrical problems, I love the car, but after this I might head over to the Japanese market.
In the early days of turbos, the turbo (rather than the engine itself) was prone to lubrication-related bearing failures. That came as a result of shutting off the engine immediately after driving at highway speeds instead of letting the engine idle for a couple of minutes (to stabilize the temperature). While the engine is idling, the engine oil cools down and circulates through the turbo bearing (which has gotten extremely hot due to spinning at high speed), which in turn cools down the bearing.
If the turbo engine is shut off immediately before it has a chance to idle, the oil flowing through the bearing gets so hot, it becomes caked (baked) on to the turbo's bearing - which results in excessive bearing wear and subsequent turbo failure after a short period of time.
Today, with the increased use (by VW and other manufacturers) of synthetic oils, and a lubrication system which cools and lubricates that critical turbo bearing area (even after you shut off your engine) - thus prolonging the life of the turbo.
In summary, as long as you have the engine oil changed during regular intervals, there's no reason that the turbo shouldn't last as long as the engine itself.
As a bonus, after driving (and maintaining) VW's for 25 years, VW is the only manufacturer I know that uses the stronger diesel engine block for both diesel and gasoline engines - They have been doing this since the first diesel rabbits in Germany. The story behind this was that since gas over in Europe averages $5.00/gallon and up, VW sold a higher percentage of diesel engines than gasoline engines, and determined that it was more cost effective to use the same diesel block for both gas and diesel engines rather than design and build separate engine blocks for each. The gasoline engines are designed to go at least 400,000 miles, while the diesel engines (with their stronger internal components) are designed to go at least 600,000 miles.
I have a 99 Passat GLX with 20K miles. Yes, it's very low mileage. Yesterday the front passenger side window made a croaking sound and would not close completely after several tries.
The dealership said the "window lift" needs replacing. The part costs $145.00 (Houston). Labor cost is $135.00. That's almost $300 total. I called VW Customer Service to see if they would bear some of the cost since there was a factory recall for similar window defects on the Jetta and Beetle. The snippy patronizing little "advocate" said there was nothing VW would do and refused to transfer me to a supervisor.
I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has had the same problem or knows how to get VW to ante up.
I just wanted to give my experience with a 2003 VW Passat wagon, 1.8t.
We purchased new in October 2002. The car has been in the shop at least 8 times. During the first month, 4 times. Problems have been mainly electrical. The battery kept going dead the first month. After 3 new batteries, found a parasitic drain in the radio. After replacing, 2 other radios have failed. Now the radio will turn on without a key in the ignition. I also had problems with broken AC controls. I have got to say, this is the most I have ever had a car in the shop, outside of oil changes and tires, in all my cars put together. And this one is brand new!
I really like the Passat as far as ride, comfort, fit and finish, and engine and transmission. What I can't understand is that Consumer Reports still has this as a best pick. They removed my other car, 2002 BMW 330i, because of reliability and I have never had a problem with that car.
Regarding 99 Passat-has VW ever recalled or sugg service to replace tensioner dampener when belt is replaced. My belt only was replaced at 50K and then my tensioner went at 60K and well you know- new head & valves. This just happened to my nice,low miles '99. Was this common knowledge, was my mech. a jerk for not replacing the tens-damp when belt was done.
Is this the same as the cam tensioner. Mine were replaced at about 35,000 miles. At 40 some thousand, the timing belt broke while driving the car. Again they replaced the cam tensioners and cam shafts. I got rid of the car. For some reason, I seem to remember them telling me either the first time they replaced the cam tensioners or when they replaced the water pump that they replaced the timing belt, and I wouldn't have to worry about it going out!
My 98 Passat with a 100K has always used oil but know it's blowing smoke out the tail pipe. I'm guessing a ring job is needed? Anybody have this done recently, or have a similar problem? I'm guessing $3-4K easy for a ring job, which is a pure guess. I'm in Sacramento, CA. and will try to find a independent shop, we only have two dealers and both are awful proud $$$$ of their work.
Comments
How specific brands ranked in J.D. Power and Associates' annual vehicle dependability survey released Tuesday. The study is based on responses from more than 55,000 original owners of 2000 model-year cars and light trucks. The figures represent the number of problems per 100 vehicles.
Brand ......Problems/100vehicles
Lexus 163
Infiniti 174
Buick 179
Porsche 193
Acura 196
Toyota 201
Cadillac 209
Lincoln 212
Honda 218
Mercury 240
Jaguar 247
Saab 255
BMW 262
Subaru 266
Nissan 267
GMC 269
Chevrolet 272
Saturn 273
INDUSTRY AVG. 273
Oldsmobile 283
Mazda 288
Pontiac 293
Chrysler 295
Ford 295
Plymouth 302
Dodge 312
Audi 318
Mercedes-Benz 318
Jeep 321
Volvo 330
Mitsubishi 339
Hyundai 342
Isuzu 368
Volkswagen 391
Suzuki 403
Daewoo 421
Land Rover 441
Kia 509
I have a 2001.5 Pasat Tip. 4 Cylinder and have had no major problems....just the trim falling down over the passenger side door and brake lights burning out after 8 months. I believe the brand suffers from the Mexico, Brazil manufacturing facilities. However, the company should be ashamed of itself for this showing. They need to get their act together!
As I said in post #105, I have only some nagging minor problems. (The door trim above the front passenger side is starting to come loose again). However, I have very low mileage. Just passed 18,900! VW sent out a recall a few weeks ago to replace something in the right rear wheel well. Says it will take less then an hour. I am bringing the car into the VW dealer tomorrow. I'll get an oil change as well. Unfortunately, they are very SLOW. Bet I'll be there 2 1/2 to 3 hours. That's really unacceptable, but it's all part of the VW experience I guess. Oh yes, the build quality of the Passat did undergo a major overhaul for the 2001.5/2002 model. I still love the car nevertheless.
Security light stop blinks and stay on all the time. This is when I realized: VW teck's is a same teck's who works on 1955 dodge.
They have a car for 10 days only to recomend replace all wiring in it. It took me 30 min.
to fix with help of transistor from old Tv set.
Oil change at dilership faster the 2 hours?
this is a joke. This is why I am staing with
Volvoline it take a 15 min top.
Overal I love the car, no complaints.
VW wiil cover any recals even after accident.
My only wish is a more smarter teck's but this will hapen in my next life.
1999 - bought new with a 2 yr BTB warranty and 10 yr Powertrain warranty. Everything went smooth for about one year and then:
1. boots cracked - fixed under warranty. Also the cupholders in the back are falling apart and VW makes an attempt to patch them back together.
2. 2 yr warranty up
3. lights in dash behind temperature control go out - never did fix that
4. rear passanger window drops (!) scaring the sh-t out of my 3 year old sitting in her car seat there, VW fixes and charges us $200
5. Cupholders in the back fall apart
6. 38K (3yr old) the brakes need to be done...and you have to do the rotors too maam...and by the way it'll cost you about $900 when its all said and done. We ordered the brakes thru a friend and had them put on at a local repair shop. Didn't do the rotors and the car brakes fine.
7. Oil begins to leak onto the plastic piece underneath the engine. I only notice it because when the heat is on there's a big stink in the passenger cabin. Fixed by VW under the powertrain warranty
8. Boots cracked again. VW covers it under the powertain warranty and fixes not only the boot but some other piece that is causing the boots to crack in the first place. Husband knows the details.
9. Rear window brakes again. Fixed by VW no charge.
10. Original carpet padding worn out. i bought the monster mats - the black rubber ones form VW and they are fantastic.
11. Rear window breaks again. Fixed by VW - no charge.
12. Went for an oil change today at the local guy. he makes a note on my bill THAT THE BOOT ON THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE IS CRACKED!!!!!
I can't take it any more!!!!!!!! I love the way the car drives but this is really it. I'm DONE! I think I'll cut my losses now (the car still has a nice book value - thanks to all the nuts that are praising this piece of crap) and get my dream car!
I use the tiptronic to downshift to brake alot - I'm not that hard on the brakes - -
This is crazy - right?
Anyone know of reasonable VW repair place in monmouth county NJ?
This dealer is killing me!
thanks,
steve
On topic: I hope VW gets there act together for the new Passat and Jetta remodels.....
We've had problems with boots and the costly brakes, too. Recently had to replace the front axle, struts, and bushings, and a few other little parts -- which came to around $2000 total! However, the engine and tranny sound good. Drives perfectly, with excellent handling. No leaks. Hardware is holding up. Paint (white) looks great. Black leather has worn well. The wood is still gorgeous.
When we bought the car in late '98, the new body style was so cool, and it still is. We hope to get another 50K miles out of this car (yes, that is asking much from a VW) and we will be satisfied. Cars are never going to be trouble-free. But, given the good safety features, high resale and that the car is still fun to drive -- we are very thankful.
Now, would we buy another one? No.
Look on line for parts. Set of OEM rear pads run around $35. Set of rear discs $70. You have the following options in my opinion in order of increasing expense:
Buy the parts and install yourself (or friend)
Buy the parts and have an independent install
Buy the parts and have the dealer install (if they allow customer parts)
Just make sure you order the right things. Do you have wear sensors in your front pads? Are they round or square?
Good luck!!
The air flow sensor problem seems more than coincidental to me. I only began having a problem after they performed the 40K service and replacing the vac. hose and valve. I'm convinced that if I had simply opted to get an oil change and not the 40K service I wouldn't be having this problem.
I have read posts on this board that indicate VW has replaced secondary air pumps under the emissions warranty. Why not now? Has anyone else had an air flow sensor fail? Could any of the work the dealer performed have caused the air flow sensor to fail?
When I bought my 2000 Passat (as new, Made in Germany) 3 years ago, I was influenced by good ratings at Consumer Reports. However, after 3 years of ownership, I truly understand why JD Power survey gave VW such poor ratings. There are just too many annoying problems, and it is costly to fix them! In addition, VW is really sleazy in denying warranty services.
So far, my car is only 23k miles, but I have experienced a number of repairs. To make it even worse, their warranty document is very misleading, and dealership would try all the tricks to deny warranty claims. VW Cutomer Realtion offers very poor service, and just echos whatever dealership says. The repairs I had include,
- Engine malfunction light was on, and the dashboard console pointed to emissions problem
- Loose/broken housing for both mirrors
- After they fixed mirror housing, one of the mirror does not defrost, and VW simply threw burden of proof to me, and denied any possible link to their repair. What a coincidence!
- Annoying rattling noises due to loose parts under seats
- Squeaky noise between steering wheel pole and surrounding plastics
- Blown engine pipe gasket
People may have different opinions based on individual experience, and I understand the temptation of the "cool" look and feel when the car is in the shown room. However, unless you have a lot of time in your hands, and money to throw away, why would you put down $25k for more hassles down the road?
Damax07
The fact is, I prefer the Passat - Acura has a reputation for bulletproof Japanese reliability, and the TSX is nice and fun to drive in a sort of sterile way, but the Passat is more fun and has much more character in my opinion.
But I'm terrified by some of the things I'm reading on VW reliability and customer service. I take it as a given that people who run into problems tend to be much more vocal than people who have a great experience with a vehicle, but I've seen enough disgruntled VW owners to scare me.
Add to this the fact that a Google Groups search on my closest VW dealer (Charles Maund in Austin Texas) brings up a litany of complaints and problems, and I'm thinking the bland Japanese reliability might be the way to go. Anyone willing to argue for the Passat?
However, compared to other cars (Camry, Accord, Maxima, Subaru Outback, etc) that my friends and I bought around the same time, there is simply much more hassle and money to spend on a Passat. I reluctantly experienced a transition from denial to acceptance of this reality.
Again, let yourself be objective. If reliability is not your top concern, you may look at Passat from a different angle. But still be prepared with the unexpected. If you are concerned with time and extra money to spend down the road, you need to think twice.
Don't get fooled by the propaganda in VW show rooms that how they care about quality. They may be good in some aspects, but quality is certainly not of them in my opinion.
Our '99 Passat has been superb (not 100% perfect but no car is!). We have 112k miles on the car. Never had a breakdown. There is one flaky recurrent problem that we have had. The left headlight likes to burn out! We are on our 4th headlight (the original + 3 purchases). Haven't replaced the right headlight at all. My sister-in-law & her hubby have also experienced a higher than normal replacement rate (also a Passat). From prior experience with other cars, I have only RARELY replaced a headlight (once or twice in 200k miles). This is kind of odd.
Overall, I'm tickled pink with the car. When the engine eventually goes (depending on the condition of the car overall), I may have a rebuilt engine dropped in. I like keeping cars 'til they won't drive anymore. My prior experience w. VWs is good (87 GTI w/ 213k miles, engine did go, 86 Golf w/ 195k miles, sold when we had a third child & needed more space).
BTW, one of the keys to long engine life is frequent oil changes. With my earlier VWs, I used conventional motor oils, Fram filters, replaced every 3k miles. With Volvo wagon & Passat, it's synthetic oils, roughly 5k miles (OK, sometimes 6k miles...).
with current mileage of nearly 20,000. Only one
problem: replace a headlight. Our dealer volunteered to replace all the coils even tho we
have had no problems. I disagree with the writer
who said that VW is not interested in quality. This wagon is beautifully assembled with outstanding paint quality and interior fittings
and very decent leather. I have owned 5 Accords
in the 1980's and 1990's and none of them seemed
to be as well assembled. Besides the Passat is a
lot more fun to drive.
It started the day I drove the car home. I opened the trunk that night and realized the trunk light was flickering out. I took it in the next day and that was that. But the check engine light came on a couple thousand miles later and that was to become a recurring problem for me. Various warranty repairs took care of that.
But the charges after my 20,000 mile mark passed were the beginning of the real trouble. The check engine services started costing me money. One tire rotation revealed a bent tie rod, which was hard to explain since I had never had an accident at that point with the car. The 30,000 mile maintanance was pricey, needing a new O2 sensor and some various other engine problems. It ran over $1,000.00.
The 40,000 mile job was the kicker, though. My usual dealer wanted $2,300.00 to fix a whole array of problems (check engine was on again). The brake wear meant not just pads but new rotors - I was told they could not be surfaced - and a secondary air pump needed to be replaced, the O2 sensor was bad again, etc. I thought I was being ripped off and went to another dealer. This one wanted less, partly because they were saying they could surface the rotors (later turned out to be a big mistake).
At the 50,000 mile mark someone backed into the hood of my car and it went to the body shop. The guy there explained that my brakes looked like crap and had been butchered. He told me that the European cars usually have thin, dense rotors not suitable for surfacing. As a result, my rotors were pitted and uneven. The car didn't stop well.
The last visit to the dealer came when the car wouldn't start one morning. It was towed and the resulting repairs cost me $1,200.00. I wrote the check in disgust and sat waiting for the car to be pulled around for me to leave. Well, the mechanic couldn't start the car. I waited for an hour for them to try and rediagnose the problem, but it couldn't be fixed without more time. I left without my car, already $1,200.00 poorer with the chance of more expense to come. Nice, huh?
Two days later the mechanic tells me he replaced the main control unit and every other part he could think of and finally nailed the problem. The part had to be shipped and that finally fixed it. It still ran poorly and I could smell gasoline inside the car at a stand still. He had mercy on me and only charged an additional couple hundred dollars, sensing the abomination that was taking place. He charged it off to VW even though the work wasn't under warranty.
I asked the mechanic if he thought the repairs I was having done so frequently made sense. I didn't drive the car very hard, and it seemed like expenses that someone who owned an $80,000.00 car might be prepared for, but not a guy on a tight budget like me. He asked if I wanted to hear the "real answer," and I said yes. He told me that it happened all the time, and that although my car was a good performing car that was well conceived with great technology, there were all kinds of electrical and mechanical failures that would creep up way sooner than they should have.
I wish I could say that I chanced out another VW, but I recently leased an Acura and have had no problems but will withhold judgment until I've had the car a little longer. The bottom line is that after owning the Passat and a '96 Jetta before it, and having lots of problems with both, I was gun shy from buying another VW. I wanted to because I loved the car in theory, but the reality of the costs were too much to risk another bad experience for me.
Just one experience, I know. But for myself, the decision was easy. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I sure hope those of you with Passats don't have experiences like me and that mine was an exception.
I used to think VWs were the coolest cars on the road that I could afford. Finally, 3 years and 2 months and, surprise!, 15,500 miles later I'm looking to dump my jetta. My glx still looks new inside and out and is running great right now. I just don't have confidence in the car anymore.
It would be nice if we didn't have to take our vws in so much except for routine maintenance. My sister owns a 2000 Civic and only has the oil changed every 3k miles as well as other scheduled maintenance. She's gone over 100k miles with her Civic.
I've decided that I won't be buying a VW in the near future, not until I see at least five straight years of above-average reliability for all their cars and better reviews from real vw owners like you and me. Plus, I don't like buying cheaply-made products from Mexico.
It's funny that I'm always wondering if the other vw drivers I see on the road are experiencing similar problems as I have had with my jetta.
I hope someone from Corporate VW is reading this web-site and does something to improve their reliability.
Damax07
Damax07
Since it was my first NEW-car buying experience, I have learned that a prospective buyer should do a lot more research than just haggling for the best price. For example, this is an excellent web-site to find out what kinds of problems peeps have with their cars. There are lots of complaints about jettas, fewer about passats, and virtually none at all about Lexus and Acura. Consumer Reports is another excellent resource, especially the section on car repair history.
Your description about your new passat reminds me of my initial excitement over my jetta glx. I'm glad the new vws have 4 year warranties. If I ever buy another vw (passat), which IS a possibility, I'll make sure I also get an extended warranty, too. Corporate VW impressed me when they monitored and picked up the tab on the repairs of my car beyond its 2 year warranty. The problems were primarily with the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) lighting up and buzzing for a stretch of 8 months. I know a lot of the readers out there know exactly what I'm talking about.
As for the person who commented about peeps dumping their complaints on this site, well, it's been therapeutic for me to vent here rather than at my local vw service writer. I've also learned a lot from the experiences and input from other vw drivers.
Keep in mind that I still think vws are the most luxurious, safe, fun-to-drive cars for their class--only if they aren't in the service bay too frequently for unscheduled service repairs. And I still stand behind my statement of "5 straight years of above-average reliability" to any prospective working-class car buyer like myself. Good luck with your passat glx. It's a nice-looking car. Hope you know they're due for a re-design and a hp upgrade in a year or two.
Here's a quote from a BBC article:
"Dominating the top reliability places for both manufacturers and individual car models were the Japanese and other Asian makers, with Honda, Hyundai, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota all in the best category for maker-reliability."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3129581.stm
I have a 2002 GLS Passat wagon w/ 1.8T engine and 5 speed manual with 40K on it. It was bought on 7/01. I have been getting 30-34 mpg going to/from work everyday. The only real problem I had was with the head light. I had three (3) burn-out bulb so far. All changed under warranty. I did my regular oil change 1st in 3k interval now at 5k, change my brake fluid as perscribed in the maintaince manual. The two recalls (ignition pack and re-enforcing of wheel well) were performed during my regular maintance without any problem. In fact my car was made so earlier in the model year that it had the "G" series ignition pack, but they were all changed out during the recall anyway.
So far I am a happy owner.
(1) Consumer Reports 2003 Reliability report, looking at years 2001-02, lists Passat reliability as average. But in fact its score was about 12% above average. (Anything that's within 20% above or below average is considered "average'-- I hope that's statistical significance, but in any case, the Passat scored about the same as the Camry, which wa about 15% above average). The Jetta, btw, was 60% below average. Scores seem to reflect consumer feedback/complaints.
(2) MSN Carpoint keeps track of tech-service calls by mechanics. I don't know how valid it is. But their most recent score for the Passat is 1999, and it gets a perfect score of 5 stars out of 5.
(3) NHTSA has I think one recall of the 2003 (fuel cap filler), two defect investigations of the 2002 (one is with bad bolts on the airbag, which occurred on two cars, a particular 2000 that was in an accident and a particular 2002), and 51 complaints on the 2003. I haven't read these yet, and there were 60 for the Camry (but it has much more sales, so the numbers would need to be adjusted). I don't know how bad that is compared to a similar car.
Trying to tie that all together, I'd guess that the 2003 Passat does have okay reliability--neither great (like a Subaru) nor lousy (like a Jetta). But can anyone else add to this or help make sense of it? Thanks.
It might explain some things.
Krzys
I own a 1999 Passat with the exact same fuel sending unit in the 2000 model (part #) as verified by VW. VW refuses to recall my car, even though my car suffered the exact problems under this recall, twice. They fixed it 2 years ago and paid 75 percent but now I find that Audi (also VW) has the same recall for 98 thru 01 A6's. Audi recall 01V157. They dropped the 002 at the end for Audi. Why hasn't VW recalled 98-01 Passat's since they used the exact same unit in the Audi A-6 as told to me by various dealers and mechanics? Could VW be trying to avoid a very costly recall and ignoring a tremendous safety hazard? My gut tells me yes, since the part numbers are the exact same between VW and Audi and from years 98-01.
My wife ran out of gas with the needle near half a few weeks ago. The fuel gauge stays on full for over 200 miles then bounces around. I'm told my sending unit is bad (which we knew from the same problem in 01) by my dealer but they want $500 to fix. I say phooey to that. If you have a 2000, make sure you had the recall done. It's concerning that 3 dealers knew nothing of this recall.
I've reported this to NHTSA for my model plus other years per the Audi recall. I have also reported this to the BBB. I have also written the CEO of VW America, awaiting his reply.
Anyone else going through this in models other than 2000? Many thanks in advance.
I was driving yesterday when smoke came out to the vents. I pulled the car over and to my horror smoke was pouring out of the hood. I immediately secured my valuables and called the fire dept. The smoke smelt of rubber burning. After repeated CO2 applciation, they resorted to suing the hose to end the smoke condition.
Today my dealer (Capital City Eurocars in Tallahassee -- that' another story) told me that the Alternator malfunctioned and sent too much power to the battery which created the smokey condition.
Has ANYONE ever had a problem like that with their Passat. VW's were always notorious in the 80's for electrical problems, I love the car, but after this I might head over to the Japanese market.
If the turbo engine is shut off immediately before it has a chance to idle, the oil flowing through the bearing gets so hot, it becomes caked (baked) on to the turbo's bearing - which results in excessive bearing wear and subsequent turbo failure after a short period of time.
Today, with the increased use (by VW and other manufacturers) of synthetic oils, and a lubrication system which cools and lubricates that critical turbo bearing area (even after you shut off your engine) - thus prolonging the life of the turbo.
In summary, as long as you have the engine oil changed during regular intervals, there's no reason that the turbo shouldn't last as long as the engine itself.
As a bonus, after driving (and maintaining) VW's for 25 years, VW is the only manufacturer I know that uses the stronger diesel engine block for both diesel and gasoline engines - They have been doing this since the first diesel rabbits in Germany. The story behind this was that since gas over in Europe averages $5.00/gallon and up, VW sold a higher percentage of diesel engines than gasoline engines, and determined that it was more cost effective to use the same diesel block for both gas and diesel engines rather than design and build separate engine blocks for each. The gasoline engines are designed to go at least 400,000 miles, while the diesel engines (with their stronger internal components) are designed to go at least 600,000 miles.
Hope that helps...
The dealership said the "window lift" needs replacing. The part costs $145.00 (Houston). Labor cost is $135.00. That's almost $300 total. I called VW Customer Service to see if they would bear some of the cost since there was a factory recall for similar window defects on the Jetta and Beetle. The snippy patronizing little "advocate" said there was nothing VW would do and refused to transfer me to a supervisor.
I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has had the same problem or knows how to get VW to ante up.
Jay R. / Houston / Platt4620@yahoo.com
We purchased new in October 2002. The car has been in the shop at least 8 times. During the first month, 4 times. Problems have been mainly electrical. The battery kept going dead the first month. After 3 new batteries, found a parasitic drain in the radio. After replacing, 2 other radios have failed. Now the radio will turn on without a key in the ignition. I also had problems with broken AC controls. I have got to say, this is the most I have ever had a car in the shop, outside of oil changes and tires, in all my cars put together. And this one is brand new!
I really like the Passat as far as ride, comfort, fit and finish, and engine and transmission. What I can't understand is that Consumer Reports still has this as a best pick. They removed my other car, 2002 BMW 330i, because of reliability and I have never had a problem with that car.
Just my thoughts.
Any Suggestions?