Volkswagen Passat 2006+

asef

I have a 2007 wagon also, and the rubbery stuff on the driver's door handle -- right where your hand goes when you pull the door shut -- is peeling off. It's not paint; it's a kind of rubbery material.

I mentioned it to the dealer when I had my 20k service, and they see it all the time, and have a replacement, but they had to order it. Still waiting.

Ironically, the same thing happened on my 2001 Jetta GLS. The rubbery stuff there is a big mess, half of it is peeled off, exposing the plastic beneath.

You think they would have learned something in 6 years!

birdboy

I have a 2006 2.0T with 23,000 trouble free miles. This is my second Passat and I llike and enjoy both the engine and the ride. There are few complaints that I have about the car. The Air conditioner unfortunately is one of them. The problem is that there are no Bi level vents and it does take longer to cool, however once it is cooling it works adequately . I have to close the ac in the console , and glove box for added cabin cooling. It seems that every car has its short commings. This is a sweet machine. I am looking foward to the Tiguan this summer as I found The new Nissan Rogue or the Honda CRV not to my taste after owning several VWs.

verdugo

I have an 07 3.6L 4Motion Wagon with 14.8K miles. I've had no problems at all with the a/c and it gets over 100F here. I really like this car.

au1994

Is anyone else having a problem with the dash and console rattling/squeeking? The noise seems to be coming form where the 2 parts meet.

jetlag07

I have an '06 2.0t, and pretty well the same thing. It's not so much a squeak as a cracking sound when certain cold/humidity conditions are met. Other times its either not there or not noticeable. I don't know it they used different grades/quality of plastic when they mated these together, but I agree that it shouldn't be a problem in this grade of car.

clark18

My 06 2.0t rattles sometimes, and numerous times I have found the source to be dried leaves that have collected at the base of the windshield around the parked wipers. Also loose objects in the door pockets have been the culprit as have my sunglasses in the overhead receptacle. In a noisier car you just would not hear these noises. But in cold weather the dash really does rattle and one wonders if Hondas and Toyotas have similar rattles.
I used to enjoy doing my own maintenance but am afraid those days have ended. Can anyone tell me how to remove the engine cover? I would like to change the air filter, and admittedly would just like to see what it looks like under there
.

vdubs06

Yes I have the EXACT same sound w/my dash. A cracking/rattling sound. I also have an 06 2.0. It's almost like the pieces don't meet and bc of it they hit into one another...or at least that's what it sounds like and what it looks like as well. I don't hear it all the time though. Only sometimes. It's also SUCH a quiet car in comparison to MOST that it's MORE noticeable than it would be on a car with a louder engine.

vdubs06

Does anyone seem to notice that certain speakers fade in and out? Unless it's the way the radio comes in or something, I noticed that at times, it's almost like the sound is coming from one side of the car and then all of a sudden it'll be surround sound...and then next thing I know is it fades out again and it sounds like the sound is coming from one side or the other again. Maybe it's the radio fading in and out due to location and or interference. But with an inside antenna I would figure that would not be a problem.

Has anyone else noticed this? Or can anyone think of a way I can check if this is a problem? There's no way I know of to only listen to 1 speaker at a time. I guess I could turn the radio on and listen to each speaker individually but it's still hard to figure out when you hear music coming from the other speakers.

au1994

Thanks! That is a more accurate description of the sound...a cracking sound, like breaking egg shells. I had hoped to get to the dealer while I am off for the holidays, but not sure if that will be possible since I'm sure it would require an overnight visit. This is our people hauler as our other vehicle is a Dodge Ram regular cab.

verdugo

I have the Dynaudio and have no problems with the speakers.

kcejfan

Don't worry about the 2.0T AC or Heater they both perform wonderfully...I had the same concern when reading the blog before I bought my 2007 wagon (sports package 2/NAV/Dynaudio/Bi-Zenon) because I am very warm blooded and because my expectations were high with my 95 VW wagon having SUPURB AC/HEAT. We had a Hot Summer in DC this year and my AC always cooled quickly and efficiently same thing with the Heat (use heated seats to take chill off until 2.0T gets warmed up: 5minutes)...sometimes these blogs can make you paranoid - I am THRILLED with my new 2007 Passat Wagon and it was worth the 5month wait on my special order from Wolfsburg Germany.

verdugo

2007 Passat Wagon and it was worth the 5month wait on my special order from Wolfsburg Germany.

The Passats are not built in Wolfsburg. They are build in Emden and somehwere else (can't remember right now), but def. not Wolfsburg.

birdboy

Thank you so much everyone. I lifted my hood and sure enough there were dried leaves that were the source of a very annoying crackling vibrating noise. Cleaned them away and all is sweet.

mrrizzo

I have an '06 3.6 model. I find the lower dash plastic is temp sensitive. In the cold weather it seems a bit brittle and does creak over certain bumps. This goes away as the temp warms up.

mrrizzo

Clark18 asked about honda and toyotas having similar rattles. I can only speak to Honda/Acura (2 Accords and RSX) but YES they do rattle. My 03 Accord had a creaky headliner around the sunroof and rattley windows. My 06 Accord had the rattley windows too. It also had major rattles in the HVAC area of the dash. The dealer "fixes" didn't quite fix it, especially the windows. The rear cargo area of the RSX rattled from day 1. Most of these rattles too were temp sensitive, usually more bothersome in the colder winter months.

sda

My 06 2.0t is pretty rattle free. Those that I hear are muted and seem temperature dependent. My 03 Acura TL rattled around the sunroof. Our 06 Honda Pilot has an intermittent rattle in the passenger door. It too is at ear level--and will drive the person sitting in that seat--nutty. Dealer has acknowledged rattle, attempted to fix 3 separate times, but to no avail. I have yet to have a totally rattle free car. But the location of the rattle can really make the difference between just hearing it in the background--or HEARING it close by.

kcejfan

HOLY COW!!!... U R absolutely RIGHT!...not that I did not believe you but I just pulled my sticker and sure enough it says, FINAL ASSEMBLY POINT: EMDEN, GERMANY. You are the first person to catch my misstatement - even my dealer did not correct me but I sure am glad I found out before I made a bigger fool out of myself. Wolfsburg sounds sexier (Emden sounds British)...I even ordered Wolfsburg Edition badges to put on my Passat but according to the Internet there are Wolfsburg Edition Passats that are not assembled there. Thanks again sir for this revelation!

verdugo

No worries. You are correct about the Wolfsburg edition Passats, but that's just a marketing thing. I bet the VW Marketing department agreed with you and thought an Emden Edition Passat wouldn't sell as well. :P

adambaxter

I just took my 06 Passat in for an oil change today and was informed I needed new spark plugs and all sorts of other things part of my 40,000 mile vw recommended maintenance. Well I'm trying save some money and do a few of the items myself. But my big problem is getting that engine cover off. Does anybody have any idea how to remove it? Any help would be appreciated. :confuse:

rahmibub

My wife owns a 2003 V6 Passat - assembled in Emden. That car has never given us any problems, drives like a dream, and the engine virtually sings when driven.

Given all of the Jetta Wolfsburg editions on the road with nothing but problems in my state, "Made in Emden" may not sound as "sexy" as "Made in Wolfsburg", but I'll take a car from Emden ANY DAY!

cosmo

And just where in Mexico do you believe Wolfsburg is located?

grossem

I am thinking about a 06 2.0 Luxury with 11K miles. The dealer is asking 23,500. What is a good fair price?

bpitt1

My advice... DON'T DO IT!

I had a 2006 2.0t sedan with pkg #1... loads of problems... some big, some just irritating. I finally traded it in (it only had 11k) for an '08 2.0t Komfort Wagon... HUGE improvement immediately noticeable in the ride, handling, quiet... my advice would be to get an '08 ... if you can afford it. Also... get the wagon if you possibly need to haul anything... it gets same mileage as sedan, handles the same (or better). Dealers usually make more $ on used cars than new ones... IF you do get the used one, make sure it's certified, so the warranty will be longer. Good luck!

verdugo

I agree. Stay away from the 06. It was the first year for this model, and they didn't have all the bugs worked out. Get an 08 or a late 07.

sdoo25

If you don't get your answer here check out the forums at www.vwvortex.com. It's more active than this board and has many people who do their own maintenance. There's also been some discussion about if it's necessary to change the plugs at 40k. It seems that even the dealers aren't sure.

teressa1

Anyone having issues with the wipers not working on their 2006 Passat 2.0? This happened last year but it was related to the recall. According to the automaker's press release, the first recall affects some 2006 Passat sedans that have a wiper motor that could conk out in heavy rain from moisture entering the wiper motor. It was fixed and I had no issues last year. This year there was an ice storm 2 weeks ago and a terrible winter storm here in Cleveland last weekend. I took it to the dealer after the ice storm and was told they reattached wiper transmission to the wiper motor assembly. My wipers seem to always stop working in heavy traffic. My wipers stopped working twice in two weeks. The second time after advice from the first mechanic I made sure there was no snow on the windshield and I made sure there was no ice underneath the wiper arms ..the wipers worked for one second and stopped?

tntmyth

Has anyone heard about or knows anything about the new 2.0T TSI engine showing up in the latest Passats? What I know is that it replaces the BPY engine that has been the Passat for the last few years. It is completely different. It has been showing up in Passats delivered to dealers in the last couple weeks. Is supposed to be basically the same engine coming in the new 2009 Audi A4. The Audi A4 will have 211 hp. Not sure what the situation will be with this new engine. Is it a better engine? Better performance? Hard to find information about it on the web. Here is a link to aphoto of what it looks like in a GTI engine compartment. Notice the different engine cover from the "older" 2.0T BPY engine.

http://forums.fourtitude.com/zerothread?id=3749316&page=2

shipo

As I'm in the market for a 2009 A3, I've been following this engine for quite a while.

A few tidbits that I've picked up along the way:
1) This engine is a ground-up redesign starting with a fresh sheet of paper, and about the only common things that go into the new EA 888 mill versus the BPY motor are air, gas, coolant and oil.
2) There are several versions of this engine already in the works, and the one for the transverse cars (i.e. the Passat, Jetta, Golf, and A3) are slightly lower powered and do not have all of the valve train bells and whistles of the version going into the new A4 and A5.
3) From a pollution perspective, this engine is supposed to be WAAAY cleaner than the old engine.
4) From a fuel economy perspective, the mileage is supposed to be significantly better.
5) After reviewing the engineering details about the design and construction of the engine block, my bet is that this engine will not suffer from the oil consumption and oil sludging issues of the older engines (especially the older 1.8T).
6) Ain't no way I'm buyin' a new A3 without one of these new mills.

Best Regards,
Shipo

82usma

VW already suckered me into buying a 2006 Passat with the 2.0T engine that uses more oil that a Mazda RX8!
Ain't no way I'm buyin' any VW product until it's been on the market for a few years. I'm tired of being VW's R&D Ginnie-Pig!.

shipo

Well, to each his own. I've owned several 1st year cars (VW, Chrysler, and BMW among them) and have had very good luck with them. Go figure.

ivan_99

A co-worker with a 2000 1.8T Passat is looking for a new vehicle...they have their hearts set on a new Passat.

They love that their car is fun to drive, is a manual, gets good mileage and is reliable (never been stranded or "put out")

He doesn't frequent message boards and knew nothing about burning oil, or coil problems...or anything. He says "we take it to the dealer for oil changes and if there are any recall items to fix I guess they fix them"

Another co-worker says the same about his 2001 Ford F150 with 180k miles.

I have my suspicions regarding reliability ratings...but have yet to prove them...but of course my statements do not negate the anecdotal evidence of real people with real problems/lemons…

Sometimes you get a bad car…bad house…bad McDonalds service...bad accountant…etc…it's all a crap shoot

tntmyth

Also the new TTI engine has a timing chain rather than a timing belt. So that would eliminate the obligatory changing of the belt at 60,000 miles.

tntmyth

I am seriously considering getting a 2008 Passat before the end of the Volkswagen Sign and Drive event ending April 30. I am concerned that VW may not be able to continue this program with the U.S. dollar devaluation.

I was originally planning on waiting for the 2009's with Bluetooth and touch screen navigation. But now I heard a rumor that VW will no longer cary a Passat Lux model. Instead replacing it with the Passat CC. So that makes a Passat Lux a good deal unless you want to wait for the Passat CC and pay more for the new design. I suspect that VW will not offer any incentives on the CC for a couple years. The new Passat CC along with the TDI's coming in 2009 will bring up demand for VW cars across the board. VW may pull back on their incentives.

rv65

The warranty is decontented. Now its 3 years/36k miles on all VW's. You do get paid maintnence for 3 years. You do get the Touch Screen HDD navigation system on the 09 Passat. It even includes the iPod capable MDI unit. The RNS-510 touch screen navigation is retrofittable to the 08 model. Same with bluetooth and the MDI unit. The no lux rumor is somewhat true in the order guide. No VR6 but the CC has has it. The CC will get good deals but you have to wait after the initial demand has cooled off

VW is working on an RNS-510 retrofit kit as an acessory. You could probably get a good deal on the 08 and just wait and use that saved cash to buy an MDI and RNS-510. Bluetooth isn't in the order guide for 09. No word on when it will come out. The RNS-510 has full bluetooth integration. Even the RNS-510 has touch screen dialing and phone book access. Hope this helps.

rv65

3 yr /36,000 basic warranty
3 yr / 36,000 paid maintenance

5 yr / 60,000 power train

2 yr /24,000 battery

90 days / 6,000 courtesy check

12 yr / unlimited miles corrosion

The 10, 20, and 30k services are free with this new warranty. Hope this helps.

retiredatcs1

I took delivery a month ago on a new 2008 Passat Lux. The windshield was distorted which I brought to the attention of the salesman and the service manager. They replaced the windshield within a week, but it was worse than the original. Just had the second one installed and it was just as bad. We looked at the cars in the showroom and all had very distorted windshields which were actually much worse than mine. Any one else have this problem?? Other than that the car is great 3K and getting 32+ mpg with mostly highway miles

verdugo

No problem at all with my 2007 Wagon.

rv65

No lux package for 09. The 2.0L TSI engine which is a revised 2.0T is the only engine. No dynaudio this time. The CC will get it. The RNS-510 touch screen navigation will be avaliable. Bluetooth is another nice touch thats eventually going to come out. Bluetooth and the RNS-510 can be retrofitted. The Navigation infotainment package will also include the MDI which can play USB and iPod devices. iPod cable is sold seperately. 4F0 051 510 E is the part number for that. If you want a nice v6 or luxurious 4 cylinder passat then get the 08 and retrofit the RNS-510, MDI and bluetooth. A RNS-510 retrofit kit is in the works. Same with the MDI.

2 new colors

White gold and Island Gray

3 discontinued colors

Mocha Brown
Tornado Red
United Gray

rv65

Bluetooth is finally going to come out in 2009 as an option. The kit should come out in 6 months. It will have Bluetooth Audio, Hands free calling, RNS-510 touch screen integration with 6 number presets, contact list, MFI integration, voice dialing and so on. This kit is also going to be avaliable as a retrofit. So if you want an OEM bluetooth kit then you should be able to get it. RNS-510 has touch screen integration that is quite cool. Touch screen dialing is nice as well. Should also work on non nav vehicels. Should retroback to 2006. Hope this helps.

rv65

This kit is coming out in October. Made by Nokia for VW. Same features as above.

rv65

I guess there won't be leather seats on the 09 Passat. No v6 just the revised 2.0L TSI engine. The TSI engine is a revised version of the current 2.0T engine. I guess they are decontenting it so they can sell the CC. If you want a luxury passat with the RNS-510 then get an 08 and retrofit it. Get the 08's while there here. With the incentives you will hopefully have enough money to retrofit the RNS-510. No wagon for 09. Same with the wagon. Or you can get a passat CC if you want luxury. Bluetooth will be retrofittable. The RNS-510 will have a retrofit kit. The MDI aka Media-In will probably have a retrofit kit so all hope isn't lost. Hope this helps.

rv65

Wagon is also going to be avaliable in the Komfort trim level for 09.

goodieshannon

Are they doing a 2009 3.6 Turbo All Motion Wagon (i have the 2007 3.6 Turbo All Motion) and had a lot of issues with it that they had to fix by contacting VW Master Mechanic in California or where ever they called. Wondering if they fixed the problems (poor idle, water leaks in door frames and rear door (still have those) wiper problems, noisy; poor hesitation at start off) among other things!

ivan_99

You have a 3.6 Turbo?

Please provide specs...

verdugo

The 3.6L 4Motion is *not* a turbo.

And no, for 2009 there won't be a 3.6L Wagon.

Sorry to hear about your problems. I have one too, and I haven't had any serious issues (knock on wood). And my was an early build (Feb/06).

Have you checked into Lemon laws? :lemon:

rv65

Actually no v6 on either sedan or wagon. The 2.0L TSI engine is the standard engine. No I don't mean european twin charger. Just a revised 2.0T.

rv65

I guess you should call the passat CC the CC.

shipo

"Just a revised 2.0T."

I've seen that phrase go by a couple of times now and I think it is important to point out that the new 2.0T TSI is NOT a revised 2.0T FSI, it is an entirely new engine from the ground up. Said another way, the only common things that go into the two engines are air, coolant, gasoline and engine oil.

Best Regards,
Shipo

rv65

However it does have a timing chain . The audi version makes more power. Also I have heard that from other sources. They are secretly using them in certain cars. The specs are the same as the current 2.0T so who knows.

shipo

"However it does have a timing chain" -- True.

"The audi version makes more power" -- False. Within the VW/Audi sable of cars, all transverse engined models (Tiguan, Passat, Jetta, Golf, A3, and TT) get the 200 HP version, however, all longitudinal models (A4, A5...) get the "Valvelift" version that puts out 210 HP and ~250 lb-ft of torque.

"They are secretly using them in certain cars" -- I'm not sure how secret it is, the Jetta, A3, TT, and Tiguan are all showing up with the new non-Valvelift version of the mill.

"The specs are the same as the current 2.0T so who knows." -- Yes, the output specs are the same, however, my understanding is that the new mill makes that power using less fuel and creating MUCH less pollution in the process.

Best Regards,
Shipo