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Problems with 99 VW Passat GLS
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Until MY Passat lets me down, I see no reason to worry about it.
RE: Price vs. BMW---Yes, a top ofthe line GLX is near 3-series $$$ levels, but I have a "base" GLS 1.8T that cost me less then $20k. I think the "base" level Passat is the real value leader and the upper level Passats are treading into a different price class of auto. It all comes down to personal choise. If I could spring for a $30k car, I would probably look Bimmer too, not GLX Passat.
I hope you find what you are looking for in the TL, it is an EXCELLENT car.
I think I'll start looking at the A4's and Volov S40s now. As much as I LOVE the exterior and interior of the Passat GLXs, I'm frightened about all of the troubles people are having with them. People keep saying that it's a great car that is built on the Audi frame, why not just get an Audi?
i see you have the turbo as opposed to the 6, which i would "perceive" as an even riskier move, but you are right about the price. i could go get a gls 4 for 350 over invoice tonight. i just wish that damn v6 wasn't such a premium. it make the bmw arguement that much easier.
enjoy your car...
by the way, i'm NOT considering the TL.
a) Due to the recent surge in VW sales in the US, coupled with the relatively low skill level of dealer service technicians, expect normal maintenance repairs to take longer than ususal and potential mis-diagnosing of problems.
b. The jury is still out on the new Passat's reliability. Performance and value are not an issue as much as the car's long term reliability vs. other cars in its class(Maxima, Camry, Accord).
c. The general feeling among Passat owners is that it's performance and driving experience overides the current problems that exists today with the car -- which are tolerable.
I currently own a 90 Maxima that has never given me any real problems. If anyone can provide me more information on the Passat to suggest that I am either paranoid or have been "brainwashed" by the powers that be, I would really appreciate it. I really like the car, but am sceptical. Should I wait a few years to get some real solid reliability data, or should I take the plunge???
The best bet would be to approach as many people as you can that already drive new Passats. This happens to me all the time, people come up at gas stations, in parkng lot, etc and ask what I think of the car.
Well, I LOVE mine, 10k flawless miles and counting.
Dealers ARE clueless, unless you find a good one(I think I may have), but remember that all non-warrenty work can be done by someone else. After my "free" service is over, I will do most of the regular maintanance myself (oil changes, fluid checks) and have my local Euro-Garage and Tire place do anything I don't have the training or equipment to do (tires, brakes, etc.) After 24k miles, the dealer will only see me if I am ordering parts or getting warrenty stuff fixed.
A side note...My friend bought a 98 Grand Am brand new(not my personal favorite car, but he LOVES it) at 50k miles, he had to replace the water pump and it cost almost $700.00 out of pocket. VW's 10/100k Powertrain warrenty would have covered that.
I am sure there are LOTS of happy automatic, 4cyl drivers out there though, it all depends on what is "enough power" to YOU.
For what it's worth, EVERY 4cyl I have ever dirven with an automatic tranny has been sluggish.
the new max styling is bordering on ugly (just my opinion) so it was off my list right away. if the new maxima looked liked a passat, i'd be the PAXIMA SE, right now.
you've the same concerns that i do and for me it's more than just internet hearsay...
i can't recommend what to do as i am in the same pickle as you are. i like it, but i'm skeptical of car's reliability (and future costs i'll incur), vw dealers and vw's support, crummy b2b warranty, price of glx nearing 30k (ouch).
So if you can't afford or don't want the V6 and you don't want a manual - compare the Passat to other 4's (with Auto's) and make your own assessment.
Good Motoring!
One strange anomoly with the car is it seems to build up a significant static charge on dry days, and there is a strange suction effect felt by my ear drumbs if I only have 1 window or just the sunroof open. The blue instrament lighting was a bit of a surprise, but it grew on me..
Anybody else have this problem? Anybody know if the act of windshield replacement will compromise the sound-proofness of my new car?
The so-called "reliability gurus" at Honda give you a 3/36 Powertrain warrenty. Not exactly standing by the product in my opinion.
This means that, at say...50k miles, I might have to replace a piece of trim or a broken radio knob, but if my water pump goes, VW fixes it for FREE, in a Honda it will set you back over $500 bucks. Frankly, I will take a VERY long warrenty that covers the big, expensive stuff over an extra year of b2b. In ANY car, the instance of repairs in the first 3 years are VERY low, so I don't think 1 less year of b2b will make much difference to the average driver. I'll drive about 36k miles in 2 years anyway, so it was nearly a non-issue for me, whereas the 10/100k Powertrain warrenty is something I may rely on in the future.
All that said, I agree that VW should lengthen the b2b to the industry standard of 3/36, just to ease potential buyers' minds.
http://wellengaged.com/engaged/edmund.cgi?&f=0&c=Sedans&t=2597&q=*
with the 1.8 turbo. Traded a Crown Vic in. Should of kept it,the best car I ever owned..
Since we got it I've had it back to the garage to get the licence plate lights repairs but they took an hour and a half to fix as they built it without any ends on the wire so to fix it you have to remove the inside liner on the back door and door
lack. Next problem was the Valve cover gasket was leaking and they installed a new gasket but this time they used gasket glue as they should have done in the factory. Problem fixed.
Oil leak in the power steering hose Clamps are not heavy enough to clamp the hose tight enough so as not to leak, installed a regular type hose clamp and that was fixed.
Snapping noise in the steering wheel when you turn the wheel 180 degrees. The clamp next to the unverisal joint
At 21000 Kilometers or 13000 miles I started hearing a noise in the engine when I let up on the gas and the car was between coasting and starting to pull.
It sounded like a small $ 20.00 air compressor running. Took it into the Gararge and had the Shop foreman go for a ride. He said: I hear it but I don't know what it is. So in Sept. I drove it to Rode Island and back and by that time it was getting worse. So back to the Dealer I go. I said to the shop foreman you got to go for another test
drive. This time he heard it and this time we all came to the same conclusion! Piston Slap.
They pulled the engine down and # 4 piston and # 1 piston could be rocked back and forth in the cylinder wall. So they called the area Rep. and he said FIX IT. So as we speak there is another brand new engine on it's way from Germany.
But my question now is how long will that one last?? Another 31000 kilometers. How many of these engines were made with .001 over spec.cylinders?
I have to say I have been treated very good at the dealer where I go and they don't try to cover anything up their honest or I'll say the mechanics are as I go right out back and watch them as they work on it weather I'm allowed or not! It's my car.
They did say oh you'll get 40 miles to a gallon
I get 30 to 32 miles to the gallon.
I see where somebody wrote in saying they use 87 octane. these engines are high performance and to put 87 octane in them will foul them up and cause grief like you would not want.. Heh! gas is cheap compared to a new engine if it will run that long on it's own.
I would like to hear if anyone else has had this trouble with the engine as we have.
Right now the dealer has given me a Pontiac Grand Am to drive around in until they get it fixed.
Dave.
I see your point on the 10yr/100K powertrain warranty with reference to the 2yr/24K B2B. What I think is happening is that a perception of VW's reliability is being built around this short, NY minute B2B. I notice that the Beetle and Jetta do not have nearly as many complaints about them, is there a conspiracy goinfg on here?
My CD player mixes all 6 disks, but it will mix about 6 songs from a single disk before it moves on. I have heard that this is because of the VERY long time lapse when the machine swiches disks.
For a number of months I have had loud squeaking
(like old bed springs) coming from the front end.
The dealer has looked at it more than once and
recently replaced both control arms. This did
absolutely nothing and the car still makes the
same noise. Has anyone had a similar problem?
I also have a distorted windshield. I would like to know the outcome from the person who reported it to the dealer.
Only one problem:
When the car was new (purchased 3/99) it made a "groaning" noise under light acceleration at about 8 mph. Dealer fixed it the second time. It was some valve in the turbo unit.
Been very happy with the car. It's far more quality and performance than the 96 Jetta I had.
Does anyone know if there is a way to convert
that into kilometers, Centigrade, 24 hr clock.
I think the Canadian version uses those
more "European settings"
cheers VJS
my GLS sedan, with cloth
interior. Bought the car
in April 1998. Back then,
it smelled great. Now,
since June of this year,
a chemical or mildew odor
permeates...which is worse
now than in June.
Yup, just a 10 minute ride
to work will guarantee that
you carry that odor on your
clothing.
The local dealer here in
East Rochester NY checked
it out...looking for a
clogged a/c duct...it was
not clogged. Short of
tearing out the carpeting
and replacing, the dealer
said I may have this odor
till the day I trade it in.
But then, who would want
a car that smells like
mildew?
To my knowledge, nothing
was ever spilled inside the
VW, and I am the only
driver.
Anyone else have or have
had this problem?
I would get the interior shampooed.
Do you have kids? They are notorious for HIDING smelly stuff.
Just throw in my 2 cents since I had dealt with 2 lemons before :<.
In CA, there is a Lemon law. Try to research that out. In one of my case (a Mercury van), I managed to satisfy the lemon law, and get almost a full refund of the van. The law states that:
- if the car has been under repair 3-4 times for the same problem without success'
- has stayed in the shop for at least 30 days during the first year.
Then you are entitled for some lemon law arbitration. To satisfied the lemon law, I sent my van to different dealers for repair. This lemon law route takes a lot out of you, and requires very good book keeping.
The other lemons I had(involved Honda Accord :>) was a horrible experience. The car would stall at anytime on a freeway. However, I was not aware of the lemon law. So I sold the car back to another Honda dealer at a loss.
Any rate, I got a new MAX 2K after reading the Passat forum. But MAX 2K is not free of problem (I just got one, hopefully is minor). To see more MAX 2K problems, go to deja.com.
Good luck to you all - we all need peace of mind and fun right :>
Also, synchro AWD is supposed to be available on the V6GLS and GLX in 2000. I called the dealer and he said this will be available in Europe only. Any news on this? If I could find a GLX with AWD, I will buy this afternoon...
thanx
Manish
Few days back, I heard wind sound in the car. I checked all the windows and sunroof and everything was shut tight. I opened and closed everything again but the sound was there. Can it be the windshield problem people have written?
Although it's fun to drive Passat, but I have been observing occasional problems. Like once the front speakers stoppped functioning. I turned off and on again and they came back to life.
On another occasion, I heard some 'fat-fat' like sound somewhere from my front-right side (may be tires). Asked my friend to see if something sticking on tire, but nothing. Kept wondering what was that sound.
Also anyone can throw light on how long does VW Club takes for new membership? It's couple of weeks, already charged my credit card, but have heard nothing from them yet. Wrote one mail, but no response.
My 99 GLS 1.8T, 5spd manual has been FLAWLESS for over 10,000 miles. Yes, some people have had some problems and reported them here, but, again, this is a VERY SMALL sampling and you need recognize that. Also, EVERY car has problems, even Hondas and Toyotas, so you will always have SOME chance of problems.
I agree the 2/24 b2b is short, but the Powertrain warrrenty is extensive and covers everything from the water pump to the turbo(over 90 different items), so I don't sweat it.
example--
On a Honda, you would get a 3/36 b2b, and an equal powertrain, so if you need to replace that water pump on an Accord at 90k miles, you will pay out of pocket, VW will replace mine for free.
I read all about VW's past bad rep for electrical problems, but when I went out to get my own data, by talking to diffferent mechanics, friends and collegues, I honestly couldn't substanciate those claims. I found that old VW's have a rep for being long-lasting, fun to drive cars with very few problems. Parts costs are on-par with those of Hondas and Toyotas, and there is a HUGE aftermarket for performance parts, add-ons, etc.
I owned 2 not-quite-flawless Hondas before my Passat so I researched this purchase TO DEATH and found that the Passat offered the best blend of comfort, performance, style, and quality for my money for me. You will need to decide for yourself if the Passat is right for you, just don't let a bunch of anonymous internet posters decide for you, do your own research and decide for yourself. The new Passat is 60% Audi A4 and feels it, I think it is a great car.
Good luck,
Dave
any info on what i should be approx paying for a fully loaded 99 passat GLS 5 speed auto with leather seats ? i mean what should be a good deal ?
Thanx
Manish
Use the tools here at Edmund's to figure out the exact nvoice price of your car, take this data with you to the dealer and ask for YOUR price, if you don't get it, try another dealer.
You are also ALWAYS better off to try and deal on something on the lot if you can find what you want.
This is exactly what I did why buying my 2000 Jetta. My deal took 10 minutes. However I computed a fair price based on 5% profit on dealer cost as opposed to the 3% Edmunds recommends. I thought 3% was low.
The Passat may be more in demand now that Consumers Reports rated it so high. This will raise your cost.
If you are in NJ go to Three County VW. I had no problems with them.
2000 Passats are slightly pricer (dealer cost), come pre-packaged with Monsoon ($295) and discounted changer ($250 list), add ASR (hi-speed traction control) to 4 cyls, other minor adds/deletes.
THIS IS A WONDERFUL CAR--My second Vdub (85 Jetta) with approx 17+ years of Hondas and Toyotas in the family mix. My take was that quietness, ride, handling, packaging (standard 'options' such as trip computer, alarm system, competent sound system, and assorted bells and whistles), and 4-cyl economy with V6 power blew another Camry off the list. Hopefully, my enthusiasm will outlast the 100k plus I got from the last one...this beauty is well made and exceeds the initial build quality of my previous Toyota.
Drivers wanted.
Thanx for all the info..
Manish