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VW Passat Troubles (B5 platform, nee Audi)
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So if you do DIY maintenance, save even the smallest receipt for every quart of oil you buy, and use a VW filter only, otherwise they will get you if you need warranty service. And even if your car is running fine and you are doing your own scheduled maintenance, take the car for service at the dealer evey once in a while, and ask them to check if any TSBs need to be inspected/applied to the car.
What does the timing belt breaking have to do with the oil? Two separate issues here. If you didn't change your timing belt when recommended, then it's on your dime, is my understanding.
Please tell us more if you'd like, it's interesting.
I'll have to make a decision this week, I could fix it at my own expense and then pursue court action. But I could easily lose that case, and if the repair cost is too high, I might not want to fix the car knowing my chances of recovering. I'd be better off donating it to charity and taking the tax writeoff. If anyone knows of any salvage yards that specialze in late model VWs, please post.
I was confused at the beginning also, but then I started to read about some other people's experiences on other boards. The bottom line is that it appears that if you do your own maintenance, cover your a**, don't leave any loopholes that could be used to deny your warranty claims. Then again, I never had this problem with Ford or Honda.
I guess this is the WRONG message board to check out when you already have a $ 1,000.00 deposit on an In-Bound '02 GLX V6 Variant (Wagon). I just didn't want another Ford from past experience with wind-noise due to improperly aligned body panels, roof rack rattles from poor assembly, creaks and weird clanks from the brake/front end arena, wallowy handling, wiper fluid switch and lug nut recalls, cheap switches, eternal engine light from emissions problems that cost $ 400.00 to fix and is NOT fixed, dealer lies and maintenance department inadequacies, seats that cripple you on long drives, interior lights and door-open light on from misaligned door latch, etc., etc.,...
I went to book stores and bought magazines, I spent endless hours on the inter net, I have test drove multitudes of cars (and endured the volley of post-test-drive sales calls) and the result of my quest pointed to the '02 Passat Wagen. So I says to myself "Self, we are going to treat you to some German stylin'." You know what? I am still getting the Passat after reading every "post 2001.5 message" here.
What are the other choices? Don't make me laugh. A Toyota Camry (pronounced Coma-ry) and your not even 65 years old yet? A Honda with its wheel noise so loud you can't here your cell phone while driving on course pavemant, not to mention that oh-so sweet Odyssey exterior (lol)? A Highlander or Sienna "Engine Sludge Fest" which Toyota has been quite "Extraordinaire" in ignoring until as of late. A BMW who's maker is proud of thier "Most Profitable Car Manufacturer" status (I wonder why? heh heh!).
Have any of you ever seen a Toyota Recommended Maintenance Schedule? You will soon know your dealer's maintenace people if you put miles on your car. I had a Toyota once and it seemed I was at the dealers once a month for "routine" maintenance. Oh, and by the way, NO Dealer Service is inexpensive.
I have spoken to quite a few local Passat owners on the street and they all seem happy with their cars to me.
And "Oh My God!", a dealer service department that is too busy to do warranty repairs or fix it right the first time! The Humanity! Uh People...they are like that everywhere (Fords, Chevys, all of them). If you are very kind, are close to your purchase date, and have an easy fix, service departmemts are generally great. The actual Mechanic makes a BIG difference also.
The Passat is a "Family Car". A "Family Car" with a sporty yet smooth ride. A Family car with great style, components and interior. A "Family Car" that puts a smile on the drivers face. A "Family Car" with an EXCELLENT safety rating. What would you feel like if your wife or child got hurt or killed in an accident because you based your car buying decision on rattles or 0-60 comparisons? If most of your driving is not racing cars at stop lights than the Passat is great. You almost never hear people complaining of the engine's power in the 30-100 mph area. At those speeds the Passats kicks the others butts.
Please, to those of you that this pertains to, stop whining about a buzz, rattle or whistle, or even small electrical glitches like an intermittent wiper fluid switch. I (and I hope most of us...) am interested in Major Electrical or Mechanical Component problems and Proper Maintenance Issues. I'm not going to change my mind on which car to purchase because of a wiggly door latch.
I drove a Passat, and then fell in love with it. My feelings are that VW's are notoriously appealing for younger people. Younger means more Internet Friendly. Internet Friendly means more blabbing on Forums. More blabbing on Forums means every problem known to man is exposed. Also, people who buy Passats are educated, they READ. They don't want to be swindled by dealers in any respect. How many Caddy owners do you think are writing daily pros and cons on these type of forums? The Passats are leading the way to changing the VW/Young Person reputation. Where else can you get an affordable "Family Car" that is as good? You want a Sporty Passat? You need to do tires, chips, and some suspension tightening. It's SUPPOSED to ride like it does because that's what it was DESIGNED to be.
Does anyone have any MAJOR warnings on the '02 GLX 2.8L V6 or good fluid or maintenance recommendations? Stop scaring me and other people with rattles or squeaks, or a '95 with an oil leak.
Thanks, Dave ;^)
'98 Ford Expedition soon to become a '02 VW Passat GLX V6 Tip. Variant
I've had a strange problem the past few weeks, and I've hesitated to take it to the dealer since it seems as though they charge me $100 every time I so much as drive by the place. There is a squeaking noise that seems to worsen considerably as the temperature outside rises. This car squeaks when you brake and squeaks when you start accelerating from a stop. It even squeaks when the driver or passenger sits down in it, although not when the temperature is low. Does anyone have any idea what it could be? I'd like to be somewhat educated when I take it to a mechanic, since I'm a single female and hate to be taken for a ride!
P.S. To the previous message poster- I do NOT consider this a minor annoyance!
Any comments as to the different service requirements? How difficult (expensive) is an inspection anyway?
There is the recommendation to change the "v" belt at 80,000 miles, but I personally would interpret that to refer to the accessory belt, not the timing belt.
Look at vw.com, the click on "vw,etc", then click "parts and service" and then click on "maintenance". You can enter in your vehicle and engine, then select the mileage. It will produce the next service recommendation. It will also give you the option to see the enter schedule. Check it out and see what you think.
I haven't compared this to the owner's manual, but it might be interesting to see if there are any discrepancies.
That's very sad, for VW. I never had such headaches with my used Honda Accords and Civics.
With service like this, I'm leting my wife get a Honda Civic Hybrid.
Just pull the codes, and hopefully someone here can interpret them for you.
Does anyone know if they're referring to the 2003 redesign of the Accord or is VW planning to redesign the Passat which I think Edmund's statement implies (?)
You may also want to consider replacing the water pump at the same time, since it's fully exposed during this work. At the very least, have the mechanic check to see if it's seeping. I'd get it replaced if you are planning to keep the car for much longer, since you save on the labor. If it goes bad later, you will pay all of this labor again to gain access to it.
By the way, brace yourself for the repair estimate. This work, from what I have seen on the Clubb5 and VWvortex, ranges wildly in price from $300 to more than $600 in price. I'd shop around for the best deal.
I mentioned the water pump because they seem to be a known weak link. I tend to keep cars ten years and 160,000 miles or more, so I might still have considered the pump despite the dealers advice, since I know I'll be out of the warranty period for a good portion of the car's life. But a seeping pump gives you some time to get the job done...not like a blown timing belt.
I have also called VW customer service and they can't help me too much because they told me they had to rely on dealership. :-)
Please let me know if you have a similar problem, or how is this fixed. Thanks.
I am desperate for a solution. I want to ask if anyone out there having problem with condensation in the side marker lens. 3 month after I got 2002 GLX, some idiot stole my side marker lenses and lamps (lights below side mirrors). They pulled the lens out and cut a wire inside. They also tried to steal my alloy wheels but saw the lock bolt, then gave up.
Our dealer reinstalled a new side marker lenses, lamps, and wires. After a few days later, a driver side marker lens was getting foggy. I can see that there is moisture inside. Several days later, it started to form beads of water inside. We went to get serviced twice. The third time, e went back to our dealer and replaced the left lens and two hours later I see the moisture forming in the lens again. The right side lens is just fine since they replaced first time. We went back to dealer right away to show what’s going on. The dealer had no clue and seemed not cared. They used air pressure to spray inside the lens, which has not way of getting air. If you’ve seen the lens carefully, lamp goes in the lens but have clear plastic cover over it. No way of getting moisture in there. The dealer messed around, but the result is the same.
I am getting sick of it. I bought a new car so I don’t have to commute to the dealer every other month. Does anyone have some problem? If so how did you fix it? Any suggestions???
I've already been back to the dealer once and they replaced a fuel pump relay. Later that night, same problem! (Valet service at the dealer brings up all cars, so I didn't catch it at the dealer.)
Anybody else out there having these kinds of problems? Any ideas I could present the dealer would be appreciated.
This morning, though, it came back on with no problems - backlighting and all. Anybody know what might have caused this, how I can fix it if it happens again, or how I can prevent it?
My general opinion of the car (I've had a few quality V6 autos recently): Great on the interstate, maybe the best, and that is what I do most of, so I do like the car alot. VW service is very obviously a circling shark. Safety (otherwise) seems to be extremely high. Interior is beautiful, but delicate upholstery and carpets are difficult to keep clean. The paint rivals that of BMW. The engine is a gas hog and weak, compared to Camry and Maxima at equivalent prices. Much body roll and shifting on twisty roads, especially at lower speeds. No (other) big problems to date.
It noticed the same thing heel-toeing in my car.
There was a TSB issued on this matter around 1999 because owners were complaining of the same thing.
The high idle....sounds right with my previous experience in Toyotas.
Another problem is oil consumption. I checked her oil recently and to my surprise found none! Not one drop registered on the dipstick. This check was prompted by a horrible grinding sound that I heard when she started it the other day. I waved her down, told her to turn the car off so as not to risk damage to her engine. Luckily, I had some 5W-30 in the garage and 3 quarts later it was back into the normal range on the dipstick. I've never seen a car use 3 quarts of oil after only 1.5k miles into an oil change. Her car doesn't leak it so it must burn it. All you V6 owners should check your oil on a regular basis just to be safe because I seriously doubt the powertrain warranty covers engine failure due to a lack of oil.
I took the car back to the dealer again and explained that it happened a year ago and how it was resolved. They say that the mirror can't be 'popped' back on and must be replaced at $235.00 and 1.5 hours labor. I have checked the connection housing and it looks very soft and should be replaced - replacing the casing would accomplish this.
I feel that I may have a warranty claim here but VW is less than enthusiastic. Has any one had a similar problem? Helpful advise will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Rich
gaspereaux@yahoo.com
I'm new here. Before posting I did a search on the problem I have but couldn't find anything.
I'm not sure I'll be able to perfectly describe this noise but I'll do my best:
The beast: a metallic noise that comes on sometimes (I think it's happening more often now) usually after I hit 40-45 mph.
Once this noise starts it wouldn't necessarily go away if I reduce the speed.
If I touch the brake (and keep my foot lightly on it) it does go away but once I release the brake the noise comes back. Also, if I turn, the noise disappears but comes back when I straighten the car again.
This noise is somewhat similar to the warning noise for the brakes, when you need to change them. It might have a higher pitch, or a
different pattern.
Sometimes I think that the wind may have something to do with this darned noise. It sounds as if the wind were hitting something that's loose and the noise comes from the driver's side, I think.
I've had this car for a year (certified pre-owned) and the first time I noticed the noise I took the car in (about two months after I bought it). At the dealership they said they hadn't been able to replicate the noise but they inspected and serviced the brakes just in case. I am not sure if the problem went away because it was winter and you can't hear the noise with the windows up and the stereo on.
I'm not driving this car much. I bought it with low mileage (Passat 1999 - 26K) and so far I've put only 7,000 miles on it. The car was last serviced by VW (Tulley, Nashua, NH) three months ago, when it hit the 30,000 mile mark.
Anybody with the same/similar problem? Any ideas? What should I do???
Many thanks.
VW Customer Care is not being of much help either. I called and opened a case on the issue. The response I got back later in the day when I called to follow up was that "because of the age and mileage, this isn't covered under warranty." I challenged that - it's 3 yr/48K versus the 10 yr/100K powertrain warranty - that doesn't make sense to me I said. The customer rep put me on hold, and then came back with a new answer that it wasn't a covered part because it's "not an internal component of the transmission, it's a part that leads up to the transmission". I asked her if I could get a copy of the warranty that would spell this out, and she said I should be able to get that from the dealer (right!!!). Now I'm waiting for a supervisor at VW Customer Care to look at my case & get back to me.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!
First, rear hatch would not lock electrically. Lock assembly replaced.
Second, turn signals slowly failed to work. Started by flashing only five or six times, then stopping, then went to one or two flashes before stopping. Eventually stopped completely. Was told flasher was bad. None in stock at dealer and had to wait three days to get replaced.
Third, since replacing flasher, noticed back lighting for window and lock switches on passenger side front door would illuminate after shutting off ignition and leaving doors unlocked. Locking doors caused lights to go off but would light again, shortly after unlocking doors.
This last problem just occurred and I have not yet called the dealer about it. Seems as though these lights are controlled by a processor and not the main headlight switch. Possibly the same processor also controls the flashing of the turn signals and the locking of the hatch.
Does anyone have access to the electrical system wiring diagrams?
The VW brands is so much superior to Honda. When we were buying this car we test drove the Accord and then the Passat. The Passat felt like a real car compare to the Accord. We didn't even look at the Toyota Camry. Nissan Altima was nice but the doors are so light that I can damage them them by just looking at them
The 99 Honda Civic has a good record in the mechanical dept. The car doesnt brake but the engine is so weak, I dont feel like moving when driving the Civic, I guess the torque is so poor and it shows every time i drive it. The structure of the car is a piece of [non-permissible content removed]. The breaks in the honda aren't as good as in the VW. When I brake in the VW the feel is so much better, in the HOnda is like the feel is so much less. I guess VW has better quality brake pads.
1) My brother sold his 2000 Accord Coupe for a 2002 GTI 337 ( that's the special edition GTI ).
2)We are selling the 1999 Civic for a 2003 Passat
3) My sister is selling her 1994 Corolla for a 2003 Jetta.
4) My girlfriend's mother sold her 1992 Maxima for a 2000 Jetta .
5) My parents both have a 94 & 95 Accord and they are also soon going to get a VW jetta and Passat.
Most of the people that i know that have VW cars are very happy.
Remember that VW sells over 100,000 cars a year so the less than 1 % that come here are the one that would complain even if they drive any other brand.
Enjoy your car and drive it fast. Drive it like you stole it.
Aaron
If you drive a VW and you are not happy then sell it and stop crying. I sold my Civic SI and got into a BMW and now my girlfriend is at the end of her lease and her Passat 1.8T should be here anytime.
I have the car scheduled at the Holbert's VW dealership in PA this weekend. Does anyone have an idea of what causes this problem and what the cost of repairs might be? I am especially concerned given my 2 year/24,000 warranty just ended only two weeks ago.