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As far as the sound I've been hearing goes... the service guy did confirm that it is indeed the ABS/ESP system and that it is perfectly normal. So thanks to both you and markcinncinati for the information. I feel better.
Shortly after taking delivery I found the AM radio reception was lousy and not fixable. That was not a big deal because we use the radio very little, yet it was not only annoying but also worrisome.
Then the transmission started to noticeably thump as we slowed to a stop, a very annoying feeling, to say the least. Fortunately a participant on this board pointed out that the problem was fixable and that I should insist on its correction. I decided to wait until I put some miles on the car before getting it fixed to see what else went wrong so that I could take care of all the problems at one time. Much to my surprise, and relief, nothing else went wrong, and so at 2500 miles and 3 1/2 months of usage I took it in for the transmission work. The dealer knew of this problem, knew how to fix it, and said it would take 1 1/2 hours including their long test drive. They did a good job, treated me well, and the problem is gone.
This car is a dream to drive, and its power is more then adequate for my usage.
However, because of the poor reliability record of VW they have created a psychological problem for their owners. I am afraid that we end up always listening for that little sound that may indicate some problem, while in other vehicles with a good reputation, we would ignore it. After all, these are all just machines that from time to time do make odd noises. Hopefully I can now put the reliability concerns out of my mind.
I use the car as my transportation to and from my office each day. The total distance from home to office is around 10 miles. I also use it for driving to family activities on the weekends (to the local park, swimming pool, etc.) and runs to the grocery, shopping etc. From time to time I will have a long trip of a couple hundred miles or so and those are typically all rural hwy with infrequent braking. I'm 37 yrs old and have three young children (read "conservative). I do NOT drive recklessly or too fast and I don't use the car to "Rally" on the weekends. All my driving is typical day to day usage. I have had multiple vehicles in the past (2 Subaru, 2 Mazda, 2 Ford, 1 Chevy, 1 Dodge, and this is my 2nd VW). None of the other vehicles I have ever owned had any kind of brake problems except having to replace brake pads and shoes and turning the occasional rotor. None of these conditions ever occured before 36k miles on any of my previous vehicles. All but one of the previous cars I owned were used cars and were higher mileage cars to begin with. The Passat was "fresh off the truck" with only 12 miles on the ODO when I picked it up. I don't understand why the rotors on the Passat are so "weak".
I will be talking to the service guy at the dealership to see what types of options I have. My Passat is on a 4 year lease and I have about 10 months left on the lease. I opted to get the "Mastercare Platinum" service agreement at the time of signing my lease so I would have coverage to the end of the lease term. That little piece of paper has paid for absolutely NOTHING when I have brought my car in for service (the B2B was 2 years when I leased my Passat).
Anybody have any suggestions about what I can do?
Do you mind if I ask how much it cost to repair the torn axle shaft boot?
When my dealer fixed my transmission problem he did not tell me they had to have a VW factory engineer do the work. They said that their mechanic would fix it in a short time, and it took about 1 1/2 hours. I saw the mechanic drive my car out of the shop about 1 hour after I got there and he was gone 20 - 30 minutes while he tested it, which was okay with me. My dealer has three locations in Chicagoland with a total new car stock of around 650 cars so he may have more trained mechanics then other VW dealerships.
Incidentally, I noticed another improvement after this fix. My car at times seemed to hesitate as I accelerated out from a stop before, but all that hesitation is now gone and the start up is very smooth. That may or may not have something to do with the transmission fix, I am too technically inept to know.
1) Outlines an extension of the warranty to cover oil sludging to unlimited miles / 8 years for the 1.8T engine only.
2) Specifies that engine oil should meet VW Spec 502.00. A list of oils that meet 502.00 was included - it only lists synthetic oil in either 5w-40, 0w-40 and 5w-30 multigrades. To repeat, there are no dino oils on the list. Specifically mentioned were: Synpower 5w-30 and 5w-40, Mobil 1 0w-40 only, Castrol Syntec 5w-40 and a handful of others from Pennzoil, Kendall, Havoline and Quaker State. Notably in their absence was Amsoil, Royal Purple, and Redline.
3) Specifies a 5,000 mile / six month change interval. In certain cases (short trips, stop & go driving, and extended below-freezing temps) could require more frequent changes.
I've cross posted this on the VW Passat thread as well. Moderators, delete this from one or the other if you desire.
I hope so because the new Accords are extremely ugly and I really want the Passat. I think I will take my chance Friday if I get a good deal.
Are you sure about 5000 miles/6 months. I remember seeing 7500 miles and nothing about 5000 in new addenum.
Krzys
http://autos.msn.com/research/compare/compare.aspx?src=URES
Just click on reliability ratings and punch in the car you are interested in. To some it will be a surprise.
I'd guess in either case the answer is to replace the unit. You might be able to buy one from someone on the other online forums. People occasionally upgade their standard lights to HIDs and then sell the old units.
So what's normal seatbelt wear? What should VW do for me? Thanks.
Thanks!
Krzys
I know this is off-topic, but I was just curious to find out your experience with GLX. I recently purchased a 2001.5 (NEW BODY SHAPE) GLX V6. Any feedback from you, would be great help.
Thanks.
Yet your brakes have warped twice, at an average 16k miles each time. Without having been turned.
Hmmm. You also don't mention if you pull anything with your Passat (but I'll assume you don't).
I've research Passats - a lot - and haven't found that this is a common problem at all. Sure, people expecting 60k miles out of the brakes are dreaming (it's German and it uses soft pads to get those excellent braking figures). But this is an extreme example.
My only conclusion is that someone who drives the car must be constantly riding the brakes. Do any of the drivers drive with two feet?
the problem I have had is that when I go to start the car i have to rotate and push up on the key to get the starter to engage...recently, (yesterday) while doing this my key broke at the plastic...no biggie right? so I put the key in turned, pushed up and nothing...so I have to push start the car...
so..i know i need a new key...I did notice that is is very worn..could this be the cause or do I need a new ignition swith and key?
thanks
Thanks.
1996 passat glx vr6
To add insult to injury, now I am having a suspension problem on my Passat. The left from suspension is groaning loudly whenever I come to a stop, or accelerate from a stop, or drive through a gutter, or over a speed bump ... or do anything that makes the front suspension have to MOVE at all. I talked to the service guys at my local dealer and they said it is a common problem that creeps up in the Passat and that there is no real fix for the problem. All they can do is "band-aid" it. They told me it is a bushing that has failed in the suspension and that it needs to be replaced ... but that even replacing the bushing does not guarantee that the problem will not return because of the design. Right now it is horribly loud and obnoxious and the quickest they can get me in is September 9th. I have asked them to put me on a waiting list in case someone cancels but it looks like I will have to put up with this racket for over a week.
My first 3 years with my Passat were pretty trouble free (except for the brake rotors which I saw as a fluke or maybe a bad batch of rotors that I happened to get on my car). As soon as 32,000 miles hit I have started to have more problems than I have had since a 1972 Subaru I inherited from my Mom when I was a teenager. That old Subaru had over 85,000 miles on it and I had to replace the CV joints twice, the front brakes once, and the belts once in the 3 years I drove it. I am starting to regret my decision to get a Passat and it is extremely unlikely another VW will be in my future.
I'm not saying that all VW's will be problematic ... but my experience has soured me on VW ... just as my experience with our Taurus soured me on Ford.
I'm also having the same problem with front suspension which I understand is fairly common. I was told that front control arms need to be replaced, kinda expensive.
Please keep us posted if replacing the bushing help and how costly the job is.
I will keep you updated on the results of my front suspension work. I probably won't have a response until September 10th when the work has been performed.
Another frustrating thing for me in regards to my Passat is the warranty. When I got my '01.5 Passat I had to make the purchase because my previous car was on its last leg. The warranty for the Passat was 2 yr/ 24k miles with the 5 yr/ 100k mile powertrain warranty. Just 6 months after I got my Passat, VW extended the B2B warranty to 4 years. I purchased the Masterguard warranty extension but it has been a worthless piece of paper to date.
I have had to use the powertrain warranty for the camshaft tensioner assembly when it started to rattle and shake whenever I started the engine (and continued to rattle and shake as I drove it). If it hadn't been for the warranty I would've had to drop another $600 to fix that. It is nice to see VW step forward on some of the problems they have had and issue recalls or extend warranties when required (coil pack replacement, engine sludge warranty extension, O2 sensor warranty extension). Perhaps they will discover that the brake rotors and/or the front suspension issues are a common problem and have to issue a warranty extension or recall for those parts as well. I can only hope. I have had to spend more money on maintenance items for this Passat than I did on my previous 4 cars combined.
My Passat is on a 4 year lease and I will be able to turn in the vehicle in another 10 months. I just hope I don't have to dump another wad of cash into it to keep me in transportation for that 10 months. It will probably be cheaper to just pay out the lease and get into something else. I don't want to have to burn more cash in maintenace items that should not occur in a car just over 3 years old with less than 36k miles!!
According to CR, VW had a definate rough patch with problems about 3-5 years ago...and ranked toward the bottom in # of car problems.
But now, the new Passats get CR Best Buy recommendations and good safety ratings.
So...is the lack of older VWs on the road (e.g., Passats and Jettas) due to said "rough patch"? Or is it a more general rule/belief that VWs are fine for shorter ownerships (e.g., up to 5 years when their regular warranties run out), but then most people trade them in vs. keeping them longer and facing issues?
Also...how do repair costs for VW parts/labor stack up? About the same as other imports, or more/less expensive?
Thanks,
sapphireblue
Subaru's "feature" is well known thing of any AWD - Subaru, GM or other.
Krzys
Also, can anyone tell me if there are any free online resources that show repair diagrams?
Thanks
mjsend
Its also very important to rotate tires also otherwise damage like this may occur.
Getting Some Lemon-Aid From Your Lemon Maker
The service tech told me that the Masterguard extended warranty will cover this item ... I will believe that after the repairs have been done.
Thank God it wasn't the control arm replacement they initially assumed it to be ... that is a $1200 dollar repair. Unfortunately, it wasnt as simple as a bearing that needs to be re-lubed.
I think I will have to get hold of the local VW rep and discuss some of the items I feel should be covered under the Masterguard warranty that haven't been. Perhaps I can get some things to be covered .... I won't be getting my hopes up though.
Thanks.