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Problems with 99 VW Passat GLS

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Comments

  • ckemp1ckemp1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 99 V6 passat; the front end creaks when going over speed bumps etc. The dealer tightened my controlarm and the problem still persists. A friend of mine also has a V6 Passat making a similar noise and the dealer discovered that the shipping blocks on the front end had never been removed from his car prior to delivery. If anyone is having this same problem mention this to the dealer.
  • romacromac Member Posts: 1
    I've heard second hand that there is some form of HP limiting on the 1.8L that is removed during the first(5K) service. Is there any truth to this?
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Completely false. Every Passat is equipped with a speed govener at, I believe, 129 mph. This is due to the tire's physical limitations.

    Many of the aftermarket chips (Garrett, TAP, Wett, etc) remove the top speed govenor. Maybe this is what you are thinking of.
  • pjyhzpjyhz Member Posts: 1
    99 gls V6 purchased in june, very happy but have some minor problems. I have just moved so I am lookin for some answers to the following:
    - recall tracking, do I rely on the dealer or can I track it myself.

    -My roudo mags are peeling, dealer told me I hit curbs but three of four are doig this, I would think that they should be able to stand up to a Halifax winter, mostly rain and slush. Have seen Audi's with same mags drive this winter with no problems. Would this be coverd by the warrenty.

    -What is the deal with the brakes,lots of rust and staining on the same mags.


    Thanks for the help looking forward to the summer,only hope gas prices go down.

    cheers!
  • suessues Member Posts: 1
    I have the exact same problems with the molding as the April 30 post. It started peeling off the rear passenger door. Of course my car is no longer under warranty. I have also noticed that under all the moldings the glue appears to have dripped down attracting lots of dirt. I haven't gotten if fixed yet. Not looking forward to $100+ bill for something stupid like that.
  • toughtifftoughtiff Member Posts: 2
    i own a '00 Passat wagon that developed the same squeaking door problem--YIKES! i put WD-40 on the hinges and latch on the side and it worked like a dream--no more squeaks.
  • drewtoodrewtoo Member Posts: 1
    Don't buy a Jetta - Made in Mexico.

    The Passat's are made in Germany. Little better wages there from what I hear. :)

    Too, if you go with the 1.8T, get a P-Chip, bumps the HP to near the V6's for $6k less! Will not void the warranty either.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    The Pueblo VW plant is considered to be one of the most modern, high-tech auto assembly plants in the world. Wards's Auto just did some right ups on this, I will try to find them online.

    The Pueblo VW plant is considered one of the BEST jobs in Mexico, attracting and hiring the best educated, most ambitious workers in that country. The people that work there make a great wage in their market(you cannot compare wages from different countries).
  • biddaddybiddaddy Member Posts: 2
    I'm new to this forum, sorry but I'm tired of seeing people claiming they dont have any problem whatsoever with their new passats( usually 2 months old). I mean, BIG DEAL, no new car should have problems in such short period of time.

    Dont get me wrong, I LOVE passats, they look GREEEEAT, best looking car besides bimmer,IMO. And I bet they drive great too. But just bragging the so-called hassel-free after only a few months of ownership doesn't quite sound right to me.

    I dont have a VW, have a 99 Accord(duh), got 15000 miles on the odo, not a single trip to dealer. In my humble opinion, this is the time when you could actually claiming your cars reliability( or maybe wait even longer :) )
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    I kind of agree with you on the very low mileage, no problem cars. You're right, that's how it should be.

    For me? 24k+ trouble free miles.
  • chet3417chet3417 Member Posts: 1
    Anyone know how, or if, you can turn off the cassette 'blank skip' feature on the standard '99 Passat radio? I read a post here many months back but that technique didn't work on my radio.
  • jshuffield2jshuffield2 Member Posts: 3
    Before buying the Passat, I did test drive the '99 Accord, twice. The Accord is a nice car and extremely reliable. But as far as styling/ride/handling the Accord is out of its league against the Passat. I would buy the Accord over the Camry any day. 26k miles on the Passat and absolutely no problems.
  • solonohiosolonohio Member Posts: 1
    Have'99 1.8T w/5-speed. Fun to drive, but could use more power at cruising speeed. Antenna, radio and cassette had to be replaced within a few months of purchase. Stay away from the dark cloth upholstery. Unbelievable as to the amount of lint it picks-up.
  • manchuzamanchuza Member Posts: 6
    I am seriously considering the purchase of a 2000 Passat (had orig. decided on the BMW 323). After a visit to the local VW dealer, however, find that the Passat is a lot of car for the $$$.

    I have noticed that Consumer reports only reccomends the Passaat 1.8 Turbo--ranks No. 1 in the 4 cyl. category, yet, isn't listed in the six. I have also read that the 6 cyl. is to be avoided in other places.

    Anyone know anything about this?
  • jshuffield2jshuffield2 Member Posts: 3
    The v-6 has had it's problems. Also, on the boards I have read the v-6 gets really bad mpg compared to other v-6s. A low of 15 mpg compared to the 4 which gets about 25 in the city. A chip is available from AutoThority that boasts the hp to the v-6 level, about 190. Personally, we are very happy with the 1.8t.
  • pat455pat455 Member Posts: 603
    Hello manchuza.

    In case you are not aware of this, the best place in Town Hall to find the sort of information you are seeking on the Passat is in either our Sedans or Smart Shoppers Conferences. There are quite a few topics on this vehicle in both of those places.

    The easiest way to find them is to key Passat in to the Topic Search feature on the left side of the page.

    Come on back and see us after you've made a purchase if you have any maintenance or repair questions. Good luck!

    Pat
    Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
  • jin_satxjin_satx Member Posts: 40
    I own a 00 GLX V6 tiptronic and it is one great car. I have almost 5K miles and the only reason it is going to the dealer this week is for it's free 5K service. The engine is an Audi 2.8, the same used in the V6 A4 and the A6. The only reason I can think that the V6 was not condsidered great by Consumers was for some other problems on the early 98's and some 99's. Post your question at www.vwvortex.com or www.clubb5.com for more feedback. In following those forums for month's, most of the probelms have been with the oil gaskets on the 1.8t engines. There really have been few probelms with the V6. Check it out. If you are going to get the automatice, get the V6. I love my GLX, best car I've ever owned.
  • val99val99 Member Posts: 4
    I've had my Nebio Blue / black velour 99 Passat
    GLS 1.8 manual since February '99. Now at 21k miles, with only a few problems.

    The rear passenger-side window carrier broke, but was replaced under warranty. They ordered wrong part first visit, broke new part second visit, then finally got it right third try.

    At about 20k I noticed the lowest bolt holding driver's door was loose - I noticed it while cleaning the door frames. Dealership re-torqued all door bolts, and found no others to be loose.

    Nebio paint is still holding up well - only 1 tiny chip on hood. Too bad they discontinued this color - people still stop me at the mall to compliment the car.

    Other than those two items, no problems.
  • youmsyoums Member Posts: 2
    I love my 2000 Passat GLS w/Auto! It has been 28 days / 1300 miles since I bought it. Before making the purchase decision, I test-drove Accord V6 and Camry V6. The Camry is simply too expensive for what it is and feels too cheap inside, the seats are very uncomfortable. Having been a loyal Honda owner in the past 15 years (2 Civics and 2 Accords), I found the new Accord not really a whole lot better than my ‘95 Accord. The auto transmission is too jerky, even for V6. Too much wind noises, too.

    I was not so impressed when I first test-drove Passat. I bought it because of its standard features, a lot of car for the money. But as days go by, the more I drive, the more I like it. Smooth, excellent seats, powerful, and quiet. I tested the brakes in one windy and stormy night. The car stopped straight and short from high speed. Excellent!

    But, I wish the VW quality control could be as outstanding as Honda’s. The MPG display in the MFD has been out of order after just 3 days. It went crazy! Sometimes goes up to 140, even 200 miles per gallon! Although it really has no effect to the driving performance, but everything should work as it is supposed to, period. The fabric of the seats is too easy to trap lint; there is no small compartment for tokens and changes; the cup holders are a joke. No big deal, but an amazing car like this should not let details like these escape.

    For 5 years, I had ZERO trouble with my ‘95 Accord. Let’s see if this Passat can be as reliable.
  • mknightmknight Member Posts: 57
    There are two MFA (1) settings for MPG calculations:

    MPG = instantanious MPG, average every few yard.

    0MPG = averaged since car last started


    It sounds like you're using the first setting.

    --Mike
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    mknight--You beat me to it. :-)

    I'll second that. You need to go 3 clicks down from the TIME for the AVERAGE MPG("ø") which for me is around 29 over a tank of gas (99 GLS 1.8T, Manual).

    If you leave it on the CURRENT MPG it will constantly change form 2 mpg up to 200 mpg. It's fun to coast down a big hill and watch the numbers go to "---" because the computer only goes so high. :-)

    btw, this is ALL in the owners manual.
  • ydoc4177ydoc4177 Member Posts: 1
    In January '99, I bought a used (9000 miles) '99 GLS 1.8T with TipTronic and roof. I bought it from a guy and got a fantastic deal. I drive over 50 miles a day for work, as well as up and down the east coast for holidays and other family events. I am extremely satisifed.

    I have had no major problems with my car. The only one I've encountered was partly my fault; I had to replace the tires just recently. Yes, I should have checked the pressure but had been relying on the local VW dealer/mechanic doing what he said he would do as part of my routine maintnenace and oil changes. Like an earlier post, I started noticing an increase in tire noise by the "cupping" sound. My non-VW (regular) mechanic said the tires were very unevenly worn (yes, they were) and that I should replace. Obviously I did and it was like having a new car again. I suspect the tires were never properly inflated to begin with since the tire noise is totally gone. Even when I bought it, there was a lot of noise (like someone else, I thought the upgrade from the noise of my '92 Escort - which, by the way, never suffered a mechanical problem at all in 115,000 miles - was why I was noticing the tires). Again, I should have checked on my own; just never noticed anything odd or obvious and relied on the dealer.

    I'm not surprised, given other things that happened with the local VW dealer, to read the posts here. From dirty, greasy finger prints on the roof pillar post and windshield (installing the state inspection sticker) to an oil leak (supposedly from the air dam) after an oil change to a scratch on the front bumper while left at the dealer, I was not pleased.

    So, with all these miles and only the tire situation to deal with and now back to my regular mechanic, I have nothing but praise for the car.
    There are little annoyances...the passenger front window won't always (1/25 times) go up with the non-stop feature, there is a slight whistle in the driver's window over 70mph, and I have had the cold stumble when starting just twice and I noticed those both when I was 1) low on gas and 2) parked at an incline. I really hate the blank tape stop function because I plug in a portable CD player and, even with a track running, if the sound level is low enough, the blank tape kicks in.

    It would be nice to see an in-dash CD player offered as standard or at least an option. For a car so nicely equipped and in this price range, it seems a bit odd. I haven't seen in listed for the 2000s so if I'm wrong, I apologize.

    Like others have said, with any car, you could end up with lots of problems. I haven't. Indeed, when I saw this one in the classifieds and the price, I was really hesitant because I figured someone was dumping a lemon. My regular mechanic checked it and said things looked fine, so i took the deep breath, and bought what I really wanted and all my reading and research had said was a Grade A+ automobile.

    Best...
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    There is an in-dash CD player now available.
  • tmann3tmann3 Member Posts: 1
    Does anyone know if the p-side mirror from a '99 Passat will fit on a '98 passat? In 98 with the new design, VW for some strange reason went with a smaller mirror and I want to install the larger one. I own the 98 GLS 1.8T 5-speed, great car and high quality. Thanks.
  • coloradoredcoloradored Member Posts: 1
    I bought my '99 Passat GLS V-6 Tiptronic/roof February 1999 and I LOVE it. My husband and I were looking to replace my '96 Ford Probe GT/5-Speed before the warranty ran out. I saw a red one in Chicago about 7 years ago and ever since then, I was HOOKED!

    We were debating between a Grand Prix GTP and a Taurus SHO/V-8. I was leaning towards the GTP due to a $4000 savings from a Passat, but the Passat kicked tail in every driving situation. The Taurus body styling just didn't do it for me. Interior quality was very unimpressive.

    My husband was skeptical at first of a VW (first impressions were "Chick Car.") NOT SO! I can't keep him away from it. We fight over who gets to drive. No tilting at higher speeds on curves and -super impressive- acceleration on the Interstate! I even impressed a GTP owner who happened to be riding with me.

    Problems? Brake squeaking. Had to learn to ride the brakes a little harder to warm them up. Also had to have the power steering pump replaced 2 months ago due to leaks and grinding noise and the windshield wiper blades went bad already. Other than that, I'm already looking to replace it when the time comes with a GLX or possibly the AAC Concept V-10 full size VW truck. I'm definately going with leather. Lint trap! Bad JuJu.
  • freddy15freddy15 Member Posts: 1
    My '99 Passat Wagon GLS 5 spd 1.8 L has a rear wiper that sporadically comes on when the car is started no matter what position the lever is in. Once the car is running the only way I can turn it off is to fiddle with the lever for 30 or more seconds or to stop and restart the car. The dealer has replaced a switch, but the problem persists.

    I have driven the car for just over a year and have over 20K miles. The only other problem I have had with this car is the right side rear window came off its track.

    This wiper problem is getting to me, otherwise I'm a happy Passat owner. Any help?
  • whitt2whitt2 Member Posts: 1
    Like to know if you upgrade the chip on the VW Passat 1.8T will that void out the warrant?
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Technically? Yes. But it's more complicated then that.

    I suggest you do a searc in the forums at www.vwvortex.com or www.clubb5.com for more in-depth information on the subject.
  • tomvttomvt Member Posts: 6
    As promised four months ago, here’s an update to my previous posts (#376 & 380) regarding my 1999 Passat wagon. Shortly after those posts, the dealership managed to follow through on the long-awaited appointment to have the recall work accomplished. The first thing the service person did when I arrived at the dealer was to stick her head in the car and announce that my Passat was over the warranty mileage limit of 24K. Not what I wanted to hear after a long VW-induced delay due to parts unavailability. Not to worry, the cold-weather brake recall would cost me nothing, and in response to my statement that the check engine light had come on once or twice, they also replaced the spark plugs without charge. Nice folks. The visit became less pleasurable when they charged me for adjusting the headlamp focus and for swapping my defective Continental tire with the spare. Dealer was unsympathetic when I pointed out that both of these maintenance items originated long before the (meager) 24K warranty limit, and that I deferred making an appointment because I thought the recall work would have been accomplished much sooner than it was.

    Since then, my car has run wonderfully. I have put 33.7 K miles on it since purchase 14 months ago. It is very comfortable, and has performed on several long trips of about a thousand miles each very nicely. Pleasure of ownership has returned to a good extent. Off the line there isn’t much going on for the first two seconds or so, but the passing power of this little 4-cyl engine with Tiptronic is amazing. I don’t drive fast very often, but this feature gives me a confidence on the two-laners I frequent that I never had with my Camry 4-cyl standard. I’m not sure exactly what the Tiptronic feature is all about, but on hilly twisting roads I know it enables me to match the RPM with the road profile. That’s not to say it’s a substitute for cubic inches and a five-speed, but it’s fun. I don’t use this feature very often.

    I took the car camping and found it had ample space for two adults and a large dog. Managed to pack all camping gear (tent, stove, food, chairs, cameras-whatever) into car without need for roof storage. We even managed to load up the odd space here and there with Finger Lakes region wine on the way back from Watkins Glen. I didn’t use the roof rack on that trip, but VW could have easily made the stock item more useful by adding a couple of removable cross members. I got a very pleasant email informing me that there may be a means to secure my canoe to the car without an expensive after-market product, though I haven’t checked it out yet.

    I have not experienced another gas tank overfill. The check engine light came on for a few days, and then went off by itself. I didn’t bother to make an appointment; instead I set a threshold for myself regarding the light. If it comes on and I cannot detect a problem through sight, sound, or smell, I’m going to keep on driving as normal. My tires will need replacement at 40K miles, which is not very good, Tiptronic adventures notwithstanding. It is obvious that my original problem with right rear tire was a Continental defect, though I haven’t bothered to pursue warranty issue with them. Commenting on some earlier postings, I recognized the wind-flow buffet with the moon roof open for what it was. Had experienced it with original bug thirty years earlier. My solution to this is to lower backseat windows about 3” each. I also recognized the creaky emergency brake right away, as I had another car that did this. I only experience the noise when emergency brake is applied-no biggy to me. The tape deck still sounds great, though (and this is common in most cars) the AM section of the radio picks up ignition noise in spite of the rear antenna location. Makes it hard to pick up Howie Carr sometimes, but otherwise a real good radio/tape deck. I don’t think it’s possible to get AM like we did 30-40 years ago-there is so much garbage in the overhead lines these days (including the ever-increasing internet babble).

    That’s the word-thanks for listening.
    TOMVT
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    I'm glad things have worked out for you! :-)

    I have just under 26k miles now, trouble-free.
  • fatblokefatbloke Member Posts: 1
    TomVT, glad to hear that you are enjoying your Passat Wagon. We just purchased a 2000 Passat Wagon V6 - indigo blue/black and manual transmission. We enjoy the car very much so far with our 2-day old baby.

    I noticed that the rear anchor of the driver side roof rack has a gap between the roof metal and the plastic cap. The gap measures about 1/8 of an inch. The passenger side one is mounted flush to the metal. The car dealership where we bought the car looked at it and they tried to tighten it. The gap is still there. They said that the screw is already tight and they do not want to overdo it to warp the roof. I am not sure if water will leak under the roof - the dealership said no.

    Does anyone else has the same problem? Does it seems like a part manufacturing problem? Should I ask them to order a new roof rack to replace the one I have?

    Any comment will be appreciated.
  • jap393jap393 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 99 Passat with about 15,000 miles on it. I was driving in FL when my tire blew. While waiting for AAA (about 30 min later) my car caught fire from the tire area.
    Some seem to think it is mechanical while others blame the tire.
    Has anyone else had a problem like this?
    If I am not the only one then VW might pay for the repair under waranty.
    Please comment if anything is known.
    Thanks.
  • mknightmknight Member Posts: 57
    Sounds alot like a bad wheel bearing to me.

    I've seen a utility trailer once which developed a similar situation. The bearing gets red hot, the heat transfers thru the hub to the steel wheel and the tire. The tire suffers a heat failure, you pull over with a blow out, and a fire develops because of all the heat still in the wheel well area. I suppose it could also be caused by a brake that wasn't entirely released.

    --Mike
  • skerewskerew Member Posts: 20
    I have a 99 v6 GLS w/ about 17,000 miles. I have had several problems that I was hoping others might have advice on since the dealer doesn't.
    1)When decelerating (ie: at a stop sign), the transmission makes a loud whining noise while downshifting
    2)Power steering seems to be on the fritz; in colder weather when the car first starts, there is a scraping sound with any turn of the wheel.
    3) when going over bigger bumps, the steering column makes what I perceive to be an unhealthy jolt (far more significant than what I have felt in any other car)

    Does anyone know what these problems could be? Additionally we have had other small problems like squeaky brakes, radio stopped working; rubber on the inside of door pops off. Should I trade this car in before the warranty is up? Any advice is appreciated.
  • acunninghamacunningham Member Posts: 1
    Bought my VW Passat GLS tiptronic because my husband didn't like the Honda Accord, which I love and have never had a single problem with. The Passat has been giving me one problem after another, perhaps it is just a lemon. From pieces falling off the side of the door that they just snap back into place (makes me feel real secure), seats that collect all the lint in the world and won't vacuum off (leather next time), to the oil leak they say isn't there (just in time since the warranty is over, now 30K miles), to now when I start my car in the morning and back out of my garage the exhaust is smoky which my dad says shouldn't happen. Any ideas as why this is happening? or has anyone had this problem? Trying to get the husband to trade it in for a dodge dakota crew cab. we'll see.
  • jeffrey2ujeffrey2u Member Posts: 1
    I have a 98 Passat and was one of the first new body styles to hit the US market. I have had an enormous number of problems. Your steering problem is one I have had and my girlfriend has also had on her Jetta 2 times. As luck would have it my VW dealer is an Audi dealer too. The same day we brought in the car for the strange steering noise an A4 owners was reporting the same problem. We all had our Steering Racks replaced.

    I also had a strange noise that happened when I hit particular sized bumps. It was in the front of the car. I took it in and they could never duplicate it. Finally they looked and found that there are spacer blocks put between the frame of the car and suspension for shipment from Germany. Somehow they forgot to take them out during their "prep". That may be what you are experiencing.

    Overall I have never had this many problems with any other car. Here is a list of the problems I have had.

    Suspension spacers
    Dashboard computer (tach, speed, etc.) 2 times
    Lock system computer
    Steering
    Trunk & glovebox lights (not a fuse, wiring let loose)
    Harsh Idle (changed oxy sensor at 5k miles)
    Rattling Glovebox (3 times and loose again)
    Oil Leak somewhere they have not located (it is on the garage floor!)

    I really enjoy driving the car when it operates correctly. I get over 30mpg on every tank and happy with the performance. It has the best sound system of any car I have owned, and rides beautifully. I am getting ready to buy another car and just can't bring myself to put up with going to the 4-5 times per year for problems. I just don't feel confident in the quality of the car.

    I am hoping they are getting the "bugs" worked out but the Audi A4 has been out for a while and has some of the same problems. They use the same engine and many other components.

    My last car was a 626 and I can't recall ever taking it to a dealer for anything other than routine maintenance.

    Hope this helps.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    is Gold!
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    "I have a 98 Passat and was one of the first new
    body styles to hit the US market."

    That kind of says it all. The 1998.5 was more then just a new body style, it was a whole new car. I think everyone would agree that buying early in the first model year is just asking for trouble.

    Not to belittle your problems, they do stink to have.

    almost 27k trouble free miles on my 99 GLS Turbo!
  • sush72sush72 Member Posts: 1
    I bought my Passat in 98. Was great, back then was a real head turner. It now has 42,000 mile and is in for repair every other week.
    Trouble did not start too long after that. My 1st oil change, asked them to adjust the lights, was told it was an European styling, now that the warranty is up and I took it to another dealership, I was charged for this alignment.
    2. A whistling noise started to come during the cold weather only, went away during the spring, and back again following winter. along with this the engine got noiser and sounded like a pick-up truck. The whistling noise was diagnosed as a power steering pump. The loud engine noise was not diagnosed properly and invloved replacing the alternator, power steering pump pulley and a generator. After this work was done I got a whistling noise every time I turn the steering wheel, I brought it back minutes after the repair, was told it was a air bubble will go away. By the time I drove off it was past the warranty mileage. The noise is still there and they refuse to fix it, saying its a power sterring belt and the warranty is over, even thought it was never there before the repairs. During this work they damaged my crusie control which worked fine before I brought it in. The dealer ship tried to blame me as it was shortly after the warranty period now. After much arguement they agreed was their fault and replaced for free/
    3. Shortly after that, airbag warning light - which needed resulted it being replaced. I later found out this is a common problem, but not reported to the customers.
    4. A rattle in the front end started around 23K miles, every bump a hollow rattle was coming from the front end It gradually got worse. Initailly they never fixed it. Each oil change at the dealership, they ignored it. It was so loud. ^ months later, and at 42k miles they found it to be the stabliser link and control arm. Which they tried to charge me for, and ened me digging my records out and showing them this was reported to them a long time ago.. They have this on their system and were able to pull the work order up. IF not for my records they were going to charge me for this.
    THis car has been a nightmare for me since the day I got it. It handle great, but I end up getting rides to and from the dealer ship every other week from fellow employees and its starting to be a big joke. Really fed-up with this car and the sale people or anyone at the dealership is not eager to help. I am in the process of taking this up with VW America.
    I must have just got a lemon, but they way it is being handled by VW is just not right.
  • rickroverrickrover Member Posts: 601
    I have to agree with sporin, your first mistake was buying the first year of a redesigned car. My 2000 has been perfect, no problems at all, VW has made a lot of running changes. I do think part of your problems are poor dealer service, that is an area VW could to a lot better on. I can't stand any of the VW dealers in my area, incompetent to say the least.
  • azileazile Member Posts: 1
    I also have a 2000 Passat Wagon and I just looked at the roof rack and yes, on my car, there is a small gap between the metal and the plastic. It looks pretty normal to me, although I did notice that the roof rack plastic meets the car above the driver's seat.
    I love our Passat. It does have a bit more body roll than I'd prefer at times, but it's a fun little car. I just hope the car continues to be problem free as I rack up more miles.
    Oh yes, I'm not sure about other 2000 models, but my Passat came with a 6 disk cd changer for free. It was advertised as a Volkswagon special, but I think it's cause so many people complained about not having an in dash cd player. Have other people with the 2000 models received this extra?

    Azile
  • jayay1jayay1 Member Posts: 1
    I've driven my 1999 Passat V6 with tiptronic for 1 1/2 years and 27,000 miles in L.A. traffic and freeways daily. I haven't found a better everyday, economical car for a performance oriented driver like myself (I've owned a 911S, BMW 3.0, Lotus, Fiat 124 sport coupe and have been through the Bondurant Race Drivers School). I've had no real problems at all with the car that VW didn't promptly fix (steering pump or something like that). The car screams when you get the revs above 4000. My normal driving mode is in tiptronic. I only use standard automatic in stop-and-go traffice. When you need to pull onto the freeway and get to 80 mph fast, the V6 with tip gets you there mighty quickly. The car is very comfortable, and a high quality vehicle in all respects.

    Don't let these maintenance posts discourage you. The Passat is one hell of a performance automobile. You have 24,000 miles to get the bugs fixed.

    A final tip: when shifting the tiptronic, to get a rapid shift, make the shift first, then instantly back off the gas,then get back on it. This is the reverse of what you are used to with a standard shift, but it works great. You'll be able to shift with nearly the speed you would get out of a manual transmission.
  • cleoneconcleonecon Member Posts: 1
    Not certain if thisis relevent but I had a 1993 Passat station wagon that leaked oil for what seemed like years. The VW dealer kept telling me that it was no real problem and to diagnose the problem and fix it would cost me at least $250. Then I blew out a tire while traveling near the Poconos and ended up at a garage with all kinds of VW's sitting around and he says that he can fix "that oil leak ya got" for $30. It actually cost me $28. He said all he did was replace a gasket. I was in such a hurry that night that I forgot to ask him the details but it did not leak oil at all for the two years that I owned it afterward.
  • manchuzamanchuza Member Posts: 6
    Just bought my first VW--a beautiful new 2000 Passat 1.8T., and found this thread while browsing through Edmunds.

    Sorry to hear about your VW troubles.

    Not that it will necessarily make you feel any better, however, I would suggest that if that is the most trouble you've ever had with one car, then your'e not doing too badly--remember, it could be worse.

    As for your car--well, I must agree with the sentiment of others here--I would never, I say NEVER buy the first year of a redesign. WHY? I did this once with a '92 BMW 325i, and learned the hard way (I've mentioned my woes on other threads previously). My troubles outnumbered yours many times over, and was the worst nightmare my entire life.

    As for my car, only has about 600 miles as of today, but the initial quality and satisfaction is very high. If everything that I've read about the '98 Passats is true--which I don't doubt those of you who have posted troubles are not telling the truth--I would say that someone somewhere is paying attention.

    Live and learn, I suppose.

    READERS TAKE NOTE: NEVER, EVER, EVER BUY THE FIRST YEAR OF A MAJOR REDESIGN OF ANY CAR--unless you are very daring, patient, and have plenty of free time (you'll likely be spending lots of time at your local dealer). Just pick up a copy of the Consumer Reports Car Buying Issue, and compare all the repair records of different cars from the first year of their release to the most recent.
  • skurtzer1skurtzer1 Member Posts: 1
    My 1999 Passat has been a pain in the a** since it turned 24,300 miles. First the car died, after getting it towed, they said the plugs were fouled and needed replacement. Plugs $12.50 each, plus big $$$ for labor Not bad, only 25% of the scheduled life. At 28,000 the brain failed and left me sitting in traffic. Another tow and a $1000 plus bill. Now, my Passat has been at the dealer 28 days as of today. The timing belt went at 37,000 miles and ripped the engine apart in the process. Again leaving me on a busy Philadelphia interstate stranded. (not a real good place to get stuck). They are repairing the engine, not giving me a new one like I should receive. Volkswagen of America has been very unsympathetic and is a victim of its own growing pains. The dealer can't handle the workload. It will never be like it should, I don't care how good the mechanic is, and it will give the next owner a life of problems. I'm getting rid of it as soon as I get it back. I would not suggest this car to anyone shelling out the $25K+ for this thing.
  • rickroverrickrover Member Posts: 601
    I have a hard time beleiving that post. A lot of unusual problems for one car. I belong to two websites devoted to the B5 Passat. Several hundred Passat owners report on every aspect of ownership, good and bad. Passats don't have problems with their computers, never heard of spark plugs fouling and never has anyone posted about a timing belt breaking, especially at only 37k. Either you drive the hell out of your car and don't maintain it or you are totally full of it (I strongly suspect the latter).
  • m9431m9431 Member Posts: 38
    Earlier today I visited my local VW dealer after I saw saw an ad that they would consider "any reasonable offer on in-stock VWs." Thought I'd offer $21.7k for a 1.8T with lux. package. I'm driving a 93 Accord EX 5-spd which has given NO problems to date. I took one last look at an Accord EX V6 which, currently, I can have for $22.6k. Pros and cons to each vehicle but the Passat is so much fun to drive. Gees...after reading posts on problems, I'm leaning toward the Accord...and I thought I had my mind made up?! I wasn't expecting the Passat to be as reliable as an Accord, but after hearing of some 'horror stories,' I just dunno (again)....
  • glsammiglsammi Member Posts: 1
    WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSAT??
  • 1611man1611man Member Posts: 2
    I just read through all of your writing about your problem with the brake pedal on your new VW. One thing caught my attention - if you car has 4 wheel disc brakes - there is no adjustment to be made on 4 wheel disc brakes that would lower or raise your brake pedal. Follow me on this - as your discs wear, the distance between your pads and the rotors becomes greater and your pedal must travel down further to push the greater amount of brake fluid to move the pads farther. Right? So, if your brake pedal now travels further than it did when you took it in to the dealer. it sounds to me as if he CUT the rotors to remove the rust spots and didn't replace them as he stated. That would account for the greater pedal travel you are seeing.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    Spark plug fouling can be caused by overfilling the oil, causing "blow-by." This is something that dealer service "experts" have been doing fairly consistantly in the 1.8T despite multiple TSB's telling them not to.

    My manual says the timing belt change interval is 90k miles. If your's went at 37k then it would seem to be a defective part. First time I've heard of that particular thing happening. I have heard of a few isolated "bad ECU" complaints, but not many.
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