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Problems with 99 VW Passat GLS
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glsammi - You might want to do the same thing. Also, if you want to see what problems have been discussed here in this topic, use the "scroll up" or "jump to" features at the top of this page under the topic title to navigate through the previous postings.
Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
dealer has changed the "clock spring". Next they
plan to change the airbag itself, which I've read
doesn't fix the problem. Does anyone have a
solution to the problem?
We are now in the market for me and it has been narrowed to the Passat and a BMW 3 series. While I don't like front wheel drive, I may wind up with the Passat solely for financial reasons. Of the cars I have test driven (limited to performance oriented sedans) the Passat has come out ahead of the non-BMW bread. If it provides an experience similar to that of our 1996 Passat, I don't think I will be too disappointed.
to have bought a passat, but i would have loved to buy an AUDI s4 . these are awesome machines for the bucks37-40 k. If money is a major factor look at the A4 Audi it is a steal for around $25k.
There was nothing left of my car. They also hold up on their value - the insurance company gave me about what I paid for it.
Glad to hear the Passat took such good care of you, so to speak. Have you bought another?
Sounds like it must have been a terrible accident, and quite frightening. It's really good to hear that you are okay.
If you are shopping for a replacement, you might like to visit our Sedans and our Smart Shoppers Conferences. Also, you may be interested in looking in on Our Turn, which is a conference devoted to women's automotive issues of all kinds.
Glad to have you here in Town Hall.
Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
What happens is that there is a drain hole in the housing of the AC cooling element where the water that condenses off the cooling element is supposed to run out through the firewall onto the ground. The drain gets plugged by debris, the housing fills up until the water finds another route out, in this case onto the floor.
Cleaning the drain hole should fix this problem.
--Mike
Three weeks ago, I bought a new 2000 passat GLS, 4
cylinder, 5 speed manual transmission. I love the
car to pieces but have had to bring it back 4
times now for alignment issues (and stereo/speaker
problems, but I think those have been solved). The car doesn't seem to be able to go straight in any lane for more than a couple of seconds. It drifts to the right more than to the left. The dealer is
telling me (over and over again) that it's due to
the curve of the road and that the car is within alignment specs. If it's within alignment specs, why does it still not go straight that often; even in the middle lane on the highway? I've driven too many miles and types of cars to know that something feels wrong, especially for a new car. I've had a couple other people drive the car and they agree that it doesn't stay straight as much as their cars. I took two other cars on the same roads to be sure I wasn't losing my mind, and they both held a straight line better than my Passat.
They've aligned the car 4 times now and to me it still drifts off to the right almost every time I let go of the wheel (I only let go of the wheel because I know there's a problem I don't normally drive without my hands!). They even had my car sent out to an "independent alignment specialist" when they discovered their machine was out of calibration/broken (heard two different stories about that).
I've never driven VW's before so I'm looking for someone who maybe can give me some insight. Is it normal for the new Passats to be so sensitive to the curve of the road as the dealer states? But, if they are, then why does the car not pull to both sides equally (comparing left and right lanes on the highway)? I've heard from some people that something larger is wrong like a bent axle, etc.
The dealer rotated the Continental tires (never
put on a new set, though) and checked tire pressure. The pressure was 40 in the back and 37 in front. Seemed high to me, but when I checked the oddly placed tire pressure sticker in the gas cap, they were within normal levels. They've had my car, off and on, forever, it seems. I did drive another Passat (same exact car) with the same tires and it held straight for longer than mine does (it still seemed very sensitive, though...is this a normal VW thing?). I've driven BMW's and Japanese cars and none have been this sensitive or drifty. They also tended to correct themselves because of the way the roads would be. My car automatically heads to the right and never comes back. What else could be causing the problem? Is there even a problem? I've been told there is no problem even by the general manager of the dealership. However, he drove my car in 5th gear going 30 mph, so I don't have all that much respect for his professional driving opinion of my cars' performance. Every time the car would drift to the right, he'd jump into the left lane and say "see, it depends on the road" and pointed out how the car would go off the road to the left...he was over the white line in the left lane's shoulder area, though. ANY car would go to the left over that far!
I've also encountered nightmare dealer/service issues and am looking elsewhere for a more competent dealer for service. The car has never been done when they'e promised it and they haven't made this a priority, which I think it should be. They took 6 hours to rotate tires and check pressures, while I was anxiously waiting to pick my car up to head out on a business trip.
The car is awesome and after driving a Toyota Coralla for 8 years, I've been much more excited each time I get into the Passat and really DRIVE! Keeping my fingers crossed that there are no other problems!!
Thanks for any help!
The roads in my area are so rutted form heavy trucks and crowned due to sever weather, that EVERY car I have owned has veered (to one degree or another) when removing your hands from the wheel.
I don't think my Passat is any worse then my previous cars (2 Hondas, 1 Mazda, 1 Toyota.)
I would insist that your dealer let YOU choose who aligns the car and that they foot the bill. Then bring it to the most reputable alignment shop in your area. If that STILL doesn't cure the problem, then you may just have to accept the fact that the car is sensitive to road crowns, sorry.
Most roads are crowned with the highest point in the center, then an equal drop-off to each side. Add to this the severe ruts that heavy truck traffic creates, and I'm not sure ANY car is MEANT to carry on straight and narrow with no hands, and NO CAR can compensate or "correct itself" because the grades, crowns and ruts are infinately diverse.
Good luck, I hope you get satisfaction.
Also be aware lots of roads are rutted like the devil-check it out in the empty portion of a new shopping center parking lot. This vehicle has a lot more sensitive steering than a most-so it provides more road feel.
Your advice is much appreciated.
Are you speaking of the comments you've read in this topic? Keep in mind that since this conference focuses on maintenance and repair issues, this topic is focused on Passat problems by design.
You'll get a much more balanced viewpoint on any model year of the Passat over in our Sedans conference.
I suggest you use the Topic Search feature on the left side of the page for Passat and check out some of the many discussions underway in Sedans. You'll find a topic dedicated to this vehicle, and also quite a few "comparison" topics that you would probably find helpful to read through.
Good luck, and again welcome.
Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
-outofmind
Good luck!
Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
I bought my 2000 Passat GLS auto 4 cylinder just a month ago. It drove very smooth until recently, when I notice some problem. It happens when the car is accelerates from low speed. sometimes I can feel an obvious "jumping forward". While I didn't notice it at the first couple of weeks, I was wondering if this is a problem in transmission or a sign of problem. Could the experienced tell me whether this kind of "jump" is normal or not?
Also, I got very low MPGs. I mostly drove on local. The reading from the computer is around 18 mpg. What do people get?
Thanks!
However, I've noticed that it is unusually sluggish from a dead stop to about 20 mph. Every car I ever had has been a 4 cylinder ... so I know what to expect. Car seems to come back to life at about 3000 RPM. Furthermore, the problem is not always repeatable.
Anybody else seen similar situation?
In the mornings, it is cool and usually drier...the car just flies. When coming home, it is usually much hotter and more humid...I need to rev the car higher to get the same power.
I've learned to recognise it and adapt since our hot humid weather only lasts a couple of months anyway.
The cool dry air of autumn always makes me grin! :-)
You know you have the monsoon system if the words "monsoon" appear on the radio's display when you power it on. It should also be itemized on the car's factory window sticker.
If you have the sedan, you can also see the additional amplifier bolted up underneigh the rear parcel shelf when you look in the trunk. Non-monsoon systems don't have this amplifier.
If you have the wagon, the amplifier is located in the drivers side rear compartment.
--Mike
-outofmind
Please move on over to one of these new discussions, as this one is over 500 posts and is a little too narrowly defined by the title.
VW Passat Troubles (B5 platform, nee Audi)
VW Passat Troubles, Older VW Platforms
Thanks.
Your host, Bruce.