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Problems with 99 VW Passat GLS
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Comments
seems like long timers dismiss problems that would drive honda or lexus owners up the wall. i admit the car is very appealing both inside and out. i do think the car will lose alot of its luster as accord owners start buying them. they will be far less patient (and let the forum know) with the so-called "charismatic flukes" of the passat.
as far as new owners EMPHATICALLY announcing they love their passat and haven't had any problems wit it so far. BIG DEAL. New cars shouldn't have problems at that stage. 2 months into owning a car is a little early to declare long term reliablity.
i like the passat alot, but the quality and reliablity worries me. judging from comments to those near me with the car, it might be wise to pony up for the extended warranty so you can sleep at night...
Look up Hector Colon. A young guy with little of the car salesman guile.
Mikhail Yur'evich
Putting a chip in the 1.8T is the way to go. You'll save at least $2500 and have a FASTER car! There has been much debate on warranty issues w/ the chip on the A4 and VWVortex forums but there are soldered(sp) chips that can be swapped out w/ the OEM chips. There shouldn't be an issue w/ long term reliability since the European version puts out more hp and the Audi TT has 180 hp currently and is going to be available w/ 230 hp or something. All these horses out of the 1.8T! It's supposedly a very durable engine. I've got the 1.8T Tiptronic w/ a 1 bar chip and it's a blast to drive. Tire wear might be increased to due more aggressive driving but not by the chip alone. Visit the VW and A4 forums for more in depth discussion.
DMK
IT DRIVES ME CRAZY
Regarding a CD changer: the dealership won't tell me which Clarion CD changer to buy for the trunk as they want to sell me one themselves. Anyone buy the 1999 Passat and get the CD changer from another place and if so, which changer should I get?
Thanks,
Rena
Have anyone else experience this problem? The car had 11 miles on it when it develop the leak. Now there is 1100 miles on the car.
(same tires, same coils, shocks...)?? Thanks.
So far, so great!!
i've had my eye on the passat for some time, but 2 friends have them too, and have had their fair share of problems. it sounds like you may have a real lemon though.
keep us posted w/ any other problems/resolutions and include comments on how you've been treated by your dealer and vw.
I too have been considering buying a Passat GLX V6. I thought that this was the year to buy, but when i heard about the changes for next year, i was convinced to wait. All Wheel drive, 10 speaker Monsoon stereo system and an in dash CD, so you don't have to go searching for a disc changer. Also, they should have all the bugs worked out that you've read about.
But be sure to check out the site so you can find out opinions regarding the 2000 passats when they become available in a few weeks.
Good Luck!
Lynyrd (Jeff) Skynyrd
Has anyone experienced similar issues with the new Passat as I am interested in buying a 1999.
I have a list of repairs for my Passat which makes me feel like my car is Frankenstein put together in pieces instead of as a whole. Let's see if I can remember at the problems:
1. New computer
2. New spark plugs due to fouling
3. Check engine came on twice before, and is now on again. I guess my Passat is acred of a little rain.
4. Steering wheel was not lubricated at the factory so it sounded like two pieces of styrofoam rubbing together whenever you turned.
5. New door panel because the original was ripped.
6. Tightening of the battery cables by roadside assistance because the car would not start.
7. New sun roof motors
8. New sun roof liner
9. New sun roof switch
10. New Antenna
11. New Antenna base
12. New radio on back order for over six months (although I can purchase the same Clarion down the street today)
13. New power window switch
14. A few freaky electrical situations that cannot be replicated by anyone including me.
14. Poor treatment by Volkswagon of America whose position is that all these problems are normal and have been fixed so why am I angry.
I know the dealerships telehone number by heart and most there know me by first name since I am in there about every 6 weeks.
Do not purchase a Passat if you like cars that are manufactured properly and are reliable. If that does not matter to you, the Passat is for you!
See my thread under Hatchbacks "Tubro Bug Disaster" and "Beetle News".
I'm hip on the electrical items. Our fly-by-wire throttle is wreaking havoc on us at 585 miles. 2 tow-ins already.. and its been there a week now without resolution. Don't know how VW will treat us, but am concerned based on your expereince.
Unfortunately, its like going to the doctor in today's world of managed care, the only thing they are managing is cost. You have to educate yourself, articulate your symtoms, and demand the type of corrective action that YOU have learned is appropriate for a given problem. There are two essential resources for the VW owner: VWVortex forums, and VW online technical bullitens. The former will usually tell you about anything important contained in the latter. When I bought my CD changer at the parts dept., the clerk mentioned a $30 programming fee. I told him they don't need programming. He condescendinly stated that I only have a 1 in 10 chance of it working. bull. He stated it was an additional $30 for installation. I said it took 5 minutes to install. I asked him if he had heard of the "Vortex" He stopped looking me in the eye: caught red-handed. I installed it in the parking lot in five minutes and listened to CDs all the way home.
What I am building up to is my irritation at the mere listing of replacement items when talking about "repairs". You need to distinguish dealership deception and ignorance, from the facts surrounding the problem. Don't forget, the dealerships get paid every time they lie successfully. There are legitimate problems with some Passats, as in all makes/models. Your list above makes the CAR look like the nightmare, rather than an incompetent service department (pretty common with VW, and a valid reason for anyone to think twice). Many of the items you list are consistent with the early-build bugs that are well publicized. Granted, some of them don't look all that familiar. The following looks like 3 unsuccessful attempts to solve a single complaint:
"1. New computer
2. New spark plugs due to fouling
3. Check engine came on twice before, and is now
on again. I guess my Passat is acred of a little rain."
Was the computer actually bad? Many on this forum are now left with this impression, whether or not its true. Many of these laundry list type stories actually start with only minor complaint that the dealer shoots at in the dark, causing unbelievable collateral damage to factory-perfect systems in the process. I dropped off a co-worker at VW last night to pick up his Golf with a broken sunroof track. They burnt out the motor while fixing it and stuck him with $300 extra. I am not disputing your problems, just the tabloid-style presentation of them. Please follow up with an in-depth report so we can sort this out...
- Stoli - flawless GLX with a crappy stereo.
Second problem was that the trunk became hard to open if I tried to open it from the right side of the release just above the license plate.
Left side was fine. Dealer told me that it was normal and that I should just open the trunk either from the inside or the left side of the release. HELLO? This guy was about 18, fresh out of high school. Got the shop foreman, he tried to tell me the same thing, even showed me a Passat on the lot and it was even worse then mine.
Stuck to my guns, told him if there was no adjustment, I wanted a new release. Told me to wait inside (I peeked through the doors). They took the release apart, made an adjustment and now it is perfect.
But, neither wanted to troubleshoot the problem. Thank goodness both issues were minor. Other then those issues, the car is a pleasure to drive VS the price. When buying a car, look closely at the service Depts. track record with the BBB and VW. (Honda, Ford, GMC etc)
I'm also concerned about all the problems I've read about here and elsewhere. Power steering leakage, check engine lights, brakes, door/trunk latches, assorted noises and a whole slew of electrical problems seem to plague Passats. It's even worse the dealers generally seem unable to diagnose many problems and rarely have parts in stock. Worse still, many, if not most, of these problems are only covered by the meager 2yr/24k warranty.
I've driven the 5-speed V6 GLS and it's a wonderful car for the price, but I'm not sure I want to put up with all the headaches. For a little more money I can get an Audi A4 or a BMW. Even better, a person can actually ORDER an Audi or BMW from the factory with exactly the colors/options they want. 5-speed V6 Passats are so rare you kind of have to take what you can find.
Any advice or comments on the 2000 models would really be appreciated.
Anybody know when the 2000 will be on the lots or what these new colors will be? New interior options?
Thanks!
In either case, once the dealer gives you an open price (usually list), laugh in their face (this is optional) and tell them you don't pay list and you know what they pay for their car. Offer them some price below invoice. After going back and forth once or twice, just tell them firmly that you don't want to waste their time and tell them that you are willing to pay them X for the car, final offer. X should be between 3 - 5% over invoice, plus the delivery charge. If they won't budge on the price, WALK AWAY. There is always another dealer willing to sell you a car. Be sure to look out for hidden dealer prep charges. You should only have to pay for advertising ($200 or less), documentaion fees (varies, but no more than $150). Be sure that you DO NOT get window etching, under coating or any other crap the salesman want to push off on you.
Remember, pay no more than 3-5% over invoice, plus delivery charge, advertising, and documentation fees. Least you feel sorry for the dealer/salesman, just work the numbers, for a $25k car, the dealer stands to make just under $1k. All for 30 minutes of work.
I owned 3 VWs (and still own 1998 VW Beetle). I like exterior. Besides that – it’s junk. I’d never buy anything more from VW. Don’t want to talk about my wife’s 1998 GTI 4cl. LOTS of squeaks, rattles from everywhere plus some more serious problems (11K miles only). Traded it in for 1999 Infiniti G20. Well, the difference is like between Chevy and BMW. Beetle is a junk also. I completely gave up to fix *various noises* inside the car (I fixed 3 another serious problem already; 12K miles).
Passat is assembled in Germany (Golf, Beetle and Jettas in Mexico). So, it should be a little bit more reliable.
Okay, I understand you all guys: “affordable German engineering”, “Audi for less money”, etc. I had this mania too. I would recommend VW as 3rd or 4th car in the family – just for fun, just for styling (which is really good). Make 5-7K per year. Keep it for 2-3 years and trade it. But if you’re really so crazy about German cars – buy BMW or Mercedes, they have a name and some durability at least (even though they’re not even close to Acura, Infiniti or Lexus).
Just my 2 cents.
Reading these forums in order to derive some indication of frequency and severity of repairs for a given model is far from scientific or statistically significant. The minority of owners that have problems with any model come here in an attempt to punish the manufacturer by exaggerating and spreading their story far and wide. If you looked into the Passat owner forums, you would see nothing but smiles and few complaints. Consumer Reports chose the Passat as the best family sedan based upon their own controlled evaluation of almost 2 years of history on this new model. They waited a year, just to make sure it was no fluke.
Discussions about reliability dominate the forums because there is very little hard evidence on actual dealer warranty repairs (guarded heavily). Lack of data (truth) breeds speculation and story-telling. While the tangible attributes about cars (looks, features, engine, size, etc.) often allow us to reach an easy decision, we all get hung up on fear of the unknown: will I find myself with my head in my hands sitting in the waiting room, kicking myself for being too impulsive.
Reliability is worth investigating, but don't use rumor as a basis to rule out the best vehicle in this class. VW engineers are taking chances and advancing the midsize family sedan species. The others are too busy trying to clone the Accord. Yeah, this car is not offensive in any way; neither is my refrigerator. Drivers Wanted...
Aside from pointing out problems with our cars (and asking advice), we should also hi-light how the dealers deal with the problem. Case in point: I told my dealer the stock stereo in the car was too boomy and if they could please recode it. I made sure I told the mechanic and told him I have a copy of the tech notes in the car on which code to reprogram. He kept mentioning that is what the bass and treble controls are for. Sure enough, I picked up the car and the bass is turned to -9 and treble is turned to +9. I will just make sure next time to leave written instructions on what to do with the car... Sometimes you just have to know more than the mechanic...
I drove Hondas for a long time, and was, like many of you, reluctant to "take my chances" with a VW. I have no regrets and am glad I took the plunge. The driving experience is so fabulous! I love everything about this car. Mine is tight, solid and rattle free. I couldn't be happier.
Don't be TOO put off by comments here in Edmunds. The majority of people who go to consumer forums are there to complain about problems. Check out vwvortex.com to read an enthusiast's forum, a place where peole go JUST to gush about their cars.
The ONLY bad thing I can say about VW is that their dealer service is spotty at best. Know exactly what you want done when you go in amd don't accept any less. If you have NO mechanical inclination and can't bear to even think about going to the dealer, maybe VW is not for you, these cars require a bit more love and maintanance then Honda and Toyota, but they reward you tenfold IMO.
VW has a customer for life in this former Honda owner.
After reading through all of the posts, the only thing that really sticks out as a complaint I have is that the cupholders are an nconvenience.
But like uncle Hansz says, "Vy poot cup holderz in zee kar? Duz zee coush hav un schteering veel?"
that's why there are cupholders in every car out there. i wouldn't buy a car without them.
i'm not saying i wouldn't buy a passat for that reason (they have them, but suck), but it really gets old hearing that the reason vw cupholders suck [non-permissible content removed] is because you shouldn't drink while in a car.
this is typical vw owner reasoning. if vw removed the stereo, vw owners would rationalize that "drivers" shouldn't listen while driving.
slap uncle hans for me. i think he's senile.
I haven't had any problem with the cupholders. Anything that doesn't fit in them, fits in the rectangular "box" under the armrest.
First Problem:
I have developed a reoccuring problem with my otherwise perfect 99 GLS 1.8T, manual...I can't seem to get this big grin off my face when I drive. :-)
Bought a '99 Passat GLS loaded last month. Also experiencing ticking noise. Mine seems to come from the front passenger side door area. Took it to the dealer. They indicated that there was a loose bracket behind the glove box, however, I noticed later that the front right door hinges were heavily lubricated...the ticking sound did not go away.
Returned to a different VW dealer and they "siliconed panels"...ticking sound still remains.
I will be going back to the dealer in a couple of days and try to have this sound found and eliminated. I believe the ticking sound is the lower speaker housing rubbing or moving against the door panel. Will let you know what we found later this week.
Otherwise, I love this car.
99 passat dash? Mine occurs with 2,000 miles
on the car and two trips to dealership have
been unsuccessful. This noise appears to be
on the passenger side and can happen during the
stress of making a turn or when hitting a moderate
bump in the road.
I would appreciate any thoughts, suggestions,
fixes.
The reason I chose the Passat was because my family has a history with Volkswagen (starting with a 1971 Camper), and I think the styling is exceptional. Also, it is very clear that the VW engineers spent a great deal of effort designing the car (with the exception of the cupholders (although they're only cupholders)). It also has a quality feel to it that surpasses the Audi (i.e. the sturdy Passat door handles vs. the flimsy plastic "flaps" on the A4). The Passat is the quintessential German car.
What clenched the deal was the fact that Volkswagens (and other German carmakers) are not obsessed with rear seat passengers like the Japanese and American makers. I am over 6'4", and the Passat is by far the roomiest car in its class. For once, I actually do not have to put the seat all the way back!
The Maxima was extremely cramped, and I was not a fan of its new styling. Also, if your going to buy Japanese, there is no better value than the Honda Accord.
Unfortunately, 10 miles later, near the exit, the same problem happened. I was sweating like hell... I did not enjoy the driving. I gradually slowed down and stopped the car. Since I'm a PC user used to Windows 95 and NT, I though that a reboot could do the job. So I turned off the engine for a minute. When I restarted it, the brakes were OK.
Finally, the problem occurred a 3td time close to my place.
The next day, the dealer tried to explain me how to use my ABS brake. It was the Wrong Answer. I suspected there is a problem with a Valve. When you brake, there is a valve involved. If the valve is blocked, you are toasted. You cannot compress a liquid. The mechanics changed it and the problem disappeared.
Recently, in a Canadian Consumer Reports, I found out Volkswagen will recall some 1998 and 1999 PASSAT for a problem similar to mine...
Thanks. Silver Satin/Black leather V6 5spd
VW wants me to return later when I can leave the car with them for a day or two and try again. The last resort mentioned was to remove the dash and try to locate the cause of the ticking noise - which I'm not thrilled about and may decide its better to live with the noise.
The noise is faint and sporatic, not too bothersome. Other than that, no problems at all. If anyone else has this problem and had it repaired, please post the cause found and fix. I will post my next visit with findings.
I would like to ask if anyone else out there has experienced this: When I push down on the rear bumper, the rear shocks/springs squeak like an old mattress. This also happens if I plop myself down on the front seat, rather than enter gracefully. None of my prior autos did this. So it can't be normal.
I also feel like my stereo has too much bass. Can this be recoded as suggested in earlier posting? How is it done? Where do you find the codes?
I have yet to solve ticking noise problem in front passenger door, but if I grab passenger-side map pocket while experiencing noise (I have a long reach), the noise stops.
Finally, is there a performance chip for my auto. Where do I find out?
Love the car.
Rob Murphy
Coral Springs, FL