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VW Passat Wagons (GL, GLS, GLX & W8)

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Comments

  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Those lights at the vents are history...sorry another running change...
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    peter,

    it's been confirmed that others have the lights on in 2003 variants.......schematics have been checked and all indications say there there are lights there......I suggest you post at "other" sites about this change if indeed it is a running change.....sorry peter right now I am skeptical..to accept the running change reason.
  • nyguynyguy Member Posts: 6
    I recently bought a 2003 Passat Wagon and I noticed on my title and registration the body type is 4DSD. This reads as 4 door sedan and not wagon. Is this correct? Does anyone's title and registration have 4DSD?
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    the vent lights are history as mr. guild had mentioned seems late october builds (mine on 01/31/02) are sans those little bulbs that tend to burn out and irratate customers to no end.......I just noticed it because I had an 2002 wagon that had them
  • zackiedawgzackiedawg Member Posts: 10
    The running change must not be included on the W8s...mine has an October 2002 build date, and still has all working vent lights. I kind of like them, though I agree this wouldn't be a reason to buy or not buy the car! Fortunately my 2000 Passat never burned out any bulbs, so I never had to go through the frustration to replace them.
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    it seems the late oct. and early nov gls/glx models don't have the lites......mine was built 10/31/02 but sticker inside door says NOV 02...it't quite possbible they didn't exclude them in the W8 not many have chimed in with W8's...except you until someone has one with a nov or later build date we wont' know the answer to this intriguing mystery brought to you by VWAG
  • alfoxalfox Member Posts: 708
    Looks like the State put the wrong code on th registration. Maybe the dealer filled out the Title Application wrong, maybe some data entry person in the State hierarchy made a typo - who knows.

    I've had wrong colors, wrong years and wrong models in the past. We usually get them corrected at renewal time. Now if the VIN is wrong, THEN you have a problem that needs to be fixed now, LOL!
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Deletion of Vent illumination began Production Week #45 for GLs & GLS'...

    Break Points:

    VW Mosel Passat 3P 264 324
    VW Emden Passat 3E 213 619

    GLX & W8 unchanged...
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    my vin # is about 35000 cars before the end of lite production.....so I would say if your car has them, then it has them, but if you don't have them and your Vin # is lower than above......then you have a lower vin# and no lites........
  • desertrat5desertrat5 Member Posts: 85
    I have a 2003 Variant with the 1.8T. Not quite 7 months old and just had the 10K check. Love the car - no problems so far. Some things I would like to see changed but no show stoppers.

    Last week coming down I17 from Flagstaff, I had a small altercation with a large piece of tire tread which magically flew out from under the car in front of me. It flew like a bolo, and I had no place to go to dodge it completely. It did manage to take out a hunk of grill but nothing else. After looking everything over, the grill comes out of the car with the removal of two threaded fasteners and..... the dang "T" hood release handle. I can work with the fasteners but I am stumped with how to disconnect the "T" handle. Does anyone have a manual that shows how it's done? Other than dismantling a bunch of the front of the car, I am at a loss. The dealer quoted me $117 for the grill replacement and $120 to replace it. Any assistance would be appreciated.

    Thanks

    Bob in Glendale
  • bronsonbbronsonb Member Posts: 170
    I leased my 2003 GLS Wagon in late 2002 and have been very happy with it. I've noticed several posts where people have asked about the gas mileage of the V6 versus the 1.8T. My wife has a 99 Passat GLS V6, and over the holidays we took both cars home to see her parents (I had to leave early). I drove the wagon, she drove the 6. On the way over, I got 26 MPG (mixed hwy and country roads), and my wife got 29 MPG. Coming back, I left the wagon, and took the 6. I managed to get over 30MPG!

    So far, the V6 seems to get better gas mileage than the 1.8T. I have even switched cars with my wife for a week to see if it's driving styles, but the 6 wins out.

    From a pure "feel" standpoint, her 6 feels more solid than the 1.8T (though we love both). Her engine is also a bit more quiet. Even though there is a bit of a lag with the 1.8T, I quickly adjusted to it, but when I drive my wife's car, I have to "un-adjust" as I tend to gun it out of the garage with hers.

    On another note of comparison, if you have a choice, get leather over cloth. I got gray leather in the wagon, and it is easy to clean. My wife's black cloth seats are like lint collectors.

    Regarding extended warranties, I don't think I'd get one. Put the money in a CD and hold it for repairs. We considered an extended warranty for my wife's car. It would have been $1200 to take it to 10 years, 100,000 miles. In the four years we've had the car, these are the things that have gone wrong:

     - AM antenna died (warranty)
     - Temperature sensor replaced (outside of warranty $125)
     - Latch cover on center console replace (outside of warranty $200)
     - Oil breather hose unit replace (outside of warranty $285).

    As you can see, we still would not have made up our $1200 investment. We have had the front and rear brakes done. Fronts were $435 at dealer. Found the son of a friend who used to work for VW to do the rears. He charged $300. Front brakes were done at 40,000 miles, and rears were done at 50,000 miles.

    Overall, we love the V6 and plan to keep it for awhile.

    I've only had my 1.8T wagon for a few months, but I have had only minor problems. The rear seat power port does not work, and I haven't been able to figure out how to program the power on volume for the radio (manual directions seem incomplete).

    If you have any questions, please let me know. I highly recommend the Passat - both in V6 form or 1.8T. But if you're going for a used one, make sure you get a 1.8T with the 170 horsepower.

    Thanks for listening.
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    I wonder how much of the difference you are finding in mileage is due to the difference in body styles (wagon vs sedan)? The wagon is posted as having lower mileage, I think, with exactly the same engine. The wagon is not as aerodynamic or slippery.

    Regarding the seats, I agree 100%. Leather over cloth is definitely the way to go.

    The "volume-on" setting thing is in the manual, but (surprise!), it's not on the radio. No one has this feature on the new double-din radio/tape/cd unit in the 2003's. This has been discussed on Clubb5 and vwvortex and no one has figured it out. It's apparently a missing feature.

    I'm inclined to agree with you on the extended warranty. These sure have gotten pricey over the last five years. I did buy one for our '97 Honda (and unless something breaks soon, I'm not gonna get my money out of it) and it cost approx. $800. VW Masterguard was quoted at $1700 (yikes!). Since my model year has the 4 year/50K warranty, I think I'm going to roll the dice and just set the money aside as you suggest.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    It's a mistake in the manual. I think there's a TSB that covers this mistake
  • tamkinstamkins Member Posts: 8
    I've had my 2003 Passat Wagon (1.8T) for two months now, and I'm liking it more all the time. I loved it when I first bought it, but quickly became disenchanted, just because it really wasn't the right time for me to buy a car (impulse buy) and in some ways the seat turns out not to be as comfortable as the one in my Honda Civic was.

    Yet, the car continues to grow on me. I have snow tires, and the car (we actually call it "the van", as my roommate has the strong impression that it is one) handles like a champion in the snow, which is really stunning. (It's partly the tires, partly the ABS, and partly...?)

    We took a 2000-mile trip shortly after I bought it (not the best thing for break-in, I realize), and it is COMFORTABLE inside. You can sleep soundly in the passenger seat in almost any position. (That definitely was not true of the Civic, at least for me.) It has a capacious quality that isn't really about its size, I think.

    At around 4000 miles, I haven't had any problems with it (not that I'd anticipate having any this soon), nor have I found any defects. (Then again, it's not as though I've inspected every piece of trim, etc.)

    I was driving the Civic last week to fix it up for selling, and it felt like a toy by comparison. (I don't mean to speak against the Civic, which is a delightful car, and mine in particular has been great.)

    My only complaint about the Passat is the crappy binder for the manual ;-)
  • fobarefobare Member Posts: 3
    My 1.8 Wagon is only 3 weeks old. I smelled a gasoline smell in my garage after driving awhile. The smell would disappear after several hours - there were no leaks on the floor. My husband said it was probably some type of venting problem. Went to the dealer today and they replaced a valve they said was sticking. Well, the smell is still there. Has anyone else had this problem? Thanks.
  • bronsonbbronsonb Member Posts: 170
    Altair4 - Thanks for the information regarding the gas mileage. I hadn't thought about the different body styles as contributing to the gas mileage. I am *happy* with the mileage I am getting (it's better than my Taurus), but I would LOVE for it to do better.

    Thanks for the info about the volume on setting. The stereo in my wife's 99 has it, and it works great (of course - no in dash CD, which she hates). It's more of a nuisance than anything else. Ironically, the stereo has a "speed up volume setting," which is actually pretty neat. When you go fast, the stereo volume increases to compensate for the increase in noise. (I'm sure you already knew that - I thought it was a neat little touch).

    Regarding the warranty, I am hoping the 4years/50K provided by VW is more than enough. Judging by what has happened with my wife's V6, that warranty would have covered everything but the breather hose repair we had done recently. Although it was nice to get 4 free oil changes with her car (2year/24K warranty plus free maintenance), I'd have rather paid for the oil changes and got a longer warranty.

    Thanks for all of the info, and good luck with your Passat!
  • zackiedawgzackiedawg Member Posts: 10
    I would love to see the drag coefficients between the sedan and wagon bodystyles of the Passat (or any other model, for that matter). It would seem to me that the wagon bodystyle would be more aerodynamically efficient, without the rear window dipping down to the trunk creating a vortex which disrupts the flow of air over the vehicle.

    By seat of the pants, my Passat wagon feels significantly more stable at high speed than my sedan did...comparing the two at triple digits, the sedan was still very controllable and comfortable at those speeds, but seemingly more sensitive to wind and experienced more wind noise than my wagon...I have had the wagon up to a higher speed than I ever got the sedan up to, and there was noticeably less wind noise, and the vehicle tracked with virtually no effect by the wind, which was blowing from the driver's side at 5-10MPH that day.

    Of course, many other factors can make some difference, such as the weight differences in my W8 engine versus the V6, the front end redesign on newer Passats, the AWD system which I did not have on the sedan, etc.

    Which is why I would like to see a drag coefficient comparison between a sedan and wagon of the exact same model, with equal equipment.

    Anyone?
  • altair4altair4 Member Posts: 1,469
    Don't recall where I read it, but I definitely recall seeing that the sedan has a lower value than the variant. Can't produce numbers and don't have time to search, but that's what my memory tells me.
  • 4petite4petite Member Posts: 30
    The replacement notice on the coil packs includes *early* 2003 1.8T models. Does anyone know what the cutoff is? My car has a 07/2002 date in the door.
  • wdwwardwdwward Member Posts: 9
    You probably have the "H" coil packs which may fry. Those with a build date of 08/02 or later apparently have the "J" coil packs. Mine is 06/02 and I have the "H" coil packs. Check your part number.
  • cutlr4cutlr4 Member Posts: 3
    Wondering if someone can help. I am considering buying a wagon, 1.8T and while reading the brochure it states that premium gasoline is recommended. Does anyone run regular unleaded, 87 octane and if so, how does the car run? Any mileage ratings? Thanks for the help.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    Due to the fact that the 1.8T is a High Compression engine and will be better served by using the *good stuff*, you certainly will not "Hurt" the engine if you don't. However, it is important to bear in mind that what you save at the pump will probably be lost in terms of fuel economy or MPG.

    Personally, I don't know that I would use *regular* in anything but a Geo Prism or Corolla,
    but test the 89 vs. 91 after the engine is broken in...
  • mejennmejenn Member Posts: 2
    I jsut bought a 2003 Passat Wagon V6. I'm enjoying it. It's my first VW. It's taking me a while to get used to how much slower it is then my Maxima. But besides that... everything is great! My personal advice, really, is to not get a 4 cylinder. It is so much nicer to have a V6. at least! A friend has an Audi A4 1.8T and I just don't care for it. We both have Tiptronic, but you can tell the difference between the two.
    I too, just realized that the car asks for Premium gas (now $2.01 in the Bay Area!) I am just pushing 5K miles and I can't tell a difference between the cheap stuff. After reading today, I will consider Premium.
  • frapzoidfrapzoid Member Posts: 127
    True your Passat is slower than your Maxima but I have a feeling you can fit a lot more stuff in your Passat. I still have my BMW for autobahn cruising at high speed but I can fit more stuff in my Passat wagon.
  • allhorizonallhorizon Member Posts: 483
    The 1.8t is a good match with the manual transmission, but not with the auto.

    In fact, it has very little turbo lag and an exceptionally broad torque band. Unfortunately, the auto transmission introduces lags, weight, and inefficiency and makes those cars much less of a pleasure to drive.

    - D
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    I ve got the 1.8t with the tip and it isn't so bad if your are a regular driver.....it's not for the formula 1 trained proffesional stunt drivers that frequent the forum though. they insist on more performance and rightfully so..since they are proffesional drivers
  • 4petite4petite Member Posts: 30
    I agree with everyone comments on the 1.8T tip. I drove a 100hp corolla for years, so most new cars seem better to me. I must confess that the turbo lag can be a little frustrating at times. I love driving manual but prefered an automatic because of trips where others may take shifts driving my car. Plus, it's great having the flexibility in case you need to have a hand free.

    When I know I want smoother and better acceleration, such as freeway on-ramps, I definitely switch to the tip as it makes the car much more responsive and fun to drive.
  • feilofeilo Member Posts: 128
    One other facet is the Drive-By-Wire (DBW) - it "learns" your driving habits and adapts accordingly. I have almost 5K on my 1.8T Variant and DBW does affect the car's behaviour/throttle response.

    On the other hand, I reckon I can get V6 performance (but not "suffer" the gas mileage penalty) from a 1.8T with a chip for a lot less $$$ ...
  • jjfishjjfish Member Posts: 5
    I placed an order for a passat wagon back in October and have been awaiting it's early February arrival as promised and documented. I received a call yesterday from the dealership and was informed that it is now scheduled for a mid to late April arrival. My current lease is up the first week of March. We were very excited to get the car we "wanted" which I have not been able to find in inventory anywhere. Any suggestions from the professionals out there?
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    I orderd mine in early Oct. my rep went into the system and looked for an "ordered car" for his inventory in the "order bank" on the way to production...he then changed the specs of the car to be built to the specs. I had requested, the change was accepted and a order # was issued. he then went in again and found one closer to a build date, he attempted to change the specs and the changes were accepted.. the care was built on 10/31/02 ( I think I ordered right at the beginning of the month) shipped to san diego arriving on 12/10/02 then shipped to hawaii and arriving around 1/12/03 I took delivery on maui on 1/28/03.......Maybe someone didn't REAllY order you a car...or the christmas holidays slowed the order down... you should had a commission # from your rep in which he can track the car from build date to delivery ( with a VIN# issued after build) If I could get it in that time frame in hawaii you should be driving you car now!
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    If you contact me off line here I will try to check the status of your Variant...
  • skday1skday1 Member Posts: 13
    Any comments re. used vs. new? I am looking at a 2003 GL with 9,000 miles, auto, heated seats (thought they weren't available on the GL?), monsoon, and they will have leather installed. They are asking $22,900. I think I would have to pay $25-27k for a similar new car (GLS with leather). Also it is an "executive vehicle" - dealer said VW of America vehicle. Will this have been driven hard for its first 9k miles?

    Thanks for any help. Also, dealer says they can't replace all four coils before purchase, only if one goes. Makes me a little nervous...
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    why buy used? money is cheep, dealers are unloading and you get a brand new GL with a full 4 yr warrenty!

    I'm not sure how the leather will be added/at the cost of the side airbags?

    if your like me, if it isn't my car I drive the hell out of it....if it's mine, well I baby it.....those who drove the gl may be the same...
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    just saw the coil mention get a new one with the new coils!....what do you mean he can't replace them for you......I smell somthing funny......
    "the executive" line is probably a little "enhanced also"
  • skday1skday1 Member Posts: 13
    What do you mean by enhanced?

    The coils are definitely making me uneasy. My 9 year old, 150k Camry wagon has had nothing but maintenance issues, so while I can't wait to get a Passat, I guess I should wait for one with good coils.

    The warranty would cover this car, though he said 50k 5 years (thought it was 4?).
  • cosmo2cosmo2 Member Posts: 61
    Passat sedan is 0.27 Cd. Wagon is 0.32 Cd.
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    60Months/60,000Miles covering any lubricated
    part that moves the car...

    New Vehicle Warranty is 48Months/50,000Miles...

    Coil issue will be covered seperately and for all
    cars in need of replacements...

    Speaking personally, I get a new Passat every 4 months as a Demo, and have never had a coil problem. And, I have never heard from one of my customers being affected either...
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    enhanced meaning "executive" probably means any one who needed to drive the car did........
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    but then again I bought a 76 VW van from a dealership in 1982 and it had a nice paint job but it was their "parts" car or run around vehicle and that to date was the most touble free car I've owned.....tuned it up once in awhile changed the oil and that is it......until it rusted out.......so hey.....go where your heart takes you.,

    the difference from used to is minimal so why not go new?
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    oh yeah and Guild dont' give me any trouble or I"ll fly over there and make you buy me lunch!!!!
  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    2/24 - 2/26
  • mauislickmauislick Member Posts: 107
    have fun and no gambling!
  • skday1skday1 Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for advice; I have received a few excellent quotes for new, only 2k more than the used I was looking at. With the Passat the depreciation is so minimal it does make sense to go new.

    Tomorrow I'll be placing my order. Thanks to all as I've been reading these boards for months.
  • sdasda Member Posts: 6,936
    We currently have a 99 GLS sedan with luxury pkg, cd changer, 5sp. My wife loves it but would like a wagon since we could use the additional room carrying around a 14 month old. The dealerships here in town seem to carry wagons with automatics. As a matter of fact, I have only seen a few sedans without the automatic. We would like to have another GLS 5 speed with Moonsoon, and cold weather package. Since the 5 speeds are far and few between, would it be better (would we have more room to negotiate a better price) to get the automatic, and or would we still have a good chance of negotiating a good deal on a 5 speed?

    2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech, 2006 Acura TL w/nav

  • vwguildvwguild Member Posts: 1,620
    "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"...
  • 5speeder5speeder Member Posts: 97
    sda--When I bought my wagon last year I too had trouble finding a 5 speed. I noticed that the spread between invoice and TMV was wider for the GLS wagon than for the GLS sedan otherwise equally equipped and assumed supply had something to do with it. On the other hand, people on the car biz on this board have said they don't like getting "stuck" with 5 speeds on their lots since "nobody" wants them. I never did figure out which factor trumps the other. I just negotiated with the TMV for the 5 speed. I probably could've gotten a better deal on an auto, but in my world "nobody" wants one of those!
  • mejennmejenn Member Posts: 2
    Missing the Maxima - yes! But enjoying the extra space in the Passat Wagon. Trying the Premium gas now - GEEZE! $2.40! Wondering if it is making a difference or do I just try to drive this car like it's my Max?!?!?!?!?
    Tip is becoming useful
  • cttguycttguy Member Posts: 16
    This is a follow-up to my prior message #1295 wherein I discussed all the electrical problems I am having.

    Just a little over one month since the last problem, my headlight on the other side has now gone out. This is the light that stays on all the time as opposed to the one you turn on which is the one I had problems with before.

    I am about to take it back again and ask them, again, to make another complete inspection of the electrical system. I expect the standard answer I always get which is, "there is nothing wrong with the electrical system".

    Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with this matter. The Passat has just under 18,000 miles and is 15 months old. The dealer has been cooperative in fixing the problems but my concern is what happens when it goes off warranty. I know that sounds far into the future but I had planned on keeping this car at least 5 years.

    Has anyone had any experience in dealing with VW of America? Is this the best way to start the process of finding out what will make them finally fix this car? Is it better to go to court right off the bat? If it makes any difference, I live in a suburb of Chicago.

    Thanks in advance for any advice.
  • nedzelnedzel Member Posts: 787
    Is it just a burned out headlight bulb? The OEM bubls in my 2000 GTI GLX didn't last very long. I haven't had an electrical problems, but I have had to replace a couple bulbs. That's a royal pain in the Golf (due to lack of room in the engine bay) but I suspect not an issue in the Passat. Just replace the bulbs. Not even worth a service visit.
  • jackieb7671jackieb7671 Member Posts: 3
    I just had my 5K oil change and asked them to check the brakes because they are squeaking something horrible. They said they cleaned them, but they are still squeaking and it's driving me crazy!! Any suggestions as to what it could be?
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