I bought a new anthracite blue 01.5 GLS wagon with auto, luxury, monsoon and cold weather package last week for $800 under invoice after holding the dealer to a misquoted price he gave me over the phone. Unfortunately, the owner's manual is half in Russian and the other half in Swedish and I only received one key. The dealer is locating the other keys and had to order an owner's manual in English. How many keys am I supposed to end up with? Is it better to buy a CD player to fit in the empty slot in the dash or put in a more powerful CD player and take out the radio/cassette? I went to Circuit City today and the prices are about the same. The installer said I'd get better sound with a new CD player than installing a CD player and using the existing radio/cassette set up.
Hi out there! Wondering if anyone here has a 2002 Passat Wagon? We are considering purchasing one and have never purchased a VW before. I would love to have feedback from you all--pros and cons of the 2002 or what sites I might check to find it. I have lots of info on the 2001 and the 2001.5 but nothing on 2002. Leaning toward the GLX--very spiffy. Thanks!
I am considering very strongly the GLX wagon. I was wondering if the 4 motion system provides and improvements in the dry pavement handling of the car?
I am trying to decide if the $1700 option is worth the cash. Bad weather use is so limited (maybe 6 times a year needed) that I cant justify getting it for that reason- but if a 4 motion car handles better in all conditions it would be worth it. By the way I have drive the 4 motion and thought it was a very good ride. Cant find a glx without GLX for comparison.
AWD with traction control goes beyond slippery roads. It really helps in rapid acceleration and hard turning. I drove a GLS w/o 4 motion and a GLX w 4 motion. When accelerating from stop and turning the FWD will squeel the tires and understeer. The 4 motion will not. Its useful when you have to make quick turns and acceleration. Also after you get used to driving AWD vehicals you will notice a difference when you go back to a 2wd vehical. You just don't feel it's as sure footed and secure. I also noticed that the 4 motion suspension just had a better feel to it when it came to rough roads and sharp turns.
Try driving a GLS wagon with the same engine. Its a good enough comparison.
For me I love AWD, its worth the money. But if the price difference were such that it would affect my lifestyle (I can't do xxx because of my higher car payment) I would probably stick with the FWD.
Help! I am a new owner of a 2001.5 Passat Wagon and have discovered that when my sun roof is fully opened and the windows are up, moving anywhere from 40-60 mph, I get a very loud hurt your ears waffle sound. (NOT a wind sound this is different - it really hurts your ears)...This also happens with the sun roof and front windows closed but back windows opened. When I questioned this with the dealer, they told me they never heard of it before and if it doesn't happen when I open the front windows, then I should just keep the front windows opened too. What is that about? Is this a design flaw in the aero dynamics of the car? Has anyone had this problem? Eagerly await feedback. Thanks.
We have a new 2003 W-8, Automatic , SW. Manufacturer says we should get between 20-25 MPG's, even with the 8 cyl. engine. We are only getting 17-18 mpg's, tops, even after a 380 mile round trip to PA this past weekend. Dealer says we need to break in the car and that the gas company's put a fuel additive for the winter that has a tendency to decrease mileage. Car has 1200 miles on it. ALSO.....the front springs squeak like a big dog any time we go over a small bump. Anyone else have any of these annoyances? Please advise! Thanks.
All the ones I've heard just kind of go, "splat" when you drop them. It's more of a "squish" if syrup and butter have already been applied. It never hurt my ears, though.
It's not a design flaw. It's basically a Venturi effect. The air inside your car is stationary, and therefore is kept at a certain pressure. The air going over your car is moving, and is thusly at a lower pressure. The reason it hurts your ears is the air pressure inside the cabin is actually decreasing. Opening the side windows allows air to rush into the cabin from the outside, eliminating the negative pressure. This phenomenon is by no means unique to the Passat. You can replicate this (and amaze your kids) with a drinking straw and a glass of water (here comes the Mr. Wizard part.) If you blow across the top of the straw, you'll see the water level inside the straw rise as a result of the lowered air pressure created by the movement of air over the top. Alternately, you can watch the roof of a house get blown off in a hurricane. (I don't recommend this.) The roof blows away because the air pressure inside the house is much higher than the air pressure outside, as the wind blows over the top of the house.
Thanks Lancerfixer. I kinda thought there was a logical reason. Its been a LONG time since I had a new car (1986) and I suppose the streamline of the newer models make for a Venturi effect. Although, I don't ever remember hearing such a sound from riding in any new car but mine. I can understand the sound with the sun roof open (this is my first) and the windows closed but you would get the same effect with only the back windows opened? One more question for ya? What happened to the "GLX" lettering on the back of the car? I saw an older model GLX Passat and it said "GLX Passat V6" - is it a model change? Mine just has the "Passat V6" on the back. Thanks.
If the noise is kind of a repeating pulse type (usually several times per second) your possibly dealing with a resonance issue as well. I think you'll find that if you close the sunroof about halfway or make around a 30% adjustment to the height of the rolled down windows it will go away.
This "waffleing" can occur on all cars and is nothing to be worried about.
Thanks Evilizard...by adjusting the widows it helps on the sunroof issue but not the issue when the sunroof is closed, front windows are closed and back windows are open all the way....the sound is kinda like a repeating pulse type sound - several times per second, (thats exactly it).. forgive my ignorance but what is a resonance issue ?
VW/Audi, in their wisdom, have designed the sunroof switch to avoid the problem you described -- (in case you haven't already noticed) the open position has a "larger dot" just before the "fully open" position, at that setting, you can drive with all of the other windows closed and NOT have any of the "thumping" sound. I have also noticed the sound if the rear windows happen to be the only ones open at a given moment -- but its transient for us since it only occcurs while we're opening or closing all of the windows (since the front ones seem to close a little faster than the rears).
As for the "GLX" badging you probably saw the B4 Passat (pre-'98). The current B5 platform Passats ('98 - present) do not have a "GLX" badging. Having said that, you can buy the "GLX" badging to place on your car...
without a sunroof, but if I open the back windows only, the resonance sound will occur. The farther open, the more it hurts my ears. I have heard the same sound from other cars as well. Our fleet has a '96 Blazer which only had resonance going through a tunnel or next to a high wall. Go figure.
I cannot drive with only the back windows open. On those rare occasions when I have back-seat passengers, and one of them opens a window, I crack open the driver's window to break the resonance. Works fine.
Thanks George. Talking to you & others here has definitely made me feel better about this situation. After going through a shaky ending with my sale regarding financing (dealer holding back info on better financing options), I started to question everything. I had made an appointment a couple wks back with my dealer's maint. dept to have them check it. I'm suppose to go next wk. If anyone there could have given me the reasons and acknowledged the known effects like I've heard here and on "VWVORTEX" I would not have been so worried about this. But everyone - sales & maint. acted like they never heard of this problem and the sales people told me that maint would be able to adjust something. When I told that to the maint. dept. they all looked at each other like..."duh...I don't know"...There are alot of complaints out there on the net about the Passat...I think mostly the B4 platform. The "GLX" badging isn't that important to me, again I was being skeptical & wanted to be sure I had the car I thought I had. I lost my trust in the dealership. I thought I was looking at another model Passat, thanks for clearing that up.
I'm beginning a new car search and the New Passat wagon really interests me. But here's the rub: I'd like to get a GLS 1.8T -- the 4-cyl, manual trans (this is a must) and as far as I can determine from dealers, Net searches, etc., this model seems to be a mythical creature. All I get from dealers are immediate attempts to "sell me up" -- usually about $7k up to something that is loaded and has an automatic. I thought this was a German car company ... help?!?
Resonance in this case has to do with the frequency of the the air comming into the car and comming out of the car. Air comes in at a certian rate (or frequency)and amplitude (volume) and leaves at another rate and amplitude. If the frequency and amplitude of the inflow and the outflow reach a certian type of match with the interior shape of the car they stack on top of each other and create a pulse of pressure/vaccum (thus the pain and noise). This matching of the inflow and outflow with the interior shape is resonance. Its the same phenomeon that you get when you play a flute or blow over and into the top of a glass bottle and it makes a noise. Only the bottle is much smaller so the frequency is much higher (the pulses are closer together so that you cannot hear them individually and the noise is a higher pitch).
By opening or closing the windows and the sunroof you change the frequency of the interior of the car (the size of the bottle so to speak) and thus the pulses.
"There is also a brochure that VW publishes on this suject and is available through the Service/Parts Dept."
If that's true, maybe someone should spindle a copy of it and shove it up the Service Manager's nose at cloud12's dealership. Then he'd remember it the next time someone asked about the problem, and not just blow them off.
I'm looking for some sympathy from fellow enthusiasts 'cuz mine is a tale of woe. Closed deal and drove home 2002 Passat Wagon GLX 4MO with reflex silver exterior and black interior yesterday (Thursday) at 6:00pm. Very excited. Beautiful car. This morning (Friday), wife takes kids to the zoo and returns to car. Some coward has "keyed" both the driver's side door and passenger's door - ruined the perfect paint job.
Malicious intent with three separate swipes of a key. Unbelievable. The car has been off the dealer's lot for 18 hours. We did a license plate transfer so there wasn't anything on the car to indicate that it was brand new. Entire incident is beyond my understanding but I can't stop thinking about it and about the fact that I have no recourse.
Anybody have any ideas about how to buff out/remove some pretty deep scratches? Plan to go to dealer's body shop next week.
This should be covered by your insurance; of course that will not reverse the act itself, or your attendant feelings about this almost personal violation.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where success and the trappings of perceived prosperity are met with anger and venom...
At this point it would pobably be better to focus on the good fortune that your wife and kids did not happen upon this individual while this vandalism was in progress!
After our chat last week I know how excited you two were about your new Variant, and it will be fine...Call your Insurance Co., file your vandalism claim, and be thankful that everyone is OK and that your Variant will be as well.
And by the way...In California, it is against the law for an Insurance Co. to dictate who does repairs...Don't let them try to send you to Acme Auto repairs!
Absolutely, I am glad that my family wasn't there while the car was being vandalized. If getting keyed is the worst thing that happens during the life of this car, I will be a happy camper.
Looking for anyone out there who is having a similar problem with 2000 VW Passat Wagon 4-Motion. Problem arose when recall on the gas gauge was finally replaced after waiting one year. After one week my car completely shut down while driving. This turned out to be the "instrument cluster" . A week has passed and my car has another electrical problem and has to be towed into the dealer for a third time. At this point I have lost all confidence in my much beloved car and no longer feel safe while driving with my two children. The 2 yr. warranty will expire in 3 months. I feel very discouraged and of course am getting no answers from my dealer. Help!
At this point in the warranty your best defense is to document every single problem, no matter how small. Go back to VW service every time a problem occurs and have them check it out, thus documenting the problem in their computer. Save all of the service orders (always!)
If the car fails due to one of the documented problems after the warranty expires, you will have good evidence that it had been reported while under warranty, and therefore should be covered.
I had a similar experience with a Chrysler, and Chrysler handled it professionally and properly. My transmission was ultimately replaced at no cost 10,000 miles after the warranty expired.
VW service has a spotted reputation, but even if they refuse to cover the troubles after warranty expiration, you can take them to arbitration, and the documentation will pay for your trouble.
I'm about to finalize my purchase of a 2002 GLS wagon with 4matic. After much discussion with various people at VW, I finally got the word that they do indeed publish towing capacities (and therefore "allow" you to tow and not void the warranty). Now, I'm trying to find a good frame hitch that fits the car. No luck with the Draw-Tite web page configurator - they don't seem to know about the Passat.
Anybody out there who has already tackled this successfully?
You are 110% correct!!! One of the areas that I spend a good amount of time on during the Delivery Process is that Booklet; I call the" Lemon Law" Book.
I admonish every customer to begin a "Narrative" if they "begin to experience any repetitive, seemingly unrepairable problems." This narrative, used in conjuction with copies of the *Repair Orders* will be key to winning an arbitration...
The narrative should basically recount in the customers own words what they said, what the Service Advisor said, what work was to be done, whether it was done effectively, or not. And if there were any new problems arising secondary to those efforts. An additional benefit is keeping the Service Advisor honest... If the customer comes back with such a narrative and says " Well, when I was here last you said blah, blah, blah, I wrote that down"...that SA is going to become very careful about slinging it.
And having the ability to fire off a copy to the Service Manager doesn't hurt either...
I have said many times that there is not a Service Dept. out there that does not want Happy Customers, and it is the most difficult area to create a Happy Customer. Typically the goal I try to maintain is Satisfied...That is the way I want to feel... satisfied that the work was done efficiently and in a timely manner...like a Root Canal...
We recently purchased a 2002 Passat Wagon GLS 1.8 loaded for about $300 over invoice. Several people have asked about 2002 ownership experience. Our experience during the first 300 miles has been superb. Coming from a SUV, there is no comparison to handling and operating expense. We researched every station wagon and SUV in the market. We needed enough room for our two dogs (rotty and golden) and wanted to have a safe car for our future children, while getting reasonable gas mileage. We finally decided on the Passat after the second test drive. The car handles very well and fit our needs perfectly. Hope this helps all potential owners.
Thanks Hiwaysanity & vwguild. I am so glad I joined this board. You have been very helpful. I agree that my dealership should have educated me with the information you have provided. I want nothing more then to enjoy my new wagon and know that I am free of any problems. I do love my car and it rides like a "Cloud". For all you potential buyers, its an excellent car for the money, lots of room, quick, sporty, classy and smooth as silk. Unfortunately, you have to get past the dreaded dealership experience to see its all worth it. Its absolutely the best car I have ever owned. Thanks again fellow owners !
pappa3: Sorry but I do not have an answer for you about the frame hitch. But you bought up a subject that is very timely for me. I have looked at wagons and have pretty much decided on the Passat Wagon. My last concern is in its towing capabilities. Can you please share with me what you found out. What is the Passat rated for - 2000 lbs? Does four or six cylinders matter? Are you going AWD? How much are you pulling? What other wagons did you look at for towing and why did you rule them out?
After my seemingly wonderful experience purchasing my 2001.5 Passat GLS 5spd wagon, and trading in my 2000 Beetle GLS 5spd, about 3 weeks later (about 2 weeks ago) I am informed that the payoff on my Beetle is $300 more than what VCI automated payoff told me the day before I bought the new car. Well, that sounded suspiciously like the refundable deposit, which I shared with the finance officer and they agreed. But not for long. Now I'm being hounded that the security deposit was included and this is a discrepancy, blah. And I was reminded that I would pay off the difference in the payoff by a certain form I signed.
My question: how can a quoted payoff be so far off in one day (if the dealership is correct)? All payments were current and I was a couple of weeks from the next payment.
I need some help with the timeline, and the Dollar amount...Your post implies that you purchased your new Variant on one day and traded in your 2000 Beetle 3 weeks later, and I am going to presume that this was a lease...
Was the payoff difference exactly $300, and what was your monthly lease payment?
What can happen is that a payment can cross in the mail...A customer of mine called Chase about a week before he picked up his car to get a payoff...with that information we put the deal together, but he also included a payment that he had recently made...When the Business Office called Chase the next day to verify the exact amount of the Payoff Check that we were writing to them...the payoff was higher...Chase had not posted his payment, and we had to write them a check for the higher amount...
Chase then refunded my client his last payment...As you can see this was an Administrative tightrope, and these things can happen, particularly with the mail...
Anyway, feel free to email me with the rest of the details and I'll try to help you sort through it all...
I picked up our 2002 Passat Wagon on 7/20/01 and need some help with accessories. I am looking to add the following items.
1.) Mud guards / splash guards 2.) After market CD changer to work with Monsoon system 3.) Remote start system 4.) Cargo Liner for the back
I already added Llumar metallized window tint. I am pleased with how well it keeps the black leather interior cooler. FYI, I payed $500 over invoice for our 2002 GLS 1.8T Passat Wagon.
Anyone have suggestions or horror stories regarding these items? In addition are there any good web sites to buy VW accessories? Thank You.
I have a 2001.5 GLS V-6 with Monsoon. I got a Panasonic DP610 from Smile Photo in NYC for under $200, and the PIE interlink cable for $45 from Crutchfield. It took about 15-30 minutes to put it in, and some of that time was screwing the brackets to the changer. Panasonic's screw heads are too high, so you have to buy screws with shallower heads. Otherwise VW will try to sell you their brackets and screws.
I got the cargo liner directly from VW - $50 plus shipping. You can get the product number and phone # on the VW web site. Still haven't decided on mud guards.
Thanks for the advice and yes, I am keeping detailed accounts of all conversations. By the way, as soon as I drove my car the day after pickup I had to return it because the engine warning lights were on again. Also "Emissions workshop" light was flashing and now my anti-theft locking system doesn't work. Upon driving up to the service area I was greeted by the Service Manager and given the keys to a new VW Beetle to drive while they address these problems yet again. At this point do you think I should have my lawyer friend help me with arbitration? Is it possible to get a replacement or is this pure fantasy?
After several calls to different 800 numbers and talking with the service manager at my dealer, I FINALLY found someone who was willing to pull the owners manual. Their quote was:
2000 lbs and 165 lbs tongue weight.
I'm going with the V6 for the power advantage and the 4matic for traction. I have a lot of experience towing, and I really prefer rear-wheel drive. The 4matic option seems like a good compromise.
I considered Subaru Legacy (great car and possibly more practical) but couldn't get over the styling. This will be my 5th VW, so I guess brand loyalty won out.
I have a question: Has anyone used a passat wagon to transport windsurfing gear? If so, could they comment on the space available with the rear seats folded?
I have a 12'6" folding boat. Its hull, when folded, is about the size of a windsurfing board. It is easy to carry on top, using a basic set of Thule crossbars. The seats and transom, my outboard motor, gas tanks, fishing gear etc. all fit comfortably in the cargo area without folding the rear seats.
Thule sells an extending arm that slides out of the cross bar about two feet. This makes it easy for one person to load and unload the hull (or a board)unassisted.
There is some added wind noise and a small increase in fuel consumption. Other than that I have had no problems.
MY 2001.5 PASSAT 1.8T IS VERY NOISY UPON COLD START UP. THIS SOUND IS LIKE THE VALVE TRAIN IS NOT GETTING OIL. IT LASTS APPROX. 30 SECS. AND STOPS LIKE A SWITCH OR SENSOR HAS KICKED IN. IT SOUNDS PAINFUL TO THE ENGINE, ALTHOUGH PERFORMANCE SEEMS OK. THE DEALER SAYS ITS' NORMAL. ANYONE ELSE HAVING THIS SITUATION
Anyone know for certain whether the 2002 Passat Wagon (GLS, 4-cylinder) is available with manual transmission only? Stopped at the dealer the other day and the saleswoman seemed to think that it was only available with the Triptronic (sp?), although I don't believe she was very certain of her answer.
You may also want to check out the VW passat discussion on our Maintenance & Repair board. Here's a direct link: VW Passat Troubles. Use your copy/paste so you don't have to re-write your message. Good luck.
We were eyeing the Indigo Blue wagon for a couple of weeks but needed to sell our BMW convertible. Razorclam beat us to the punch. No matter since within a few days Pignataro found a similar configuration in Silverstone Grey with Black leather interior, Monsoon, Luxury, Cold Weather, and Home Link. Decided to trade in the BMW before this wagon gets sold. The wife just absolutely loves the blue and red interior lights. Silverstone Grey is actually more our style since we also have a Black Jetta. Karma.
Completed the deal on July 28 and broke it in a number of days later with a jaunt up to Vancouver when my younger sister and her family came to visit. They have a 2 year old son and he gave the car full blessings with his CSS and footmarks on the back of the front passenger seat. Rock solid up to about 100 mph but couldn't go faster due to traffic. Decent slalom performance zipping around Vancouver dodging nutty Canadian drivers. It rained that day and I felt some slippage when I stomped on the gas. Going to research about tire options next.
Next buy is the Panasonic DP610 cd changer from etronics and thinking about the Cargo Liner. Got a matching grey sun visor from Target (on sale even). Definitely thinking about Llumar window tinting.
Few questions: Is the 7 year extended warranty (Supreme Choice Wrap) worth it at $1300 with $50 deductible? I have 30 days to cancel. Anybody bought anything from Etronics before and how was that experience? Any tire brand recommendations other than the stock Michelins? Would tire size 205/60-15 work fine since stock is 195/65-15? How about 210/60-15?
Just picked up my 2002 Pissat Wagon. Have noticed that the windshield has a distortion on the right and left sides of the glass. Difficult to see when stopped at intersection. Has anyone else had this problem? If so has the dealer changed it our or is a problem they all have and I have to live with it? I called dealer and he stated he never heard of such a thing, yet I have seen postings
after a year and a month I took dellivery of a 2002 candy white passat wagon gls 1.8t/ tip/grey leather/monsoon.....the car was for the most part flawless EXCEPT the wind shield was rippled all the way acrosse the field of vision. Almost looks like something was poured on it.......I had the dealer put in writing that they are going to get a inspected replacement and make all the arrangements with my local servicing dealer to have it replaced.. I would have let it slide if it were just in a corner...but it goes all the way acrosse the field of vision.......unacccepable....I've had the car a week and evertthing else about it its great,,,,,fit and finish is pretty damn good...I'm satifisfied it will be resolved to my satisfaction.... as a note.....ALL of the PASSATS on this DEALERS lot had DISTORTED WINDSHIELDS !! the service guy gave me the STANDARD OUT OF THE MANUAL RESPONSE: "I ve never seen that on one of our cars before" YEAH RIGHT>.....tell it to someone who believes in fairy tales.....other than that DELivery was done quite well........
Can someone please tell me what the specs are for the Monsoon system (or alternately, how it is superior to the standard sound system that comes with the GLS Wagon)? I'm trying to decide whether to order the Monsoon or just to add an after market system to the wagon I intend to buy.
And clarification of the in-dash CD availability would be appreciated. My dealer tells me that it's "back-ordered" and won't be available until late September.
I really can help you out with respect to the specs. But, I know that those who have the GLS will argue for using the extra money and buying an aftermarket HU/amplifier/etc. Blaupunkt seems to be popular since the lighting matches VW OEM HU's.
Comments
and then click on *Passat(B5) Have a BLast!!!!
I am trying to decide if the $1700 option is worth the cash. Bad weather use is so limited (maybe 6 times a year needed) that I cant justify getting it for that reason- but if a 4 motion car handles better in all conditions it would be worth it. By the way I have drive the 4 motion and thought it was a very good ride. Cant find a glx without GLX for comparison.
Any thoughts?
Try driving a GLS wagon with the same engine. Its a good enough comparison.
For me I love AWD, its worth the money. But if the price difference were such that it would affect my lifestyle (I can't do xxx because of my higher car payment) I would probably stick with the FWD.
We have a new 2003 W-8, Automatic , SW. Manufacturer says we should get between 20-25 MPG's, even with the 8 cyl. engine. We are only getting 17-18 mpg's, tops, even after a 380 mile round trip to PA this past weekend. Dealer says we need to break in the car and that the gas company's put a fuel additive for the winter that has a tendency to decrease mileage. Car has 1200 miles on it. ALSO.....the front springs squeak like a big dog any time we go over a small bump. Anyone else have any of these annoyances? Please advise! Thanks.
This "waffleing" can occur on all cars and is nothing to be worried about.
VW/Audi, in their wisdom, have designed the sunroof switch to avoid the problem you described -- (in case you haven't already noticed) the open position has a "larger dot" just before the "fully open" position, at that setting, you can drive with all of the other windows closed and NOT have any of the "thumping" sound. I have also noticed the sound if the rear windows happen to be the only ones open at a given moment -- but its transient for us since it only occcurs while we're opening or closing all of the windows (since the front ones seem to close a little faster than the rears).
As for the "GLX" badging you probably saw the B4 Passat (pre-'98). The current B5 platform Passats ('98 - present) do not have a "GLX" badging. Having said that, you can buy the "GLX" badging to place on your car...
George
I cannot drive with only the back windows open. On those rare occasions when I have back-seat passengers, and one of them opens a window, I crack open the driver's window to break the resonance. Works fine.
By opening or closing the windows and the sunroof you change the frequency of the interior of the car (the size of the bottle so to speak) and thus the pulses.
and is available through the Service/Parts Dept.
If that's true, maybe someone should spindle a copy of it and shove it up the Service Manager's nose at cloud12's dealership. Then he'd remember it the next time someone asked about the problem, and not just blow them off.
cover this and other topics that he should enroll in...
Malicious intent with three separate swipes of a key. Unbelievable. The car has been off the dealer's lot for 18 hours. We did a license plate transfer so there wasn't anything on the car to indicate that it was brand new. Entire incident is beyond my understanding but I can't stop thinking about it and about the fact that I have no recourse.
Anybody have any ideas about how to buff out/remove some pretty deep scratches? Plan to go to dealer's body shop next week.
reverse the act itself, or your attendant feelings about this almost
personal violation.
Unfortunately, we live in a world where success and the trappings of
perceived prosperity are met with anger and venom...
At this point it would pobably be better to focus on the good fortune
that your wife and kids did not happen upon this individual while this
vandalism was in progress!
After our chat last week I know how excited you two were about your
new Variant, and it will be fine...Call your Insurance Co., file your
vandalism claim, and be thankful that everyone is OK and that your
Variant will be as well.
And by the way...In California, it is against the law for an Insurance Co.
to dictate who does repairs...Don't let them try to send you to Acme Auto repairs!
If the car fails due to one of the documented problems after the warranty expires, you will have good evidence that it had been reported while under warranty, and therefore should be covered.
I had a similar experience with a Chrysler, and Chrysler handled it professionally and properly. My transmission was ultimately replaced at no cost 10,000 miles after the warranty expired.
VW service has a spotted reputation, but even if they refuse to cover the troubles after warranty expiration, you can take them to arbitration, and the documentation will pay for your trouble.
Anybody out there who has already tackled this successfully?
during the Delivery Process is that Booklet; I call the" Lemon Law" Book.
I admonish every customer to begin a "Narrative" if they "begin to experience
any repetitive, seemingly unrepairable problems." This narrative, used in
conjuction with copies of the *Repair Orders* will be key to winning an
arbitration...
The narrative should basically recount in the customers own words what they
said, what the Service Advisor said, what work was to be done, whether it was
done effectively, or not. And if there were any new problems arising secondary
to those efforts. An additional benefit is keeping the Service Advisor honest...
If the customer comes back with such a narrative and says " Well, when I was
here last you said blah, blah, blah, I wrote that down"...that SA is going to become
very careful about slinging it.
And having the ability to fire off a copy to the Service Manager doesn't hurt either...
I have said many times that there is not a Service Dept. out there that does not
want Happy Customers, and it is the most difficult area to create a Happy Customer.
Typically the goal I try to maintain is Satisfied...That is the way I want to feel...
satisfied that the work was done efficiently and in a timely manner...like a Root Canal...
After my seemingly wonderful experience purchasing my 2001.5 Passat GLS 5spd wagon, and trading in my 2000 Beetle GLS 5spd, about 3 weeks later (about 2 weeks ago) I am informed that the payoff on my Beetle is $300 more than what VCI automated payoff told me the day before I bought the new car. Well, that sounded suspiciously like the refundable deposit, which I shared with the finance officer and they agreed. But not for long. Now I'm being hounded that the security deposit was included and this is a discrepancy, blah. And I was reminded that I would pay off the difference in the payoff by a certain form I signed.
My question: how can a quoted payoff be so far off in one day (if the dealership is correct)? All payments were current and I was a couple of weeks from the next payment.
Any help is appreciated.
John
that you purchased your new Variant on one day and traded in your 2000 Beetle
3 weeks later, and I am going to presume that this was a lease...
Was the payoff difference exactly $300, and what was your monthly lease payment?
What can happen is that a payment can cross in the mail...A customer of mine
called Chase about a week before he picked up his car to get a payoff...with
that information we put the deal together, but he also included a payment that
he had recently made...When the Business Office called Chase the next day
to verify the exact amount of the Payoff Check that we were writing to them...the
payoff was higher...Chase had not posted his payment, and we had to write them
a check for the higher amount...
Chase then refunded my client his last payment...As you can see this was an
Administrative tightrope, and these things can happen, particularly with the
mail...
Anyway, feel free to email me with the rest of the details and I'll try to help
you sort through it all...
1.) Mud guards / splash guards
2.) After market CD changer to work with Monsoon system
3.) Remote start system
4.) Cargo Liner for the back
I already added Llumar metallized window tint. I am pleased with how well it keeps the black leather interior cooler. FYI, I payed $500 over invoice for our 2002 GLS 1.8T Passat Wagon.
Anyone have suggestions or horror stories regarding these items? In addition are there any good web sites to buy VW accessories?
Thank You.
I got the cargo liner directly from VW - $50 plus shipping. You can get the product number and phone # on the VW web site. Still haven't decided on mud guards.
Mike
disconnect from you, and will no longer work on your car...
2000 lbs and 165 lbs tongue weight.
I'm going with the V6 for the power advantage and the 4matic for traction. I have a lot of experience towing, and I really prefer rear-wheel drive. The 4matic option seems like a good compromise.
I considered Subaru Legacy (great car and possibly more practical) but couldn't get over the styling. This will be my 5th VW, so I guess brand loyalty won out.
http://bagecompany.hypermart.net/hitchlistsp.htm
I have a question: Has anyone used a passat wagon to transport windsurfing gear? If so, could they comment on the space available with the rear seats folded?
Rich
Thule sells an extending arm that slides out of the cross bar about two feet. This makes it easy for one person to load and unload the hull (or a board)unassisted.
There is some added wind noise and a small increase in fuel consumption. Other than that I have had no problems.
UPON COLD START UP. THIS SOUND IS LIKE THE VALVE TRAIN IS NOT GETTING OIL.
IT LASTS APPROX. 30 SECS. AND STOPS
LIKE A SWITCH OR SENSOR HAS KICKED IN. IT SOUNDS PAINFUL TO THE ENGINE, ALTHOUGH PERFORMANCE SEEMS OK.
THE DEALER SAYS ITS' NORMAL.
ANYONE ELSE HAVING THIS SITUATION
Thanks for any clarification anyone can offer.
Pocahontas
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
Transmission...
Completed the deal on July 28 and broke it in a number of days later with a jaunt up to Vancouver when my younger sister and her family came to visit. They have a 2 year old son and he gave the car full blessings with his CSS and footmarks on the back of the front passenger seat. Rock solid up to about 100 mph but couldn't go faster due to traffic. Decent slalom performance zipping around Vancouver dodging nutty Canadian drivers. It rained that day and I felt some slippage when I stomped on the gas. Going to research about tire options next.
Next buy is the Panasonic DP610 cd changer from etronics and thinking about the Cargo Liner. Got a matching grey sun visor from Target (on sale even). Definitely thinking about Llumar window tinting.
Few questions:
Is the 7 year extended warranty (Supreme Choice Wrap) worth it at $1300 with $50 deductible? I have 30 days to cancel.
Anybody bought anything from Etronics before and how was that experience?
Any tire brand recommendations other than the stock Michelins?
Would tire size 205/60-15 work fine since stock is 195/65-15? How about 210/60-15?
as a note.....ALL of the PASSATS on this DEALERS lot had DISTORTED WINDSHIELDS !! the service guy gave me the STANDARD OUT OF THE MANUAL RESPONSE: "I ve never seen that on one of our cars before" YEAH RIGHT>.....tell it to someone who believes in fairy tales.....other than that DELivery was done quite well........
And clarification of the in-dash CD availability would be appreciated. My dealer tells me that it's "back-ordered" and won't be available until late September.
George