Faults:

My late brother bought it new. Sold to me at 80K after all of the dealer service and a little local VW specialist service was completed. Superbly maintained.

Car was and is immaculate. CEL has been on for years, faulty EBS, means nothing as most should know. I feel like I need front shocks/alignment, and it will be my first repair in 50K plus.

The 5-speed manual is tight and very responsive. The 150-HP motor is really great. I get 30 to 34.5 MPG all the time. I never step on the motor, but I am sure that it will do 110 or more if I ever asked.

I was concerned about the sludge related failures with the Passats of this era, but with regular oil changes there has never been a hint. I think hints were not part of that... I changed to Mobil 1 in 2010, when I got the car, and all is well.

NYC roads have led me to believe that some new front shocks may be in order.

The CEL ABS phony alert is really the only issue, and it is bogus.

My non sludger is a Godsend. A great VW, Canadian made, but just GREAT.

Faults:

I've had my car for 3 years, and had absolutely nothing go wrong with it. I love it to pieces.

Just now the check engine light came on with the "check emissions" words flashing. We plugged er in and it read Cylinder No. 3 misfire. The coil was not the problem, tried putting a newer one in. But then I haven't changed the spark plugs since I bought it, or checked the wire connections.

General Comments:

Volkswagens are awesome cars.

I HIGHLY recommend to not go have your car fixed at your VW dealer. They said they would charge 1,200 bucks to do my timing belt replacement! So I called some local mechanics, and eventually I found a guy that just loved the cars and offered to do it for 675 bucks and with a 3 year warranty. I mean the belts are supposed to last 100,000 miles. And he threw in a water pump, and all the rest of the mumbo jumbo they throw in there while there down there.

I asked him how much the parts cost for him. Around 300 bucks. So think how much the dealer is getting for profit!

Faults:

ABS module faulty, ABS and brake light on.

Front left upper control arm joint loose, bad alignment while driving.

Back right window off track, won't roll down.

Floor plug broke under driver seat, car flooded during rain.

Check engine light on, diagnosed as code P1117 or P1113.

Cracked windshield.

Regularly declining gas mileage.

General Comments:

My 2000 VW Passat 1.8 T is a great little car, but being 10 years old, I'm not surprised the list of problems is adding up.

When I got the car from my aunt in 2008, the back right window didn't roll down, but it rolled up when it finally dropped while I am driving. Also, the ABS and brake lights were on, and it was due, she said, to a faulty ABS module. The windshield had been cracked from right to left for 4 years already, and I still haven't gotten it replaced.

The C.E.L. would come and and go off frequently, but recently it has stayed on. When I used a code reader it gave me code P1113 (O2S sensor heater resistance too high bank 1 sensor 1). Then I took it to AAMCO, and they said they got the code P1117, which they said meant bank 1 sensor 2 internal resistance too high, and it's a problem on one of the sides of my engine, but all the definitions for P1117 I've found say it means O2S sensor heater circuit short to ground bank 1 sensor 2. So... ya.

And finally, when it recently rained, the whole left side of my car under my driver seat flooded with rain water. So a mechanic pulled up all the carpet and found a plug broke open on the floor, and water was shooting up into the car while I was driving. I had to take the carpet and installation out of the whole car, and hang it out to dry.

UUGGH!