2000 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8 turbo gas

Summary:

Great, stylish, comfortable, quiet car

Faults:

Plastic shield underneath engine compartment came loose twice. Dealer fixed free.

Power door locks a little sticky sometimes - driver door lock doesn't lock, and you have to unlock and re-lock.

Exhaust manifold crack at around 47K.

General Comments:

Handling is sporty and sure.

Seats are very comfortable.

Very quiet cabin - no road or wind noise.

All these have a problem with slight hesitation off the line with the automatic.

One of the best looking designs ever - copied by other makes.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd December, 2004

2000 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T

Summary:

Passat has fine German engineering and luxury feel

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car since I purchased it. At 40K, I replaced the rear brake pads (pricey at the dealer, but cheap if you DIY). And I also put in new Bosch platinum spark plugs. Shortly thereafter, the car misfired and a trouble light came on. I took it into the shop and was told that the OE-style iridium plugs are a necessity. So, I put a set back in the car and haven't had any issues since.

General Comments:

This is an outstanding vehicle. Great build quality and features for the price. Very comfortable and reliable. And I average 30+ mpg with the turbo four and manual tranny. It handles well, though it's still a family car. Overall, I'd say this is one of the best options out there for a midsize car. An Accord or Camry will always have the edge when it comes to reliability, but they're so dull. The Passat is a classy, fun to drive alternative to the hordes of generic Asian sedans available.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd November, 2004

2000 Volkswagen Passat l.8 GLS 1.8 turbo

Summary:

If the check engine light illuminates, keep records you may have a lemon.

Faults:

The check engine light icon illuminated intermittently since the purchase of the vehicle.

At 62,000 miles the vehicle began to lose power with acceleration.

At 66,742 miles vehicle flashed, warning low oil pressure, warning coolant, stop engine.

At 66,742 miles oil sludge.

General Comments:

I purchased my 2000 Volkswagen Passat l.8 GLS new. I purchased an extended warranty plan and the life time oil change contract.

The car was attractive and gasoline mileage was acceptable.

The car required repeated service diagnostics for illumination of the check engine icon.

August 18,2004, the car began to lose power during acceleration. According to the service advisor some of the hoses need replacing, but was not a necessity.

October 15, 2004, vehicle indicated, warning low oil pressure and warning coolant. According to the service advisor because the car did not get oil changes every 5000 miles exactly, the results was oil sludge in the engine.

The oil sludge was not covered by the extended warranty and the cost to repair is $9000.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th October, 2004

2nd Nov 2004, 14:41

I have had similar problems with oil sludge. I am at 31,000 miles, and my indicator light and stop indicator have been illuminating. When I took the car to the dealership to diagnose the problem, they said they couldn't find anything wrong with the car. I continued to drive the car until the engine started to hesitate. Now I am being told that I have oil sludge issues, and that the repairs will not be covered under my dealer or extended warranties. I am researching the issue, and am finding that this has been happening a lot with the Passat.

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2000 Volkswagen Passat GLS 3.0

Summary:

Great car, but with a major problem

Faults:

Fuel pump has gone out three times.

General Comments:

My four-motion Passat is a pleasure to drive. It handles extremely well and is excellent in emergency situations. The all-wheel drive system is excellent. My one problem - and it's a big one - is with the fuel delivery system. At 25,000 miles the car died due, according to the dealership, because of a fuel relay failure. This was replaced under warranty. Then at 32,000 miles the car died again. This time - at my expense - the fuel pump was replaced. I now have 59,500 miles on the car and the fuel pump is whining horribly. It sounds like its time for a third failure. This seems to be ridiculous on a modern car with less than 60,000 miles. I am writing today in the hopes that others may share any information they may have regarding this issue. I would purchase another VW if I was sure this would not happen again.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 26th January, 2004

25th Mar 2004, 11:45

Hi, I have a 2000 Passat GLS. The check engine light and the message "Emissions Workshop" came on about 1 1/2 months ago, so we called in, and were told to refill it a few times, and it should go away, if not bring it in. So finally now, we took it in, after on top of the light & message, the car started whining, and accelerating sluggishly. Supposedly the Turbo is bad, which greatly upset me, considering the car is not quite 4 yrs old, and has only 68,000 miles on it! We were going to get one of the new Passat wagons, but after this, and a bad driver's side doorlock at only 1 yr, bad digital display at 2 yrs, and a transmission leak at 29,000, I sure won't buy another VW in this country! My family drove Audis and VWs for 50 years, which made the disappointment even worse, but that was in Germany - guess the ones build over there are much better quality.

4th Jun 2004, 11:00

All passats in 2000 where assembled in Wolfsberg. Your assertion makes little sense.

5th Oct 2011, 06:30

The 10% to 20% ethanol in North American gasoline is to blame for fuel system problems and engine oil sludge. Auto manufacturers are fighting against the increasing ethanol content in North American gasoline. Stay away from the cheaper 87-89 octane gasoline and change your oil every 3 months or 3 thousand miles (whichever comes first). Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, GM and Toyota have also had oil sludge and fuel system problems.