Faults:

Dealer diagnosed spark plugs as "dirty" when car occasionally refused to start in cold weather after only 30k miles. (Scheduled replacement is at 40k miles.)

Locking lug nut was stripped when trying to remove flat tire; car had to be towed to dealer to remove the nut. (The tool they provide for removing these locking lug nuts is poorly designed.)

The use of plastic screws to fasten the undercar engine protection cover is questionable. They either fell out of the dealer failed to replace them after service. The cover came loose and made an awful racket while doing 70mph on the interstate. The cover is now secured with zip ties...

Around 50k miles the "emissions workshop" indicator comes on after startup. $110 for a diagnostic test reveals that this is "probably" due to faulty mass-air-flow sensor. I've heard other owners complain of the same symptoms. $300+ to replace (just for the part), and it's not vital, so I haven't done it yet.

General Comments:

Car handles well. Front wheel drive does well in New Hampshire snow with good all-weather tires (this car has never really needed snow tires).

Good acceleration, speed from 4cyl 1.8L turbo engine. Gets 32-35mpg on local roads (commute at 55mph), 28 city, 30-32 interstate highway (70mph).

Car is big enough to "feel safe" without sacrificing fuel economy or performance. At $21k for the 4cyl/stickshift, the price tag isn't too painful either.

Passengers with a sensitivity to motion sickness will not do well as passengers, especially in the backseat. This is a side effect of the tight handling and accelerative capabilities.

Interior is well laid out and comfortable. Seats are 6-way adjustable. Plenty of head-room for taller driver and passengers. Cup holders could be better designed.

Visibility out driver's side of contoured windshield could be better.

Started to see wear on interior trim at around 40k miles; i.e. vinyl is starting to peel off parking brake, armrest, base of shifter, etc.

I miss the lack of steel cargo ties on the front and rear bumpers -- it is tricky to properly tie down a kayak.

The trunk is roomy, but doesn't have a light. Who designs a trunk without a light? Trunk has several hooks for cargo ties, which is convenient.

Did I mention it has a full size spare?

Far too much beeping from the dashboard indicators. (Low on wiper fluid, low on fuel, emissions workshop, 39 degrees, 23 degrees, etc.) If you're low on wiper fluid and you live in New England, you'll hear the beep every time you go up and down a hill.

Faults:

At 40,000 miles I had to replace the rear brake pads and rotors. The pads had worn down to the rotors. I had noticed a grinding noise from the rear wheels and took the car in immediately for a brake inspection and discovered the condition. Interestingly, the front brake pads had at least another 20,000 miles left according to the brake technician. I was informed that the rear brake pad wear was somewhat premature, but not out of the ordinary for the Passat, and in some cases even substantially less (20-30,000 miles). I have never got less than 60,000 miles out of brake pads on any previous vehicle that I have owned. What I find disconcerting is the inconsistency of wear between the front and rear brakes. Generally, front brake pads wear faster than rears, and at the very least should be reasonably close in overall wear. Replacing the rear rotors was expensive and avoidable if I would have been aware of the rapid wear of the rear brake pads. Is VW over-engineering the front brakes because that is typically the higher stress point on the braking system? VW needs to address this brake wear problem on the Passat. Hopefully, I won't find other little surprises with the Passat now that I have over 40K on the car. Overall, I really enjoy driving the vehicle, and find it a quality product.

General Comments:

This is a well engineered vehicle that drives and performs well. The verdict is still out on the long-term reliability. I keep my cars for the long haul, so I want the Passat to hold up well. That is yet to be determined.