2002 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8 turbo
Summary:
Great car, but some maintenance cost way to high. (See wiper blade)
Faults:
All coils had to be replaced by factory recall.
Radio went out completely, but found out that you have to take the fuse out, turn car on, turn car off, and then put fuse back in and start car again and it should work. Dealer had to show me this. It happen about 6 months after purchase of car. About 6 months after that it did it again. Fixed it myself this time.
Wiper blades wore out not even a year old. Found out that it cost between $30 - $50 for new ones (each) No refills available for my style. Under first year though it was under warranty. Had to replace driver side wiper after about 8 months after that.
Rear brakes went after around 30,000 miles. Rotors had to been completely replaced.
Daylight running lights just went out around 34,000 miles. These are under warranty.
General Comments:
Car drives great. Nice feel. Great passing power.
Comfortable interior. Inside center console could have bigger storage area. Glove compartment doesn't hold CD's that well.
Don't like the feel of ABS brakes in the snow.
Heated seats are a nice feature, seeing that driver and passenger seats work on separate controls.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 21st October, 2004
4th Mar 2005, 21:11
Wiper rubber refills are readily available for the Passat and all VW's at your dealer. I replaced the wiper rubber inserts 3 times in 3.5 years since my Passat was new, or about 1 set per year. If they tell you to buy the entire metal blade, you are being mislead.
Most wiper rubber inserts or refills do not last more than 1 year, especially if your car goes through winter with all the salt and grit on the windshield. The refills cost about $12 and take about 20 minutes to change.