Faults:

I haven't really had any of the small annoying issues with my car. I have had one issue with the transmission shifting awkwardly. Sometimes when I am driving around 50 mph and I press the gas pedal down to accelerate to pass, the car will almost bump and hiccup once during the process of passing. No engine light has come on, so I am just leaving it alone. I know how sensitive Volkswagen computer systems can be. But in general, the transmission takes some getting used to. It is a bit rougher than other cars because of the turbocharger that kicks in at the most inopportune times. If you have any ideas about my transmission jerking a bit, leave a comment. I appreciate it.

General Comments:

I love Volkswagen products despite their issues that all VW's do have. German cars in general drive much smoother and more like a drivers car. A lot of people do not understand that they must follow the manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule for their VW. Volkswagens do require higher maintenance than Japanese cars, but it is well worth it to me. The quality of the interior trim and materials they chose to use in the Passat are far higher grade than comparably priced cars in it's class.

Faults:

So far nothing has gone wrong with the car.

Just curious, I have wire that looks like it plugs into something hanging from the front bottom of my car near the lower grille. Haven't taken it in to the vw dealer yet. I'm sure its important, but doesn't seem to affect anything, but wondering what it could be.

Also the air conditioning makes a hissing noise. Is that normal on this car. Does anyone else have this problem?

General Comments:

I love the car.. very quick, fun to drive. 1st and 2nd gears are too short. I'm glad I didn't, but this car in automatic. Interior is very comfortable with leather and all of the nice options the passat is equipped with. Good on gas. Windshield wipers wear fast. I'm very satisfied with this car. My last car a 2002 vw jetta was a nightmare from day 1 and I swore id never buy another vw again, but this car has changed my perspective. It was worth the extra money. I guess you get what you pay for. Just keeping my fingers crossed that its not going to be a repeat of headaches like my jetta.

I think my satisfaction has a lot to do with my dealer. My vw dealer although I've heard horror stories has been great. Service dept has been fantastic. (I practically lived there with my jetta). I would recommend them if your in Florida.

Faults:

Actually, very little. The gas cap has had to be replace and the trunk light was not connected since day 1. Both things corrected without issues.

I can't get replacement windshield wipers at any auto store, that means more money for VW.

General Comments:

The car was bought for my wife who had to have a Passat. My only condition was I had to have a manual transmission. So it worked out OK.

Here's the straight story. (I hate it when people make a car out to be solid gold or a royal mess. Most should be rated in the middle.) The things I like about the car are the transmission, the handling, the full size spare, the mileage and reliability to date. I have had no issues with the mechanics of the car. The engine does NOT like, but a wee-bit of ethanol. A tank full of 10%Eth will produce hard cold starts regardless of octane level or brand of gas. I run pure gas at 87 octane and all is good. I have also run synthetic oil since about 20,000 miles. Mileage has average over 29 mpg in the first 35K miles. Mechanically it appears to be a solid value.

BUT here are the things I do not like, listed.

The turbo engine is unappealing. The turbo rush kicks in right as I shift which makes things awkward. I did change my pattern. When the air conditioning is on the car is a lazy old dog until the turbo spools up. I actually turn the A/C off if I have to go 0mph to??mph in a short time. I have almost gotten myself killed because of the turbo lag. DO NOT buy a turbo and the automatic transmission. If you have to have an automatic get the V6. You will be fine with the 5-speed and the turbo. We test drove almost all combinations of engine and transmission before buying.

The dash is unattractive i.e. boring. Quality is good, but there is nothing to be excited about.

The rear seat cushions are not very comfortable for anything longer than about 2 hours. (I have leather seats).

The center console between the front seats will not store any CD's and be able to close.

The hand crank reclining mechanism on the front seats is horrible. A lever is so much easier.