Bad value, and Volkswagens are junk
An ignition coil went out at 63k.
Serpentine belt replaced at 64k.
Both front axles had to be replaced at 66k.
A/C compressor went out at 67k.
And currently it is in the shop at 72k with a vacuum leak.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 19th August, 2010
Great car, but not safe
I just had a fender bender at 20 mph max and the entire front end crumbled. The hood crashed into the windshield. Car is most likely totaled... At 20 mph.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 19th May, 2010
Crumple zones in action. Your car did EXACTLY what it was designed to do.
It has 4 stars on crash test, new cars deform in crashes, but the point is that you stay safe inside.
Modern safety standards also include safety to pedestrians that are hit by cars. That explains a lot of the damage that occurs. Leg injuries are reduced by bumpers that crumple. Head injuries are reduced by increased space between the hood and engine, so the head hits something that has some give behind it. Plastic covers over engines are also part of the designs to reduce head injuries.
Nice car, but not worth the trouble
CV boot (driver side).
CV joint (passenger side).
Front left upper control arm.
On-board computer goes blank and/or resets once in a while.
Alternator is noisy, will need to be replaced soon.
Secondary air injection pump noisy when the engine is cold.
Rear wiper washer failed...
... and as a result the tailgate lock is not working properly, as well as the trunk light is not working.
The seat heaters are not working properly: barely warm on 4 and very hot on 5. 1-3 gives no heat at all.
Water in left taillight and right headlight assembly.
Hood lock needed to be replaced.
Driver's window switch.
Handling is awesome for a family wagon.
Engine is very strong once the turbo kicks in. Effortless passing on back roads.
Very roomy trunk and the seats fold flat.
Fit and finish is above standard for the class, materials are very good.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 21st September, 2009
What a piece of crap; costs as much in maintenance as the car originally did
4 window motors.
Warped rotors twice.
Turbo replaced.
Flex pipe.
Both front axles.
Water pump.
Rattles everywhere from inside and out.
Tie rods.
Ball joints
Two speakers stopped working.
What hasn't gone bad.
This car is slow and gets horrible gas mileage for being a 4 banger.
I thought VW had good build quality; guess not, it has way too many rattles inside the cabin.
Horrible in snow.
Non power seats; you have to reach behind you to adjust, they only adjust a certain way; very uncomfortable!!!
So much for german engineering.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 11th August, 2009
Love it and hate to get rid of it..
L.E.D information cluster not functioning properly, back seat power supply flip-out tray lasted 3 months after purchase, recently replaced oil pump and several other internal engine components that were not covered under my bumper to bumper manufacturer warranty. At this point I don't have much faith in the V.A.G group when it comes to honoring their obligation to a warranty. I purchased a 20th anniversary GTI shortly after purchasing the Passat wagon. I'm considering trading them both in on something more reliable. Both my cars have been serviced with full synthetic oil since purchase.
Handles great at all speeds, very quick for a wagon. Cheap on gas.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 29th May, 2008
A good alternative to Japanese models
Tiptronic would not shift down in "manual mode".
Condensation in headlamp.
Both problems promptly fixed by courteous dealer under warranty.
This is my second Passat (first was a 2000 V6 GLS Wagon, which was excellent apart from a failing water pump at 40K).
Beats the pants off Camrys & Accords. Build quality light years ahead of American cars.
MPG: 22 town,30 highway. Premium gas.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th September, 2007
19th Aug 2010, 10:57
You know this really isn't all too bad for a Volkswagen. I'll agree that Volkswagens aren't too reliable, but really the only real serious repair you had was the A/C compressor. Sure the ignition coil should've lasted a little longer and the front driveaxles did need replacement a little earlier than normal, but all in all I don't think your car is all that bad.