2004 Volkswagen Passat TDI 130pd 1.9

Summary:

Excellent reliability, running costs and performance.

Faults:

Intercooler hose perished and had to be replaced.

CD changer only worked intermittently.

General Comments:

55 MPG motorway! 45 MPG urban. Genuinely the best running costs I've seen yet. Auto box was smooth and quiet. Engine was smooth and felt far more powerful than 130bhp. Great low end torque. Brakes were always good. Handling left a bit to be desired, but considering the size and weight of the car, nobody should be expecting top marks for cornering. That said, very easy to park with good visibility. Great comfort, good space in the back, and the boot size is OK.

Genuinely wish I'd never gotten rid of the Passat. I know it's still running today with over 185k on the clock. Bet you that lump is still running sweet as a nut too. Excellent car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th March, 2018

27th Mar 2018, 10:51

The late 1990s and early 2000s Passat was always a good car. These were the last of the good diesels, because they were simpler. The more modern ones from about 2005/6 onwards had DPF (Diesel Particle Filters), DMF (Dual Mass Flywheel) fancy injectors and other stuff that causes no end of problems when they get older.

In reply to 27th Mar 2018, 10:51

27th Mar 2018, 21:24

Good cars, if you ignore the gremlins. Have fun with the window regulators.

In reply to 27th Mar 2018, 10:51

28th Mar 2018, 07:00

As do all diesels from all manufacturers from then on.

2004 Volkswagen Passat Highline Estate 1.9 turbo diesel

Summary:

Outstanding

Faults:

Brake wear warning light comes on intermittently (mostly when it is very cold -10 deg up in the mountains), even though there is 4/5 mm left on the pads. Not a real problem. Suspect the wear limit is set high to cover the risk of brakes wearing out without you noticing.

Slight vibration noise from engine at 1500 revs. Checked under warranty - VW didn't identify problem officially, but a mechanic mentioned he had heard something similar with a Skoda Octavia. Found to be slightly loose air intake pipes - I eventually fixed with gaffer tape. Vibration has stopped!

General Comments:

Goes like a bat out of Hell! - watch out for speed cameras !

Really luxurious on a long run and very very comfortable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd February, 2008

3rd Feb 2008, 08:12

I think the conservative pad warning is more in the hope that you will just book your car into a VW dealer for new pads without checking them. Most people would just blindly follow the warning.

If they can get even 50% of Passat owners to replace pads with 5mm left, that's a lot of extra brake pads VW are going to sell, and a lot of easy margin for both VW's spares division, and VW dealer service departments. You and I know, 5mm is enough for an easy 5,000 miles of worry free motoring under most conditions - a lot of people wouldn't.

2004 Volkswagen Passat Highline 1.9 TDi 100

Summary:

Perfect reliability and build quality

Faults:

Nothing wrong in 3 years/76,000 miles.

General Comments:

This is not my car, but a car in the fleet that I manage. It stood out as the most reliable car we have, requiring nothing other than standard servicing.

The car is a pleasure to drive, quiet and comfortable with a very high spec. The build quality is very high, and the fit and finish is pretty much perfect.

The only let down with the car is the TDi 100 engine is underpowered for a large heavy car like this. The TDi 130 would be a better choice, but the 100 was cheaper for a company to run, and provided the driver with a lower tax burden. Also, second gear seems trickier to engage then other gears.

MPG is good at 43-47, but considerably lower than the lighter Golfs that achieve 49-54 on our fleet.

The only other problem with the brand is that the local main dealer is absolutly SHOCKINGLY bad customer service. I would continue to purchase VW's for the fleet, but we will use independent VW specialists in the future.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th August, 2006

6th Mar 2007, 06:22

The car is now being returned with a mileage of near 90,000.

NOTHING has ever gone wrong with the car, the build quality is solid and the car drives as new with 90,000 on the clock. There is not even the slightest amount of smoke from the exhaust, even when cold. Simply incredible!

If our budget covered it, I would replace all our fleet cars with these as they are so hassle free to run (as long as you find a good independent dealer, like we have, as our 2 local VW garages are SHOCKING in service)

6th Mar 2007, 14:22

This is great to hear! :)