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.

Faults:

Inter-cooler broke at about 100,000 due to slight front impact. This being due to the aforementioned part being placed right behind front bumper!!

Air Mass Meter (controls turbo air flow) broke around 105,000.

General Comments:

Survived very well, having been driven up and down britain's bumpy motorways for 3 years.

Great Performance considering up to 50mpg.

Cabin is comfy and well built, if slightly uninspiring.

Faults:

I must say that the stock (Michelin) tires are too expensive. They run about $140 a piece from the local retailers. I found the Bridgestone Potenza to be a much cheaper, but nearly equal replacement. I know this because I just replaced ours at 33k miles.

So far, the car has been fairly good for us. The battery needs to be replaced, but that is to be expected after 3+ years in the Florida heat.

Right now, there is a slightly coolant leak near the turbo unit. I will find out what that costs to repair tomorrow.

I also had a problem with a vacuum hose that leaked, causing poor engine performance.

Judging by some of the other reviewers' experiences, I highly recommend buying an extended service warranty with your next (any) Volkswagen. The service at VW dealerships is terribly expensive, and parts are insanely priced. So a good service warranty is a smart option to keep your wallet happy. You can usually buy these warranties for your car up to 30,000 miles.

General Comments:

Overall, I think it's a great driver's car: The power is remarkable considering this is a 1.8 liter engine; The handling is as smooth as you would expect from a German make; And the design is very smart. I have been very pleased with our wagon so far.

The interior fits both me (6'4") and my wife (5'3") equally well. The fold-down seats make it perfect for toting surfboards around on the weekend. The optional roofrack crossmember is okay, but it sits a little too close to the sunroof for my liking.

The engine gets about 30 mpg on the highway when I'm going 85 mph. It must be said that this car rides comfortably at high speeds. It holds the road tightly without feeling heavy. I was surprised at how quiet the interior is on the highway.

Look up this car's crash test results. They are excellent. I think VW added standard airbag curtains in 2001, so that might be an even better model to buy used if you're worried abpout all these idiot SUV drivers blindsiding you.

We got the automatic transmission for convenience in driving through city traffic. The turbo lag is really apparent at low rpm and off-the-line acceleration with this transmission. So don't give up the idea of a manual gearbox in lieu of the auto's tiptronic feature. The tipronic shifting system is built for people who can't drive manuals, but want to feel sporty nonetheless. It is just a silly feature, and I never use mine. In defense of the automatic tranny, it is very smooth and will hold itself in gear to redline when you have your foot on the floor.

I can't think of another wagon for under $25,000 that can match it in overall performance.