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527 messages,  Last post on Aug 08, 2000 at 11:56 PM

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What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Passat, Electrical, Fuel System, Transmission, Sedan

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#61 of 527 98 vs 99 Passat GLS by brichar258 Aug 14, 1999 (1:30 am)
Bought a 98 GLS in Oct 97 for my wife. LOVED the car myself (has had no problems, 15000 miles later)and decided to trade in my jeep for a 99 GLS (both are tiptronic). Happy with 99 but notice a softer ride than 98. Any body guess why? (same tires, same coils, shocks...)?? Thanks.
#62 of 527 So far, so great by jag3 Aug 15, 1999 (4:53 am)
Have owned my satin silver Passat wagon GLS for one month now without any problem what so ever! So far, so great!!
#63 of 527 hound2 by squanto Aug 16, 1999 (10:50 pm)
sorry to hear about your problems w/ the passat. even though you've presented the info in a logbook format, i can pick up the frustration in your words. i've had my eye on the passat for some time, but 2 friends have them too, and have had their fair share of problems. it sounds like you may have a real lemon though. keep us posted w/ any other problems/resolutions and include comments on how you've been treated by your dealer and vw.
#64 of 527 Bluerose4 by bluerose4 Aug 17, 1999 (7:43 pm)
We are considering buying a Passat even though we have had Saturns for 6 years. Are the problems everyone's having really minor? Do you really trust a mechanic who can't find an obvious problem? Would it be better to wait a year for the manufacturers to take care of these problems?
#65 of 527 lynyrd by lynyrd Aug 17, 1999 (9:45 pm)
bluerose4     I too have been considering buying a Passat GLX V6. I thought that this was the year to buy, but when i heard about the changes for next year, i was convinced to wait. All Wheel drive, 10 speaker Monsoon stereo system and an in dash CD, so you don't have to go searching for a disc changer. Also, they should have all the bugs worked out that you've read about.     But be sure to check out the site so you can find out opinions regarding the 2000 passats when they become available in a few weeks.      Good Luck!           Lynyrd (Jeff) Skynyrd
#66 of 527 Passat Problems by sm10 Aug 18, 1999 (1:24 am)
I have a 1997 Passat TDI, at first it was great. That was before the passenger and driver side windows fell off the track. Then the driver side front and rear door locks needed repair, not to mention the door always freeze in the winter.I now have 77,000 miles and the head gasket and water pump have been replaced. Two sets of tires,one set literally came off the sidewalls while driving. And the torque is set pretty high so starting off in 1st gear on snow would just make the tires spin . Has anyone experienced similar issues with the new Passat as I am interested in buying a 1999.
#67 of 527 Passat Woes by christenson Aug 18, 1999 (5:18 pm)
I own a 1998 Passat GLS with the 1.8T and Tiptronic Transmission. I painstakingly researched this vehicle and compared it to the leading cars in its category, the Camry and Accord. The Passat rated very well on objective tests and received good reviews from a variety of reputable sources. After driving the Passat for a year, I wish I had purchased an Accord (even though they are quite unattractive. They are less expensive, smoother, but mostly they are more reliable). I have a list of repairs for my Passat which makes me feel like my car is Frankenstein put together in pieces instead of as a whole. Let's see if I can remember at the problems:  1. New computer  2. New spark plugs due to fouling  3. Check engine came on twice before, and is now on again. I guess my Passat is acred of a little rain.  4. Steering wheel was not lubricated at the factory so it sounded like two pieces of styrofoam rubbing together whenever you turned.  5. New door panel because the original was ripped.  6. Tightening of the battery cables by roadside assistance because the car would not start.  7. New sun roof motors  8. New sun roof liner  9. New sun roof switch 10. New Antenna 11. New Antenna base 12. New radio on back order for over six months (although I can purchase the same Clarion down the street today) 13. New power window switch 14. A few freaky electrical situations that cannot be replicated by anyone including me. 14. Poor treatment by Volkswagon of America whose position is that all these problems are normal and have been fixed so why am I angry. I know the dealerships telehone number by heart and most there know me by first name since I am in there about every 6 weeks. Do not purchase a Passat if you like cars that are manufactured properly and are reliable. If that does not matter to you, the Passat is for you!
#68 of 527 Passat Woes by zderf Aug 18, 1999 (5:52 pm)
YIKES!!!! See my thread under Hatchbacks "Tubro Bug Disaster" and "Beetle News". I'm hip on the electrical items. Our fly-by-wire throttle is wreaking havoc on us at 585 miles. 2 tow-ins already.. and its been there a week now without resolution. Don't know how VW will treat us, but am concerned based on your expereince.
#69 of 527 Random Replacements by stoli Aug 19, 1999 (2:16 pm)
christenson, your experiences should not come as a shock to all of us former Honda and Toyota owners. We ALL struggled with VWs tainted record before buying the Passat. Some of us even bought the extended warranty so we could sleep at night; despite the fact that it will not get us out of: wasted time sitting in a waiting room, anxiety about the treatment of your car in the shop, and verbal wars with a complete stranger whose got all the lingo you wished you never had to learn. Unfortunately, its like going to the doctor in today's world of managed care, the only thing they are managing is cost. You have to educate yourself, articulate your symtoms, and demand the type of corrective action that YOU have learned is appropriate for a given problem. There are two essential resources for the VW owner: VWVortex forums, and VW online technical bullitens. The former will usually tell you about anything important contained in the latter. When I bought my CD changer at the parts dept., the clerk mentioned a $30 programming fee. I told him they don't need programming. He condescendinly stated that I only have a 1 in 10 chance of it working. bull. He stated it was an additional $30 for installation. I said it took 5 minutes to install. I asked him if he had heard of the "Vortex" He stopped looking me in the eye: caught red-handed. I installed it in the parking lot in five minutes and listened to CDs all the way home. What I am building up to is my irritation at the mere listing of replacement items when talking about "repairs". You need to distinguish dealership deception and ignorance, from the facts surrounding the problem. Don't forget, the dealerships get paid every time they lie successfully. There are legitimate problems with some Passats, as in all makes/models. Your list above makes the CAR look like the nightmare, rather than an incompetent service department (pretty common with VW, and a valid reason for anyone to think twice). Many of the items you list are consistent with the early-build bugs that are well publicized. Granted, some of them don't look all that familiar. The following looks like 3 unsuccessful attempts to solve a single complaint: "1. New computer  2. New spark plugs due to fouling  3. Check engine came on twice before, and is now on again. I guess my Passat is acred of a little rain." Was the computer actually bad? Many on this forum are now left with this impression, whether or not its true. Many of these laundry list type stories actually start with only minor complaint that the dealer shoots at in the dark, causing unbelievable collateral damage to factory-perfect systems in the process. I dropped off a co-worker at VW last night to pick up his Golf with a broken sunroof track. They burnt out the motor while fixing it and stuck him with $300 extra. I am not disputing your problems, just the tabloid-style presentation of them. Please follow up with an in-depth report so we can sort this out... - Stoli - flawless GLX with a crappy stereo.
#70 of 527 Bingo stoli by yidu_wok Aug 19, 1999 (5:23 pm)
Well written post and one that I agree with. Have my 99 GLS V6 since December with just over 8K miles. First problem showed up 2 weeks after purchase, turn signals stopped blinking. Easy fix, new relay but a pain to deal with. Second problem was that the trunk became hard to open if I tried to open it from the right side of the release just above the license plate. Left side was fine. Dealer told me that it was normal and that I should just open the trunk either from the inside or the left side of the release. HELLO? This guy was about 18, fresh out of high school. Got the shop foreman, he tried to tell me the same thing, even showed me a Passat on the lot and it was even worse then mine. Stuck to my guns, told him if there was no adjustment, I wanted a new release. Told me to wait inside (I peeked through the doors). They took the release apart, made an adjustment and now it is perfect. But, neither wanted to troubleshoot the problem. Thank goodness both issues were minor. Other then those issues, the car is a pleasure to drive VS the price. When buying a car, look closely at the service Depts. track record with the BBB and VW. (Honda, Ford, GMC etc)

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