Long term Passat issues?

In article ,
Donald Prevett wrote:
>In article ,
> "D&LBusch" wrote:
>
>> I'm at that funny stage when I'm considering trading my 2004 1.8 Passat.
>> 44,000 miles 5 speed. I may buy a Hybrid. What are the long term costs of
>> keep the Passat? I've read that repairs as they age can be annoying and
>> expensive.
>> Thanks in advance.
>> David
>
>2003 Passat wagon, 1.8 turbo with tiptronic.
>
>Check engine light - replaced secondary vacuum valve and hose at 43,000
>miles, $250.
>Vibrating warped rear rotors and lining $410.
>Replaced dip stick (broken plastic pull handle!!!) $20.
>Noisy left front wheel bearing replaced at 47,000 miles, $600.
>And the wiper blades wear out about every six months and I can't find
>the cheap refills at Walmart anymore, so I have to buy the full
>replacement from the dealer.
>
>Repairs aren't quite as frequent as on my wife's 2000 Beetle, but the
>Passat seems to be working on catching up...

The bigger the VW the quicker the standard designed parts wear out.
VW always had a habit of designing a vehicle from existing designs and
trying to make the hardware work in heavier VWs. The lighter the weight
of a VW the longer they last. Most people on RAMVW have older smaller
DIY vehicles and the OP question is out of the scope of this group if
you know what I mean. He needs to find the "what car should I get next
after my warranty runs out" group.






--
Jeeps and dubs and everything's nice...
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

In
Donald Prevett wrote:

> And the wiper blades wear out about every six months and I can't find
> the cheap refills at Walmart anymore, so I have to buy the full
> replacement from the dealer.
>

For my '02 (pre-aero blades) I just buy the rubber inserts and spend a
few minutes at the workbench sliding the old ones out and sliding the
new ones in. They're cheap.

According to this http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1118806 you
can do essentially the same with the aero blades.

--
Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN bert.RemoveThis@iphouse.com
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

In article ,
Bert Hyman wrote:
>
> For my '02 (pre-aero blades) I just buy the rubber inserts and spend a
> few minutes at the workbench sliding the old ones out and sliding the
> new ones in. They're cheap.
>
> According to this http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1118806 you
> can do essentially the same with the aero blades.

The vwvortex procedure was what I was doing, but as stated in one of the
posts, Walmart stopped carrying the refills last year. The alternate
Trico refills aren't carried in any of my local parts stores. Good news
is the dealer price for the complete replacement blades has come down a
little, but still much more expensive than the refills. And since I'm
there so often (reference my original post), at least its not overly
inconvenient...

A major criteria for selecting my two VWs was crash test ratings and
safety equipment. When I bought them, antilock brakes, side torso
airbags (2000 Beetle), and side curtain airbags (2003 Passat) were not
generally available. In 2008, most manufacturers make them available
and there are many models with good crash test ratings.
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

So David,
What do YOU want?
A Hybrid may give you the economy you want in mpg and is definitely
different than your Passat. You may even get a rebate for buying one too!
I think more Hybrid owners drive differently than Passat owners though so
expect to change your driving habits. <g>

You probably have a ways to go before your Passat gets "too expensive" to
maintain.
Expect:
.....Brakes =Normal around 40K or a little longer depending on usage
.....Timing Belt = not bad at around 100k miles but will include water pump,
thermostat and misc. items
.....Front Suspension replacement = not cheap and maybe at 100K miles or a
little longer.
.....Turbo maybe after 120-140K miles maybe
.....CV Joint Boots

If you use the correct synthetic oil and let that turbo cool down after a
spirited run you can hopefully keep them both in tip-top condition.
I am trying to learn about these cars and engines, so these are just some of
my observations and opinions.
--
later,
dave
(One out of many daves)

"D&LBusch" wrote in message

> I'm at that funny stage when I'm considering trading my 2004 1.8 Passat.
> 44,000 miles 5 speed. I may buy a Hybrid. What are the long term costs
> of keep the Passat? I've read that repairs as they age can be annoying
> and expensive.
> Thanks in advance.
> David
>
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:51:30 -0600, Donald Prevett
wrote:

>In article ,
> Bert Hyman wrote:
>>
>> For my '02 (pre-aero blades) I just buy the rubber inserts and spend a
>> few minutes at the workbench sliding the old ones out and sliding the
>> new ones in. They're cheap.
>>
>> According to this http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1118806 you
>> can do essentially the same with the aero blades.
>
>The vwvortex procedure was what I was doing, but as stated in one of the
>posts, Walmart stopped carrying the refills last year. The alternate
>Trico refills aren't carried in any of my local parts stores. Good news
>is the dealer price for the complete replacement blades has come down a
>little, but still much more expensive than the refills. And since I'm
>there so often (reference my original post), at least its not overly
>inconvenient...
>
>A major criteria for selecting my two VWs was crash test ratings and
>safety equipment. When I bought them, antilock brakes, side torso
>airbags (2000 Beetle), and side curtain airbags (2003 Passat) were not
>generally available. In 2008, most manufacturers make them available
>and there are many models with good crash test ratings.

I changed my wiper blades on my 2003 Jetta 2 months ago. Those blades
were installed in June of 2002. I bought another set of really
over-priced Bosch blades from the local national parts store(Autozone)
in hopes that they might last a long time. It seems that the blades
from the factory seem to last a long time but after that I have not
had a pair last more than 6-12 months.
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

In
Donald Prevett wrote:

> In article ,
> Bert Hyman wrote:
>>
>> For my '02 (pre-aero blades) I just buy the rubber inserts and spend
>> a few minutes at the workbench sliding the old ones out and sliding
>> the new ones in. They're cheap.
>>
>> According to this http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1118806
>> you can do essentially the same with the aero blades.
>
> The vwvortex procedure was what I was doing, but as stated in one of
> the posts, Walmart stopped carrying the refills last year.

I buy mine from the dealer's parts department; they're still only a few
bucks a pair.

They used to come in boxes of two, but now I just get handed the rubber
strips. That's handy because I no longer have to buy 4 at a time just to
have one for the rear wiper.

--
Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN bert RemoveThis @iphouse.com
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

PP's sarcasm aside, I appreciate the comments. This is not a warranty
issue - although it would seem that PP portends to know. Vehicles reach a
stage when the Trade in Value is still relatively high and the debate
sometimes occurs about trading or keeping it. Due to the nature of VW
electrics and computer systems I'm trying to weigh my options.
David
"Peter Parker" wrote in message

> In article
> ,
> Donald Prevett wrote:
>>In article ,
>> "D&LBusch" wrote:
>>
>>> I'm at that funny stage when I'm considering trading my 2004 1.8 Passat.
>>> 44,000 miles 5 speed. I may buy a Hybrid. What are the long term costs
>>> of
>>> keep the Passat? I've read that repairs as they age can be annoying and
>>> expensive.
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>> David
>>
>>2003 Passat wagon, 1.8 turbo with tiptronic.
>>
>>Check engine light - replaced secondary vacuum valve and hose at 43,000
>>miles, $250.
>>Vibrating warped rear rotors and lining $410.
>>Replaced dip stick (broken plastic pull handle!!!) $20.
>>Noisy left front wheel bearing replaced at 47,000 miles, $600.
>>And the wiper blades wear out about every six months and I can't find
>>the cheap refills at Walmart anymore, so I have to buy the full
>>replacement from the dealer.
>>
>>Repairs aren't quite as frequent as on my wife's 2000 Beetle, but the
>>Passat seems to be working on catching up...
>
> The bigger the VW the quicker the standard designed parts wear out.
> VW always had a habit of designing a vehicle from existing designs and
> trying to make the hardware work in heavier VWs. The lighter the weight
> of a VW the longer they last. Most people on RAMVW have older smaller
> DIY vehicles and the OP question is out of the scope of this group if
> you know what I mean. He needs to find the "what car should I get next
> after my warranty runs out" group.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Jeeps and dubs and everything's nice...
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

Didn't that car come with some sort of warranty? My 2003 had a 50,000
mile 4 year warranty. Maybe a few more miles for the engine. I thought
that at least in the US they emissions system had to have a 50,000
mile warranty. I had a few minor things taken care of just under that
60,000 mile mark. Although I guess maybe the 4 year time window has
gone for your car.

On Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:27:37 GMT, "D&LBusch"
wrote:

>PP's sarcasm aside, I appreciate the comments. This is not a warranty
>issue - although it would seem that PP portends to know. Vehicles reach a
>stage when the Trade in Value is still relatively high and the debate
>sometimes occurs about trading or keeping it. Due to the nature of VW
>electrics and computer systems I'm trying to weigh my options.
>David
>"Peter Parker" wrote in message
>
>> In article
>> ,
>> Donald Prevett wrote:
>>>In article ,
>>> "D&LBusch" wrote:
>>>
>>>> I'm at that funny stage when I'm considering trading my 2004 1.8 Passat.
>>>> 44,000 miles 5 speed. I may buy a Hybrid. What are the long term costs
>>>> of
>>>> keep the Passat? I've read that repairs as they age can be annoying and
>>>> expensive.
>>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>> David
>>>
>>>2003 Passat wagon, 1.8 turbo with tiptronic.
>>>
>>>Check engine light - replaced secondary vacuum valve and hose at 43,000
>>>miles, $250.
>>>Vibrating warped rear rotors and lining $410.
>>>Replaced dip stick (broken plastic pull handle!!!) $20.
>>>Noisy left front wheel bearing replaced at 47,000 miles, $600.
>>>And the wiper blades wear out about every six months and I can't find
>>>the cheap refills at Walmart anymore, so I have to buy the full
>>>replacement from the dealer.
>>>
>>>Repairs aren't quite as frequent as on my wife's 2000 Beetle, but the
>>>Passat seems to be working on catching up...
>>
>> The bigger the VW the quicker the standard designed parts wear out.
>> VW always had a habit of designing a vehicle from existing designs and
>> trying to make the hardware work in heavier VWs. The lighter the weight
>> of a VW the longer they last. Most people on RAMVW have older smaller
>> DIY vehicles and the OP question is out of the scope of this group if
>> you know what I mean. He needs to find the "what car should I get next
>> after my warranty runs out" group.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Jeeps and dubs and everything's nice...
>
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

In article ,
"D&LBusch" wrote:

> I'm at that funny stage when I'm considering trading my 2004 1.8 Passat.
> 44,000 miles 5 speed. I may buy a Hybrid. What are the long term costs of
> keep the Passat? I've read that repairs as they age can be annoying and
> expensive.
> Thanks in advance.
> David

Except for a misfire problem that Woodchuck solved on this newgroup and
which took the dealer service dept four visits to fix (needed two new
coils), our 2002 1.8T Tip Passat was pretty much trouble free until
about 61000 miles when BOTH front outer CV boots blew out. Our
dealership servce dept is very friendly and accommodating and the repair
with the 60K oil service was "only" about $600 (ie, actually not too
bad). But that was a wake up call for me. I contacted WarrantyDirect
for a quote on a 2 or 3 year extended warranty. It was about
$1500/2000. I was all set to get it when VW announced a $1500 Passat
loyalty rebate on a new one. I did the math: $1500 + 2000 = $3000
towards a new car.

So what I'm saying is that VWs are great cars but even Woodchuck (with
way over 30 years as a master VW dealer mechanic) says that if you're
going to keep a VW, you'd better get an extended warranty. You might
make it to 100K with minimal cost, but don't count on it. I suspect we
wouldn't have used the entire $2000 but I'm at a point in life where I
don't like living with uncertainly and can afford the alternative.

Here's my philosophy re: VWs: If you want to keep them after the
warranty runs out and you want piece of mind, you either have to fix
everything yourself or get an extended warranty. I had my 95 Golf for 7
1/2 years and I did all the repairs myself. It never went to a pro
except for tires. Same with my 82 convertible. But the Passat - no way.
Too exotic and too hard to work on. I'm hoping that VWs will become
more and more reliable with each new generation. So far my MKV GTI and
07 Passat have been pretty much trouble free. But time will tell.

Bill
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:33:10 -0600, William Maslin
wrote:

>In article ,
> "D&LBusch" wrote:
>
>> I'm at that funny stage when I'm considering trading my 2004 1.8 Passat.
>> 44,000 miles 5 speed. I may buy a Hybrid. What are the long term costs of
>> keep the Passat? I've read that repairs as they age can be annoying and
>> expensive.
>> Thanks in advance.
>> David
>
>Except for a misfire problem that Woodchuck solved on this newgroup and
>which took the dealer service dept four visits to fix (needed two new
>coils), our 2002 1.8T Tip Passat was pretty much trouble free until
>about 61000 miles when BOTH front outer CV boots blew out. Our
>dealership servce dept is very friendly and accommodating and the repair
>with the 60K oil service was "only" about $600 (ie, actually not too
>bad). But that was a wake up call for me. I contacted WarrantyDirect
>for a quote on a 2 or 3 year extended warranty. It was about
>$1500/2000. I was all set to get it when VW announced a $1500 Passat
>loyalty rebate on a new one. I did the math: $1500 + 2000 = $3000
>towards a new car.
>
>So what I'm saying is that VWs are great cars but even Woodchuck (with
>way over 30 years as a master VW dealer mechanic) says that if you're
>going to keep a VW, you'd better get an extended warranty. You might
>make it to 100K with minimal cost, but don't count on it. I suspect we
>wouldn't have used the entire $2000 but I'm at a point in life where I
>don't like living with uncertainly and can afford the alternative.
>
>Here's my philosophy re: VWs: If you want to keep them after the
>warranty runs out and you want piece of mind, you either have to fix
>everything yourself or get an extended warranty. I had my 95 Golf for 7
>1/2 years and I did all the repairs myself. It never went to a pro
>except for tires. Same with my 82 convertible. But the Passat - no way.
>Too exotic and too hard to work on. I'm hoping that VWs will become
>more and more reliable with each new generation. So far my MKV GTI and
>07 Passat have been pretty much trouble free. But time will tell.
>
>Bill
I replaced a egr valve on my 2003 car that I goofed up when doing my
100,000 mile maintenance. I did new injector nozzles a few thousand
miles ago. I would have received no value in an extended warranty. If
they extended the warranty to 500,000 miles and included timing belts
it might make sense to me. 325,000 miles to go to hit that 500,000
miles. Lots of people report low repairs. Depends on luck and engine
maybe. Heck the Rabbits were supposed to have bad ac and electrical
problems. I did not experience that with 300,000 plus miles on two
Rabbits. Gti had 300,000 miles when sold and the other Rabbit had over
200,000 miles when wrecked.
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

"D&LBusch" wrote in message

> I'm at that funny stage when I'm considering trading my 2004 1.8 Passat.
> 44,000 miles 5 speed. I may buy a Hybrid. What are the long term costs
> of keep the Passat? I've read that repairs as they age can be annoying
> and expensive.
> Thanks in advance.
> David
Don't forget a full timing belt/waterpump/tensioner change at 60-65K (go
longer at risk of a $3.5K engine rebuild) at about $800-1,000.
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

In article ,
"No Spam Please" wrote:

> "D&LBusch" wrote in message
>
> > I'm at that funny stage when I'm considering trading my 2004 1.8 Passat.
> > 44,000 miles 5 speed. I may buy a Hybrid. What are the long term costs
> > of keep the Passat? I've read that repairs as they age can be annoying
> > and expensive.
> > Thanks in advance.
> > David
> Don't forget a full timing belt/waterpump/tensioner change at 60-65K (go
> longer at risk of a $3.5K engine rebuild) at about $800-1,000.

I believe it's 105,000 miles for the timing belt on 2001 (B5.5?) and
later cars.
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues? 

In article ,
Jim Behning wrote:

> On Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:33:10 -0600, William Maslin
> wrote:
>
....snip
> >
> >Here's my philosophy re: VWs: If you want to keep them after the
> >warranty runs out and you want piece of mind, you either have to fix
> >everything yourself or get an extended warranty. I had my 95 Golf for 7
> >1/2 years and I did all the repairs myself. It never went to a pro
> >except for tires. Same with my 82 convertible. But the Passat - no way.
> >Too exotic and too hard to work on. I'm hoping that VWs will become
> >more and more reliable with each new generation. So far my MKV GTI and
> >07 Passat have been pretty much trouble free. But time will tell.
> >
> >Bill
> I replaced a egr valve on my 2003 car that I goofed up when doing my
> 100,000 mile maintenance. I did new injector nozzles a few thousand
> miles ago. I would have received no value in an extended warranty. If
> they extended the warranty to 500,000 miles and included timing belts
> it might make sense to me. 325,000 miles to go to hit that 500,000
> miles. Lots of people report low repairs. Depends on luck and engine
> maybe. Heck the Rabbits were supposed to have bad ac and electrical
> problems. I did not experience that with 300,000 plus miles on two
> Rabbits. Gti had 300,000 miles when sold and the other Rabbit had over
> 200,000 miles when wrecked.

You're right. Chances are that you'll never "use up" the extended
warranty, expecially on a diesel. Note also what I said above. You're
doing a lot of your own work and staying ahead of the TDI problems (like
the EGR valve) so your car is less likely to break. For the Passat, the
first step in a lot of repairs is: put the car in the "service
position." In other words, the whole front of the car has to be
detached and jacked out about a foot so that you can get enough room to
work. And a quick look at the repair instructions for replacing the
axles scared me off since it involved messing with that complex and
expensive to repair Passat front suspension.

But I really didn't trust that 1.8T. The engine itself was fine, but I
was concerned about things like the secondary air motor/pump, diverter
valve, etc. In other words, all the things that are connected to it.
VW clearly didn't have a trouble free owner experience in mind when they
specified those WWII era fabric covered rubber vacuum hoses under the
hood. These broke twice on our Passat. And they put a rats nest of
those vacuum hoses right on top of the exhaust manifold in the cars with
transverse 1.8Ts (like the Jetta).

To me, the big money items after warranty would be the A/C compressor
and the ABS system. Either of those could go over $2000. By the way,
the Warranty Direct warranty also supposedly covers wear items like CV
boots.
 >> Stay informed about: Long term Passat issues?