I'm thinking of buying a 2000 VW Passat 4D Sedan (23k miles) for around $17k. I don't know much about passats and got mixed reviews when searching online. Anybody has had great (or terrible) experiences with that particular year's passat? Any particular part I should get checked before buying it? Any recurring problems? Any suggestions or helpful comments would be great. thanks.
good cars, but u can buy an 03 GL new for 20k. what engine? coil packs recall and filler neck shield recall.
Been thru this question number of times here.. Here's my take from former discussions. Depends on what kinda car you want. Some summary points: Passat is a great driver/cruiser road car and is fun to drive, quiet. Good features, good space for people and golf clubs, very good fit and finish. If you prefer a firm suspension and good handling "sports sedan" feel you'll like it compared to Fords, Chevy's, Honda's, etc. Engine and trans very durable but some stuff may need to go back for warranty more frequently than some Japanese types. Pete
I enjoy driving my '99 VW 1.8T automatic (49K miles), but every trip to the dealer can be $400 or more. It can get expensive just doing even routine things and the occasional item that breaks.
I'm on my 3rd window regulator for my right-rear window. It would have been more, but the window is seldom used. The last two fixes lasted 2 days and one week respectively.
My radio reception suddenly went down the drain one morning this past winter. An $80 diagnostic was required to tell me "antenna short to ground". They wanted $200 to find the short and then they told me it would be another $200-$400 to fix. I passed. One spring morning I opened the sunroof and my reception came back. Occasionally, it will go out again. Sometimes opening the sunroof fixes it.
The check engine light has come on four or five times, almost always after a single misfire. The first time I went to a dealer for inspection to be told that "sometimes they just do that". The most recent time I had to have a vacuum hose replaced, $164.
My other advice is to always scrutinize the dealerships. I have found that the two nearest dealerships to my house will stretch believability in the things that "need to be replaced" in the car. Ask around and find the least dishonest dealership that is nearby.
Let's say I am NOT displeased with my purchase, but it sure isn't the trouble-free type of car I was used to (I put 125K on a '93 Altima between '93 and '99 with under $300 in repairing "unexpected" items). If the pace of $400 repairs escalates, I may move on to a new car sooner than expected. Typically, I like to keep a car about 6 years.
Good luck either way you decide.
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