Volkswagen Passat (2001 - 2005) - How long will it last

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Mon 18 Feb 2008 19:58
How long will it last - Brad
My Passat 1.9 130 highline with loadsa toys is 60,000 tomorrow. How long will it last? July 04 but going really well, is it time to move on or could I get to 120,000 in another 4 years. Will it make 180,000 in 8 years. Is there a limit on this type of car. (PS neighbour has a N reg Audi 1.9 which seems to be approaching it's 16th year and still goes like a bomb)
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 20:10
How long will it last - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}
Have you got it booked in for the 60K cambelt change?
Depends if you want to keep spending . I've had a new radiator, egr valve, brake discs and a convenience control module replaced as they 'wore out' after that mileage. Pretty expensive if totted up. Currently on 110k but I do like the car- a 100PS PD TDI...
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 21:11
How long will it last - Brad
service now due very soon

nothing has gone wrong in 60,000m, nothing has needed attention except 2 tyres. it's a briliant car
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 21:13
How long will it last - rtj70
This service will be expensive due to cambelt change. I know someone who part-ex'd for a nearly new Passat (and got a good price) to avoid this. He also does a lot of miles each year for business so needed the car to be reliable.
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 21:17
How long will it last - Brad
what's expensive. I normally pay nearly 300
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 21:27
How long will it last - bbroomlea{P}
It cost me just over £500 for a cambelt service for my A4 (same 130 PD engine) in May.

That was at the local VW independant so expect dealers to be a bit more. On tip I was given was to try either Skoda or Seat dealer as their labour rates are cheaper than VW/Audi however as mine was the 120K one I decided to drop out of the dealer network for servicing now.
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 22:07
How long will it last - Falkirk Bairn
what's expensive. I normally pay nearly 300


No matter how expensive the service is it will be a pittance Vs the Upfront / monthly/ depreciation costs of a NEW motor car.

60K and running well - keep on running - Financially it is the more sensible route.

Mind you going along to pick up a new car has a certain appeal to everyone.
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 21:27
How long will it last - Alby Back
My Mondeo estate TDCI has 140k miles on it and has needed no repairs at all in its life so far. It has had normal servicing ( at my local indy ) but that is all. Still drives like new, gets between 45-47 mpg, seats still comfy, in short, a great car. However, it is still a mileage youngster next to my friend's Mondeo TDCI though, his is six years old with 220k on so far and had no issues at all until last week when he needed a new back box on the exhaust. Prior to that, like mine. just normal servicing. We have now both decided to see if we can get both cars to 300k without major repairs. We both do high mileages so I will keep you posted on our progress.
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 21:40
How long will it last - cheddar
60k is just run-in, like Shoespy's my Mondeo is on the far side of 125k and still drives as new!

Hasn't even needed a cambelt change ;-)
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 21:40
How long will it last - SuperBuyer
124K on a 150bhp Golf - cambelt and water pump changed (Genuine VW parts at friendly independent) for £250. Only non-service item changed was boost hose (£66). Other than that, it gives good fuel economy, is cheap to service (on the longlife servicing - about every 5 months) and is comfy.

I was asked if I wanted to sell mine, but couldn't think of anything to replace it with.

Stick with it!
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 21:44
How long will it last - bbroomlea{P}
perhapes should have said, mine has just over 140,000 on it now - 40,000 in the last year and (touching wood) has been very reliable.

Seen pleanty of Skodas/Passats with over 250,000 on them in Taxis etc.
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 22:09
How long will it last - DP
My brother-in-law sold his well cared for 2001 TDI 130 Sport last year because the upkeep costs were getting silly. As soon as it passed 60k, the problems started. Clutch, DMF, front suspension rebuild, water ingress, dicky alarm ECU (caused by the former), leaking air-con condenser. MAF sensor - about £2.5k total "out of the ordinary" maintenance spend in just over 2 years, just to keep the car in good working order.

The PD diesel engine is widely reckoned to be the safest high mileage bet of all the modern diesel units though, as long as its serviced on time with the right oil. Maybe he was unlucky, and I certainly don't know of any other Passat ownership experiences to compare with, but it was disappointing on an approved used car bought from a VW main agent at 2 yrs old. It's not like it was an auction cheapie.

Cheers
DP
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Mon 18 Feb 2008 22:26
How long will it last - rtj70
My Passat might have been a poorly built one. And it was a company vehicle but:

- Turbo charger faulty on delivery (garage thought it was gearbox but despite my pleadings they replaced.... and it wasn't the gearbox)
- Two door locks faulty on delivery

then fine for a bit (ignoring hole in wing mirror causing wind whistling past my head)...

when older:

- airbag problem and lots of parts swapped under warranty to resolve... and it didn't (we're talking many man hours work too)
- airbag might have been fixed by the garage techie bypassing part of the wiring loom on a hunch - another car had similar problems. Six months later still okay but who knows....
- aircon not working just before warranty up so needed new pump etc.

From my experince of VW I would not have one personally at all (family also had issues but another story).... but yours has been a good one. Probably better to keep it if happy.

When I replaced at 3.5 years with a Mondeo you realised how soft the suspension was... mine had Sport suspension so ground a grove through a few speed bumps in its time!
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Tue 19 Feb 2008 09:17
How long will it last - Round The Bend
Colleague of mine has a 1997 Passat TDi which has just sailed through the 300k mark. Serviced regulary and he feels it is just about run in!
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Tue 19 Feb 2008 10:17
How long will it last - Ed V
Many on here would find life too dull if they were to drive only 4 cars from aged 30 to 70. We love an argument about the best financial solution, but cars aren't commodities for BRs!
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Tue 19 Feb 2008 12:48
How long will it last - 659FBE
There is a big difference between a long lasting car and a reliable car.

As an example of each, a Land Rover Defender is obviously long lasting - there are loads around. Its reliability is lousy and the number of man-hours expended on each of these vehicles to run them into old age is staggering.

A Malaysian bargain basement car is generally reliable for about 5 years. It has no long term prospects due to the unavailability of pattern spares and terminal rust, coupled with a compromised specification in areas such as safety or fuel economy.

The B5.5 Passat is nearer to the Land Rover than the Malaysian. A long life is assured by a galvanised body and the availability of pattern spares (a high European market penetration obviously helps here). The diesel options which are very economical and long-lived obviously enhance their long term prospects. Nobody keeps an old car which is expensive to run.

Where the Passat suffers (as does the Land Rover, but not to the same extent) is that it contains some serious design faults. Two examples are rain water ingress which causes expensive electrical damage and front suspension wear due to lunatic design. This lunacy also makes the suspension difficult to work on due to corroded fixings.

So, if you were to address these design stupidities it would be possible to end up with a car which is both long lasting and reasonably reliable.

For anyone's interest, there was a Skoda Superb 100 PS diesel (stretched re-badged B5.5 Passat) for sale on a well known auction site. It was a 2003 vehicle with 322k miles on the clock, having been used as a airport taxi. The owner mentioned that 10k mile oil changes had kept the engine in good condition - having seen a number of old VAG diesels, I have no reason to doubt this. Use of the correct oil is essential.

659.

Edited by 659FBE on 19/02/2008 at 12:52

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Tue 19 Feb 2008 22:40
How long will it last - Morris Ox
Ah, the dear old B5 Passat...where to start?

If you've had no problems then good for you. Somehow I doubt your experience is shared with other owners. As has already been observed, there were a number of significant design faults on the B5 that meant it fell well short of the upmarket image it sought to achieve.

Cambelt failures are a known, so are door lock failures, air mass sensor problems, water leaks, premature wear on front suspension arms...I had problems with every single one of those on mine (though the cambelt didn't fail my spannerman warned me it was starting to look suspect BEFORE 60k).

If you can rattle up 60K miles on a company budget in three years, fine. Beyond that I wouldn't touch one now.
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Wed 20 Feb 2008 09:11
How long will it last - craig-pd130
Just sold my B5.5 Passat Sport PD after 5 years and 63K miles.

It did suffer the knuckle joint problem on one side, but apart from that, total failures were one brake light bulb and an intercooler hose clip (my fault, I couldn't resist fiddling and it broke).

I did notice just before I sold it that the carpet BEHIND the front passenger seat, i.e. in the rear left-hand passenger footwell, was damp.

I believe that water / condensation was coming down the heater tube that blows air to the rear of the car.

The front footwells were bone dry.
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Wed 20 Feb 2008 09:17
How long will it last THE FIGURES - Brad
service £329, Aircon £99, Cambelt (special offer this month sir) £285, total of £713. Looks like I'm keeping it for a while as I can't afford another car...
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Thu 21 Feb 2008 22:14
How long will it last - stuartl
>>>>I did notice just before I sold it that the carpet BEHIND the front passenger seat, i.e. in the rear left-hand passenger footwell, was damp.


The old VW Pollen Filter Gasket again.............
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Wed 20 Feb 2008 10:43
How long will it last - 659FBE
Reply to Morris Ox (Insert fuction does not work):

Don't forget that the original post was concerned with "how long will it last?" rather than "how reliable is it?" There is a difference, as my previous post outlines.

My point is that by taking a few very simple measures, this vehicle can be both long lived and fairly reliable. These would include removing and greasing the front suspension pinch bolts annually (can be done without jacking up the car), removing the plenum chamber bung/grommets and cleaning it out, sealing the pollen filter housing properly and not swivelling the steering whilst the vehicle is stationary. Due to the insane geometry of the fitted suspension, this last practice imposes unreasonable loads on the outer joints.

Despite its faults, it's a long lived vehicle - there are plenty of old ones around looking better than some offerings of equivalent age and use from other makers. The diesel engines available clinches the deal.

659.

Edited by 659FBE on 20/02/2008 at 10:45

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Wed 20 Feb 2008 11:17
How long will it last - Alan
Some posters have made a big point about the cost of a service and cam belt.
If the car was sold so would a purchaser who would knock it off the asking price. When I was looking for a car a couple of years ago it seemed that almost everything for sale privately was due for a camblelt replacement and service so I bought one that wasn't.
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Thu 21 Feb 2008 19:12
How long will it last - Morris Ox
659

I take your point, and would cheerfully admit that ;aintwork and upholstery on mine looked very good for a 60K car that had led a busy life.

However...there's a car that doesn't breakdown and there's a car that doesn't breakdown because you've spent a fortune replacing or repairing this, that or the other. I'm afraid the B5 falls into the latter category.

Your own point about the suspension says it all: don't swivel the steering while the vehicle is stationary - because it might eventually bust the suspension! As you say yourself, insane. And simply not good enough for a car that purports to be of such high calibre.

I've spent less and got better quality.
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Thu 21 Feb 2008 21:58
How long will it last - stuartl
My company only use Vw's. Transporter vans (superb), Passats (superb) and top spec Golfs (superb) Our Transporter vans were doing 100,000 a year and after three years still ran as good as new, I do between 200 and 400 miles a day in my passat and the golfs are just as good. All are dealer serviced on the button as they are fleet cars which I am sure contributes towards their longevity (not the dealer servicing, just the servicing!)
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Fri 22 Feb 2008 09:53
How long will it last - John F
Don't know about the new ones but our L reg 2.0 GL was still going well at 242,000 - original cambelt [I bought it at 9,000m] although I had to change a whiny tension pulley [easily - it's at the top and I didn't need to move the cambelt which looked good] at about 140,000. It just got a fresh lot of cheapish 10-40 every 10,000m. It did need a new water pump early on, about 60,000, but that was driven by a different belt.

I still think certain petrol engines are more economical in the long run - I keep reading about these fancy new diesels needing turbos, injectors and all sorts of other things long before 150,000. The bills must surely wipe out any fuel savings.


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Fri 22 Feb 2008 10:19
How long will it last - oldnotbold
This car has the same basic engine as the Audi 80 TDi I'm selling for a friend (see Classifieds). His is one owner, on 185k. So yes, your car should last to 180k, so long as you care for it.
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Fri 22 Feb 2008 12:03
How long will it last - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}
My now departed Passat B5.5 did not suffer any suspension problems in six years and110,000 miles. No clutch or wheel bearing replacement- amazing after my old cars. Did suffer from the leaky pollen filter with a convenience contol module failure. VW paid half , out of warranty.
Rear door lock failed but garage rectified by dismantling and re-assembling wiring connectors. Radiator was replaced at 85,000 miles due to corrosion.
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Thu 18 Apr 2013 17:17
How long will it last - Niall D

My Passat 1.9 TDI 130 highline (auto) just passed MOT with 141,000 miles. It's a 2001.5 year and I bought it 3 years ago at 100,000 miles, one previous owner.

Good

Straight off I replaced the cambelt, water pump and performed a regular service. I deleted the EGR system and fitted a straight pipe. There is a remap and it has been lowered on AP coilovers. All front bushes are polyurethane. Results? I have had 40,000 trouble-free miles, during which time I have only replaced pads, tyres, bulbs. At 120,000 miles I replaced the auto transmission fluid and filter as a precautionary measure. A-road miles disappear effortlessly in total comfort. B-road miles are economical and passing is easy. The Passat is more of a 'luxo-barge' than a driving machine but with sensible modifications and sticky tyres it has proven to be capable. ie: It can keep pace through twisties with many supposedly more agile cars, eg: Focus, Calibra, Golf, A3, A4. The low-tech rear axle and pronounced front-heaviness do rather compromise its character at high speed, however. Into triple-digits, the diesel is better suited to cruising rather than accelerating (but 130mph is achievable without much fuss, considering).

Bad

Pollen filter water ingress gave me damp carpets. One rear door lock refuses to work via central locking, but mechanically is fine. Rear numberplate bulb holders corroded inside. Boot lock failed but took just 5 minutes to fix: the spring had worked itself loose. The bonnet latch sensor wiring is faulty or else the multi-function display itself is erroneously reporting the bonnet as open, all the time. Tiptronic switches failed a few times but replacement part is £20 and easy to fit. Understeer.

The Future

Suspension rebuild at the front next month, then 60,000 miles more, at which point the auto transmission may just give up. My dad's B5-shape 2000 Passat 1.9 TDI 90 manual is running to this day, 190,000 miles and has only needed servicing, one suspension rebuild (it had a hard B-road life, almost no motorway) and a clutch and flywheel -- indeed, all of that only when it reached 180,000 miles. Life in the old dog yet!

The Verdict

The 130 PD TDI is a must and the ZF 01V auto transmission is great at taking punishment (on a remap at that!). I found the stock suspension to be comfortable but terrible (soft) for B-road cornering, hence replacement. Also, steering feel is much improved with new front bushings. 30-58 mpg on offer after the remap. Not perfect but an all-round pleaser! Would buy an 04 or 05 tomorrow in a heartbeat, anything upto 130,000 mi if serviced well. Bar transmission failure (uneconomical to repair) I expect what will make me change this car will be giving in to indulgence. Mechanically it should perform reliably for several years to come.

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Thu 18 Apr 2013 21:17
How long will it last - corax

Excellent and useful review ND. I had two Audis and I agree on the understeer as regards handling. However, having the engine right up front coupled with the suspension settings makes them extremely stable high speed cruisers that can do hundreds of miles in a day with no effort. Better than BMW in this respect.

Not sure whether the 1.9TDi is the best, unless economy is the main concern. How about the 1.8T petrol, allegedly producing a good spread of power with reasonable thirst, and much smoother, although I have only driven one briefly in a Skoda Octavia VRS Mk1. I had a 1.9TDi Audi 80 and drove a Golf PD130 - nice grunty engines but rough, and I wasn't keen on the vibes running through the pedals and steering. Maybe the auto is better in this regard.

I like the Passat and if I found one that had good history I would rather have this over the Audi's for the smoother ride quality and value. I do find that you need to be aware of the car's weaknesses, but they can be easily sorted and the parts are cheap and easily available. Good comfortable workhorses, especially the estate.

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Fri 19 Apr 2013 13:21
How long will it last - BenG

I guess you have to weigh the costs of keeping the car going vs the higher depreciation of a newer car.

There is also the advantage in keeping a car that you know how it has been driven and maintained and what has been replaced - it is a known quantity.

Sometimes there will be a cluster of repair or maintenance costs which will make you think about swapping, but by the time the money is spent you may as well keep the car or someone else benefits from your expenditure, which will not add to the resale value.

The VW 1.9TDI engine is regarded as more reliable (& economical) than many of the later diesel engines, including VW's own, and the type and cost of the faults which might develop are well known, which may not be the case with newer engines. Ditto the rest of the car.

I'd suggest joining the relevant owner's club, checking the forums for known faults, sorting them and carrying on driving the car for some time yet. Oh, and keeping on top of rustproofing, including rust traps like behind the wheelarch liners, etc.

All this assuming you are still happy with the way the car drives...

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