1998 - 2005 Volkswagen Passat review

2002 Volkswagen Passat (Photo: Volkswagen Canada)

Volkswagen Passat is a premium family car available as a sedan or wagon.
The Passat offers excellent handling, very comfortable quiet ride, good-quality classy interior and variety of available engines.
On the downside, the Passat is expensive to keep and reliability is questionable.

Available as front- or all-wheel drive (4Motion), the 1998-2005 Volkswagen Passat shares its platform with Audi A4. The Passat has longitudinally-mounted engine and comes with manual or automatic transmission.
The Passat's main engine choices are the 4-cylinder 1.8L-turbo and the 2.8L V6.
Also available are the strong 270-hp 4.0L W8 (8-cylinder W-shape) engine and the economical 2.0L TDI Turbo Diesel (on models from 2004). The Passat has disk brakes on all wheels. The ABS is standard; traction control (ASR) is available.

Inside, the Passat offers distinctive European styling with plenty of room and high level of comfort. Fit and finish is very good and all interior materials have a quality look and feel.

On the road, Volkswagen Passat has very comfortable ride and excellent handling. Even under hard acceleration, there is almost no torque steer, thanks to drivetrain layout and front suspension design. The 2.8L V6 engine is smooth and fairly quiet. The 1.8L-turbo is pretty quick once the turbo kicks in.

In the NHTSA frontal crash tests, the 2000-2005 Volkswagen Passat received 5 stars for both the driver and the front passenger. For more details, visit Safercar.gov.
In the frontal offset crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the 1998-2005 Passat received "Good" overall rating.

Strengths

- Stylish look
- Excellent handling
- Variety of engine choices
- Premium interior
- Corrosion warranty
- Available AWD
- Available manual transmission

Weaknesses

- Expensive to keep
- Reliability issues
- Not every garage can handle repairs

Overall

The Passat is a premium family car with classy interior, great handling and generous level of standard equipment. It offers rare in class manual transmission and variety of engine choices. You also can get an AWD model. On the downside, the Passat, similarly to other European vehicles, is expensive to keep; both, parts and service are pricey and not every garage can handle the repairs. In terms of reliability, the Passat is also not as good as Honda or Toyota.

What to look for buying a used Volkswagen Passat

As a first step, check used car history records. A history report may help you to uncover some of the problems the car might have in the past such as accidents, flood damage, rolled back odometer, etc. Follow this link: How to check used car history
- Check the service records if available - it's important to verify that the car was properly maintained.
- If the "check engine" light is on, have the problem assessed before buying a car; in worst cases repair might be very expensive.
- While testing the radio, check AM reception.
- Front suspension problems could be expensive to fix.
Learn more what to look for when buying a used car
- Prior purchase, I strongly recommend to have the car inspected by a mechanic closely familiar with Volkswagen products - there are many specifics.
Shop wisely, check few cars to compare; it's worth to pay a little extra for a well-maintained vehicle in good condition. Check our step-by-step used car buying guide for more information.
Some models may be costly to insure. Get the insurance quotes first.
Consider an extended warranty, preferable from Volkswagen, to protect from unexpected repair costs.

Few maintenance tips

- I'd recommend servicing your Passat at Volkswagen dealer or VW-specialized shop - there are lots of specifics.
- Wash and wax your car regularly to protect the paint.
- Regular oil changes are very important to keep your engine in a good shape.
- Make sure to use only recommended oil type.
- Stick with original parts.
- Follow recommended maintenance schedule and keep all the fluids clean and topped up.
- At least once a year have your car inspected in a garage on the lift (e.g when doing tire rotation) to keep it safe. Many components (e.g brakes, steering, suspension) cannot be properly inspected by simple visual inspection at fast lube places; the car must be on the lift.
Check more Car maintenance tips

2001 Volkswagen Passat GLS V6 Sedan specifications

Links

If you are looking for Service Manual

If you need an online repair manual with diagnostic procedures, check engine codes description, wiring diagrams, maintenance schedule, component location, technical service bulletins, recalls, etc, follow this link: Where to find repair manual

by Vlad Samarin