CTC Review: 2007 VW Passat Wagon 3.6L 4Motion

[CD_Editor]

Picture Gallery:  2007 VW Passat Wagon 3.6L 4Motion


Day 1:

Click Image to Enlarge

First, I'll apologize for the dirty pictures of this lovely Passat Wagon.  We decided that with the temperature at -27.5 Celsius -- according to the dash display on the Passat -- it would be a rather unwise decision to wash the car and then have all the doors instantly freeze shut.   So it's dirty, but it certainly doesn't affect the way it drives and even with the salt and slush on the vehicle, I think it looks most excellent.More ...

[JSCC]

VW!

[scottmcphee]

The reliability is so bad on even the current VW Passat that I just hope it lasts to the end of your day-by-day period.  Trust me, owning a Passat is a day-by-day experience - the question is  "what will break today?"  Followed by "how much is this going to cost?".
Good Luck!!

[coldcase]

52 000$ VW? ....I'll take another brand.  Like scottmcphee, I had one VW and it was a nightmare reliability wise.  Until I read otherwise and over a long period (which is still not the case) I'll never buy another VW again.

[tpl]

I would buy one. Certainly competitive with a 530xit and not much off the price of a 325xit with options.  HOWEVER,  no manny tranny and that stupid parking brake thing described above.
Now I dont commute any more total reliability is less important than it was... and my idea of total reliability is obvioulsy less stringent than some peoples 

[Blueprint]

The previous-gen Passat had me daydreaming when it came out, and I finally bought a new 2001.5 1.8t 5-speed manual sedan in August of 2001.  First year went fine, then the coilpack fiasco began.  Within an 8-week period, the car sat 35 days at the dealership waiting for parts.  VW had a major problem on its hand with bad coil packs on many cars (and one per cylinder).  Still, picking up the car after the replacement of the 1st coil (21 days !), the dealer told me the 3 other coils will fail within hours or days, but VWoA won't allow them to do preventive repairs.  This was in December, on a very cold winter, with 2 young children on board.

A few weeks later, after limping the car to the dealership on 3 cylinders, I had coil n°2 replaced, and when it fired up, n°3 went.  VWoA so generously replaced n°4.  Then I started getting CELs when temps went down because of "frost in the charcoal canister, normal with this car".

I sold the car after 18 months of ownership.

I miss the car's great design and driving experience, but reliability issues and VWoA's customer service need to be addressed, especially at these prices.

Passats now have the worst resale value of any VW, so 52 k$ is a waste of hard-earned money.  The "basic" 2.0t wagon allready offers a lot, and at 20 000 $ less, you have money left over to buy a Civic for tow-truck days.

[scottmcphee]

I took a huge hit on depreciation on my Passat.  There is no used market for them.. no matter what you pay or think, people are onto them.. they suck.. You may as well stand there and burn thousand dollar bills in the dealer showroom - because that's how good of an investment you are making in a Passat.

My 1.8t engine apparently needed replacement at 160K km after being babied all its life with synthetic oil, all regular maintenance, etc.. because of a chronic oil take-up screen fouling problem that starves the engine of oil.. I guess. Good bye main bearings.  $4000 please for a new motor ?!?! WFT!?!?  Any help here from VWoC?  Do a google on Passat and 1.8t and engine.  See what you get.   VW makes sh*t and they don't back it up.  No reliability.  No support.  Equals no sales.   Like I say, GOOD LUCK!   

[johngenx]

Legacy GT Ltd. wagon.  Save a TON of money, get a reliable car, depreciation is still a hit, but there is a decent market for used Scoobs.

I wonder how sales of a $50K Passat are doing?  I understand the City-series are going like crazy.  Guess the perception of VW as entry level cars is still strong...

[mdxtasy]

Well my suspicions on the VW reliability and the service level may be correct.  This vehicle is nice but at the $50k barrier, I'm going elsewhere....Subaru looks like a friggin' bargain. 

[Eric Green]

Add me to the list of "run-aways". Our last VW was in 1984- never again. Ever. Ghastly experience- utterly unreliable and zero assistance from VW Canada. And current customer surveys appear to confirm that VW still hasn't got the reliability issue under control.

[tpl]

I took a huge hit on depreciation on my Passat.  There is no used market for them.. no matter what you pay or think, people are onto them.. they suck.. You may as well stand there and burn thousand dollar bills in the dealer showroom - because that's how good of an investment you are making in a Passat.

hmmmm maybe we will look for a cpo one then if they are at a good price.  Would want a 4 motion and my wife may decide that she wants a slushbox (arthritis)

[safristi]

NEVER seen a TEST VEHICLE trashed so quickly here......WOWSA!!!!

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I too think the Passat 3.6L is overpriced, but I've seen more than I thought I would on the road (still not many, but this is an expensive model). In wagon form maybe they can get away with it more, but the sedan has many many competitors, and the Acura TL and Infiniti G35 are worthy similar or even less expensive competitors that are similarly sized. For the wagon, the Passat offers more interior room than most competitors.

But the 3.6L base price is a few grand too high, then you have to pay for the Sport Pkg to get leather - then you're saddled with the sport suspension many feel is too firm. Wing, how do you find the ride quality? Also, in the US with the Sport Pkg you get sport seats, and the 3.6L has a wood/metallic dash, whereas here it looks just like a regular 'ole 2.0T. The 2.0T is actually a FAR better value and not a bad vehicle all things considered - they need to offer the 3.6L as a package on that car IMO instead of a whole other tier... but then, how would they make money?  

As for VWs themselves, I've had great experiences with mine so not really worried about the reliability to be honest (on the latest Passats, the 3.6L's have had some claims of transmission hesitation and little niggles). Dealer experience is another story - I've visited more than my share of shabby service depts, but have stuck to a good one. Some dealers are known to be good (Georgetown, I go to Belleville and have been happy, etc), but others just terrible and I wouldn't wish them on anyone. Also, VWCanada/VWoA is of very limited help and you have to fight them when you shouldn't have to. So, I guess the passionate VW enthusiast can do his or her homework and see if the car/dealership is right for them - and if so they'll likely enjoy it if the car proves reliable, but for the everyday buyer the risk may be more than necessary.

I like the car - style that's a little understated, substantial but not flabby size (to me it looks large, but park it by a 3 Series and it's not much larger... next to a Charger/300 and it's MUCH smaller), design flair and feel while driving, AWD and powerplants. I even like the push button emergency parking brake. Don't like the price much, and that reliability fear is the big negative in the market.

[scottmcphee]

Legacy GT Ltd. wagon.  Save a TON of money, get a reliable car, depreciation is still a hit, but there is a decent market for used Scoobs.

I wonder how sales of a $50K Passat are doing?  I understand the City-series are going like crazy.  Guess the perception of VW as entry level cars is still strong...

I back this up, and is EXACTLY what I did.  I wholesaled the Passat, walked across the street to a Subaru dealer and bought the LEGACY 2.5i WAGON.  There you have it:  AWD, $20K less money.  Go out and buy a spare CAR with the savings.


Even if VW had a "city" Passat AWD with the 2.5 gas engine for less than $30K would I buy it?  NO WAY.

[Mitlov]

I back this up, and is EXACTLY what I did.  I wholesaled the Passat, walked across the street to a Subaru dealer and bought the LEGACY 2.5i WAGON.  There you have it:  AWD, $20K less money.  Go out and buy a spare CAR with the savings.

I got a Legacy 2.5i wagon, with sunroof, power driver's seat, and 17" alloys, for less than the price of a stripped FWD Passat sedan.  I like the styling of the Passat, and from what I've heard it's a pleasure to drive, but the prices are absurd.

[jww]

No matter how much I want to like VWs in general, the price of this vehicle, plus legendary issues with traditional VW problems (electrical gremlins and all), I have never been able to bring myself to own one. I doubt that I ever will. For that kind of dough, I can buy alot of car on another dealer's lot.

[Buzz]

Ok, there are hassles when a car breaks down, but they all have new car warranties, right??
I have 2002 Passat 1.8T wagon, and it has given me no problems whatsoever. Nothing. Nothing like the Ford and Chrysler my wife most recently had. I have a great dealership service department too, and an even better local independent VW specialist. (It sounds like I must be the only one...)
Yes VW had a (distant) history of reliability issues, and yes it can cost $$$ if things do go wrong after the warranty expires, just like any European car (or any Japanese built Lexus, for that matter). Is VW reliability any worse than BMW, Audi, Mercedes? I think not. Mercedes has numerous reliability issues at the moment. Audi A4 1.8T's aren't saddled with the same image as VW's, but the mechanicals and electricals are almost identical. Bottom line is reliability has been improving across all product lines and all manufacturers in recent years (except Merc) and the gaps in the figures are closing fast.
Of course I would love to buy a luxurious japanese wagon with a great reliability pedigree, but such a vehicle doesn't exist in our marketplace. (Subarus and Mazdas don't cut it in the luxury department). The VW is great to drive, has more space than virtually all mid-size SUV's, and I average (yes average) 8.7 L/100km. I'd take a new 2.0T wagon in a heartbeat, and the money and running costs (including depreciation) I would save compared with an SUV, or a similar sized luxo wagon such as the 530xi, would more than cover a small amount of reliability induced hassle, if it ever happens. And the warranty would cover the cost....
I say in a heartbeat, but I'm going to try and wait a couple of years until the next gen TDi's arrive (hopefully sooner).
I certainly wouldn't get the 3.6L though.

[Zombie]

I've never owned a VW but I have seen many a horror story about there poor quality.
One of the better ones was about this guy I used to work with lets call him Dave. Dave had purchased a used limited edition early 1996 Passat GLX AWD in 99 for  around 18K. This thing was a peace of junk something new would go wrong with it once ever few months. It would burn oil, the check engine light would just stay on when the car would warm up and the worst part was that because it was a limited edition every time it needed a repair the parts would either be very expensive or would need to be specially made. In a span of 4 years his 18K car cost him 14K in repair.
You have to love German Engineering.

[inco]

Ok, there are hassles when a car breaks down, but they all have new car warranties, right??
I have 2002 Passat 1.8T wagon, and it has given me no problems whatsoever. Nothing. Nothing like the Ford and Chrysler my wife most recently had. I have a great dealership service department too, and an even better local independent VW specialist. (It sounds like I must be the only one...)
Yes VW had a (distant) history of reliability issues, and yes it can cost $$$ if things do go wrong after the warranty expires, just like any European car (or any Japanese built Lexus, for that matter). Is VW reliability any worse than BMW, Audi, Mercedes? I think not. Mercedes has numerous reliability issues at the moment. Audi A4 1.8T's aren't saddled with the same image as VW's, but the mechanicals and electricals are almost identical. Bottom line is reliability has been improving across all product lines and all manufacturers in recent years (except Merc) and the gaps in the figures are closing fast.
Of course I would love to buy a luxurious japanese wagon with a great reliability pedigree, but such a vehicle doesn't exist in our marketplace. (Subarus and Mazdas don't cut it in the luxury department). The VW is great to drive, has more space than virtually all mid-size SUV's, and I average (yes average) 8.7 L/100km. I'd take a new 2.0T wagon in a heartbeat, and the money and running costs (including depreciation) I would save compared with an SUV, or a similar sized luxo wagon such as the 530xi, would more than cover a small amount of reliability induced hassle, if it ever happens. And the warranty would cover the cost....
I say in a heartbeat, but I'm going to try and wait a couple of years until the next gen TDi's arrive (hopefully sooner).
I certainly wouldn't get the 3.6L though.

You are not alone -03 V6 GLX Variant - Zero problems other than wear to the leather. Nothing wrong with car which is now coming up to end of lease (and is for sale). Wish though I had waited for 04 and got TDI.

Every car manufacturer has had problems. VW's two big issues were window regs and coils on the 1.8's. That was back a long time ago. But some people refuse to lose.

[mdxtasy]

Proof is in the pudding.  If the issue is resolved, reliability stats will show that as time goes.  Nobody just believes it when a manufacturer says it's fixed.  Time will tell.  This goes for all makers.  If you believe it, I've got something to sell ya.