My daughter is looking at a 2002 Passat wagon. It is a gasser with a slushbox. The body looks rust free but has some dings and abrasions. Interior looks pretty solid with cloth seats. I have not heard it run.

General comments on the durability of these gas motors and trannies?

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Someone has to post it...

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"Senior Luna, your sense of humor is still loco... but we love it, anyway." -rickymay ____ "Your sense of humor is still loco... " -MBeige ____ "Señor Luna, your sense of humor is quite järjetön" -Delibes

1982 300SD -- 211k, Texas car, tranny issues ____ 1979 240D 4-speed 234k -- turbo and tuned IP, third world taxi hot rod

2 Samuel 12:13: "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."

OK, other comments?

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Lol. Love the diagram.

I had an 04. Bought new, sold at 180,000 (wrecked).

Of VW, that's the one to own. The B5.5 chassis is the last Passat made on the Munich line. When you get in there, it's actually an A4. Audio in most parts. Now look at an A4, and its just a different clip.

Safety wise it's w tank. I hit three deer, two fences, a tree at 30, and other many other stuff. Not much damage until the tree.

Very little knick knacks broke compared to my buddies vw's. In fact nothing broke.

The fuel pump is $500. Keep the gas tank above 1/4 because it is one that needs to cool.

The motor is mounted straight in. The weight distribution is amazing. It fricking handles.

Is it a 1.8T? That's what I had. Great mileage with the turbo. Fun to drive. And the tiptronic was a lot of fun too.

The front end was a cool design. You remove the bumper cover, unscrew the bumper mounts, put in some 1' long all thread, end the whole radiator support panel slides out for access. Sounds crazy. Takes 15 min. Timing belt job. Belts. Etc. I liked it.

I felt the car was designed to work on. The brake reservoir unscrews with three screws and moves to access stuff (honestly can't remember what's down there. Oil filter?)

I was young and stupid. And beat the living crap out of the car. Like made one friend cry riding in it he was so scarred. I was farming at the time and would sometimes take it out on the ranch. Ok I did it a lot. Getting stuck on top of asparagus fern. Straddling beds and driving through a field (my dad and I did this to scare each other, be on the tractor and look back and there's a corolla right on you, kinda startling).

Never replaced the axles. Never had to. Suspension held up to serious fricking abuse.

The bad. Fuel pump. Fried that thing quick. Never did again by not letting it run low.

The manifolds on the motor for the heater core ports were plastic. One on the backside. It was a nightmare to replace.

Tires. Should go H rated as the governor is around 130 (yes it will go that fast).
All and all, if you are gonna get a VW, that's the one. The stuff now is made in Mexico or South America and is crap.

Would I buy another one? No. Because I wouldn't buy something that old. If buying that old, I would Japanese. And I don't like the new ones (my sisters new tdi had the rear hatch latch break and it's was $250).

I would get an audio made in Germany.

Btw, the end of that car was clipping a tree at 30, going straight up an 8' almost cliff. Rolled it back down, and it was driveable kind of. Insurance gave me 4500, 200 under total. And I sold it for 1800 to a worker. It's still going, with a little work.

Ohhhh, you are in big trouble if the tranny goes. I think they are expensive. And they are known to go at around 200k miles. I kept my serviced, and it felt great at 180. And I was not nice to it.

Not durable cars. Weak engines and auto trans.

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Garbage !

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

I must have got lucky...

If she is looking for cars from that era, and wants a wagon-like configuration, I would look at Toyota RAV4, or Honda CR-V.

Lexus IS300 wagon?

Mazda 3 wagon?

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1985 500SL Euro w/ AMG bits 130k
1984 300SD Turbodiesel 192k
1980 240D Stick China 188k
2001 CLK55 AMG 101k
2007 S600 Biturbo 149k Overheated Project, IT'S ALIVE!!!

Has anyone else owned one or known someone that did? I'm still having trouble believing they are "garbage."

It was a great car for me. I understand all the Mexico and South America production of this time were bad, so I could understand the rap.

But I bought this car after a Toyota. Once they started making Toyotas in America, they went to hell. Mine blew a the head at 125,000, and threw a rod at 180,000.

I just went car shopping and looked at corollas. Post 2000 the years are hit or miss. 09 seemed to be the doozy.

Of that era I think the civic is the winner.

But I think the b5.5 is a well made automobile. It's actually German. And the last lower end one VW made.

I think you got lucky.

The Passat is the body to have (few window regulator problems et al. than the Golf/Jetta's of the same era...

I'm on a local VW BBS - that 1.8t motor is nice (power and economy) but a few things:

1) oil sludge - I dont think they fixed this by 2002. A common 1.8t issue (easy to google...)
2) I still dont trust any automatic trans built by VW (too many bad stories from all years..)
3) Whats the status of the timing belt ? Nothing special here, but thats a common item that causes people to sell the car ("oh, the timing belt is due and I dont want to pay someone $600 to do it, so I'll just sell it...)

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

i have to agree on the auto trans.wouldn't touch a vw with one.

I have had a couple VWs and still like them enough that I am probably going to buy an S8.

The automatics scare me and I will have to research them more. If one is a CVT it would really scare me. I thought I understood that VAG built an automatic that is basically a manual with automated solenoids to shift it. I would have to try one of those if it really exists.

Over at the TDI club one guy has a sig line that says VW doesn't sell cars and parts, they sell rolling do it yourself kits.

I like the flow chart too.

Why is she not buying a TDI if shes buying a VW?

Twalgumuth, i think you need to lay down the law here. The only VWs appropriate to buy are all diesels, and all air cooled.
The rest are not acceptable

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