2001 Volkswagen Passat TDI 110bhp review from UK and Ireland
"A lovely car to drive, but unreliable and expensive to maintain"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The flasher unit failed after few months. No indicators and no hazard lights available. It was replaced under guarantee.
The steering rack started to leak at 30,000 miles. After much arguing Volkswagen and the dealership paid half of the replacement and fitting. Fixing in situ was not possible. I was still stuck for over 600 euros.
The clutch master cylinder was next to fail. This time it was "tough luck" the car was out of warranty.
The same lack of backup applied when the water pump failed; we discovered this when the heater no longer worked.
We paid about 600 euros to have the timing belt replaced. In the next service I found out by accident that the dealer planned to replace the timing belt again and charge me for it. Apparently they had two maintenance computer systems, one not talking to the other.
General comments?
This was a beautiful car to drive.
However the constant trips to the garage took all of the goodness out of the car.
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All 2001 Volkswagen Passat reviews
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model Year | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.9 TDI Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 3/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 2/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 56000 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Civic |
| Date of Entry | 21st December, 2004 |