Faults:

At 778 miles - Brake rotors replaced due to warping, faulty brake light switch replaced (Under Warranty)

At 3,028 miles - Right rear turn signal socket replaced, I also complained of car jerking when coming to a stop or going slow below 5 mph. Was told of a firmware update to transmission to fix it, but they were not trained on how to do it so I had to wait. (Under Warranty)

At 28,730 miles - Updated firmware on transmission- <b>One year later!!!</b> It did fix the problem. (Under Warranty)

At 43,675 miles - Brake switch replace again. Replaced Ignition switch (sticking and would not turn). (Under Warranty)

At 71,805 miles - Fuel pump failed, towed to dealership, total costs $740 dollars.

General Comments:

Window sticker on my car was $33,495. I paid $29,700 dollars for it new with very little negotiations.

The window sticker on my GLX 4motion Passat rated the MPG at 22 City and 27 Highway. I never did better than 23 mpg on trips. (Some involved 600 miles in one day). I averaged 21 mpg back and forth to work which involved 44 miles round trip with 4 stops each way for traffic signals.

Great handling car. Seats very supportive. High luxury for a car in this price range.

Acceleration was OK... 0-60 times between 8.5 and 9 seconds.

Maintenance was expensive and hard for the "do it yourself" type. Engine and oil pan covers and shrouds made it very difficult to just change the oil. In my 3 years of ownership I spent $3,700 dollars on repairs and maintenance. (includes tires at 45k)

I am 6'5" and 240 lbs. I fit in it (and it had a sunroof). I could have used an extra inch in headroom, but I like the sunroof better.

The 2004 had the Torsen center differential to send power from front to back for the AWD system. It worked well with little wheel spin. (In fact, I had to floor it with the "ESC" (Electronic Stability Control) turned off to get it to spin in the snow, then all 4 wheels would spin)

Would I buy another Passat, NO. Another VW, maybe. But I would have to really inspect it for ease of maintenance.

I did like the car, but its costs of care and repair in both time and money drove me away.

Faults:

Automatic transmission was replaced twice. This is with the Triptronic.

I have almost driven most available rentals by now.

I still feel uneasy about this new transmission as I feel a thump when stopping from time to time. It only happens down shifting.

Weather strip on sunroof under rails came off the second time I opened it.

The right side fog light is out. (I will assume its life is over and that's it). Will replace at my own expense.

General Comments:

The car is good looking and interior shows quality built.

Like the color of gauges. They are easy on the eyes at night.

Interior is quite and practical.

It drives well in fair weather, snow and rain and very well on sunny days.

Brakes are strong, though, the car weight makes you press pedal significantly hard when coming to a stop downhill at 35 mph.

1.8T engine has plenty of power and is good on gas.

Faults:

Driver center airconditioning vent broke. Replaced under warranty.

Primary airconditioning fan failed. Replaced under warranty.

Warped right front disc brake rotor.

General Comments:

Wanting good mileage, comfort, and AWD, this was my only choice. At the speed limit, I get 32 MPG with 90% highway miles. I’ve had up to 34 MPG when doing 55 to 60 MPH. The ESP and AWD work very well. During winter, I was doing the speed limit (25 mph) on an off camber curve. The late model Subaru wagon in front of me slid off the icy road and the Chevy Cavalier behind me spun out. The Passat w/Nokians held it’s line. Much better rear leg room than the Subaru Legacy Sedan. Roomy, quiet, and a great highway car. The motor is fine for the highway, but the small engine and turbo lag make it too much work for city driving. I’d probably go for the automatic or the V6 for mostly town driving. The AWD steals a noticeable amount of trunk space. The floor of the trunk is higher.

Faults:

Window regulator failed.

Door lock failed.

Dashboard bubbling.

Engine light appears, but only when outside temp. is 30f or below.

Trip computer occasionally will not function.

Paint seems very thin as the cars gets scratched easily.

General Comments:

The Passat is a nice car, solid and stable at high speed as compared to the Japanese competition.

However, the constant minor problems take much of the enjoyment out of ownership.

My dealer has been given me excellent customer service. I wish I could say the same for VW.

Faults:

The stereo system stopped working four months after I got the car. Luckily, my warranty replaced it.

General Comments:

I love my car, it looks great and runs smooth. One point I want to share with the readers is that when you start moving from a complete stop (say a traffic light), the car is considerably slower than most of the cars with automatic transmission. Sometimes I think people change their lane to pass me, however, once you are on 3rd gear and higher, it is a joy to drive.

Handles great, and is indeed fuel efficient (4 cylinders).