Water leaks into foot well caused electrics to fail.
Park reverse sensors don't work properly in rain!
Fuel pump failed 10,000 miles.
Battery going flat overnight (several times).
Electronic parking brake switch failed. Parking brake fails to release properly about 1 in 3 times, especially on hill starts. Dealer has replaced all components under warranty, but the problem persists.
Emissions sensor (Lambda sensor) failure repeatedly puts car into limp-home mode. Can sometimes be reset by turning ignition off and on, but not always. This is very frustrating as it gives a top speed of about 40mph.
Radio replaced under warranty due to kept turning itself on and off - occasionally overnight, flattening the battery.
Many of the above problems have occurred multiple times.
Flatters to deceive.
Very unreliable electrics.
Bad design of vents causes water to be dumped into the foot well.
Nice to drive on the motorway, but electric parking brake problems make town driving a nightmare.
Repeated emissions sensor problems make long trips a lottery. When will it go into limp home mode?
Poor dealer service, usually no courtesy cars available.
Car stinks from almost permanently wet carpets.
I am starting to hate this car and the dealers.
Having just read a rather negative review of 2006 Passat TDI. I can sympathise with some of the comments having bought mine 3 months ago. The ECU controlling parking brake has been replaced under a sellers warranty, but it remains 'quirky', but I have just about got used to it. I don't understand why the automatic parking brake release function has to be tied in with so many car parameters; seat belts, clutch, throttle take up load, any one of which not being right can leave the brake firmly on and the car rocking embarrassingly at the lights.
I miss a rear wash-wipe function. It is true you can't see the limits of the car and have to park by 'feel'. It does go well on the motorway, and if driven smoothly round town is fine, but doesn't feel 'chuckable' and there's a torque limiter on take off, which means no traffic light grand prix starts. I'm afraid I can't get rid of the rather vague feeling that something is about to go wrong, as it hasn't a great reputation for reliability.
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