2002 Volkswagen Passat Sport TDI from UK and Ireland - Comments

''Whilst VAG cars are well built etc the extra price cannot be described as 'good value for money', especially VW's and Audi's when you can buy Skoda's and Seat's with the same parts for much less money.'' (quote)...

You might be right about the price issue, but it's not about just reliability, it's about the way the car makes you feel...

I have driven Seat cars, and I tell you something, my backside is broken after a long journey, and as for the Skoda's, there is a reason why they are so cheap... the Octavia has known issue's with brakes!!! Nice... my colleague in work has a company car that is an Octavia... the brakes failed twice and Skoda refused to replace the car... also they have known issue's with excessive pad wear... within the first 6 months from new...

My friend has a Skoda Fabia and the wing mirrors are glued on... hello???... they might have the vw engines and chassis, but the workmanship is poor... it's like buying Tesco beans when you can have Heinz...

Skoda to be honest is cheap and nasty... I personally could not handle driving around in a Skoda Superb, knowing that it was a cheap knock off of the Passat...

A car is more than getting from A-B cheaply... if we all felt like that, we all would have Skoda's... the Mondeo might be as good and cheaper, but it is working man coming home from the coal mines, whereas the Passat is an executive coming home from the office... big difference...

Skoda is I can't afford a VW, and Seat is good for your twenties while working your way up the ranks...

Your comment is saying I am sacrificing quality for quantity...

I think its tit for tat comparing VW to Skoda and Seat. I know of lots of people with VW's that have had faults, and we only have to look at the reviews and comments on here to see how owners are becoming more and more disillusioned with the brand. The Skoda Octavia was voted best car by owners, and I don't think many people still attatch stigma to the Skoda badge.

I truly believe that if you buy a VW then you are only paying for the badge; they also have common faults (like the ones you mention) and I think the Seat range is better looking.

I've driven Seats, Skodas and VWs, and they are all much of a muchness, and the most impressive I drove was a Leon Cupra R as the ride was a perfect blend of grip and comfort.

"A car is more than getting from A-B cheaply... if we all felt like that, we all would have Skoda's... the Mondeo might be as good and cheaper, but it is working man coming home from the coal mines, whereas the Passat is an executive coming home from the office... big difference...

Skoda is I can't afford a VW, and Seat is good for your twenties while working your way up the ranks..."

This kind of insecurity and image complex is what VAG rely on to get you into a bigger / more expensive brand.

The "coal mine" Mondeo is a far better car in every respect than the the Passat, and all the reviews back this up. They even say that build quality is pretty much up there as well. But if you would discount that for what some passing fool might think of you, and it genuinely makes you feel better, then go for it. If you buy a car only for image, frankly it's your loss.

I'm doing well in life, earn substantially more than the national average wage in a middle management position in an FG500 company. I drive a Mondeo. Why? Because I need family transport right now, and the Ford is a brilliant car which drives far better than anything in its class (apart from the 3-series). The only people who would care that it's not a VW/Audi/BMW are those who I wouldn't choose to waste any energy on anyway, and certainly not the kind of people I consider for more than a few seconds after I meet them.

All this dialogue about Passat and Mondeo is all very well, but it doesn't answer the question about water in the rear offside footwell of a 1996 Passat!

Mine has now developed this problem and I would love to know what is causing it.

Are there drain holes buried in the back of the engine bay?

Is there a seal behind the heater matrix?

If anyone can help, please let me know.

Thanks

PS: Later Passat vehicles also suffer from water ingress, but the engine bay layout is different (e.g. the battery is against the rear bulkhead, whereas on mine it is at the front) so knowing how to sort it out on, say, a 2002 model doesn't help.

I have a 03 VW Passat, it started to lose power and after a day of doing so, it stopped and got extremely hard to start.

When I got it started, it would go for 1 minute max and cut out. Has anyone came across this problem before? I took off the the feed pipe that feeds the diesel from the tank, and turned the engine, but no fuel came after 30 seconds of turning the engine over. I have looked in the diesel tank and there is a pump in the tank, I am just wondering would that be my problem?

17th Feb 2009, Kevin.

I have a 2001 2.5 V6 TDI Passat. I had to have the engine rebuilt after 137000 miles due to camshafts and cam follower failure (heavy wear). The car has now done 190000 miles, so only 53000 more and I've just had to replace drivers side camshaft and followers again because of heavy wear on two followers. One had also lifted from passenger side. I look after my car, correct oil, regular servicing, genuine parts etc. has anyone heard of this problem on this model before? Please help!!!