2004 Volkswagen Passat Review and Specs

Summary

What Edmunds.com says

Its fun-to-drive character, upscale interior and wide range of features and options make this our favorite midsize sedan and wagon. Don't buy your next family car without driving one of these first.

Pros

Fun to drive, excellent value in GL or GLS trim, roomy interior with upscale feel, outstanding build and materials quality, available all-wheel drive.

Cons

Expensive upper-level models, less rear-seat room than some competitors, some confusing interior controls.

What's New for 2004

The big news for 2004 is the addition of a 2.0-liter diesel four-cylinder engine to the lineup late in the model year. The 4Motion all-wheel-drive system is a delayed option on 1.8T-equipped GLS models. Also note that the 2.8-liter V6 is no longer available on GLS models. The premium Monsoon stereo and Homelink are now standard on all GLS models, while wood trim has been added to the optional Leather Package. The ESP stability control system is now standard on the GLX. Rounding out the changes are restyled 15- and 16-inch wheels and new side mirrors with integrated turn signals.

Consumer Ratings & Reviews

An Endearing Auto

Written by: creative native on 06/03/2009

Detailed Ratings

Overall Rating


Performance:	9	Fun-to-Drive:	10	Build Quality:	9
Comfort:	10	Interior Design:	10	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	9	Exterior Design:	10

Vehicle

2004 Volkswagen Passat GLX Fwd 4dr Wagon (2.8L 6cyl 5M)

Review

I have lost count on how many VW's I have owned now and am always impressed with what VW has to offer. This GLX wagon is all I anticipated. Excellent ride quality and better than anticipated fuel economy. I always get complimented on the body lines and colors.

Favorite Features

Color scheme. Monsoon sound system. Brilliant blue and red dash lights.

Suggested Improvements

Original VW floor mats are already obsolete for the 2004 Passat model. Truly disappointing.

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VW Stinks!

Written by: tarfoot on 05/27/2009


Performance:	1	Fun-to-Drive:	1	Build Quality:	1
Comfort:	1	Interior Design:	1	Reliability:	1
Fuel Economy:	2	Exterior Design:	1

2004 Volkswagen Passat GLS TDI Fwd 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5A)

The car seems to be nice at first when you get it but after a while everything needs to be fixed on it. Even the oil change on it is $90. Its fairly new and i have put over 10,000 in repairs into it. Whatever you do DO NOT BUY A VW!!!!!! I also no people who have sold theirs for better cars since they had to go to the dealer every other week. Just to replace the air filter which is custom ordered it 75 you cant by the filter at walmart. I will never own a VW again and i encourage all of you not to even look at one. They might get excellent gas mileage but the money youll save you will spend fixing it. Then all the dealers want to run diagnostics every time which is 75. DONT BUY A VW!!

None

Everything needs to be improved. They need to make everything on the car a better quality at a cheaper price

70,000 miles without problem

Written by: Curtson on 05/12/2009


Performance:	10	Fun-to-Drive:	10	Build Quality:	10
Comfort:	10	Interior Design:	10	Reliability:	10
Fuel Economy:	9	Exterior Design:	9

2004 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T 4Motion AWD 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Most writers seem to have complaints but that is not my experience. I wrote about this car at 42,000 miles and am doing a follow-up. I still like this car as much as I did then. I've had to replace the headlight bulbs, a couple relay switches, and the rear lights. The timing belt replacement ($600) is usually done at 90,000 miles but I'm doing it at 80,000 to be on the safe side. I've replaced it in other cars so don't see this as an unusual expense. Slightly more expensive total repairs than my wife's 2005 Camry but it's a lot more fun - we always take this car.

Driving it.

None.

Watch out for transmission problems

Written by: Will on 05/05/2009


Performance:	8	Fun-to-Drive:	8	Build Quality:	8
Comfort:	7	Interior Design:	8	Reliability:	6
Fuel Economy:	6	Exterior Design:	8

2004 Volkswagen Passat GLX 4Motion AWD 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 5A)

We purchased a this car new in 2004. We noticed transmission problems immediately driving at low speeds or coming to a stop: the downshifting was sometimes violent. The dealership was poor to respond and later acknowledged that there was a software update which they installed. The problem was solved for a couple of years. One day while taking off from our house, a special dash symbol light came on indicating that the transmission was in the safe mode, meaning it could be limped to a dealer. This was in Dec 2007. The repair bill for rebuilding the transmission module was $2300. In short, expensive upkeep cost, poor dealership response. Next car might be American made.

Note: To VW's credit, we had two Passats and one Audi A6 prior to this. No issues at all.

We plan to keep the 2004 Passat but want to know where we can get a rebuilt tranny when this one goes out.

VW HAS A DEFINITE COIL PROBLEM

Written by: Jerry on 03/20/2009


Performance:	4	Fun-to-Drive:	7	Build Quality:	8
Comfort:	7	Interior Design:	7	Reliability:	6
Fuel Economy:	7	Exterior Design:	8

I have been down the coil road with VW. They will not admit that it is a major problem with their car. I have almost been stranded twice with the coil problem. Once I was at the dealer & they told me I would have to wait until the following week to get it fixed. It is a really simple thing to replace . I called a friend (Mechanic) & he knew right away & told me to buy a coil at the dealer & he talked me through changing it. It was a trial & error method because I didn't know which one of the 4 was bad. It turned out to be #1 coil. 2 weeks later # 2 died. I replaced it & the other 2 & have solved my problem. I hope the new ones are more reliable! Also had to replace a front axle

Not many---I do like the Dashboard lighting.

Increase your Warranty & upgrade your coils. I probably would never buy another VW.

2004 Volkswagen Passat Consumer Ratings & Reviews