Used 2001 Volkswagen Passat Sedan Consumer Reviews
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Lots of "Wow"
USN, 02/07/2002
2001 Volkswagen Passat New GLS V6 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
7,000 miles. Tiptronic trans is great for heavy traffic and freeway ramps. All materials and assembly are 1st class. Test drive it at night: the lighting is "wow". It eats up the interstate-great chasis/ride/handling!
Nice toy for people who have the time and money
Mike, 08/24/2016
2001 Volkswagen Passat GLS V6 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
If you have other cars, time and/or money to tinker, and want a nice and occasionally practical enthusiast's vehicle, the Passat 2.8 5-speed might fit the bill. As reliable daily transportation, not so much. Had issues with the cam tensioners, and I can see online that this is a frequent VW/Audi problem. Other problems with body hardware (back door not opening, trunk not closing, cornering light falling out), electrical, brakes, suspension, etc. It's great when it's great, but that's rarely the case. Actually, it's a very nice ride on the open road, but a beast in heavy city traffic. Next time, I'd sooner get a Mazda 3/6, or even a BMW 3-series for a small to mid-size sedan with a little sportiness. I will say that there is an active community that supports these B5 Passats, with online chat groups, and there are specialty shops that understand these cars and don't charge dealer prices. Just got quoted $800 for a clutch locally, and I hear of dealers charging several thousand for the same repair. Just no reason for it. If you buy a Passat used from a dealer, get the best warranty you can afford. You will need it, and soon! When checking the classifieds, it seems all of these have had a good deal of work done, and still have some issues, never being 100%, but still lasting quite a few miles, sometimes upwards of 250K. They sell in a tight range, not much more for relatively good shape vs. a fixer with potential. I'd say get it checked out first, but the average local mechanic is afraid of these cars, and for good reason.
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2001 Volkswagen Passat for sale near you
Showing 3 of 4 listings
- GLS 1.8T WagonMSRP: $5,500680 mi away
- GLS 1.8T Sedan (Midyear)MSRP: $6,4951,153 mi away
- GLS 1.8T WagonMSRP: $3,9901,559 mi away
See all 4 listings
NICE STYLE, POOR SUBSTANCE
WP, 03/12/2010
2001 Volkswagen Passat GLS V6 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 5A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
this is a nice looking car and at almost 10 years old doesn't look old or have a dated style to it. But it definitely has its share of problems. Most are problems that vw is aware of and has not corrected...oil leaks that fill the cabin with smoke, bad coil packs, oil sludge, check engine malfunctions...and it ain't cheap to fix! I tried so hard to buy a Mustang or a Honda for my wife, but she insisted she wanted a Passat...she gets very quiet when we have to take it to the shop every month. You pay too much for that cool style with repair bills...
Won't make this mistake again
Disappointed NJ Girl, 02/02/2005
2001 Volkswagen Passat New GLX V6 4Motion AWD 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 5A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
After researching many AWD vehicles, including SUVs, I bought a Volkswagen Passat AWD GLX because of the handling and many options that you get for the money. Well, you get what you pay for. As soon as I got my car, I brought it in three times for warped rotors and was told by VW each time that there was nothing wrong. Literally, as soon as the warranty was up, VW agreed that my rotors were warped and charged me $700 to fix them. When I called the main VW office, they didnt want to hear about the unfair treatment that I received. Then one year and $1,200 later, my ignition coil needed to be replaced. Now another year later, I have another hefty bill to pay for the car's throttle body & catalytic converter to be replaced.
Piece of Saat
dave, 08/31/2010
2001 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
If you love emptying your wallet, buy one today! Timing belt busted at 72K miles doing 20 mph, caused $2500 in damage. Class action suit only included 2000 yr model. Now at 99K, been in the shop 7X this year. Airbag fault code, ball joints, brakes, trunk lock failure, intermittent power lock issues, A/C probs, oil leaks, etc, etc.. Stay very far away from this early 2000 models, they are indeed a Piece of Saat!