Used 2003 Volkswagen Passat Consumer Reviews

High Maintenance

I really liked the look of the Passat. It drives well, handles good, and gets pretty good gas mileage (24 on average). The brake system is terrible. I have had to have the rotors and the brakes changed every year and most of my daily drive is highway. You have to go to the dealership for every thing (head light replacements, wiper blades, etc.). I've had to take it to the dealer at least 5 times for recalls. The kicker is the car requires high octane gas. It won't perform well on regular gas.

Love to Drive

I Haven't had this car long but I love it. It is very fun to drive. Good fuel economy for a V8. When driving in the mountains I get between 16-18 mpg and on the freeway 22-25 mpg. I live in the foothills and the power is great going up the hills. I bought the car with 64000 miles and the only problem was whoever owned it last didn't have the rear brakes replaced properly and it broke the rear springs. Not a big deal though. I had it fixed and it runs fine now. Car seats fit well in the back and I have more than enough room in the back to fit all the kids stuff (Pop-up crib, stroller ect)for a weekend trip. Great Car and I have no regrets purchasing it.

I Love my VW but there are problems

I love my Volkswagen but there are problems. It's fun to drive, looks good. I love having a station wagon. People often think it's a more expensive car. I did have to get my engine replaced after about 50,000 miles. Fortunately, It was under warranty and I had documents to prove that I had my oil changed properly. YOU MUST PUT SYNTHETIC OIL IN YOUR CAR AND GET IT CHANGED AT 3,000 miles. You have to baby it. I know have to make sure I check my oil and add some. I use a trusted mechanic rather than the dealer. I go to the dealer and buy the part I need (including bulbs) and have my mechanic install it. I save money and time. I'm not sure I would buy another VW, but I love my car.

Avoid at all costs!

I loved my car when I first bought it. It is beautiful and the inerior is very well done and they use quality materials. That's where the love story ends. When it was just over three years old the check engine light came on and it was the brake light switch, which was replaced under warranty. Not long after the car broke down on me on the way to work, it was the fuel pump, they replaced it. They had to replace something that was allowing fuel vapor into the cabin a few month later. The new fuel pump needed replacement within a year of the original being replaced. The clutch had to be replaced (out of warranty) at five years old. The thermostat was just replaced the CV boot 2 yrs ago.

Engine Problem

After 67,000 miles, the entire engine block cracked after hitting a pothole or small object in the road. VW would not admit any liability, my collision paid for it. The car runs very low to the ground. It seems like such a major repair for a minor collision. Cost $6700 to repair.

Best bang for the buck

If you're considering an all round performer that can handle a family of four plus and still haul booty in the winter or summer w/the 4Motion, the VW W8 is for you. My only faults are gas mileage in the city and the sensors that seem to go bad more frequently than other foreign cars. I recommend the W8 wagon w/sport package and 6 speed manual--what a blast to drive. This car is a sleeper!

Passat Wagon -- no compromises

With a new baby on the way, I needed just a bit more room than my previous Passat 1.8T sedan. But I didn't want to compromise on performance, overall engineering, looks, or quality. I'm very happy with my '02 Passat Wagon/Variant. It has willing performance, good low-end torque from the V6, very stable handling at low and high speeds, and great room thanks to the practical square wagon design. I chose a the buttery smooth 5-speed manual, but the 5-speed tiptronic is equally nice and pleasing. The wagon back actually adds a considerable amount of room, and also adds more rear headroom than the sedan.

VW - Never Again

Since I purchased this car 6 years ago, it has been in for repair at least 4 to 10 times per year, every year (on top of the regular oil changes). Always some electrical problem or oil leak. In the first 3 months all four tires had to be replaced. While the people at the dealer were always friendly and cooperative, they were not forthcoming with detailed answers about any of the mechanical/electrical problems.

BEST CAR OUT THERE!

THERE IS NO BETTER CAR ON THE MARKET FOR THIS PRICE AND QUALITY!

Do not buy a VW!

Two words...oil sludge. All VWs of this engine type (and the V6 I've heard) have several fundamental problems that VW is unwilling to address. Poorly engineered product. Go with a Japanese competitor.

Good Car but doesn't leave room for upgrades

The interior is very nice and comfortable. I love the quality of leather. I inherited the Passat at 70,000 miles. I really wish it were turbo. I am going to put in a K&N CAI to give it more spunk. It does not accelerate quick enough for me. I wish I could do a turbo conversion on it but it would not be worth the cost. It is a difficult car to work on because you would have to remove so much of the front end to get to work. I am not looking forward to the 100,000 timing belt change. It will be very costly. No one likes working on these for fun. I like the tight handling. It needs more power. If I could find a good chip maker I would add one. Turbo is the way to go because you can modify.

Perfect

Best car for the money.

Lovin it - but where do I put stuff?

Traded in my Lexus RX300 for this beaut. Love this car, 1 month into the lease. Red/blue dash at nite is awesome. Great stereo system (better than Lex). Wish there was more room for 'stuff' inside! Handling is a little squishy but really I have no complaints. This sucker's FUN to drive.

Pretty Good.

As my first real car, I lived in Orange County and bought it @ 66,000 miles Certified. Two car accidents. One cross country trip from California to Boston. One winter later it has 105,000 miles on it! GULP! But it's fared pretty well. I've had a few minor electrical issues, and an engine leak but after the terrible VW Customer service honored everything it was alright. After putting over 105k miles on a 5 year old car it still coasts the highways SO SMOOOOTHLY. I need brakes done shortly, first time since 66,000 miles. Just got my timing belt done and ready for more. Good Car considering everything Ive done to the poor thing.

2003 PASSAT

LOVE THE DESIGN AND INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE CAR HANDLES GREAT WITH THE TURBO. SUSPENSION A LITTLE TIGHT, COULD BE A SMOOTHER RIDE.

Nice car but poor service

Car is beautiful both inside and out and I have not had any mechanical problems although I only have 8k miles. Although I really love the car I will not buy a VW again due to the poor service department which seems to permeate all VW dealerships. I can't even get through to get an oil change and then when I do it takes almost two weeks and they are not open on Saturdays which means you will have to take a day off to get your oil change. You have got to be kidding!! My suggestion is to all those Honda owners who are thinking about switching to VW think long and hard about how you feel about customer service. I wish I did!!

Great Car

The 2003 Volkswagen Passat rides and handles great. This one is a keeper.

VW has really done it!

My god how can they sell such a well equipped car for this price. My parent have an Audi A6 and almost cried when they heard how much I paid for my Passat.

Not what I thought

I have had many problems with my passat. First off, the Continental tires went bad fast, and I had a flat within the first week of ownership. Then the rotors warped within the first 4 months. I returned it to dealership to get the rotors fixed 4 times before they actually replaced them. At 50,000 miles I blew a head gasket. And about a month ago I had to get the transmission replaced. Not worth all the money I spent. Nice to look at but not a smart move if you want a car that will last you more than 5 years.

Fun but tempermental

Bought this car new in 03. Blue Anthracite with Grey Leather. Very well appointed and good performance. Drove great, had the feeling of a safe and heavy car. Had problems that I would not expect of a fairly new car: Short Brake Life, including warped rotors. Bad Breaklight Switch, $900 alternator replacement, a battery that only the dealer can replace (not good when it goes out on Sat. night). 2 bad CV boots. Oil leaks. Improper alignment burned up 2 new tires. Ridiculous price on 40K and 80K maintenance. When this car was getting near 80K, I sold it on Craigslist and bought a Honda. I could not stomach another trip to the dealer for them to find more stuff wrong.

Why can't VW get it right ??

My husband owned an '86 GTI that had electrical probs from day one. He swore he'd never have another VW but I begged. While we have not had any major electrical probs, the car has been to the dealership too many times. The trim is continuously discoloring or falling off, the wiring harness went bad in the first 10,000 miles, the fuel pump went out at 44,000 miles and we had to replace the brakes AND rotors at 44,000. When the car was stalling for no apparent reason, the dealership asked me if I had driven through any puddles recently. Enlighten me, can a VW not go through puddles without stalling? Now the interior light only occasionally comes on when you open the door. The gas mileage is dissappointing. I've learned my lesson.

Vrooooom!

Went to test VW Passats and was aimed to purchase a more economicaly solution to a new car (1.8T engine). After test driving all 3 engine types the W8 was the only option I could see worth my $$$. The engine is smooth and powerful enough for me at 275HP. Good MPG for an 8 cylinder(have gotten up to 25+ on the highways cruising). It rides like butter around town and on the freeway it is a dream. The AWD(4motion) coupled with snow tires handles like no car I have owned in the snow. The manu- tronic transmission is a but sluggish at times. Overall a great car with more than enough performance and luxury for me. Debadge the lid and you will defientley have a sleeper.

I get so many compliments!

At the risk of jinxing myself. . . I *love* the car. I have 10K miles on it to date and the only problem was a trouble light that was fixed in a quick (free) visit to the dealer. She'll cruise at 85 all day no problem, eats traffic on the highway around town. So quiet I have to use the cruise to keep from speeding. Had to get used to downshifting more to pass -- can be sluggish in wrong gear. So pretty, people stop me on the pking lot to tell me. Great winter car with heated seats and ASR for ice.

how many w8 are on the street?

great power from 60mph~120mph

Germans still haven't learned from Japan

Generally acceptable. Just a commute car, though. No thought given to American life on the road. Lacking in convenience features. Uncomfortable rear seating. No cloth option. Very cramped interior for 6'+. Bizarre heating/cooling control. Limited access to interior due to small door angle opening. Excessive trunk liftover height and miniscule trunk entry considering actual cargo space. Not a good value considering price. Typical VW - mostly marketing hype, short on reality.

Just a Comment

I originally leased my 2003 Passat and intended turning it back after the lease was up. The car was such a great car that I decided to purchase it. I have owned this vehicle for 5 years now and have only replaced wear and tear items, like brake pads, and tires. I recently replaced the timing belt which again was a scheduled maintenance item. The car has been a super car to own, reliable, fun to drive, comfortable and a overall feeling of safety. I intend to keep my Passat for another five years and would pass it down to a family member without hesitation.

M.T. Driver

This car is actually my mothers car n we drive n use it everyday. This car has been reliable to us for 4 years n still running strong.we love this car its fast n comfortable especially the W8 engine. I admit getting oil changes are alot but we've learned 2 do our own oil changes. Looked at other reviews n saw many complaints guess were lucky.

Impossible to fix

This was a good basic car. However, all of the items meant to make this a luxury car did not work (auto-wipers, auto-AC, etc). I could only get parts at the dealer and only the dealer could work on it. But, even the dealer couldn't fix any of the problems. I sold it with all of the problems that supposedly had been repaired. I did not have a trip to the repair shop cost less than $2,000. From new to sold (including repair costs) I lost approx $30,000 owning this vehicle.

This car always makes me smile

The only unfortunate thing that I have found is that 2003 is the first year that they installed a plug in the back of the manifold. Unfortunately mine blew without warning after 4 months..this may be a chronic problem. Ultimately, the car gave me no warning that all of the oil was blowing out as I was driving. It should have given me a low oil pressure sign or something. It's something to look into.

VW Pasat Wagon - Is a great Car

I purchased a 2003 VW Passat Wagon with 38,000 in Jan 2006 for $12.9K and drove the car for 4+ years with never a problem. Sure I had to replace the usual stuff Brakes, Tires and the battery, but all in all the 03 Passat was the best, most reliable car I have ever owned. I just purchased a 2010 Jetta Sportwagen TDI to replace it, and I hope it is just as good. I see concerns that VW repairs are expensive, but not really much more than anything else. Find a good local VW Mech, stay away from the dealership 4 repairs, $100 per hour labor can add up fast. Also, if you cannot change the headlamp on one of these cars (others complaining), you have no business under the hood, it is a 2 min job.

Great Car

After driving a BMW 325 for 12 years, I bought a new car, and decided to try the VW Passat GLX manual. I haven't been disappointed. The fit and finish are excellent, the overall operation is fantastic, and the price was right. All of the comfort controls, Climatronic, heated seats work very well, Monsoon stereo system is excellent.

Looks can be deceptive

fun to drive..but just enough problems to keep you occupied for a few days per month.Most of the good reviews on this forum are by people who just bought a new VW car. All the bad reviews are by people who have used it for more than 6months/8000miles. Too many electrical faults, horrible Monsoon sterio, ignition coil problems,inefficient wiper system,trip computer has a mind of its own,works once in a while. Windshield allows too much glare from vahicles coming in the opposite direction.So please dont drive VW in rain or foggy conditions,take a cab. This is a car which brings to the mind the proverb...All that glitters is not gold

Many VW's in the family

I turned in my '99 GLS V6 Sedan for the 4Motion Wagon and have not looked back. While winter snows on the sedan made it vertually 4x4, the past few winters in NJ have been especially harsh, I can't wait for this winter. On dry roads it feels like it's tearing up the blacktop. We've had a lot of rain lately and the grip continues. Also own a '95 GLX Wagon, 5 spd, while it too is a blast to drive, the luxury in the '03 4Motion out does it. No complaints, just Fahrvergneugen!

Defective Ignition Coil

I loved this car-until, it started to fall apart. In 1 year, I have replaced 2 ignition coils (2 diff. times), the glove box and realigned the door. The coils were the biggest pain- b/c the towing fees. VW has ID'd the defective part (in all 1.8T engines)- But has refused to recall it, as it does not represent a safety hazard. A bad German supplier is to blame for the coil. VW is to blame for refusing to recall the part. Dealers refuse to replace all coils, just ones that fail. Note-1.8T cars have 4 coils for each cyl; so I now have 2 new coils, and 2 coils waiting to fail. Dealers are unwilling to sell new coils-as they don't have enough to go around.

Great Car

The 2003 Volkswagen Passat GLS V6 besides being very reliable, is a lot of fun to drive, and looks very smart. VW did a beautiful job with the Passat and my next car will be another one.

Overall Problems

I've never owned a vehicle that has had this many recalls. Between the electrical heaters in the seats, the fuel system and now the right rear wheelhouse liner/shield. This is my second Passat, I never thought I would buy another car until this one. The quality put into VW Passats has really gone downhill.

2003 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T

This car is exceptionally fun to drive, considering its engine is only 1.8 liters. It is fast and averages an all around 26 mpg. Mine has a 5-speed standard transmission. This is a premium automobile at a big discount!

'03 VW passat GLS 1.8T Sedan - Great Car

I have had this car since Jan 2009, and this is the most comfortable car I have ever sat or driven in. The only problem I have had since buying the car was a CV boot which was just a month ago and it was torn and needed to be replaced asap. So I recommend to you VW owners to not go to a dealership for ANY repairs including headlight/tail light bulbs & oil changes unless you want to pay up the butt in bills. Find a car mechanic. The only thing I don't like about the car is that the headlight bulbs are hard to find and replace. My advice to VW owners is to not to go to a dealership unless that is your last option! I love my car and I guess I was just lucky compared to other reviews.

VOLKSWAGEN: No longer for the "VOLKS"

After about five weeks, the transmission in my 2003 Volkswagen Passat failed (fortunately the warranty covered it, at no cost to us). Throughout the time that we have owned this car, we have had it in the shop for warranty issues more often than we like. There is always for some molding or other annoying piece that really has no business failing off. Despite the legendary quality of German engineering, little problems with this car have been getting to us, like the windows freeze shut at the slightest hint of ice and you can't open the rear hatch without unlocking it. It has been difficult as a family vehicle, particularly with two young kids and a dog. It is just too small for our family. Other than that, it has been a great car.

Better then a BMW at much more affordabl

After owning a BMW the purchase of a VW Passat I thought would be a come down after buying my first one in 1996, but after 100,000 miles with absolutely no problems save for routine maintenance, I was convinced of this vehicle’s superiority, and I purchased another in 2002, which is better then ever. Again in 2002, I toyed with buying another BMW or the now more affordable Mercedes Benz, but with 6 years of great performance and reliability, I bought another Passat. If you want a car that will perform like any other high-end vehicle, and wish to not injure your pocketbook then the PASSAT is defiantly the car to consider.

GREAT sedan.

I bought this car last January and I've been really impressed so far. The fuel economy isn't great, but if you use premium unleaded (which your supposed to use) you should see about 29mpg hwy and about 20 city. Car looks very euro which is a plus. 2003 is the last year they stopped making the classic European style and they started making them look more like an electric razor on wheels. 2003 is the best year for this car!

2003 Volkswagen Passat GLS

I bought my Volkswagen passat brand new in 2003 with 0 miles. We've owned it for about 5 years now and it has 41,000 today, barely driven people, only driven to work (5 miles away) and back to the garage. today I regret ever getting this Volkswagen, 2 weeks after the purchase the stereo threw me an error code and it turned out the whole unit needed replacing (warranty). I've never experienced so many recalls in a single vehicle, heated seats started burning (recall), brake light switch (recall), fuel pump (recall), engine heat shield (recall), replaced whole front drive shaft at 30k ($400), replaced water pump at 40k ($450). Over all I have had nothing but problems.

Love your mechanic, you'll see him a lot!

The car has had repeated issues with brakes (5 incidents). Electrical problems with doors, set heaters, fuel pump issue. Repeated Check Engine Light warnings with repeated assurances that it was a computer "glitch". Only after the car was out of warranty did they agree to change the charcoal cannister (at my expense) which resolved the issue that plagued me for a year! I wasted too much time on this car. Would not buy another VW product based on service experience. Rear brakes are too thin and the fuel economy is appalling.

Great car

We bought this car used, trading in our beloved honda civic. My wife is very pleased, heated front seats, AWD (especially now that we have over a foot of snow!).

W8 the car you'll love to hate

After picking up the most grown up car I've ever owned, I find my self in a Love hate relationship.. I bought it right off lease with 24k on the clock on 4-13-07. The first of the problems was the ac went it the first week right before a trip to the fl. Keys. The roof trim keeps popping up at the rear over the rear window. Window regulator broke, over head interior light stay on, sun roof opens for no reason, trunk lock broke, head light washer non opp, cv boots leaked, trans torque converter replaced, brake booster vac line. The list goes on I just don't have the time or space. By the way as of 8-31-09 this car only has 49,290 miles on the clock.. If you ask me stay clear of VW! All lemons!

Fun to drive, but loads of exasperating maintenanc

Bought my V6 GLX PASSAT FROM THE SECOND OWNER. At 72,000 original miles. I paid $4,000 for it which I thought was a good deal. But to my chagrin it is been a money tornado. I've done nothing but work on this car constantly because of all the little things that go wrong with it. After I first got it it blew a heater hose immediately while in line at a fast food restaurant. After I fix that. It the water pump started leaking so I went ahead and performed the timing belt maintenance that was going to be due any up at about 100,000 miles so I went ahead and did all that. I replaced the valve cover gaskets spark plugs fuel filter. All the vacuum lines under the hood were deteriorating and broke apart the minute you touch them so I had to replace all those if I had to take this car to a dealer it would have cost me a fortune and I probably would have walked away from it but since I do my own car repairs and it's a hobby of mine I'm learning about the Volkswagen was eye-opening experience in itself. The V6 is very tight and you have to perform a what's called a remove the front end pull the front end out to do any kind of work on on the car really it's not that big of a deal but some people you know you could require special tools and stuff. That's the only drawback but you can rent these those tools to do these the job and you know it's it's not a vehicle for a college kid or somebody who needs a consistent vehicle that doesn't have a lot of tiki tack things break down on it other than that the the airbags have never give me a problem braking system is fantastic the steering system and a suspension is fantastic the engine as long as you change the oil and take care of it you it will probably run for as long as you want but there is a lot of plastic on these cars that I don't hold up overtime. I got to say there's no problem with the engine of the transmission in any shape or form or like the big things like the sunroof and things like that but other than that I like the my car to be in tip top shape and looking like it's it's in we'll take care of so little things that go wrong can be real bothersome and believe me this car will be bothersome you either love it or you hate it.

Watch out for sludge

I love my '03 Passat for its handling and performance. With that said, I have recently encountered the sludge issue. It is a issue that they leave out during the sales pitch. You only encounter it when it is time to change your oil. That is when they inform you that you must use synthetic oil because of sludge build up. My car is less that 4 years old and I have had to rebuild my engine. I followed the instructions from VW to use the more expensive oil and it still occurred before 140K miles. VW offered to give me a new engine, only if I supplied 100% of the scheduled oil change receipts. They asked for 26 and I could only produce 20. Therefore no new engine.

My Mom-Mobile

This is a wonderful car that has given me few problems in the time I've owned it. The AWD allows me to corner at any speed I want and never complain. I've been able to drive through rain and then a couple of feet of snow and it feels no different that driving on dry pavement. This really feels like it is the Audi in VW clothing.

GLX Passat Wagon, 5 Speed Manual

I usd to be a valet car prkr and hve drvn thsnds of cars, rngng frm Yugos to Lmbrginis. Fr undr $30,000, the Pasat is an absltly fblus cr cmprd to othrs. I also cnsidrd the 2003 Hnda Acrd but I didn't lke it's mre desensitized sterng and suspnsn; tpicl of Japnse cars. Don't get me wrng whn you read my sugsted impvemts; I thnk the Psat is a fblus cr. It's jst tht car cmpnes wld be wise to hire me to fnd thngs wrng with ther crs. I excel at that. Thre are ltraly hndrds of outstndng thngs about ths car. Only 300 chrctrs ar alowd in the nxt two clmns, so I am gng to wrte sgstd impvmts in bth clmns.

Disappointment