Used 2003 Volkswagen Passat Consumer Reviews
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Looking for something reliable? AVOID AT ALL COST
cliney, 05/28/2015
2003 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
15 of 20 people found this review helpful
We bought our 2003 Passat GLS 1.8T wagon with a little over 70k miles on it, which I guess is high mileage for a VW. If you're a real enthusiast or VERY handy with a wrench, then by all means get one of these. Otherwise, be advised to stay the hell away from these pieces of cr*p. Every year is thousands of $$$ to keep it on the road. The car has a complicated and involved service procedure, so anything under the hood will be expensive to replace. Two shops quoted me $500 just for the valve cover gasket, and most of that was labor. German engineering = myth.
Eight years later.
dbcooper13, 11/20/2011
2003 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Fwd 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
I bought my '03 Passat new. I got it because Edmunds and others loved it. And at the time, everyone and their brother had an Accord or Camry. Eight years later, the transmission's gone. Rather than fix it, my mechanic told me to junk it. I'm not hard on cars. But cleaning out my glove compartment, I found all my receipts from work to the car over the years. Totaled approx. $7,400. The car was fine for 4 years, then turned into an absolute lemon. I would not buy another VW. Ever.
2003 Volkswagen Passat for sale near you
Showing 3 of 18 listings
- GLX SedanMSRP: $7,999199 mi away
- GLS 1.8T SedanMSRP: $2,263531 mi away
- GL SedanMSRP: $4,990611 mi away
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The best headache I've ever had
Alexandria, 04/25/2017
2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 4Motion AWD 4dr Sedan (4.0L 8cyl 5A)
7 of 9 people found this review helpful
"C'mon, let me take this headache off of your hands," are the words that convinced me to give up my dream car of 13 years to a new owner 600 miles and 5 months into ownership. Yes, my near mint Passat W8, who earned the nickname, "German drama queen," was a headache but, to be fair, it was the best headache I'd ever had. To put it simply, this high performance machine will create an addict out of you. Everyone should experience a W8 at least once in their lifetime! What is there not to love about a collectible, very rare, and crazy fast exotic 8 cylinder Audi with a Bugatti engine hiding in the semi-luxurious body of a humble B5.5 Passat? To quote the previous owner who endured 10 years of ownership along with a new engine and torque converter after the car spent 1 year in the shop for electrical issues ($20k worth of warranty work), "Enjoy your W8 to the fullest now because when something goes wrong it will make you curse or empty your bank account." I truly enjoyed my W8 to the fullest. It was a fine example of German over-engineering. Something very special. Still, at the end of the day, when a leaking gas tank and dying alternator (among a few other insignificant issues) caused my car to spend more time sitting in my driveway than on the road, my W8 lived up to it's infamous reputation of being unreliable and extremely costly (at least $4,000) to repair with virtually no one who knows how to properly service them. I can't say that I wouldn't recommend the W8 as it is truly a fantastic car. However, only two types of dedicated people should buy it; the filthy rich and the everyday man who has enough mechanical expertise and experience with VW/Audi to bravely repair one of the most complex and wonderful cars known to man. Even then, only proceed with purchase if your W8 has had it's engine, torque converter, and gas tank replaced (if it wasn't replaced under recall, it will wear out later). If you can't afford the repairs or know how to repair this car yourself, perhaps you'd be better off with an Audi A6 4.2L.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Don't buy it
Michael McKaig, 06/30/2006
2003 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Fwd 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
I bought my Passat new in 2003. This car was fine until 30,000 miles then it began falling apart. The interior flooded at 40,000 miles from body leaks requiring an entirely new carpet etc. It was put back together wrong, cracking the windshield with crossed wiring in the dash. It is now in the shop again for the flooding problem at 46,000 miles. Also, it needs an entirely rebuilt brake system at 46,000 miles. German engineering???? Spend your money elsewhere.
Good design, almost flawless exectution
tboneharry, 10/22/2003
2003 Volkswagen Passat GLX 4Motion AWD 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 5A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Overall, a wonderful car and highly desirable. Fantastic interior design and execution makes me feel as though I'm driving a much more expensive car. 4Motion system outstanding in poor weather conditions, but adds weight that hampers acceleration. Solidly built and extremely comfortable, with a great compromise between ride and handling characteristics. Overall, a much more appealing design than it's chief competitors in the midsize family sedan category (Accord, Camry), which seem competent but utilitarian in comparison.