Used 2003 Volkswagen Passat Wagon Consumer Reviews
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OIL SLUDGE AT 120K! READ THE FORUMS
j1eis, 09/16/2011
2003 Volkswagen Passat GL Fwd 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
36 of 38 people found this review helpful
Sure I took a risk buying this car used at 119,500 miles, but all the reviews online were pretty good for this car. 400 miles later I started having oil pressure lights and engine lights come on and when I googled the symptoms, I got all kinds of bad news about the car. Oil sludge is a problem and if it's not fixed fast, the engine will need replacing. I'm not even sure if there really is a fix for this problem. If you have this car, get it checked right away. These reviews make it look like a good car, but be careful and read the forums to see what will really happen if you purchase/own this car. 2002 also has this problem
Great car, expensive to own
heffelz8, 08/05/2011
2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 4Motion AWD 4dr Wagon (4.0L 8cyl 5A)
27 of 29 people found this review helpful
I think the title says it all. I absolutely love driving my wagon around town and killing it on the highway. It will do about 140 mph pretty quickly, although you'll still get 23-25 mpg at 65-70 mph. It is a rather expensive car to maintain...an oil change runs 120 bucks but it's good for 10,000 miles. Everything and anything that is on or near the engine is a nightmare to work on and costs lots of moola. If you don't have the money to spend on repairs, do not buy. However if you're looking for something fun in the sun, and cool in the snow, than this is the ride for you. Also, I'm 6'6" and there is plenty of room for me.
Classy Ride
jservin4him, 07/25/2012
2003 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
26 of 30 people found this review helpful
My wife and were looking for something that would be a good fit for our growing family of 3. It seems everywhere we go we needed a stroller and had to get groceries and haul a baby bag. A wagon was the best choice for us. We looked between a Subaru Outback, Mazda Protege5, Kia Spectra5, and the Passat. All of which are increasingly hard to find in good condition without having to sell the farm. We picked the Passat wagon and are very please with the good mileage and smooth power of our 1.8T and Tiptronic. Our is a GLS so it doesn't have everthing but is very comfortable with black leather. The Monsoon audio system sounds great! Great car for us so far.
Great Car Except... 2 Things Drive me Crazy
jax20, 01/04/2013
2003 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
17 of 22 people found this review helpful
I'm writing this review because I just got backed into. And if the blasted horn were to work when the car is turned off it would not have happened. What I want to ask you Mr. Hans Designor is why must the hatch lock everytime it is closed? How is this a safety feature? And how in the world is it safe to be unable to use a horn when your car is turned off? A paranoid hypocondriac grandmother could not design a more annoying electric locking system.
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.
Wolf in Sheeps clothing
Andreas, 08/08/2009
2003 Volkswagen Passat W8 4Motion AWD 4dr Wagon (4.0L 8cyl 5A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I've only had my Passat one month so I wont comment on reliability. This car has everything; power, style, innovative features, comfort, I could go on and on. I love the exhaust resonance when I start it up and the fact that you can open and close all windows with the key in the door and the rain sensing wipers and the headlight sprayers and the fastened down floormats and of course the tiptronic. I would recommend this car to anyone.
Honestly a good car
Ashley Larson, 01/08/2019
2003 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I got this car at 170000 miles. I just wanted a car to last until high school. A lot of things started breaking down- first the tire blew (because I drove into a pothole), then the car started misfiring because of the spark plugs and ignition wires (honestly it’s just general mantience). Then the o2 sender went and the alternator belt went (as did the battery). The car was reaching the end of its life, anyways. The repairs were all relatively cheap. I’d recommend this car to someone who can keep up with small repairs. I bought the car for $900 and have gotten into 2 crashes and still no exterior damage. German engineering!
- Performance
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
A Very Good Car - Update
Mark-- Boston, 09/02/2007
2003 Volkswagen Passat GLX 4Motion AWD 4dr Wagon (2.8L 6cyl 5A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Now > 4 years into ownership and at 108,000 miles, I thought I'd update my review. I still like this car a lot. It remains reasonably reliable with only fair fuel economy ( although I've been getting 24-25 MPG on the highway lately). Cost of maintenance has been relatively high, but I do drive a lot, so I feel it has been quite acceptable. Engine (V6) is running smooth and not burning oil. I'm thinking of driving it until 200K or until the cost of repairs gets too high (I've done the TB and WP at 85K). I'm still overall satisfied with the car and service I've been getting. I've had two electrical problems. Fuel pump died at 60K (recall) and driver's seat heater died (expensive, but needed fix).
Love/Hate Relationship
DG, 02/15/2009
2003 Volkswagen Passat GLX 4Motion AWD 4dr Wagon (2.8L 6cyl 5A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I ordered a 2003 VW Passat GLX 4Motion Wagon in 2002, direct from VW. Consumer Reports had written a review that said this was the BEST wagon you could buy, so I believed them and switched from my 20-year relationship with Mazda. At first I LOVED this car, and I especially loved the dealership. Over the years, I have never had a car have so many recalls - and in my case, everything that could break did break prior to the recall - so I've had to have these things replaced twice!
Worst car I have ever owned
merry8, 06/03/2012
2003 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
7 of 12 people found this review helpful
Bought this car brand new off the lot, brakes squeeked from day 1, when I inquired with the dealer I was advised "all new car's brakes squeek". I took to an independent mechanic at 8k miles, the mechanic stated my brakes were completley failed, rusted. The mechanic told me the brakes were so bad I should stop driving asap, I had the car towed to the dealer. The dealer b.s.'ed me and told me my brakes were fine, I believed them. They were not, at just over 12k miles, they were gone, dealer said brake warranty over at 12k, they strung me along until the warranty ran out. The dealer stated it was because i lived near the ocean, that is why my brakes failed!!Numerous other issues as well.
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