Used 2009 Volkswagen Passat Consumer Reviews
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Another great VW
We have owned several VWs and this is by far the most comfortable on the road. Recently drove 1200 straight through with wonderful comfort. A great ride and fun to drive.
Great German Car
Have had this '09 since 8/09. It runs flawlessly and is a very enjoyable family sedan. Storage is HUGE, performance is tight and torque is excellent. High end smooth comfortable ride with great control. Most of the benefits of Audi w/o price tag. Great bargains to be had (this one was $5K off sticker). No, not as cheap as a Camry or Honda, but much more style, class and fun to drive. This car is a sleeper and soon to be changed and produced in Mexico - it's a buy.
- Komfort SedanMSRP: $7,995372 mi away
- Komfort WagonMSRP: $3,995657 mi away
- Komfort SedanMSRP: $6,9501,094 mi away
100K Mile and still going strong
I bought this car new for my wife and have never had any but normal wear and tear issues. Living in a snowy climate I did have to change the tires but other than that a great car. Performance is great. It has a good ride and a lot of standard features. I chose this car over Toyota and Honda.
Extremely Unreliable
The car is stylish, but unfortunately seems to break down frequently. I have under 30,000 miles and have had the throttle body replaced, throttle body wiring, and steering column replaced. It has left me stranded 5 times. Probably the least reliable car I have ever owned. I'm totally bummed I have a 4 year 60,000 mile lease, it's a horrible car
Great Car, Great Value, More room than monster SUVs
I've owned mine since June /09. I was skeptical at first - somewhat odd looks, VW reputation for marginal reliability, not all the luxury I really wanted. However on test drive changed that. The 2.0L turbo engine is fantastic - quick, responsive, pulls very hard when you mash the throttle. The 6 speed transmission is mated perfectly to it and is smooth and accurate in shifts. So far, so good. I've got 36K+ miles of mostly highway driving and no breakdowns/strands/failed starts. No maintenance costs either with first 2 years covered. Some trim pieces have broken due to little kiddie fingers. I would highly recommend this car for anyone looking for an alternative to ridiculously oversized SUV
new Passat
Just got the car. Surprise by the power. Fun to drive but wife having problem with turbo and a lead foot. I had a 05 TDI Passat before. This is bigger. Miss the mileage of the diesel. Tires are expensive because of the 17" wheels and they are a summer thead. Needed snow right away. Comfortable and a better car for me than the CC. Did not like the low roof, rear view mirror or performance of the CC. There is a lot of leg room front and back. Wish it had blue tooth, homelink, and memory seats.
reliability issues but great car besides that
The Edmunds review is spot on. The car is fun to drive, sporty and yet very comfortable. I love this car, but within two months it has broke down on me twice to include a fuel pressure regulator and a water pump. Luckily it was certified pre owned so out of pocket costs were minimal. I take great care of this car and maintenance it myself every 5000 miles with synthetic oil and have already replaced air cleaner. Hard to enjoy the car if it will keep breaking down and im only at 55000 miles. Plenty of room in the back with 2 kids and the trunk is huge. I can fit large strollers among other things.
Fun
This has been a great car. Love the size of the trunk and the power tail gate great. The leatherette is actually really nice feeling. The engine can really pull this car if you step on the gas.
Follow Up
Follow up to review last year. Car is not 2+ years old with 39K Miles. Runs beautifully, with one recall for a switch, one service for a loose A/C condensation hose - both free of charge. Still as tight and sweet as when purchased, and the Perellis are still in great shape. So far, so good!
Road warrior
This car averages 22 city 27 Hwy (@75- 80). If the road is good, the car is great, smooth ride, fairly quiet, excellent feedback and handling. 70 mph no different the 90 mph. If you live where the roads are bad, this car is not for you 70 mph will not be tolerable, lots of road noise, and you will feel each bump. Driver seat is great, IPOD could be better(can't see the songs, only track numbers), radio is better then o,k but not great. JPL. BOSE, infinty much better. Very good with one driver on goods roads or in heavy traffic. I love the electronic break, so you can relieve foot pressure with stop and go traffic. 30,000 mile a year road warrior,the seat is the second best I've had. 8k mile
European versus Japanese
I recently bought a VW Passat 'Komfort' wagon for my wife. The car has been great so far. After 5 days in my Lexus, it's fun to drive my wife's car on the weekend. I really can't ever say I've felt that way about my other cars. If VW can solve some of it's past reliability issues ( and it looks like they are trying hard to do so) I think middle America will 'rediscover' the brand.
Brakes Already!!
Completed all maintenance as required. Dec. 2009 had 20k maintenance completed. No issues. Now 3 1/2 months later, 4k miles, rear brakes are grinding! Come to find out there are no sensors/indicators. Questionable if brakes were even checked during maintenance. Tech wasn't required to jot down any numbers/levels when maintenance was done!! 2 days ago was the first time any problems were noticed - grinding already...Friday serviced = $350.00 just to replace pads. I've never had to worry about brakes on any of my previous cars until well over 35k. My 2000 Passat's rear brakes were done around 50k. Tech should have noticed something in Dec, therefore I could have anticipated the charges!
Eurostyle wagon experience
I shake my head at all our neighbours driving these hideous SUVs and crossovers that handle like buses and drink fuel like crazy. There are options! This car has way more room than our neighbour's Murano and is a blast to drive! We love manual trannys and this was the only wagon we could get one in. We got a highline with real leather, moonroof, dual climate, satellite radio. Had an Acura TSX before and this is quicker but gets the same mileage. It is also quieter and smoother but the leather and aesthetics were nicer in the Acura.
Dont buy this if its cold or snowy
This car cant move in 1" of snow. Brand new tires put on 11/12, and i cant make it up my driveway, or my small hill to my house. I had a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am that did this with zero problem with more snow on the ground. Also, the windshield wiper motors will freeze as soon as its under 20 degrees outside. Not a great feeling when the wipers dont work and its snowy/icy. Car is great in the spring - fall. Or get one in Arizona. Pissed that a German company makes a car with such bad performance in cold weather. Will trade it in as soon as possible.
Never Again VW
Don't buy it!!! First time buying a VW of any kind. My Passat is a lemon. Purchased for $10K on 11/2015 from an Audi dealership. Many major repairs performed by a VW repair shop EW-ext warr. MP-my portion: 2/2016 faulty crankcase breather valve, coolant exchange & replaced dirty reservoir $760 MP. 3/2016 replaced front sway bar links, both cv joint boots, coolant pipe, 80K mile service $655 MP 11/2016 replaced intake manifold, injectors (EW) 12/16, replaced coils & resealed upper engine, strut bearings, transmission service ($2550) $338 MP, 8/2017 rack & pinion $2K (EW only pay $380) 10/2017 decarb $570, now oil leak!!! Less than two years! Runs fine for a month or two, then check 'this or that' light, OMG!!
- Safety
- Technology
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
VW the new BMW
I have a BMW X5 and traded a Merc C280 4 Matic for the Passat. The Passat is the exact size of an E350, but half the price. You give up rain sensing wipers, memory seats, automatic headlights and a power rear sunshade. You get just as good build quality, similar performance in crash tests, 10 more MPG, free scheduled maintenance for 3 years, and $30,000 in your pocket. The sales experience was much better than Mercedes. I have no regrets. I love this car. What will I do with my $30,000? Good time to invest.
Love my Passat Wagon
I needed to move into a larger car. Previous car was 2003 Jetta TDI sedan and I really loved it. It got great mileage and was fun to drive but not quite large enough for a growing family. We decided on the Passat Wagon because we were in no way getting a minivan nor SUV. We wanted the performance and handling of a car and not the bulk or stigma of a van or SUV. It was down to the Passat or Subaru Outback. In the end we went with the Passat as VW bank was offering 60 mos at 0%. While there may be posts out there complaining about quality, we've not seen any issues yet. The same issues were reported for my Jetta and over 5 years, few of those issues ever arose.
Passat Family
My wife has a 2002 model with 140000 miles that appealed to me more than my 2001 Camry which is simply reliable transportation with nothing extra. I looked at all of the 2009 Models (Camry, Accord, TL, Altima, etc.), and I was sold. The Passat has more standard features than the loaded Altima and Camry. I have averaged over 27 mpg for the first 10k miles which were mostly highway. The gas mileage in city driving is closer to 18 because I like the turbo. This car really feels a step above its major competitors (Camry, Accord and Altima) without the extra cost of a comparably equipped model (if the competition even offers the features). VW seemed more willing to negotiate on price
For New Models
For a car listed for 29k a middle of the road final product. I have rattles in the dash area from one end to the other. The dealer can't fix. The light interior color on areas where dirty shoes will come in contact are impossible to clean. Like lower doors and where speakers are placed which also will be damaged when someone gets in and presses there shoe to hold the door open or just scrape when getting in or out. I do not drive much so not hampered by bad gas mileage. But for a four it's a nice car.
0-60mph No problem
I absolutely lived the accelaration of my Passat! The steering too was very responsive and car handled really great. I didn't kind my work commute or road trips because the car was comfortable and the sound system was good. If Volkswagen had honored the extended warranty instead of making me shell out $110-125 in diagnostics tests every six months, I never would have sold my Passat AND would have purchased another Volkswagen.
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Bluemotion 2.0 liter Diesel
I wish I could bring this car back to the USA with me. With 50+ MPG, it is incredible. Engine fairly quiet. Service after 10K is way too long
Great thus far
Have had this car for a full 3 months, and it's met or exceeded my expectations. So far no unscheduled trips to the dealership, which is good. Being that this is a "performance" German car, you have to know it will need regular maintenance. The engine is adequate, though not at all inspiring. Does a decent job of moving along when pushed. Int design is very nice. Leatherette works great w/o worry of ruining it with wet beach shorts, sun damage, or regular wear and tear (look at pics of older models and seats still look new). Center tunnel is a tad narrow and would be nice if it were carpeted. I think ext looks nicer than Passat sedan. Audi-esque front grill is great!
Great Car
This is the first "new" car we have ever bought, We purchased it in April 2010 however it was a 2009 Demo so not really brand new. Anyway it had just at 5K miles on it when we purchased and since then we have driven about 23K miles. We have had not had any mechanical issues with the car. I like others would have really liked memory seats. As I am 6'5" and y wife is 5'6" so we are always changing the seat. The 2.0L Turbo has amazing power and we average about 24mpg I have gotten 35mpg on the highway driving at 55 and really trying to get the best milage. Overall the car has been quite nice.
Sell it before you hit 100K!
I bought my '09 2.0T with less than 30K. Never put anything but synthetic oil and premium gas in the thing. It was a dream to drive until I started blowing ignition coils close to 80K. At around 103K it started dumping oil and coolant - so much it was embarrassing to park it anywhere. Took it to two reputable shops - they both told me it wasn't worth fixing. I just let the thing go at 106K for $2,500 as a trade in.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Good car, very bad reliability
In general, a reasonable price/performance ratio. The reliability is bad, automatic windows, brakes, and instrument panel are replaced.
Traded 06 Oil Burner for 09
So far, very few problems with 09 Passat compared to 06 previously owned. Small rattle, ipod adapter issue dealership addressed immediately. 3200 miles driven since purchased. Keep checking my oil to make sure don't have same issue as 06 model. Fun to drive compared to Nissan, Honda, and Toyota family sedans. Unfortunately, my experience is that you trade performance, fit/finish for reliability. Keeping my fingers crossed...
Best value period
Outstanding engineering, safety, and quality. Fantastic value. Excellent purchase experience. Free scheduled maintenance for 3 years. Fun to drive. Getting 34 mpg at 70 mph. VW is the new BMW!
TDI Bluemotion
Great mileage, super low emissions, big enough to carry lots of junk, quiet for a diesel. Acceleration leaves a lot ot be desired
New VW Owner
This car is really a pleasant surprise. Just came out of an Infinity M45. Had to downsize lifestyle and found the perfect car.This car drives great,and is big enough for a family of five. No car can match the features this car has for the money.
Love our Passat
This is our third Passat having bought a new 1997 diesel and 2004 diesel. We love the diesels but gave up on VW ever getting the Passat diesel into North America. VW always seems to be three steps behind the marketing curve. We are quite pleased with our 2009, even though it isn't a diesel and we certainly miss that mileage. It handles beautifully but is noisier than our 2004 due to the low profile tires. We bought new tires and went one size up and the noise decreased. Our big gripe is that VW dropped Homelink from the Passat but not the Passat CC. Another braindead action by VW. Their response to my inquiry: "Our marketing plan for North America does not include the diesel or Homelink."
Drives very nicely...mediocre interior
I love the way this car drives. It drives better than most 6 cyl vehicles I've driven. The interior knobs have a somewhat cheap-looking appearance. Overall a good bang for your buck.
Turbo lag
VW Passat is a great feat of German engineering. Autobahn for all, after all :-) The exterior is to fall in love for, interior is good and minimalistic, too but the drive feel... The steering is speed sensitive and I absolutely loved it! But... The speedometer has small numbers on it that are hard to read, so it's not clear from a quick glimpse on it whether you're making 60 or 70 km/h. The transmission is lovely, very responsive and seamless. You really cannot feel it but the engine is unrefined. Usually, I'm a big fan of smaller engines because of their efficiency, and almost limitless possibilities for improvement. But turbo lag kills me. Not responsive at all and jolty!!!
2009 wagon
Bought this car on the basis of owning a 2006 jetta, was not disappointed.The fuel mileage meets or exceeds the epa sticker,2l. 4 cyl drives like a larger engine.
The right car
This is my 3rd generation Passat and my 5th VW car in the last 25 years. I have owned also recent models of Nissan Maxima, Toyota Camry, and Honda Accord. I have driven during my business trips in Europe various Mercedes cars (C200 and E300)and BMW (300, 500 series). Similarly, I drove in USA Lexus and Infinity midsize sedans. I find the Passat the most sensible combination of performance, comfort, and value. You get Audi engineering (on par with BMW and Mercedes) at discount price. The gas mileage (34-35 miles/galon) is better than that of my Toyota Camry 2005 (XLE 4). As for the reliability, it is better than my Camry 2005 so far
Keep it German but think American!
Two months after purchase, I was at the service station due to some rattling sound coming from my front bumper.Come to find out that something was coming loose. The following month, I was at the service station again due to a hissing sound that comes on each initial pull out.After these issues were fixed for free of-course, I have enjoyed every ounce of my car. Everyone who sees my Passat all say the same thing.."wow, your car is beautiful". Some think its a BMW at first sight while some say they never ever considered a VW until seeing mine. German engineering rocks but they need to understand that Americans love comfort and convenience together with reliability.
Great Car
This car is smooth, quiet and comfy. My wife, daughter and I are looking forward to getting out on the open road with this. This car breezes down the local freeway and streets effortlessly. Handline is precise\crisp and drives rock solid like a heavier car. The only real drawback thus far is the lack of bluetooth which is optional on Passat but comes standard in other cars. Other than that, it could use a bit more power, but for a mid size sedan the fuel economy and power are both excellent. Comfortable, plenty of leg room for a 6'5" driver with some to spare.
Will not be beat for the Price
Super vehicle especially for the price. Standard features, build quality and performance is something I would expect in a much higher end vehicle, The turbo makes the gas pedal like a hair trigger on a gun, the attention to detail and quality materials is far superior to this cars competition. Something as simple as an umbrella storage compartment built into the drivers door are the small touches that really make the vehicle a standout aside from what Ive mentioned.
Fun to drive German
Own this car for one month. It is truly fun to drive Passat compare to other imports. Love the look inside and out. It drives like 6 cylinder car, thanks to turbo. Consequently, it consumes gas like 6 cylinder. I average 22 to 23 mi/gallon on 60 freeway/40 local. My old 2000 Maxima was better than that! I had to check the car with a local dealership for rattling noise from driver side glove box and door panel. It was fixed once and came back. So it's been at service twice for the same issue. Hope this problem won't come back.
1-month review
Purchased on September 12th, 2009. Test drove BMW 328,335; Mercedec Benz 300, 350; Acura TL; Infiniti G37. Although all of these cars were great, I found the perfect mix of driveability and fun factor in my Passat. I only have about 750 miles on it right now and I am trying to break- in the car as gently as possible. But you can feel the surge of power when you just tap the accelerator. So far I've had no problems. VW offers a 90- day or 6K miles free check up, which I intend to to take advantage of. Since I have not taken it on a long trip, I do not have true HWY mileage; however, so far, I am averaging around 25 mpg with 60/40 Hwy/city.
So far so good and fun.
Almost 4 month and still so fun to drive. Good in gas. Excellent choice from all the cars we tested.
Almost perfection
The Passat Komfort Wagon offers a wonderful balance of design, performance, comfort and safety. We traded down from an 04 Touareg, and have not been disappointed by the fit and finish of this vehicle. The sole Achilles Heel is the powerplant. While peppy and enjoyable on the highway (especially when passing), there is significant turbo lag, especially compared to our other driver, a Saab 9-3 with the same size 2.0 L turbo-charged engine. Additionally, the mileage is not nearly as good as the Saab's, and gear selection in this automatic could be better tuned. The VW shines on design, fit and finish. The leg well is a bit narrow, but seats are comfortable, and leads to a fine day drive.
2009 Passat Wagon - Komfort
Came out of a Volvo XC70. This car has personality and is much more fun to drive. Comfort is good. Good acceleration. Mileage is better then sticker. Easily get 30-32 at 70 mph. 33-34 at 60 mph. Average fuel mileage is 26mpg. Kids love the rear door window shade. I am 6'1" and like the front seats. Live in area that doesn't have may Passat Wagons and get many looks.
Beware!
VW Passat B6 with 2.0T engine is the worst car ever. I owned it for 15k miles when engine suddenly died on a highway. Only 79k miles and the car suffered catastrophic engine failure, which is not worth repair. The car was well maintained, oil changes every 5k miles, a lot of money spent on repairs. On craigslist you will find more passat's that need engine replacement than working ones. Beware of VWs.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
German Engineering at Japanese Pricing
Admittedly have only driven the car 6K miles, but must say, am more than pleased. Well thought out with ever so many clever features that make car seem like it knows you. Sweetest engine I've driven - excellent power due to great low end torgue via turbo charger. Rides like on rails, yet seems like larger luxury ride. One needs to keep an eye on options (can escalate pricing rapidly) and bargain aggressively - with that in mind, pricing is quite attractive and competitive.
Nice car, very poor reliability (RUN AWAY!!)
So my parents bought me a 09 Passat as my first car, it was very nice, clean inside and out, I loved how the car drove and handled, it had plenty of power for me and room as well, but let’s look at the reliability aspect, JD power has the reliability a 2/5 which is rather low and I would soon learn how true that was…. The first thing to go was the water pump which was $700 and all the coolant had leaked out while I was out driving, thankfully I was close to home, the second thing to go not to long after that was the electronic throttle body ($600), in this case I had to have it towed because it was in limp mode and I was wayyy to far from my mechanic to drive it there, the third time a WEEK later I had a engine fault come onto my dash and I had to have the valves walnut blasted ($400) given it was a GDI and had never been done the thing was choking itself out and misfiring constantly, it only had 150,000 miles, which isn’t terrible for some cars, but it is for this one… there’s so many other great options other than these such as the Camry or accord, they’re way to expensive to maintain and work on, so STAY WAY
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value