Used 2013 Volkswagen Passat Consumer Reviews

Long Haul Cruiser - Philly to Indy on one tank!

I've owned the car for 3 weeks and I'm totally impressed. The diesel engine has plenty of power even though the car is really full size...actually it's nearly the same size as my 2002 S80. After 2 weeks I took it on a round trip from north of Philly to Indy on one tank approximately 650 miles and 45+ mpg crusing 70 to 75 mph most of the way. The car is rated for 40 mpg highway but I'm getting that just driving to and from work at average 35 mph. The exterior looks great, interior is nice quality,comfortable and the fender audio system sounds great. Ride and handling are exceptional.

Just Purchased a 2013 VW Passat SEL Premium

It is all that is advertized. Everything works intuitively and is well laid out. The diesel is GREAT. Kicks butt in a start and I am getting 48 mpg on my second tank full. The seats are comfortable and adjust well. My only issue is that the break pedal is too close to the accelerator and my wide shoe picks up one or the other when I do not want to. I have to be careful to pick up my foot each time.

Not a purchase I would repeat

Unlike the majority of females, I like to "drive" a car. I haven't owned anything that doesn't have a stick in 25 years, with the exception of a brief mind lapse with a Honda Pilot. We special ordered my Passat TDI with a 6 speed manual transmission.I've driven it 85k miles in 2 years. The only two things I like about this car is the cabin room, and the excellent mileage. The back seat space comfortable suits my 6'1" and 5'11" teenagers, and my 8 year old. The turbo lags, there aren't ample charging ports, no memory seats, HATE the stereo touch screen, cheap mirror control, needs a sensor light for re-gen. and on and on. Inside is cheaply made. Exterior is frumpy.

Great car if you know how to take car of it

If you are mechanically inclined is a great car. Most important prevention maintenance. Great car for price and handling. 2013 passat 2.5 5 cylinder. Change oil and all fluids before recommandation. It will last longer. At 85k changed the thorttle valve body. Door lock . Changed. Over all for its price is good. If you don't take care your car go with Japanese car. Please don't forget prevention prevention for all German cars.

Great car, for a good price.

love it .

VW Passat - Great family car with MPG!

I have had this vehicle for about a month now and have around 2800 miles on it. I love the great gas mileage, averaging about 42 combined city/hwy. I have had one repair for a broken rear door lock that was fixed the next day by the dealer and no other issues since then. This car has the most room to the point the kids feel it is too big. Has great trunk space and with the diesel tdi has lots of power off of the line. Nice and quiet and very comfortable to drive and ride in. Very happy with this purchase.

Love this car- lots of great things BUT a few not

Overall I like this car and am happy with the purchase. I think the interior layout is nicer than an accord or camry. I am a big fan of the Mazda6 but it had only one engine option at the time. That being said the Mazda6 may be a better overall choice. The Accord V6 has better shifting/acceleration from a stop and the Camry I am sure will last longer with lower maintenance costs. I am 6'7 and I can sit in the back without moving my seat from the location I had it in the front. Thus for tall people, or people with rear-facing child seats this car is great! I like the simple but stylish interior - to be expected in a VW. The DSG transmission is great once moving BUT there is a lag when moving from a start that isnt great and takes some getting used to. The trunk is HUGE (I can get a large stroller or a dual stoller in there). The price was very good - I bought a CPO with 11,000 miles. The navigation/entertainment system is slow - especially the back-up camera. It takes so long that you may just reverse without it..... an improvement in processing speed of the unit would be great. Also the HVAC isnt as solid as VW's of the past (I've had 5). The AC will eventually kick in but in hot temps over say 85/90 it can take upwards of 15-20 minutes. So... overall I recommend this vehicle. The newer 4cyl is a great option as well that addresses some of these issues.

Exceeded Expectations

Purchased this car in March 2013 after starting new job with longer commute (about 80 miles a day). Have been impressed with MPG's for this car. My overall average for the car has been almost 45 mpg. I have found the mpg display in car to be about 2-3 miles off (i.e. shows 49, in reality 46-47 when checking at fill up). The car is comfortable to drive, handling is reasonable (it's no sports car but at same time it's not a Buick from the 1990's either). The interior materials are above average. The navigation system is OK but lags behind the latest technology. The DSG transmission is quick, the only complaint is when you stop and suddenly accelerate, it can stumble for a second or two.

Not the worst car on the road

I was skeptical at first when I test drove the Passat TDI. BMW/Audi/Mercedes all offer diesels, but not one of them will mate it to a manual transmission (at least here in the colonies). That is a key selling point to me, so VW won my bid. I do get people telling me to check on my engine, because it sounds a little rough, then I tell them its a diesel, its supposed to sound like that, then they go in for a closer inspection and see the stick and generally get surprised. The cabin does tend to get a little loud on the freeway, the bluetooth is iffy, at best and I can't have a sunroof with a manual trans. Small price to pay for that gas milage, so I don't really complain much

Understated Head-Turner

I don't see many Passats where I live, so people do a double-take when they see it. Despite what critics think of its understated styling, most of the people that see mine are impressed by its looks and clean lines. I just don't think it photographs well though unless you know how to work the clean lines. The diesel's excellent fuel mileage, German-driving feel, and cavernous rear interior space are what sold us on the TDI SE Passat. It's great for our family of 5, almost negates the need for a larger crossover SUV. Free satellite radio for 90 days and 3 years free preventative maintenance also adds some value.

Big Mistake

My wife @ I were in the market of purchasing a family sedan and ended up choosing the Passat SE. At first, it was a toss up who loved the car more-my wife or kids. The stereo system is awesome-the sunroof w/ its variable selections is right on, the way it handles a curve in the road or tight turns is very impressive and the leather seats are extremely comfy. At 29,000 miles the brakes started making that squeaking sound(rotors/pads required replacement) headlights are on recall from VW, the paint chips very easily and random computer messages keep popping up on the dash for no apparent reason. Just today the battery went dead and needs replacing. Trading it in on 2014 Ford Fusion SE!!!

Nice car

Good overall car, gets good mpg on the highway 30+ with the VR6. Fender sound system real good. No Xenon lighlights on a car that cost $36k. Navigation is extremely slow. Trunk extremely deep.

Time will tell

I just bought my Passat 2 weeks ago. My husband had been looking for us a new car and trade in our KIA Minivan with 191,000 mi. We travel. Was disappointed in the 3yr 36k mile warranty. Having a Kia was use to the 100K warranty. Shopped several dealerships and decided on the Passat TDI SE. Just to find the right color. Well found a dealer 1 hr away from us that offered a FREE Lifetime warranty on Engine and Transmission. Since we keep our cars a long time this was great. Well 2 weeks and 1000 miles first tank was 41 mpg city and hwy. Have noticed the 51+ on the display screen but we keep our mileages in a book. Love it Room Good Ride and Excellent quality inside and out. Will keep posing

Buyer beware

I bought my second Passat on 2013 - a TDI Diesel for the mileage since I have a long work commute. The cost of my checkup last year by the dealer was ~$600 since they are the only ones that can add the blue liquid stuff. I just had to take it in 12 months post the expensive checkup because the blue tank heater stopped working and this cost ~$1400. Outrageous. And everyone I talk to that owns or has owned a TDI had to replace the same part. Defective part coupled with bad engineering. I will not be buying another VW product.

The Perfect Car

I have had this car for a few days, and it is everything I had hoped for. It is a replacement for one that fried a wiring harness on the way home from the dealer, which I'm sure was a fluke. The mileage is for real, it's built like a tank, and it's a blast to drive. Add to that the free maintenance for 36k miles and the price, and you'll have a hard time beating it. I looked at everything from Kia to BMW, and nothing else comes close to this combination of features, fuel economy and price. I would buy this car again in a heartbeat...actually, I did.

1 year report

After driving for a year and 20k miles here's my take on the Passat TDI. It takes bumps like a pickup truck, corners like a boat, and the technology of a car from 1990. Every time it rains the water rolls off of the roof and into the car when getting in/out or stopping at a drive-through. Is there anything good about this car????? Yes, the amount of space for passengers and luggage is enormous and I get the same milage as all those hybrids but I don't have to worry about a $7K battery swap in a few years. Bottom line buy if you're looking for space mad mileage. Plenty of other choices if tech or performance is higher on your list.

I love my passat

I got my TDI SEL Premium a month ago. It is just great, I was looking for a family car but I wanted something that was not that flashy that after a couple of years would look dated. In my opinion the passant is very modern but yet is conservative. I expect this car to still look fine in the future. It drives very nice, at every moment you know what is happening around, the steering is precise and it has been very well tuned. The DSG is just smooth and precise. All the controls are well laid out and very easy to read. The seats are supportive and there's a lot of space for both front and rear passengers. The cabin is luxurious. It is difficult to beat the 40-48 mpg I'm getting!!

Awesome Car

Good car but not a great car.

I like this car but do not love it. It is smooth, has well thought out controls, is spacious, looks good, and drives well but i'm not sure if it is still the pick of the class. The big let down is the five cylinder power train. The mileage isn't great, the engine isn't as smooth as the Honda four i've come from, the power output is poor for something with five cylinders, and the transmission is slow to shift. No verdict yet on reliability. The car feels well made but VW cars have not always lasted. Only time will tell.

Bland Car

So i got this Passat because I was upside down on my truck trade in by 12k. It was a lease and I thought the Passat would be a good car because they were so well built in the past. Well the car was extremely big for a single guy 5'10 180lbs. The back seat was huge. This car was for a family. The front suspension was too bouncy and the car just floated along like a Buick. The 2.5 liter engine was weirdly displaced, it only had a 5 cylinder. The power was meh, and the MPGs were nothing to brag about. I've had a few BMWs and VWs before this car and the German Engineering was almost non existence in this vehicle. Very disappointing.

Bought on the fly

Bought this while on travel out of state, when my Volve gave the ghost. Rather happy with it. It is roomy and comfortable.

Solid Powertrain but Beware the ROAD Noise/build quality

First diesel like others, can validate the fuel economy (init 2800 mi all tanks >40 MPG mixed highway-city). The experience is muted because the solid powertrain with insulation to quiet the cabin is drowned out by the unacceptable road noise coming from the inferior Hankook tires. I purchased an SEL premium as my 6th VW, just traded in a Passat Komfort and never had any road noise or issues with cabin comfort, delivered Michellin MXM The premium NAV/Fender/Bluetooth/Rear Camera is a joke. The bluetooth died on the third day of ownership during an extended road trip from NJ to GA. Rear Camera delay prevents viewing on backup. Seats lack effective lumbar pillow A bean counter delight.

Troubles, Troubles - Glad I paid for extended warr

I had the turbo go bad....lost the car for 8 days and the price was over $3000 dollars plus motel, rental car, etc. Luckily, subtracting the cost of the monthly extended warranty I saved $1300. Then a month later the pump that supplies the urea to the catalyst converter went bad while I was away from home. Paid to have the check engine light diagnosed, over $100. Part not available and had to be ordered from the factory - nowhere else was allowed to stock the part. I elected to return home to my local dealer that said they do not trust anyones else's diagnosis, so another $100. That repair was $1100. Now I have an appointment scheduled to fix the AC. The dual system....drivers side cold air....passenger side, total heat. Have to drive with the windows down. Heat wins out. Pretty sure they'll have to remove the dash. Glad I'm still paying for the extended warranty. In the details you'll set the Passat has 105,000 miles, but I run only synthetic oil, changed more other than necessary and I've changed the transmission twice with the third time due in 15,000 miles. Over all my wife and I love the car. Well built, but the troubles are causing us to return it to VW in the buyback. We are considering going with a gas model of the Passat or Audi. VW really makes a great cars.

You Get A Lot For A Little

We bought our SE 2nd hand we traded our 2012 Camry 70 k our car had 18K on it and it's a awesome car luv the feel of the ride we also picked up leather & heated seats , sunroof, safer , great deal. At first I thought the service was expensive but you only get them serviced every 10 K vs every 3 K so it all evens out or maybe the vw is a bit cheaper in the long run . It's fun to drive in the sport mode , comfortable , good gas mileage , great looking , we now have 53 K on it with no problems . Only wish it had a back up camera . They don't hold there value as well as i'd like .

Love this Car!

We are a middle class family who searched for mid-size sedan that would be roomy enough for my 6 foot 3 husband, myself and two kids. we have been driving an SUV but i was getting tired of paying so much for gas. I wanted a luxury feel but at a middle class income price. This was the car that fit all those needs. It's huge. It's actually longer and wider then my Ford Edge. The kids and husband have a ton of room. It's really nice to drive, it has that cozy sports feel drive to it. It grips the road like a glove. I love all the techie touches. The stereo system is great with the touch and blue tooth and all the information if gives you on the dash! This car is great.

Avoid the TDI

The turbo will fail. The radiator fan and subsequently the air conditioning will fail. The Ad-blue heater will fail. The high pressure fuel pump will likely fail. These are all very expensive repairs. I'll not buy a Volkswagen again.

Beware

Do not purchase. Extended warranties will always mean repair bills. Major electrical issues that cant be explained and repair shops often do not notify manufacturer. Read the reviews carefully!

Passat that over here!

I love this car!

Watch out for Passat TDI

Volkswagon knows they have an issue with the Passat and they should do a recall. The issue is with the fuel pump and the high compression. They blame you the consumer and blame you for putting gasoline in a diesel engine. Pump goes then the injectors, watch out stay away.

Good

Over all good car

Great

Good car especially when maintained properly

Bought it used in 2020

We love the ride quality. We love the fuel mileage, 39mpg average over two years. Papa is doing all maintenance. The fluids are expensive,$8 for motor oil - $15 for transmission fluid.

Much better than my 2010 Jetta TDI - not great!

This is one of the most fun cars I have ever had to drive when it was running properly. The cruise control failed shortly after purchase but I didn't bother having it fixed because the same happened 3 times on my 2010 jetta and I gave up. The turbo also failed under warranty as did some interior movable parts. Other reliability issues and high cost of maintenance. I will not buy another VW after 11 other VW's because other vehicles brands have provided much more reliable service fr including Mazda, Ford, Dodge and Toyota. I have purchased 22 vehicles in my life and the 88 Mazda 626, 94 Caravan and 05 Sienna all went 225 miles with zero problems and 2 of them continued for another 100K miles. The most I have ever gotten out of a VW was 165K miles on a 67 with 3 engine changes. In addition, VW dealers have done poor quality repairs several times whereas other brand dealers have never done a bad job. I am now driving a 1990 Ford Ranger which cost $900 daily and it is providing more reliable service than either of my recent TDI's. Update - my 1990 Ranger exploded and burned after I had driven it 43K miles. I now drive a 2001 Ranger which cost $2700. I have just turned 45K miles on it with no trouble - I has 162K miles total.

Would not purchase again

I purchased this 2013 TDI SEL Premium in October 2013. It already had one owner and 32k miles. I now have 45k miles on the car. Fuel mileage is about 40 MPG with 60% hwy 40% city.

Terrible

Don't ever buy a VW. This company is a joke and treats customers like trash.

Beware misaligned driver's seat and steering wheel

I want to love this car but it's hard when the driver's seat and steering wheel are not centered with each other. VW Customer Care admits this is the way the car is made, due to the widening of the body, but without making corresponding adjustments to the steering system. Therefore, the wheel sits to the right of center. VW managed to move my seat 2mm to the right, which helped make it a little less drastic. My loaner Passat had the same problem. I SO WISH I had noticed on the test drive. As for the TDI, wow, it's awesome. But, this car may well be gone as soon as the warranty is up. If you're not OCD like me, then you will love this car. Also, 1 month in and been to shop for rattle fix.

Just bought it

Picked the 2013 Passat SEL TDI premium up at VW of Beaumont last night. Paid 29.9k before taxes 32.2k with taxes and dealer fees. 0% Financing! Wife drove it 95 miles back to Humble Texas and was very impressed with the ride, comfort and features. Most of which she does not know how to use yet! We ran 75-80 most of the way home and registered 43.2 avg mpg for that trip! Drove it at 65 for a stretch and the instant mpg was reading 48.4 consistantly! I am 6'3" 265 lbs and the seating fit me very well. My wife is 5'4" 125 lbs and the seating fit her very well too. I rode in the back seat for a spell and found that it has plenty of room for a big tall person like myself.

Great Choice

I've had this car for just over one year, but have already put 41k miles on it. Had a very small problem early (round 3k miles), where the passenger seatbelt light came on. Dealer fixed it and I've had no problems since. I'm averaging 41mpg (up and down hills/mountains) commuting to work, and I've gotten as high as 55mpg on "normal" trips. MPG under city conditions not as good (avg maybe 32-36), but still not bad. The more you stay on the highway, the better your mpg. Good leg and shoulder room for tall people (I'm 6'3). Seats could be a little more comfortable, but maybe it's because I sit there for longer periods.

Exceeded expectations

My first vw I bought this car in July, 4400 miles and 2 trips from Asheville NC to Orlando later. about 560 miles one way I am very pleased overall. I average 30 Mpg city and 45 on the highway one tank was 51 Mpg. This car does every thing you can ask of it. Plenty of room power and great cruising range of 832 miles with 18.5 Gal tank. just be aware Because of the Automated manual trans car will disengage and roll backwards on very steep hills. my Car will not lock from the outside unless keyless remote is used. Car was 26K OTD with Tax. More than one person thought I paid 40K. VW got this right.

Smooth

Fast stable reliable cool

It ran with the best of them!

Loved my 2013 Passat 2.5L it handles well, heavy low to the ground sleek, not flashy but turned heads with 19' inch OEM custom rims it was well maintained only touched by VW techs cost could be higher end but well worth the care. I've traveled a lot opening up on the highway with Audi, BMW, Honda, and Toyota it held steady till they backed off I'm not afraid to drive put pretty good milage on it and still running strong! I'm in the process of getting my 3rd Passat I won't turn back Volkswagens till the end. FYI ( 2012-2015 ) strong durable engines find one with low milage, well maintained they run brand new.

Everyone is "WOW'ed" by my car

LOVE this car so much! Amazing gas mileage that gets better as the engine gets broken in, and it's super roomy! People sit behind my 6'3 boyfriend and they still have tons of space in the back. Everyone has commented that it rides really smooth as well. People ask, "This is a Volkswagon? WOW! This is super nice!" This car has exceeded my expectations, and I find myself volunteering to drive everywhere because it's so much fun. Edit: As much as I loved this car I sold it back during the TDI scandal. Couldn’t pass up getting almost all of my money back on my paid off car and essentially getting it for free for three years.

Love my 3.6

Love everything about my Passat v6. The strong v6 is quick and quite powerful. Beautiful interior with amazing sound system. Plus the interior has more than enough space. Trunk is huge. Back seat is the biggest in its class. I love everything about my Passat.

Great car, great price, and great sales personnel

This was the best car buying experience I have ever had and I highly recommend Hertz in Harvey, Louisiana! My next car purchases will be from Hertz. The car was well maintained but not perfect being a rental/fleet vehicle (minor cosmetic issues). It was priced well, it rides well, and it looks good. Everything works as it should. Passats are very good cars.

Yay ! I bought a car 🤩

This car is super roomy. Has a lot of bells a whistles. I love that it’s sporty but comfortable. Sun roof, heated seats and great sound system.

Worst Car ever purchased

This car has been nothing but a headache. We purchased it after the emission modification. The car has been nothing but a money pit. Cost over $800.just to change the thermostat. Replaced the DEF and now the engine blew. This is a TDI, and if you want to avoid doling out tons of money, steer clear!

Schultz

Of all the cars I've owned over 60 years( and there have been many ), this Passat has been the most dependable, reliable and least troublesome. I will hate to part with it if and when I have to.

Great Ride

Great Ride all round

Family Car

Great, Relaible

100% synthetic oil change required