VW Passat 01 Yah or Nah?

Cadzer

I im am thinkg of getting a 01 1.8 T passat.

What are the thinks i should look for?

I was told that the timing belt should be changes at 60,000 miles is this true?

Any help will be Appreciated.

Stevie Dakota

Second hand Passats need to be considered carefully, especially turbo's, engine and suspension issues abound. Try and get one with a warranty, and get a mechanic, preferably one with VW expertise to vet it VERY carefully.

from Honest John...

Petrol engines can hydraulic for an extraordinary reason: water built up in the ventilation plenum chamber due to failure to clear the drains can perforate the seam of the two halves of the brake servo, rust the inside and make the brake pedal hard. That water can then get sucked into the engine if the servo diaphragm becomes perforated. Class action against VAG for this at www.volkswagen-classaction.com

Failing electric locks on tailgates of estates can lead to a discharge that flattens the battery.

Check very carefully for signs of water leaks (feel footwell carpets for damp). May be a structural leak, may be a blocked ventilation plenum chamber drain, or may be because the a/c condenser drain pipe is blocked leading to water being dumped into the footwell. Very important to clear plenum chamber drains of leaves, particularly the one under the battery, as water damage to the ECU can wreck the engine. Many owners remove the plastic plugs from the plenum chamber drains to aid draining.

All 1.8 20V turbos built from around August 2001 to October 2002 can suffer from failure of one or more of the four ignition coils, which lead to a dispute between VAG and a supplier and a severe shortage of coils from November 2002 to January 2003.

keefg

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Check very carefully for signs of water leaks (feel footwell carpets for damp). May be a structural leak, may be a blocked ventilation plenum chamber drain, or may be because the a/c condenser drain pipe is blocked leading to water being dumped into the footwell. Very important to clear plenum chamber drains of leaves, particularly the one under the battery, as water damage to the ECU can wreck the engine. Many owners remove the plastic plugs from the plenum chamber drains to aid draining..

This is the very reason I sold my '01 Passat, I did not like the built in foot spa in the footwell behind the passenger seat :mad:

Ferris

My da had 2 1.8T Passats and both were great cars. The first one did 150k in 3 yrs and the only problem was that the wastegate siezed semi closed on the turbo causing the car to lose power but it never let him down. The 2nd one was '03 and was highline with the half leather seats and that was simply a beautiful car inside and out. I have heard about the coil packs going but its a well recognised and easily diagnosed fault thats not expensive to put right.

They're a good reliable car with great power for overtaking etc. Also will get 35mpg easily.

Leaks to the rear footwell are caused by a faulty pollen filter seal or by the drain holes beside the pollen filter blocking up. Its an easy fix. Also less likely to happen if the car is parked facing downhill.

Cadzer

Stevie Dakota wrote: »

Second hand Passats need to be considered carefully, especially turbo's, engine and suspension issues abound. Try and get one with a warranty, and get a mechanic, preferably one with VW expertise to vet it VERY carefully.

Dad's a mechanic so that sorted and comes with 6 mth warranty and full service before sale.

Very interesting about the water around the footwell ,defo keep an eye out for that.

Thanks alot boys!
Great help

If you can think of anything else please post!

jrar

I've just had the water in the footwell experience in my '03 Passat ! See separate thread started yesterday morning for more details...............

big mug of T

One thing is ensure that the timing belt is done as its a big job on a passat as the whole front of the car needs to be removed to get at it. If you are having it done after buying it make sure all other belts are changed at the same time (cost of actual belts is relatively cheap) and expect to pay 7 or 8 hundred for the complete job

Drove a 01 1.8T sportsline for a couple of years
Thought it was fantastic, loads of space, loads of power and had zero trouble with it.
go for it!

homer90

big mug of T wrote: »

Drove a 01 1.8T sportsline for a couple of years
Thought it was fantastic, loads of space, loads of power and had zero trouble with it.
go for it!

+1

Currently driving this model (2001) 0 problems so far, 15k in 7 months and now showing 74000k. On some trips I manage to get a trip computer claim of 40mpg + but more often than not I get 35-38 mpg
All in all, in my view, a good car with a bit of power to match.

Tea drinker

A good service history (oil changes) is important with this car due to oil sludge problems. I haven't heard of this problem so much in Ireland as I guess we have a colder clime, and I think VW always used 100% synthetic oil in the 1.8t here.

If you are getting the timing belt changed get the water pump (metal impeller) and thermostat done too as they are easy done while timing belt is being done, and not too expensive.

I'm very happy with mine, a lot of the problems listed for the passat, of course affect other cars, I wouldn't be scared.

For the poster with water in his footwell, get it sorted immediately, it will damage electronics mounted under the carpet!!!!!!!!!