Quote:
Originally Posted by Arctic Fox
I had a Passat once. A B5.5
Every time I looked at it, I wanted to beat it with a baseball bat.
It was the worst car I have ever known - it made me hate Germany.
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Been there, agree 100%. I parked mine for over 7 years after getting another vehicle. I had no intentions of driving it again or selling it whole for next to nothing, but was keeping it for the TDI 1Z drivetrain only for a swap, like into a Caddy pickup, or maybe a Jetta TDI A3. It was on my bucket list.
I only started driving it again recently when it was costing me towards $100/week to drive my Crown Vic. My passat has only two working doors and no windows that work correctly. The driver's window won't go up all the way and slips on stripped gears, one window is unhooked from the motor (since it is shorted to stay down) and slides down when the wedges come loose, Passenger front window is cocked at the top and protrudes out of the track an inch at the top, and passenger rear window won't come up if lowered all the way and only works off the door switch.
My cruise control doesn't work, and my heat is currently stuck 25% on. My a/c isn't working and most of the plastic interior pieces are cracked or has a broken piece out of it. Until recently I only had one working speaker and no heat and a leaking heater core. The stock head lights completely suck and are down right dangerous without auxillary lights. My first gear synchro is about gone, and my second gear is starting to grind. The brakes suck though, and no ABS. Parts are expensive as new Audi parts and there is no longer a supply of Passats at the junkyard, they have all been crushed. Not many older Passats left on the road, the owners have given up on them.
If you lower your expectations, it isn't too bad as a commuter. It actually handles really well and feels stable at speed, and has a ton of cargo room for hauling sh.t. If you don't care about your interior or working accessories, doors, or windows it makes a good dog hauler or muddy bike hauler.