2005 Volkswagen Passat consumer reviews

The TDI is a good buy with its excellent gas mileage, and will easily go to 200,000 miles if maintained well, but the 1.8 4 cylinder turbo is obviously riddled with issues mainly engine related. Synthetic or not these engines are highly prone to spinning out cam shafts and oil pump failures due to sludge that accumulates in the engine. The typical repair for these is 7-12,000 dollars and VW has such strict requirements for the warranty to be applicable that most people end up footing the bill for the engine failures. It's pretty unusual for an engine to be failing at 30,000 miles and yet if you do your research you can find many incidents were this has happened. On the bright side the outside is well designed the rest of the mechanical parts of the car are well built and the interior smartly layed out and plush euro styling make this car very smart looking. The car does suffer from terrible turbo lag and very irregular milage in and around the city and highways. This car must be run on premium gas as well which with todays high fuel prices kind of a downside as well.

V6 wagon GLX. most comfortable seat I ever had. love the steering, handling & pickup. great highway car. Plagued by electrical failures - cam sensors, fans, emissions, cruise, door locks : most related to wiring problems rather than bad parts, but the first fix is always to replace the related parts ($) and its the second round that attacks the real problem. Tach/Speedo is hard to read in daylight - poor contrast. I'm going to miss driving this one... but I'm getting to know the tow truck guy too well.

This is my 4th VW and I absolutely love it! I have had 2 Jettas and this is my second Passat and everyday I drive it, the better it gets. I have had numerous cars, from Acura, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Chevy and VW's surpass them all. This car has excellent build quality and performance. Before buying this 2005 Passat, I looked at the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3-series and this was the best choice. I have not had a problem with this car and I will definitely continue to purchase VW products.

I purchased this car used in 2006, but it only had like 12,000 miles on it. As soon as I sat in this car and went for a test drive, I was hooked. All my friends love my car and it still rides like new. I don't know, but I have never had any issues. I take care of it though. Many people do not. I hope this car drives for another 100,000 miles, as I will be sad when it's gone.

I have had my 2005 for about a year now. It was turned in as a lease. I have not had any problems and am now a VW person. This is such a comfortable car to drive and sharp looking. I'd recommend to anyone to look at used ones, since all cars are so expensive now!!

Reliablity isn't it's strong point. Back to the Dealer more times than I can think to list. Over priced and not to fast off the line. If you think that your money isn't worth much then buy this car.

We purchased a new 05 passat wagon 1.8 Turbo manual which now has 45k on it. Great ride and handling. Very comfotable and roomy for 5 and dog, especially in the rear seating and luggage area. Gas mileage averages about 26 mpgs. Have had 3 engine light minor issues all covered. Dealer has been great.

We decided it was time to get out of our behemoth SUV and find a stylish wagon that could still haul groceries and camping gear when needed. We also wanted much higher fuel economy. We looked at the Mercedes C-series wagon, The Jaguar Sport Wagon, , but decided to go with the V6 GLX Passat Wagon with all the goodies. Great decision! Gorgeous interior with incredibly comfy leather seats, loaded with features including Monsoon stereo, Dual Power Heated Seats, auto-sensing wipers, sunroof..just amazing. The side curtain airbags provide an extra measure of safety. My wife liked it much better than the C-series Benz and she felt the interior was as luxurious as the Jag. We ended up saving thousands over the price of the other Euro-Wagons. The bonus was when we also realized a 50% improvement in fuel economy over our old SUV, while still having the power of a V6. No issues with the car after 15,000 miles of driving-just oil changes and tire rotation. Couldn't be happier. Get a Passat Wagon if you can find one. They're rarer than the sedan but worth every penny!!

The ride, drive and handling of this vehicle is amazing.The monsoon audio system is adequate but not exceptional.VW's seams to have reliability issues but diesel engine are known to last for a long time with proper care.I haven't any problem yet.The EPA fuel economy is an understatement.I got 42/43 MPG's cruising on the freeway.