Top 5 Failures 1998-2005 Passat B5/B5.5
Vložit
- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- We jump back in to Failed VW Parts. This time we are talking about the common problems with VW Passats. We cover 1998-2005 Passat 1.8t, V6, W8, and TDI failures. Plus a rapid fire of recalls and a lot of other issues
For full show notes visit the blog at ~
Sponsor of the day ~ shopdap.com/
/ deutscheautoparts
Join me as we breakdown:
~This is one of the most expensive VWs to own
~Passat Oil leaks
~Passat Water leaks
~Passat Suspension links failing
~1.8t Passat Engine sludge
~Passat Rear brake wear
~Rapid fire ~ Passat Recalls
~Rapid fire ~ A lot of other issues
~I LOVE my B5.5 Passat
~and more
Humble Mechanic Podcasts
• The Humble Mechanic Po...
Project White Wookie ~ MK3 GTI Videos
• MK3 Project Car Walk A...
Failed VW parts videos
• How VW Parts Fail
Tool Reviews
• Tool and Product Reviews
How To videos
• How To Fix Your Car
MK1 VR6 Swap Videos
• VR6 Engine Swap MK1 Ca...
Follow me on:
The Blog
humblemechanic.com
INSTAGRAM
/ humblemechanic
FACEBOOK
/ humblemechanic
TWITTER
/ humblemechanic
GOOD STUFF ON AMAZON
goo.gl/5304Qw (affiliate) - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Got my B5 01 V6 GLX 5speed in high school…sheesh 10 years ago now. 220k on it now, original clutch and honestly very few issues. None that you mentioned other than oil leaks which I took care of early on and haven’t had an issue since, water as well has never been an issue. I owe a lot to the first owner, he really cared for it well and it’s truly never been abused. I’ve leaned over the years how to really get the max out of it without hurting it, lots of fun memories and still making more. Best money I ever spent.
My dad bought new a B5 1.9 TDI (euro) and I bought it from him. I totally loved that car. All I remember what parts that car needed was fan clutch, MAF sensor, brake pads and discs, two upper control arms and others were just regular scheduled maintenance like oils and filters. It had 15k kilometer service interval for oil change. That car was late 2000's model and my honest opinion is that car was pretty low maintenance required than compared to my current Audi A6 C6.
Just got the verdict this morning. My 2004 2.0 Passat wont make it through next inspection. 460'000 kilometres. I've grown in to the seat so bad, that other cars just feel wrong. I'm just not willing to spend 2k€ to fix a 200€ car.
I have had my 1.8 99 wagon since the day I learned to drive, she's still going strong at 338k and can still get to 120mph no problemo
Damon P I am so glad to hear that cuz I just bought one today.
I bought one a couple weeks ago myself. 02 manual with 179xxx on it. obviously its not perfect but I really like it.
Just picked up an 05 auto last month. First auto I've ever owned an I dig it!
What kind of black magic mods did you do to get that performance?
I have 335000 on mine
1.9 TDi is legendary engine. I have the 1999 wagon version with 342 000 km. I bought it last year and it is my first car. I love it, very comfortable, reliable and has some punch with that engine upgrade to some 160 bhp. I can only recommend this car for new drivers that drive often long distances, we are going to Italy this summer for holidays, I know it won't let me down. Great video too!
No Bullshit Promotions So it didn't let you down,right ?
I can agree, the 1.9 TDi and 1.9PdTDi are legendary good, the V6 is shit, the 2.0 TDi also not so good
1.9 TDi is unkillable. I guess mine has around 500 000 km and still no repair done on the actual engine assembly
My 2000 1.9 tdi has 560 000 km on it and it runs fine.
my first car too, love it :D
I agree I love my B5.5 wagon. It drives so nice. Changing the entire control arm set and front shocks this weekend. Got a little over fuelling issue too so a good look at this too. All worth it because it's such a great drive. 1.9tdi 2004. Just gone over 200k great video
My 2000 1.8 Passat experienced every single issue you covered. Damn.
Just bought my first car; 01 1.8 wagon at 118k miles. Replaced rear breaks, vacuum hose, spark plugs, both front end tire rods, new windshield, even the antenna. Best part was the valve cover gasket. Brittle hard, disintegrating and leaking oil. All is fine and well now. Hope to get to at least 230k with her.
Just inherited one today, surprise! Hope I can figure it out makes me feel better hearing you own one
I had a 2001 v6, great car but was a nightmare in repairs
Thank you for being honest about the industry.
Rasto Lauf to do a thermostat on my b5 wagon the VW dealer would of charged 3-4 hours of labor. Saying a whole bunch of things would have to be removed to do the job including the alternator . I did it myself, I only had to remove one hose and it took me about 45 minutes. Just needed some long extensions. They really get you at the dealerships.
I have a 2000 VW passat. It gives me so many problems, especially electrical, but I love my baby and gold she handles. I've also owned mine longer than any other car. Even when I get a newer car, I still want to keep her to toy around with.
What I've done to my b5 Passat in the first year of ownership.
Timing service/water pump
Coils
Plugs. Copper bkr7e ngk
Both CV shafts
Upper control arms
Outer tires rods
Rear calipers/rotors/pads
Exhaust downpipe and 3" test pipe
Serpentine belt/tensioners
New silicone vacuum lines/forge valve
Cone filter and custom heat shield
Pcv valve
2 window regulators.
Boost guage
Stage 1.5 Malone software
So yeah. Extremely upside down in my investment. No regrets. I learned a lot and have a reliable fun manual transmission sedan now. But yeah. If your not a mechanic you might want a Corolla instead. Lol.
MY advice to any VW owner. Stay away from the brand "URO". I've had two of their parts fail out of the box within one month. The last time stranding me and my two-year-old daughter. A belt tensioner.
I learned my lesson. Only quality or OE parts from here on out
I think it depends what you are buying, I've had a uro metal impeller water pump in my e30 for 5+ years now no problems.
This is a great post.
I've had all these things and fixed much of it myself. 2000 passat V6 30v. Engine mounts and transmission mounts caused transmission bucking on acceleration which got repaired. Clicking left front was the axle and not the tie rod. My newest issue is seemingly a stuck shut thermostat which evidently is only accessible behind the timing belt on the 2.8l. I need a tune up and new spark plugs. Starting is not immediate. 200k plus miles. My mechanic only solves problems. No upselling.
Hearing these kind of things about a model year of car always scares me from buying one even if I DYI most of my stuff.
Just replaced the Thermostat and did a coolant flush on my 03 1.8L 5 speed manual. Sitting at 169k miles and expecting to replace the rear shocks soon. I love how it drives. The guy who had it before me took great care of it.
Update: did my timing belt a few months ago and replaced the entire power steering system. Yesterday I replaced the valve cover gasket as I had oil leaking into the spark plug holes. Was pleased to see the pleasant gold color on the valve components rather than black sludge! Going to change my oil today and the next project is probably brakes and fluid. my plastic reservoir had a hole on the top which I patched with some epoxy, but I think I should replace it because who knows if another hole could make itself manifest. 201K miles and still purring away!
I've had mine 11 years and still going strong. Not one bit of rust on her! She's so well made. Definitely over engineered and if I won the lottery I would keep her. I'd also buy a Porsche 911 of course!!😉👍
I've been slowly restoring a 99 Passat for a close friend and this video is right on the money. At 140K miles it leaks oil like a sieve, I had to modify and clear out all of the sunroof drains, replace bad tie rod ends, and it's needing new rear brake pads. The water on the controle modules is worrying as I've had to reset the tiptronic system twice and so far it hasn't come back.
So far I've had to:
Replace the headlight units and turn signals (that's expected at least for a composite headlight car)
Fix the Sunroof
Fix the Folding Mirrors (they would get stuck inwards)
Replace THREE window regulators
Re-install numerous pieces of trim.
Replace all four of the VW emblems on the wheels (the all fell off)
Reglue the sideview mirror glass back on.
Convert the rain sensing wipers back to intermittent wipers after the rear-view mirror broke and the mount was removed (which housed the rain sensor).
The radio buttons are falling off
It needs new bumpers (bad respray job after a minor fender bender)
Once it gets new struts, tires, tie rod ends, and rear brakes and new gaskets it'll be good as new until something else fails I guess! It's a shame because it's a blast to drive but the previous owner before he got it absolutely trashed the thing, inside and out. I'm used to working on 80s body on frame sedans, not these actually-engineered German cars!
2000 B5 wagon, ATW. Apparantly they had an issue with dodgy ignition coils. I got tired of replacing them on a yearly basis. I purchased the next generation coils and adapter plate from ECS, no issues for years now. I highly recommend swapping them out. Keeps the pesky blinking CEL away!
I bought a 2004 1.8t 5 speed for 800$. Car has 340,000 (mi) on it. Only issues so far are rear brakes, flex pipe after first cat rusted out, and one of the old boost hoses has cracked since I bought it(currently use the car 4-5 hours daily WITH this still broken ).Other than that, car runs like a top ! Strong cars. The transmission shifts perfectly it’s almost nuts how smooth it is for the mileage.
Im buying a 2004 B5.5 sedan tomorrow with nice specs with the 1.8t engine for 700€ and it has 300k kilometers on it, would you say its worth since you got yours?😌
Up here in NY the lack of shims on the rear caliper bracket combined with our famous corrosion means uneven pad wear, soft pedal etc from the pad essentially wearing a divot into the bearing surface of the caliper bracket. So you get to replace the pads, rotors, and brackets. Cars with shims on that bearing surface will often get so tight from corrosion here that the pad will seize and burn up, but at least you can fix that cheaply enough by sandblasting the bracket and returning it to service.
I viewed this video not long after I bought my used '05 2.8L V6 Passat, and it gave me an idea of what to expect. We're now 3 years later, and I have replaced the brake pads on all 4 corners, the rear shock absorbers, the passenger side transmission shaft, the ignition block, the fuel injectors, the MAF sensor, the solenoid purge valve, the PCV valve and hose, the engine and cabin air filters, spark plugs, fuel filter, and even the valve cover gaskets, and the automatic transmission control module. Except for catalytic converters and 02 sensors, I have done all other work myself. I also do my own oil and filter changes.
I am not complaining. I have done most of the work as preventive maintenance, because I found out after I bought the car from a private seller that he wasn't much for maintenance on the vehicle. It recently passed the state emissions test, and it's performing rather nicely. It has some zip, though it doesn't have it like my Volvo turbo models. Still, the Passat is a nice car, and it's fun to drive. Oh. I almost forgot: I corrected the sunroof water drains issue myself as well.
How you solved drainage problem?
@@Magster2447 Hi.
The drain tubes have pinch type ends, and they exit by the door pillars near the door hinges. Unless you live in the desert, that's where organic debris collects, such as flying maple seeds and leaves. It doesn't take long for those pinch tubes to clog. First, snip off those pinch ends very carefully without damaging anything or scratching the paint. Then, slide the sunroof back, and while using a step stool, look for the drainage holes in the sunroof channel. Using a flexible length of insulated electrical copper wire (#14 should do it) push it gently through each drain tube until it exits at the end of the drain tube near the door pillar/hinge. You might have to make a reducer with duct tape or similar to connect a small hose to your standard garden hose. Run a GENTLE stream of water inside the drain tubes until all debris is cleaned out. Do not push forcefully, or you will disconnect the rubber drain tube from the channel under the roof liner. This cannot be overemphasized! All of the foregoing instructions are offered for anyone to use them completely at their own risk.
@@lorenzoparedes2306 Thank you!
1999 V6 Passat was my 1st new car and I still miss it, 4 years after letting it go. Replaced with a B6 that I've just never warmed to.
Thanks for the video. I was fortunate to not face huge problems with mine though my AC never worked consistently.
+mattk04 yeah the B5 and B5.5 was the best year for the Passat in my opinion.
I think that the oil leaks and the sludging had a common cause, namely that the crank case ventilation system did not work very well. The crank case became pressurised and shoved oil out every which way and caused the sludging. Mine did 185 k before I dumped it, the engine was fine and oil tight but the suspension...
I have the 2004 model (december) 1.9 TDI never had any problems besides the front suspension,the engine is great my did 330.000 km and no problems here
I guess I'm lucky that my 2001 1.8T has had none of the five issues mentioned. I've always used full synthetic and 100 octane fuel (EU rating, I'm not sure how that converts to the US denomination). I recently replaced the MAF and every related rubber tube, as they were starting to disintegrate from age, but other than that, the engine is doing well, and uses basically zero oil, which is unbelievable. Chassis has had no rust, with the exception of front side panels. It was nothing critical and only visible from underneath, but I've had both front panels replaced so that it's not on my mind anymore.
1999 Audi B5.5 30V V6 here...
Fixed my rear brake problems by modifying the rear brake brackets and pads to accept slider plates (shims). Chronic front upper control arm failures, improved by using Meyle Heavy Duty parts. Got an annoying rear-end squeak? Replacing the rear coil-over shocks with NEW LOWER SHOCK BUSHINGS fixed mine. (Lower shock bushings aren't available by themselves). Have never found a solution to the chronic front CV Axle issues. Constant battle with oil leaks. So tired of buying or having to make special tools. Torque to yield specs on wheel bearing bolts will make the bearings fail early. Torqued mine to 185 ft-lbf and haven't had a bearing fail since. Fixed the sloppy shifter problem by tightening a beefy zip-tie around the worn plastic shifter ball cup. (Works great).
If you like working on cars and you're technically adept, these cars can run a long time. Otherwise they end up in the junk yard. (For parts!)
Man, I owned a base '99 B5 1.8T to 232k miles and I only had to replace the clutch and an axle. It's been my most reliable car! Crazy to hear has such a poor reliability record. I took the valve cover off at 180k and didn't see any sludge up there. I ended up giving it away due to a problem with the power delivery that I just couldn't track down. Also I totally agree it's an awesome car to drive. I miss that old gal.
Trevor Nickerson I also feel my '04.5 AWM is the most reliable car I've owned. The repairs needed are minute compared to American cars.
Ours is great, as well -- you just need to take proper care of them.
Was it the epc light?
Dont forget the ABS Module, lol
joey zielinkski I need a new one for mine as I write this.
I have a b5 s4 and some of these sound familiar.
I need one too lol ABS is def faulty
joey zielinkski what is your car doing. I was r old I need one for my 02 Passot wagon . It stalls at 35 and 50mph and if I tap the brake it comes out of it
Definitely just the electronic module, as the main pump is almost always okay. (Difference between $600 and $1500 part)
No sludge but mine has the other 4. Plus: flex pipes after first cat, clamps after second, engine mounts and voltage regulator. Nothing expensive to fix yourself but time consuming. Fortunately there's lots of information online on how to fix these common issues.
It's a shame such a supposedly well-designed and over-engineered car ended up having so many design problems. I have a 2005 Passat TDI and it drives fantastic! I always equate it to a poor man's BMW, driving-wise. Gets great fuel mileage at the same time. Yeah, some oil leaks, transmission rebuild, a few drive shafts, window regulator, door lock mechanisms, A/C, and random check engine lights every few months. Other than those design flaws, seems to be built like a tank.
Love the car! 🚘
Instablaster.
Great info! I have a 99 B5 Passat by 2.8L manual since 1999 and love it. I've always wanted a 2005 TDI but wasn't sure it would be reliable etc. Good to hear it can be good!
Great vid!!! I've had my 2001 passat 2.8l v6 30 valve for about a couple of months now. Apart from my punch list (Valve cover leakage and so on), I think it has a lot of potential.
Hey just curious to see if your punch list has grown or if your B5 V6 has treated you well? There is an inexpensive one for sale locally and has a laundry list of repairs already made to it. I'm thinking about rolling the dice. it's '99 v6 30v i've heard that it's terrible and people love it. VW owners we're a special breed
Convenience module under water, been there done that, got the (wet) tee shirt. The problem with mine was there was a factory made splice in the wires going to/from the module to the central locking. This was inadequately sealed, so it corroded apart. Two hours to get to it, ten minutes with a soldering iron and and self amalgamating tape to repair.
And don't start me on the front suspension...
Good video man.. I see all these problems in mine now...lmao... I got power issue figured out .. Wires from the radio were hooked directly into the obd2's power wire. These ended up rubbing metal dash frame and grounded out and melted in turn kept the fuse blowing .... Thanks for getting back to me and trying to shed some light on the issue for me...👍🏼👍🏼
I own an 05 Tiptronic wagon as my first car and I loved the hell out of it. I did have the rear brakes issue listed here so I replaced all pads and rotors, and I also had to replace both CV axels (one of which literally fell apart when it was removed, lol). Finally the transmission failed and I'm currently trying to find someone who's willing to put some love into her and get her back on the road. It breaks my heart to have to see her go, but I just couldn't keep up with the big maintenance issues and the transmission ended up being the nail in the coffin for me. Better to sell her to someone who's willing to breath life back into her rather than send her to her deathbed at some junkyard though... :(
best model to , someone hits you rear ender 80kmh but build like tank :)
reliable regardless . very safe.
My passat 3bg is now 300.000km (1.9 tdi 130hp) 13 years old and nothig major to report. Only the water leaks.. Usualy the drains clog during summer. Ahh and one repaired aletrnator, one rubber engine mount desintegrated and 2 cv joints left side... Too much torque for that particular part. cluch is still the original. Work horse! Love that car!!!
Like you, I absolutely love my 2003 B5.5 Passat Wagon. Owned since new, I've only experienced the premature rear rotor wear at 20,000 KMs, none of the other issues. Pushing 315,000 KM now and still runs like a top. It probably helped that I bought the 1.8T with manual trans. I upgraded to the larger oil filter as soon as I heard about the sludge issue years ago, and I only use 5w40 synthetic. The only other big issues I had was coil pack failure and fuel pump failure around 33K, both covered by warranty. Since then, I've learned to repair all the minor stuff myself, front & rear brakes, new secondary AC fan, clogged rear washer nozzle, seized handbrake cable, cracked coolant bottle, seized hood latch, broken oil dipstick shaft. Had the dealer do the timing belt and inner & outer CV boots, too big a job for me. Still on original clutch, getting ready to pass this wagon down to my son, we'll see how long that clutch lasts!
I have been using the monstrous Mann 950/4 oil filter for 17 years. Even better (i.e., bigger) than the recommended upgrade.
Was once the second owner of a 2005 1.8T 4Motion up in Canada... One of 198 (or something like that) total. Loved that car, but def. got scared off by the nightmare maintenance stories.
almost had all of these issues you pointed our on my v6 2.8 :)
Tdi cam wear and failure.
TDi coolant flange failure due to tandem pump leaks
Your channel, VW Vortex, Passatworld, and RossTech have been huge time and money savers for me.
Thank you!!!
I have a 2002 2.8 v6 4motion estate, mine has 3 out of these top 5, also I might add blowing exhaust from front flexi pipe which seems to be a common vw thing... but, it does everything I want, towbar for bike rack, roof rails for kayak, quick enough, comfortable, will go anywhere in any weather, it's a beast, affectionately known as Mëin Fuhrër 🤭🤭
I love my 2002 Passat, it runs great except for one thing. The trans bumps a little bit, not hard at all when shift between second and third. Maybe I should bring it in for a fluid change and service. They are great little cars. One piece of advice never cut the wheel all the way, just take the time and make more point turns. Less strain on the front ends. I swear it makes the front end last longer.
Yes, get a full pan drop and filter change, not just a tranny fluid drain-and-flush.
I’ve never had a VW before . . . Thanks to this info I’ll never get one, I was looking at a 2002 Passat.
Bad one to start with for sure.
It’s a great car but man they need a lot of love. And sadly most are in poor shape now. :(
I have a B5 AFN110 and from far, the best motor I had in my life!
Reaching 500.000kms and still with a lot of health!
But yeah, lots of cronical problems... Control arms, water leaks and comfort module replaced twice, micro switches that suck, and a lot more...
But I can't let it go, it's an amazing motor and I love it!
Love that car, Wana sale?
Sure, you just have to ship it to your country cause it's in my country, Portugal. 😁
How much is it going for?
2500€
Which model?
I have a 2005 volkswagen passat v6 and just had to replace my alternator at 96k miles, also tons of oil leaks, but I love my car
Passat: my brakes are awful
2002-2006 Camry: hold my rotors
Hahahha
My 2003 1.9 TDI B5 3B3 just turned 300,000KM on the clock last week, drives like new and the car never even smelled a service garage before 😂
NICE!!! The B5 is such an awesome car when it's right.
Mine is nearly on 400.000km, all it need to reach the big 0 is about 200km more to go.(1.9 tdi)
I thought you were going to bash my 1.8T when you said you have the same car, instant upvote :D (mine is from 1998, have 80 k miles on it, and I love my car)
Recommended oil filter for the 1.8T: Mann 950/4 -- takes a full quart on pre-fill, pushes my total oil capacity (to the top of the hash on the dipstick) to about 4.3 qt. A slight pain to remove and replace, since it barely clears the left engine mount, but I have been using these for 15 years now. WIX 51333 is similar in size.
I literally have 4 of these 5 problems with my passat :/ water damage is the worst and should be a recall..
This water leak issue is caused by the lower windshield plastic cover. This cover is over the firewall plastic cover that covers the battery from side to side. This specific windshield cover loses grip on that passenger corner and water that slides down goes into the heater fan and into the side of the globe compartment to the passenger floor. It can be confused by a sunroof drainage leak / clog. This video explains how to remove that specific cover czcams.com/video/JLQvkrktL9Q/video.html min 2.20
cold start misfire! cranks fine the second time around! 99 1.8t
I know VW sold about 3 B5/B5.5 Passats for every 4 MKIV Jetta, but when I worked at various repair shops, I would have thought that 10 MKIV Jettas were sold for every B5/B5.5 Passat sold.
I figured that making a German car inside Germany made the difference. I thought that VW simply couldn't control quality outside their home country. Honda and Toyota figured out how to do it, but not VW for some reason. I have heard that the early Mercedes Benz M-class also had problems due to not making them in their home country.
I got a passat b5 4motion v6 wagon as a first car and im still working on it vag-com or vcds is a life saver since ive runned into so many issues with this car but i love it so much
LOL, those poor Passats were crazy expensive to maintain and repair. But damn do I love mine.
wow, I just bought a used 02' wagon...this depresses me, lol.
Don't worry every single car needs Maintenance inorder to lastlonger; its a machine and every single machine needs Maintenance regarles of the brand of the car.
I baught a 02 passat i need to buypass the immollizer i have little money and no keys it was stolden they broke the ignition out and it will try to start then die can i dis conect the anti theft. Immolbizer and cri e it. That way for a while till i get the mony to fix it
Beware of water leak
3 years later, and I sold the car after using it for almost 2 years. I was very happy with it :) it was an incredibly reliable beater, the only issues I had the entire ownership was with the brakes and interior falling apart. That little motor was a gem, I really wish I would've kept it a while longer, but I needed a truck. I got exactly the amount I bought it for, back. Current owners put some money into it and now use it as a daily.
@@ABCDEFGHIJKELA... thanks for the update!
Great video! Please do more on the Passat!
I will. She needs some maintenance this year. Brakes, oil leaks, timing belt and such
Charles, just hit 200k miles on my 2001 V6. I've had it since 45k. It's been a great car, but expensive to maintain. But as long as you maintain them they are good cars. Just did a whole gasket job that you gave me some advise on, an I got all 4-6 oil leaks fixed, it's dry for the first time! My rear pads/rotors got changed at about 80k and again at 180k. No water leaks, and I live in Oregon (fingers crossed)! New whole front suspension at about 160k. It's been a B!$@h to work on, we have a love/hate relationship. I love my B5, it's been a good car!
+Nick Schneider :) A love/hate relationship is how many folks feel/felt about the B5!
+HumbleMechanic Very true! Haha
Remember the heater cores? Those clog up and you need to pull the dash to replace them, very expensive fix and they all go bad. ;)
before my uncle goes with his passat to the yearly inspection, he uses a lot of brake cleaner the day before so he wont have to get it unecessarily fixed
This post rang true for me. Had a 2002 b5.5 v6 4motion that i loved too much. I think I had all 5 of the issues you listed plus the gas tank leak, freaky phantom sunroof opening by itself, door locks going haywire, broken window regulators...etc. I had that car for 11 years and it nearly drove me from the brand because of the maintenance costs. Ultimately I came back and leased a TDI Sportwagen so I feel pretty hosed again. I hope VW cleans up its act and gets a fix for the diesels soon!
+bshwayde We had a customer with a similar car. He spent over 10k in repairs over the life of the car. It was sad to add all that up. But he loved that car!
Except for the sludge problem, this was like a diary for my old 2.8 V6.
Also the oil drain plug on the 1.8t is a pain. I strip the plug every time i change my oil. Also the rear output differential seals leak on the 1.8t audis which is a common problem.
I just bought an 02 vr6 Passat. Everything seems to be perfect but, I have an oil leak on my manifold 🤗🤗
B5.5 owner...
Here's what I feel are the top 10 (no order):
Cam chain tensioner gasket (oil leak on mid section of back side of engine).
Secondary air pump (jet engine noise from lower passenger front)-P0441 code "Incorrect flow"
Engine sludge- replace cat and start using synthetic oil after seafoam treatment
Coolant temperature sensor (coolant leak from top part of back side of engine)
Flex pipe crack (loud exhaust sound from middle of car. Replace downpipe that has flex pipe built in)
ABS electronic module goes bad (solid ABS light and flashing EPC light at 5mph after starting engine)
Joint failures on drive axle (replace all control arms with integrated joints)
Drive axle failure (grease on back side of brake/wheel area and metal "clanking" at hard, slow speed turns)
EVAP system leak (check engine light, premature fuel cut off when refueling car, gas smell inside car after refueling)
Strange power loss/hesitation at full throttle in 2nd-4th gears (PCV system clogged, cracks in hard plastic lines, leaking check valves)
I hope this helps someone!
Yea this seems accurate. I've had a B5 for 2 years and so far I've had issues with the cam tensioner gasket, coolant temp sensor, flex pipe (This was partially my fault however), Evap system purge valve issues, and failed PCV system
PCV system, I solved very cheap, like 10-15$. And now drive axle failure. In slow turns I feel clanking
just got a b5 pd115 AJT - has a bunch of receipts, lots includng cv joints.
also went to volksswagen for the drain build up and pollen filter resealing
Had a b5 on a 00 plate, 1.8 20v turbo wagon, had none of these problems, never used a drop of oil, the problem I had with water leeks was the drain in the engine bay fore wall , caught it early and made sure it stayed clear , most reliable car I ever owned
Love those cars, had a B5.5 tdi sport to over 200,000 miles. Apart from a suspension joint at 170,000 I missed out on the rest of those problems! I had other issues though with coolant leaks, seized alternator pulley and a catalytic converter falling off.
Can you do a video on the B5 BHW TDI problems? Also do you know if there is a special Part Number for the special BGW/BHW valve cover with the changeable gasket? The later ones I believe require the valve cover being completely replaced.
I am slowly restoring a 2002 VW Passat v6 4 motion that I had to dry new valve gasket covers. Already replaced the heater core, the ignition lock housing, and the starter motor! Next up timing belt, and water pump! But I love the way a VW runs once she’s all fixed!
Got a 2000 passat 1.8T. No repairs for 8 years straight, had coil packs and a waterpump fail now after 10 years of owning it. Approaching 200k miles, still going strong. Made oil changes every 3k miles on it, never any engine related issues - I do see a small valve cover leak that I'll fix some day. Got a 1.8 mk6 Golf as well, that car has been nothing but trouble, everything fails. Engine failure, two times now and it has less than 100k miles on it.
i drive daily a first generation b5 , 1998 1,6 simple engine , now it has 435.876 km , at about 350.000 i put new gaskets on engine and replace power steering unit ........these 2 interventions were single things i had to do on this car in 20 years , and offcourse oil and filters , brake pads but these are usable parts at all cars.......this car is a tank , never let me down , strong built quality at highest level posible ........i will drive VW and AUDI all my life!
Nice.
I have too a Passat b5 1.6 98 simple engine 280k km no problems. On snow is a tank
Best Best car
Amen
How about b6 wet footwells on the a
Passenger side?
After speaking with other Passat B5 owners, here would be my top 5 list:
1) Window regulators 2) trunk won't close 3) dashboard lights fade 4) AC system and 5) oil leaks - after about 160k these cars start leaking oil from everywhere.
I'm at 247k and have only done valve covers for $375
Wow, I had 3 out of 5 of these on my 2002, 1.9 TDI.
Recently, I have problems getting it up high slopes, or if I'm parked on a slope it's almost impossible to get it to start, it just won't go over 2000 REV-s in first gear. Any ideas?
Did you edit out all the blinks?
every last one of those damn things. LOL
I have a 04 W8 just hit 140xxx, only issue I've had was tcm 1 time. Other than that regular maint and it seems like I can get another 100k out of it. Since I've de badged it people have no clue what's under the hood. Why I love w8's
+chris reynolds That is awesome. I would love to have a W8 wagon. So much cool!
+HumbleMechanic Love your channel. This video brought back some memories for me: www.w8forum.dk/forum_posts.asp?TID=2455 I miss my rare 6spd W8 wagon a lot!. Really was a Jack of All Trades car.
+AJ Brown thanks man. I would love to have one of those bad boys
I love humble mechanic videos, thank you! I just replaced my fuel pump module in my 2004 W8 6spd manual wagon with 233,000 miles. Best road trip car ever. It's not my daily driver, so I have time to work on it myself and enjoy road trips when I feel she's (Abigail Von Uberwagen) ready.... next week....Raxles in the front with wheel bearings and new brakes all around!
Congratulations from a fellow W8 owner(sedan, Auto) am currently on my 2nd engine, best of luck.
Owned a B5 1.8T 1999 automatic. The transmission shifted poorly, rear right door didn’t get electric at all which lead to non working locks and power window. Driver door handle needed to be pulled twice or more often so the door opens, engine temperature sensor failed, etc... the look however, I loved the B5 generation.
I have a 2004 Passat 1.8t GLS. Bought new in July 2004 (so it has turn signals in the mirrors). A big pain in the ass for mine are the damn window regulators. Replaced all 4 by now. The first one happened in 2010, when it was just out of warranty. Any rate, it has been the 3rd car since 2013 and has sat a lot. It doesn't leak, drives great still *i drive it once a week to maintain operation). It has a staggering 94k miles on it now (staggering because it's super low lol). My main daily driver now is a D4 S8 (love love love), and the similarities between my B5.5 and D4 S8 are fun to spot sometimes. The Passat does live in the garage so it's still nice nice. Leather is cracking a bit on driver's side, and the AC takes a long time to cool down. But still a great driving sedan.
My 2002 VW Passat 1.8T went to VW heaven today at 216,000 miles. The Culprit? A hole burnt thru cylinder #2 due to a faulty fuel injector.
Please use 91 Octane Shell/Conoco gasoline and, if feasible, Clear gas (0% Ethanol). I babied this one and even still she blew.
RIP lil buddy
Bradley Wiskowski I use 93 octane
Passeratti is awesome! :-)
My dad bought one new in 2005. It's a 1.8t manual. I learned how to drive in one of these and I still have it. It currently sits at 230000km and the only issues I can recall are a fuel line leak, an exhaust leak (I actually thought that sounded cool tho) and a turbo failure (that's actually pretty common, but it doesn't affect the drivability whatsoever, my dad found that out after a month of driving like that). Other than that it had no problems. You change oil and spark plugs once per 10000km and the car becomes BULLETPROOF. And it's surprisingly peppy for a station wagon too
It’s hard for me to speak on this as far as ownership goes because I always use aftermarket parts and do the work myself. I’ve replaced all the front suspension components on my B5.5 A4 and it really wasn’t hard, or expensive. The oil leak that was real difficult is the oil pan because you have lower the subframe. The vacuum lines can also be a pain with small cracks causing underboost fault codes.
Catalytic Converter!!!!!
Also the flex pipe portion of the exhaust goes very often but is a cheep repair but just saying.
Silent_Insanity hahaha just replaced that today.. And while I was there notice tons! Of oil coming down.. I have 2 of the issue.. 😂😂😂
Getting ready to do my 2nd flex pipe (full down pipe) replacement at 170k miles on my '04
Lmao I had to do it twice in 5k
every fucking time lol
Silent_Insanity I just replaced mines last October lol
I have a 2004 Volkswagen Passat with the 1.8T with 173k miles. As of now, this car has had to get 2 fan clutches, a radiator, a sensor for the temperature, a new ECU because the car was submerged in the water ( I was in Florida when Michigan had a record breaking flood), and of course.. THE SLUDGE!! My dad's friend, who is a mechanic, took apart the engine and cleaned it all. The car has had oil leaks, but they were easy to fix. It's my daily driver to my university, and yes, I love my car lol.
+Heartagram Crazy even with all those issues, how great the car is. I love mine too
Love my 2003, however yup. all these issues have happened, except the oil sludge issue. My top issues, rear brakes, front calipers seizing, downpipe rusting, interior moisture (no sunroof) tie rods, upper control arms, Cv joints, oil leaks top end, rear window regulator fail and driver door locking switch that controls interior lights to come on etc... Bought it new and get 28-32 MPG, still love it.
Im german. I work at a small vw audi dealership as a parts manager since about 6 years.
I drive honda and mazda....and im fine.
yo have sperience in passat can hoy Tel me no crank no star isue in A passat 99 1.8t..tanks
luis arias is that supposed to be english? No start 1.8t could be a lot. Sounds like an electrical issue or the starter itself. Its a vw it could basicly be anything.
99Lezard99 n
Hi I have a 2004 passat 1.8t. I'm doing a timing belt replacement. I might need a tensioner and idler pulley too. Do you think that aftermarket parts will be acceptable to use or should I only be looking for OEM parts? Also what brand and oil type would you recommend for an oil change? I hope that quality oil will keep the seals from leaking and keep sludge to a minimum. Danke für Ihr Hilfe! If I said thank you for your help wrong I'm sorry. I forgot almost all my German.
Garryd Hintz I put a gates racing timing belt with a autozone tensioner about 3,000 miles ago and I haven’t had a promblem and I use Castrol 5w-40 full synth
Hey man, I love you channel and would like to hear your thoughts on how I could go about getting that raised toe alignment done.
When I went to my Audi dealership (I have a B5 A4 with the V6) they just charged me for a regular alignment (they're pretty clueless about older cars there from my experience although it's likely just the service advisors). I don't like going there but they are (as far as I know) the only place to get it done right.
I tried mentioning it specifically there and at a european specialty shop but everyone seems to ignore what I'm saying about the issue.
+William Thieme gonna do a quick video on this tomorrow. Not sure why so many places are scared of a raised toe alignment. I loved them. They paid great HAHA
Had the water leak issue..thank goodness it was only coming from the doors..I had seal the inner door panel with silicone. Thank god I caught it in time. No other water leaks in my b5.5 1.8T Wagon/Estate..
Amazing video. I have a 2000 v6 Passat 5 speed. My airbag light is on. My sunroof channel is missing the bottom part end cap piece where the water is suppose to drain out.. I got an end cap part from junk yard. I hope pulling the carpet back under the driver's side to clean up the water that is probably under there is not too expensive. Also my valve cover gasket is leaking again. So i got to have that fixed as well. Also have check engine light on and popping suspension sound as well.
You obviously didn't have a chance to work with B5 biggest failure - 2.5TDi...
LOL, we never got that engine here. :)
For its times it was a quite complicated V6 TDi engine, with very cool torque/power characteristics. Unfortunately VW made a huuge mistake when designing it's camshafts - they were too soft and wore out very quickly. They've changed a whole valvetrain around 2003 - with new hollow camshafts and rocker arms with rollers they finally dealt with the problem.
MWXYT I heard that Audi A6 with 2.5 TDI is reliable,but Passat 2.5 ???
@@MWXYT Compared to todays diesels it actually isn't that bad. Those camshafts arent that expensive to replace compared to some newer injectors. Biggest problem is that this engine isn't that economical for a diesel.
keep your maintenance up on vw and audi shouldn't have a problem
also use Bosch for everything I mean everything
get Vagcom
Josh Brown good advice. Although I wouldn't trade my forge or ngk parts for Bosch but most everything else.
Same control arm setup in my C5, i call it the turbo suspension
I am just about to make the "comfort module move mod" on my 1999 3B5 85kW TDI saloon, where you move the comfort module under the dash to not deal with the issues while on your second 300k. I love the "therapeutic" side of the job. You know these cars drive 1M if properly maintained.
Owning vw passat 2004 since 2013. It is v6 2.8 it has 186 k miles on it and I have put the recent 100k. So here is my experience.
1. Oil disappears (1 qt per 1000miles), but no leaks
2. No water leak in the car even with open moon roof
3. No suspension failures.
4. Never had an issue. See #1
5. No issue with rear breaks.
It sure likes to drink oil :D
They even state it in the driver's manual, if I recall correctly.
My 1.9 TDI likes to drink oil too.
Dmitry Adamenko Going to look at one of these tonight. What you think of it?
@@davidnelson4193 get extended warranty as well.
Exactly how I describe my 2003 Passat 4motion v6 2.8. 147k miles. I'm curious what type and brand of oil you use?
@@mindymeek2 in VW dealership they put 5W40 (not sure about a brand), I found 5W40 in NAPA auto parts for toping. When I changed oil myself I used 0w40 from Mobile 1.
You guys must be getting supplied some terrible oil over there. Here in the uk (and the rest of Europe) manufacturers recommend services about every 12-15k miles. Some even longer. The new ford transit doesn't get its first oil change until 30k. It's very very rare for us to see an engine with oil sludge, and people don't tend to stick to their service schedules. Maybe you should start buying your oil from the uk instead of buying that cheap crap off the Syrians.
Daniel Warren I use Castrol Edge 5W-40 for years my car did 330.000 km and still works great.
Model from 2004 late
1.9 TDI no red letters
Its Just Your European Cars require high end Synthetics they usually do last to 15k Like Mobile 1.
12-15km I believe the m stands for meters. seems pretty average to me
there are some of these out there that defy the odds. friend of mine's 2001 passat glx V6 wagon. loaded. 2.8. 180,000 miles. only problem on it? an alternator and motor mounts. thats. IT. timing belt done at 100k. insanely great car.
Heater core too! I had to get that done on mine as soon as I bought it, along with most of the other stuff people have mentioned here.
Yep those too. Lol