Ownership Cost for 1999 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T
Estimated: $38619 over the next 5 years
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
Total
Depreciation
$2089
$1003
$878
$794
$710
$5474
Insurance
$1451
$1502
$1554
$1609
$1665
$7781
Fuel
$1500
$1545
$1599
$1663
$1738
$8045
Maintenance
$2763
$2487
$1246
$1183
$2291
$9970
Repairs
$977
$1138
$1298
$1417
$1627
$6457
Taxes & Fees
$601
$601
$601
$601
$601
$890
Total Ownership Costs
$9382
$7743
$6662
$6722
$8109
$38619
Air Bag Loc Front: 1st Row (Driver & Passenger)
Air Bag Loc Side: 1st Row (Driver & Passenger)
Body Class: Wagon
Displacement CC: 1781
Displacement CI: 108.683288232
Displacement L: 1.781000
Doors: 4
Engine Cylinders: 4
Engine HP: 150
Engine KW: 111.8550
Engine Manufacturer: Volkswagen
Fuel Type Primary: Gasoline
Make: VOLKSWAGEN
Manufacturer: VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA
Manufacturer Id: 1147
Model: Passat
Model Year: 1999
Other Engine Info: 50-St./Can., Emissions Certification Test Group: XADXV01.8322
Other Restraint System Info: Depowered Airbags: Airbag - Dr/Pass, Active - Dr/Pass
Plant City: Emden
Plant Country: Germany
Seat Belts All: Manual
Series: GLS
Trim: Wagon
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2002
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
SUDDENLY FELT STRONG GASOLINE SMELL INSIDE THE VEHICLE (NOT A RESULT OF ACCIDENT OR ANY OTHER OCCURRENCE.) THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FUEL TANK LEAK. THE GAS TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VW DEALER IN SUNNYVALE, CA, REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE COSTLY REPAIRS. *TR
1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
JUST BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF MY 100,000-MILE, 6-YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY AT 99,938 MILES (AND 23 DAYS BEFORE THE END OF 6 YEARS) I TOOK MY 1999 1.8L TURBO VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT (B5) TO THE DEALERSHIP. I REQUESTED THAT THEY PERFORM THE 100,000-MILE SERVICE AND TO THOROUGHLY CHECK THE CAR FOR ANY REPAIRS THAT MAY BE REQUIRED SINCE IT WOULD SOON BE OUT-OF-WARRANTY. FOUR HOURS LATER WHEN THE SHOP WAS CLOSING, I PICKED UP MY CAR. UPON CHECKOUT, THE SERVICE REP STATED THAT THEY DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS, BUT THAT THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN AND VOLKSWAGEN RECOMMEND CHANGING THE TIMING BELT, TENSIONER, AND WATER PUMP AT 105,000 MILES. I THANKED HIM AND WENT HOME NOT REALIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF HIS COMMENT. THREE WEEKS LATER ON JUNE 2, 2006 AT 102,088 MILES (AND 3 DAYS PAST THE SIX-YEAR POINT), MY TENSIONER BROKE WHICH CAUSED MY TIMING BELT TO SLIP AND STRIP THE TEETH INTERMITTENTLY OFF THE BELT. SINCE I WAS NOT AWARE THAT MY TIMING BELT WAS SLIPPING (EXCEPT FOR AN INCREASE IN NOISE WHEN I ACCELERATED), THE VALVES WERE BENT DURING THE EVENT. I HAD MY CAR TOWED THE FOLLOWING MORNING TO A LOCAL VW SERVICE SHOP, AND THEY NOTIFIED ME THAT MY TIMING BELT WAS BROKEN AND THAT MACHINING OF THE CYLINDER BLOCK WAS NECESSARY SINCE THE VALVES WERE BENT. THE REPAIR TO MY ENGINE, INCLUDING A WATER PUMP AND FAULTY PLASTIC HOSE, COST $2,342. IN ADDITION, I HAD TO RENT A CAR FOR ONE WEEK FOR THE DURATION OF THE REPAIR ($225) AND TOW THE CAR TO THE SERVICE SHOP ($28). UPON RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I REALIZED IT IS A VERY COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR THE TIMING BELT TO FAIL PREMATURELY ON B5 PASSATS AND THAT HAD EITHER THE DEALERSHIP OR VW NOTIFIED ME OF THIS PROCLIVITY FOR FAILURE (AND CHANGE THEIR SERVICING RECOMMENDATION) THIS FAILURE AND ASSOCIATED $2600 EXPENSE WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. *JB