| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2004 Volkswagen Passat repairs by problem area
Engine (55%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (14%)
Brakes and Traction Control (4%)
Suspension and Steering (6%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (13%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (3%)
Other (5%)
Chart based on 269 repairs.
2004 Volkswagen Passat engine repair cost distribution
$2500+ (1%)
$1000 - $2499 (10%)
$500 - $999 (16%)
$100 - $499 (43%)
< $100 (30%)
Chart based on 134 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2004 Volkswagen Passat
Engine not specified
| 55800 mi | Very big noise from engine when I push on the gas. |
| 53000 mi US $300 |
Replaced 4 ignition coils. |
| 52000 mi US $900 |
All four motor mounts were worn. Thought this was odd since one was replaced only a week before. After driving away from the dealership the original problem was noted namely that the car jerked when downshifting on automatic transmission. |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 170hp 1.8L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 145700 mi C $500 |
replaced bearing to cooling fan |
| 35000 mi | Ignition coil replaced under warranty |
| 106000 mi US $1200 |
Coolant reservoir snapped at point where a hose connected, rendering the entire cooling system useless. |
| 113500 mi US $75 |
Plastic reservoir for coolant leaked due to heat making plastic brittle. Nipple for hose disintegrated, requiring entire new reservoir and hose. Bad design! |
| 118000 mi US $400 |
Timing adjustment off (error code P0011), cam off half a tooth. Although had timing belt and tensioner roller replaced at 82K miles, it screwed up. |
| 45000 mi | Noise that sounded like the transmission problem I previously had. Problem due to a shield that was bent during previous transmission replacement, so that something was rubbing against it causing the noise. |
| 62000 mi US $900 |
Plastic impeller on water pump came detached from the shaft causing engine to overheat. Full timing belt service performed since mileage was close and waterpump runs off timing belt. |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 170hp 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 65100 mi C $1600 |
Water pump impeller broke. I had replaced the timing belt 1 month earlier. Water pump should have been replaced then. |
| 75640 mi C $250 |
Check engine light lead to a faulty ignition coil. It would periodically idle rough. |
| US $150 | Engine failure. Oil in coolant. Probably water impeller. Car junked. |
| 128000 mi US $85 |
Persistent slow oil leak and oil in plug wells due to plugged PCV. Replaced Valve Cover and Cam Chain Tensioner Gaskets, along with PCV valve and some rubber fittings. |
| 135800 mi US $250 |
Motor mounts were leaking. Both replaced. |
| 137000 mi US $35 |
Blinking, then solid, CEL with codes indicating misfire. Coil pack replaced. |
| 167000 mi US $300 |
Coolant Flange Failed. |
| 167000 mi US $400 |
Aftermarket Coil Pack failed. Was out of town, so had wife tow to dealer. All coil packs replaced. |
| 165000 mi US $300 |
Replaced Head Gasket, Timing belt, Valve Cover gasket timing belt failed caused by timing belt pulley bolt |
| 165000 mi | Engine needs replacement - broken timing belt |
| 50118 mi US $131 |
PCV valve and hoses wore out, Replaced with 034 Motorsports kit. |
| 49600 mi C $600 |
Fuel pump. |
| 78120 mi C $200 |
thermostat |
| 80880 mi C $200 |
replace engine thermostat |
| 69000 mi US $68 |
2 Coil Packs replaced. Known issue on 1.8T engines. Car started shuddering, running really roughly, CEL light on (flashing) and a strong burning smell. Classic symptoms!! 2 coil packs purchased and installed within 1 hour, car now running correctly. |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Wagon
turbocharged 134hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 130820 mi $200 |
EGR cloged, turbo needed cleaning, valve cover gasker replaced cause it was leaking |
| 142600 mi $100 |
Thermostat couldnt reach temeperature- part changed on the new one. |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Wagon
190-horsepower 2.8L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 28730 mi | Transmission software updated to fix jerking at low speeds. Under warranty. |
| 44375 mi | Ignition switch would not turn with key. Had to be replaced. Under Warranty. |
| 71523 mi US $649 |
Fuel Pump failed. Repaired at purchasing dealership. |
| 136200 mi US $771 |
Fuel pump failed. 319.00 for new assembly and 40 for filter. Trouble shooting and labor remainder of cost |
| 155000 mi | Significant oil leak observed during commute home. Burning oil smell prevalent in cabin. Under hood appeared oil was spraying vs. just seeping. Dealer suggested replacing numerous gaskets, but unable to commit to a cause of the sudden leak. |
| 188600 mi US $306 |
Significant leaking of fuel on top of tank near sending unit. Fuel return/vent line fitting had failed. Shop dropped the tank and repaired the fitting. |
| 108000 mi US $3000 |
changed O3 sensors amd catalytic converters |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 170hp 1.8L I4 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 77000 mi | Coolant fill / header tank has leak, declined repair by dealer, owner to replace. |
| 78000 mi | Coolant fill/header tank replaced no additional issues |
| 105900 mi | Engine coolant temp sensor |
| 107000 mi US $800 |
Fumes in cabin from broken breather pipe. Assorted connectors and related items replaced. |
| 202300 mi US $500 |
Coolant leak at back cylinder head.Replaced plastic pipe. |
| 217000 mi US $352 |
low oil pressure warning, removed oil pan to find oil pump pickup clogged with carbon and junk. Replaced with new pickup. Problem solved. |
| 226000 mi US $40 |
Installed new COP (coil on plug) module, cyl#3. |
| 230700 mi US $30 |
Coolant overflow starting leaking, replaced with new. |
| 234000 mi US $250 |
Replaced timing chain and tensioner. |
| 248000 mi US $20 |
Replaced engine temp coolant sensor. |
| 123000 mi US $180 |
Vacuum leak , replace engine breather tube |
| 152000 mi US $65 |
Replace coolent resevior and cap |
| 152300 mi US $110 |
Coolant leak. Replace oil cooler and hose. |
| 115000 mi US $1100 |
Change oil pumped |
| 130000 mi US $200 |
Thermostat replaced |
| 133000 mi US $150 |
Had to change camshaft sensor, check engine light was on oil pump replacement, plastic got stuck in oil pump, paid for labor and this was a recurring issue |
| 72000 mi US $850 |
Oil leaking from gaskets on spark plugs. Subject of recall. Also did 85,000 service while there. |
| 78000 mi US $850 |
While being repaired was told motor mounts were leaking. Replaced. |
| 81600 mi US $900 |
The Stop Engine light came on and the oil was down over 2 quarts. The local VW dealer in Austin, Texas identified the problem as a leak in the oil reservoir thus mixing oil with radiator fluid. Cost to repair was over $900. with a 10 % discount. |
| 86000 mi US $600 |
Water hose running into a housing that feeds back to radiator was leaking at flange. |
| 112000 mi | Had leaking coolant hose replaced and flushed radiator. Next day dealer replaced heat sensor. |
| 69400 mi US $1125 |
Car 10 years old - replaced timing belt, tensioner components, water pump, purged cooling system and replaced accessory belts. Mechanic discovered coolant flange on rear of engine cracked. Replaced. Also informed that engine appears to have sludge. |
| 70000 mi | With colder weather setting in, attempted to get heat inside the car. Determined heater core was clogged. Was able to flush/back flush and get coolant flowing thru the core. Now have plenty of heat. Replacing the core normally cost $900. |
| 68000 mi | Valve cover gasket leaking and can bearing caps needed replace ing. However this oil leak had contaminated the barely one year old timing belt and the repair cost exceeded $1500. I opted to trade the car in. |
| 46000 mi | Coil pack cylinder 3. |
| 61000 mi US $350 |
Vacuum hose |
| 67000 mi US $200 |
Crankshaft sensor. |
| 77000 mi US $321 |
ignition |
| 85600 mi US $250 |
Water pump leaking |
| 100000 mi US $420 |
Down pipe exhaust |
| 87300 mi US $100 |
coil packs |
| 64000 mi US $250 |
My W notice a check coolant light. Friends "helped" by putting non-synthetic coolant in the car. VW found the coolant reservoir was leaking. |
| 66000 mi US $140 |
A check engine light came on, and the car smelled of exhaust. |
| 70000 mi | Car started to barely run - it would not idle and die. We had received a recall notice from VW notifying us of the coils going bad, and that proved to be the problem. |
| 76000 mi US $153 |
We kept getting a low coolant warning light. Motor was rough when idling. A bad motor mount was discovered. |
| 90000 mi US $170 |
Got a CEL the said the thermostat was bad. Took it back to VW, pissed that they didn't think to replace the thermostat when the did the timing belt & water pump. |
| 103000 mi | We have started smelling fuel when the car is full of gas. My father in law pulled the rear seat out, opened the access panels and found a fuel leak on the top of the tank. I have a case # from VW, but no promise from them for any help. |
| 104700 mi | The fuel smell was traced to a leaking vent valve on the fuel tank. This should have been addressed in the R3 recall, but the dealer treated our car as a FWD, not AWD. VW replaced the fuel tank and paid for the repairs. |
| 111000 mi US $500 |
The car was in for 110K service. They discovered some cracked vacuum hose tied to the turbo and replaced it. |
| 47000 mi US $200 |
Ignition Coil |
| 174800 mi US $225 |
Replace water pump and thermostat. Think latter had started to fail. |
| 182000 mi US $130 |
replace secondary air pump(smog pump) |
| 114200 mi US $49 |
Exhaust system repair - flex coupling replacement |
| 118000 mi US $303 |
Replaced exhaust flex pipe |
| 118000 mi US $115 |
Main serpentine belt tensioner noisy, replaced main serpentine and A/C belt tensioners and both belts. |
| 87000 mi US $135 |
flex pipe in exhaust system replaced due to leak |
| 88500 mi US $360 |
check engine came on - discovered to be due to a leaking valve cover. Replaced seal, valve cover, and all spark plugs. |
| 126300 mi US $50 |
Coolant flange o-ring degradation. |
| 143000 mi US $130 |
Combi valve. |
| 152000 mi US $120 |
Diverter valve failure. |
| 115000 mi | Check engine light consistently came on and after replacing several parts, it came back within 6 months. Scrapped car. |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 170hp 1.8L I4 5-speed manual FWD
| 109000 mi | Check coolant warning came on; antifreeze was below minimum, so we filled it. Couple days later, same warning, and temp gauge going all the way to red. Replaced water pump, thermostat, timing belt. |
| 117000 mi US $350 |
Coolant leak-flange replaced |
| 118000 mi US $149 |
Car stalled and had to be towed to a repair shop, which was not open on the weekend. I got a fuel pump and installed it, solving the issue. |
| 104000 mi | After a long trip, I noticed a strange smell. I popped the hood and noticed that the coolant reservoir was dark. It contained oil. Taking the auto to a mechanic revealed a cracked block. I elected not to attempt repairs due to high cost. |
| 162900 mi US $900 |
Replaced crank position sensor. That did not fix it, so then replaced fuel pump. |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Sedan
turbocharged 134hp 2.0L I4 Diesel 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 77000 mi US $250 |
Independent shop replaced glow plugs with non-standard glow plugs in order to "fool" engine computer and clear "Check Engine" light. VW has still not made software update available. |
| 109500 mi US $125 |
Auxiliary electric cooling fan failed - Owner replaced with new one. |
| 112000 mi US $1070 |
Thermostat failed shut causing overheating condition - since car was due for timing belt change had water pump and thermostat replaced along with timing belt. |
| 125000 mi US $350 |
Coolant leak developed at rear of engine. Shop replaced plastic coolant hose flange and coolant temperature sensor. |
| 129300 mi US $125 |
Charge air hose between intercooler and intake manifold developed air leak. New hose installed. |
| 142300 mi US $108 |
Fuel leak from in-tank fuel pump seal; shop removed fuel pump from tank, installed new seal on existing fuel pump and replaced. |
| 172000 mi US $500 |
Belt tensioner had to be replaced. |
| 201000 mi US $1200 |
Turbocharger hose had a hole. Intercooler had a leak. |
| 195000 mi US $450 |
EGR valve failed. $400 part |
| 208000 mi US $425 |
Car goes into limp mode. EGR appeared faulty. I crafted a device to pressurize the intake hose and found a leak. The hose connecting to the intake manifold had a split. I replaced the hose and car runs well. Car goes into limp mode. Suspect turbocharge variator is clogged by carbon. Replaced MAP, cleaned MAF. Problem has not cleared. |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Sedan
270-horsepower 4.0L W8 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 130000 mi US $15 |
Car won't start. CEL with P2180 and P3081. Magic 8 ball (ODBII scanner ELM327 mini) says all symptoms point to bad coolant temp sensor (black version) or related wiring. Checked wiring, sensor. Replaced sensor w/green version. |
| 175500 mi US $150 |
Engine misfiring. Replaced valve cover gaskets - oil seeping into plug wells and causing shorts. Replaced wires and ignition coil. |
| 130000 mi US $150 |
purge valve needed replacement - 2x in one year |
| 137100 mi | Trouble codes and rough idle and surging. Cleaned throttle body |
| 140000 mi | This car has never ending engine emission codes. Repair then another one come up in a month. This can is not worth the effort anymore and I'm glad to get rid of it. That is the end one VW for me. |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Sedan
190-horsepower 2.8L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 88000 mi | Engine trouble light comes on, stays for several days then turns off. Repairman interrogates compute and finds P 0118 Coolant temp out of spec - but it was not. He suspects sensor. |
| 88000 mi | temp out of spec - see April 2015 unsuccessful repair |
| 69000 mi US $2400 |
Fuel intake and gas cap was faulty. Engine mounts were leaking. |
| 47000 mi US $161 |
ECT Sensor had to be replaced. Replaced with newer "green body color" ECT sensor |
| 152000 mi US $400 |
Cooling system leak. |
| 167000 mi US $1150 |
Replaced exhaust flex pipes Replaced Bank 2 O2 sensors 1 & 2 Replaced ignition wires both banks |
| 170000 mi US $900 |
Replace both Oxygen Sensors on Bank 1 |
| 173700 mi | Replaced leaky vacuum hose |
| 195000 mi US $160 |
Replaced fan clutch |
| 197000 mi US $481 |
Replaced heater hoses Replaced crankcase vent valve |
| 198000 mi US $500 |
Replace fuel pump |
| 36000 mi US $914 |
Check engine light on; diagnosis was bad water temp sensor and bad thermostat. All replaced. Parts were $86; labor$830. |
| 29000 mi | Throttle sticks wide open if kicked down. (Dangerous- run away acceleration). Throttle linkage would stick when fully opened. Freed it up at the throttle shaft ball joint so the problem would no longer occur. This should be reported to authorities. |
| 69000 mi US $2000 |
Bad coolant leak. Need new water pump; also timing belt deteriorated. |
| 75000 mi US $800 |
head gaskets leak |
| 85000 mi US $900 |
Fuel pump died. Died on Freeway, lost all power and control. The computer portion of the pump would not communicate with the car's computer. |
| 99000 mi US $250 |
Engine temp sensor bad. Sometimes car won't start. |
| 99000 mi | Replaced 2 catalytic converters due to leaks. This turned out to fix my last reported problem, which was not really the thermostat. Car starts and runs better and gets better mileage. Dicovered that shop replacing cat converters did not weld pipes, so they leaked. A friend welded them. |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Sedan
190-horsepower 2.8L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 3000 mi | Transmission Software Update |
| 87000 mi US $85 |
Fan clutch bracket(accessory driven pulley and mounting bracket) replaced due to bearing noise. |
| 60516 mi | Replace vacuum line |
| 63379 mi | Replace engine temperature sensor |
| 85098 mi US $800 |
Replace fuel pump |
| 140263 mi US $293 |
Replace left valve cover gasket. Replace left valve cover gasket |
| 95000 mi | Car's gas tank cracked and was partially covered by Volkswagen. Soon after the car stalled out while driving on the highway. After several repairs and a few days in the shop, it stalled on again a few weeks later. |
| 60000 mi | catalytic converters need replacement |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Sedan
190-horsepower 2.8L V6 5-speed manual FWD
| 133000 mi US $750 |
Car died as I was driving it. Diagnosed as bad fuel pump at the dealer. Dealer replaced fuel pump, fuel filter and fuel pump relay. |
| 141000 mi US $2200 |
Noise from engine compartment diagnosed as sheared mounts; had to replace R&L motor mounts. Replaced torque mount. Replaced R&L transmission mounts. Replaced O2 sensor. |
| 173000 mi US $2000 |
Coolant loss. Looked for coolant leaks. Replaced cracked coolant expansion tank. Replaced coolant temp sensor, O-ring and clip. Coolant loss and burning oil smell/smoke under hood. Replaced water pump, timing belt, tensioner roller, tensioner dampner relay roller. Replaced both valve cover gaskets, cam chain tensioner gaskets. |
2004 Volkswagen Passat 4dr Sedan
| 106258 mi US $460 |
Coolant leak--performed pressure test--replaced cooling hose flange, heater hose. Replaced crankcase vent valve, and air pump hose. |
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