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Chart based on 169 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
The car has exhibited a rattle in the trunk area ever since I inspected the tool kit, which is poorly anchored to the chassis of the car. It turns out that the real problem is/was a rattling plastic baffle/plate below the trunk. A "fix" with foam tape didn't work. Will have to return for a full part replacement. In addition the interior rear view mirror vibrates on rough road surfaces. Stuff like this shouldn't happen at all, and it is a waste of time having items like these properly taken care of.
For the groaning window, they replaced 2 window seals. But the problem still exists after taking it back from the 2nd dealership.
Sunroof hard to open, stop in the middle and makeing dragging/clicking noise. Cause: sunshade guide was jammed. Fixed in dealership for no cost by warranty.
6000 mi
Gap between headlight and quarter panel on driver side to big. Wheel well liner installed wrong, tucked inside quarter panel lip instead over it and screwed in
15000 mi
US $20
Front license plate bracket loose
1000 mi
The driver's side pillar trim was coming loose, leaving an end frayed about and inch long and 5mm deep.
11000 mi
Rear deck squeak. Not fixed. Dash rattle. Not fixed
2000 mi
Squeaking noise eminating from somewhere in the interior
2200 mi
Isolated the source of the squeak myself. A retaining screw for the subwoofer mounted under the parcel shelf in the trunk was loose. Unfortunately the screw wouldn't stay tight and would require regular attention. Never returned to the dealer.
7000 mi
Ultimately the various squeaks and rattles in this car contributed to my decision to sell it. Please note that the car was otherwise reliable and nothing broke or fell off during our ownership.
21000 mi
drivers door trim out of position causing wind noise. Also did 20K mile service: Oil change, fill Adblue and other normal service items. All ok.
3000 mi
Sunroof squeals when opening.
30000 mi
Squeal when opening sunroof. Fixed it with lubrication.
3800 mi
Stains in the roof liner around the sunroof. Dealer cleaned out the drain tubes on both sides and problem was cured.
1240 mi
C $90
Left rear door squeaked when very cold
7798 mi
Replaced driver's side light assembly. It melted when the DRL shattered.
Rear view mirror broke and was replaced under warranty.
30000 mi
Passenger side speaker grill in dash would vibrate, driver door panel near armrest would rattle. Took to dealer they fixed those, ordered part for another rattle, bringing back to address other issues will report back on those when fixed.
5800 mi
Rattles galore! Both B pillars rattle, occasional rattle in both dash speakers. Attempted self fix and have given up. Turned up the stereo instead. Passenger side seat squeak. Dealer replaced fore/aft assembly.
38000 mi
Rattles never fixed
47300 mi
Passenger side headlight was allowing condensation to enter the inside of the headlight. The dealership replaced the headlight under warranty.
15500 mi
Rattle in the trunk hatch. Repaired trunk latch mechanism.
Corrected the infamous rear deck rattle, and a cracking, creaking sound coming from the front dash. The dash cracking/creaking has returned since repair.
19840 mi
Trunk lid making clunking sound when closed. Some part was loose and they fixed it
3000 mi
The cosmetic trim that covered the sunroof track was cracked. Dealer replaced part.
20000 mi
Trim around radio was creaking.
21000 mi
Steering wheel airbag was rattling and cover was warping. Airbag replaced.
5000 mi
Repair ding in hood. Dashboard rattle, front passenger door rattle, driver's area rattle. All resolved in a single trip to dealer. Wonderful service.
13000 mi
US $10
The sub-woofer enclosure squeaked and rattled due to connection bolts loosening. Added rubber washers and lock-tite to bolts.
22000 mi
The headliner was coming loose above the drivers. New headliner was installed.
35600 mi
Rattle in passenger door.
They replaced the speaker in passenger door. Fixed the rattle for a while, but it has recently returned.
30000 mi
Squeeky seat, bolts replaced still happening
12700 mi
Console side trim came loose.
1000 mi
Wind noise front passenger door. Rubber seal on passenger door realigned. Solved noise problem.
32000 mi
Dash top had voids in foam under cover. These areas became obvious when heat swelled vinyl covering creating bubbles on dash top.
10000 mi
Headliner pulling away at door
89000 mi
US $249
Replace driver's side visor containing garage door controller. Garage door switch cover had broken off during use
11000 mi
sunroof trim, and both front door exterior molding (all replaced).
The headliner on the A pillar was unraveling. Paint on the drivers side rear fender was chipping. After evaluation, it was not due to rock chip or environmental factors.
18000 mi
Headliner began to unravel at the A pillar again. Plastic trim on B pillar loose. They replaced the headliner and trim pieces under warranty
20900 mi
Rear decklid and subwoofer were rattling and creaking incessantly. A new deck lid was installed along with the appropriated fasteners.
One of the bolts to secure the sub-woofer was missing. so it makes noise when the car went through a bump. VW stated it is not covered by warranty, but the dealer waived the $65 repairing fee for me.
59000 mi
The side panel came loose
9500 mi
Replace headliner. Edge of headliner fabric was exposed at top of driver's side door. Rubber gasket could not be adjusted to conceal exposed edge. Dealer damaged 3 headliners trying to replace. Finally removed windshield to get it in. Squeaking and rattling from Fender stereo subwoofer housing. Dealer added padding and tightened bolts.
20000 mi
Homelink buttons fell off the drivers sun visor. Dealer ordered and replaced the sun visor.
27000 mi
Driver door freezes near, at, or below freezing temperatures. Driver door again began to freeze shut near, at , or below freezing temperatures.
7500 mi
Ordered parts for rear view mirror trim and drivers visor home link panel. Lots of rattling from the mirror trim. Home link panel broken. Ordered parts for rear view mirror trim and drivers visor home link panel. Lots of rattling from the mirror trim. Home link panel broken.
32000 mi
Wind noise in front & back passenger side windows. They adjusted windows. All is quiet.
14000 mi
Headliner had separated/ripped on driver's door. Complete replacement was authorized by VW. Work took 2+ days. Equivalent loaner car provided.
Front passenger ceiling handle has to be replaced as it came out. Still awaiting molding replacement on driver side rear door. paint chip from delivery. roof painted but still not correct. Will be going back in January bought with paint chip on roof.
Will have to go back again as it still isn't "correct."
6000 mi
Broken fuse box cover. Also the small plastic wind deflectors at the front of both front wheelwells have broken and been pushed back into the tires, so they also create noise on turns!
10800 mi
Both front inner wheelwell liners (plastic) have cracked. Dealer needs to consult w/VW for advice!
Rattle in the dash; dealer said it's a common issue and fixed at no cost. Fix was adding foam tape somewhere in the dash and required removing the whole dash, according to them.
17700 mi
Upper console sunglasses holder broke, replaced under warranty during 2yr/20k service
83000 mi
US $208
VW Headlight Assembly Right (Passat) - Valeo 3C0941006AE
front fenders replaced and trunk handle area repaired under VW 12-year rust perforation warranty. unfortunately, similar rust on the rear fender did not qualify for warranty repair (VW's decision is 'final') so I shall try to keep it in check with Krown oil-based rustproofing
RF xenon headlight unit has water droplets on inside of lamp unit. Dealer said out of warranty since 4000 km over, even though obviously an old problem. Suggested a hair dryer.
41000 mi
US $100
switch for moon roof activation failed.
45300 mi
A musty smell in cabin. Clogged drains soaked carpets. Required replacement of all carpets, headliner and seat underlayments
27000 mi
US $27
Increasingly loud wind noise on driver side above 45mph. Dealer adjusted driver side door, reducing the problem significantly.
20000 mi
sunroof crooked
28000 mi
Sunroof off kilter.
45000 mi
US $50
Water leaking into trunk. Dealer replaced trunk seal.
Driverside door seal was never glued and seal was loose.
10000 mi
Lumbar adjustment knob in passenger seat did not work. New part was ordered and will be installed when it arrives.
12000 mi
New lumbar knob installed.
200 mi
Replaced headlights - excess condensation in both headlights
107700 mi
¤10
The inside roof and doors textile material fell down and the inside foamy material deteriorated and kept falling down. Probably from the heat in my country.
Right rear sunroof drain became clogged, causing water in passenger footwells. Removed interior parts to dry out wet areas, removed rear fender liners to expose rear sunroof drain exits, cleared obstructions, reassembled.
Rear window sunshade broke. Clip in right side guide rail broke when owner operating sunshade. May have been caused by owner error. Dealer repaired when car brought in for routine 15,000 mile maintenance. No charge for repair. Done under warranty.
39000 mi
Mechanic damaged hood of car while replacing headlight. Tried to repair hood twice. Both times the repair was unacceptable. Finally replaced hood. Although dealer gave me a loaner, total time was 5 weeks, and four trips to the service dept.
The Rear Lift Gate has been malfunctioning for the last week or so. It goes up mostly OK but it doesn’t close like normal…it sometimes stops ~1/2 way down. Pressing the close button again doesn’t help much either. Email 010508: fixed by cleaning seal Cleaned liftgate seal.
4340 mi
rattles in dash, B pillar and trunk
19840 mi
Anchor for partition of trunk broken from previous repair for rattle.
22320 mi
Another broken anchor of rear partition between cabin and trunk.
32860 mi
$15
The anchor for partition between cabin and trunk fell off (it is a wagon)
78120 mi
$250
The cupholder at the console was replaced
5500 mi
Severe rattling dash and clicking sound from body - faulty body welds, never repaired
60000 mi
US $100
Replaced melted taillight. LED taillight literally melted in place. Dealer had never seen this particular problem before. I replaced myself.
14213 mi
Return for roof rack repair.
Correction: Left rear trim end replaced.
Low tone horn faulty.
Correction: Replace
CPU Flash "OY" applicable but not received at dealer yet.
Correction: Return at later date for flash "OY"
23440 mi
Passenger sunvisor light not working.
Correction: Order new sunvisor
Harsh 1-2 shift and 5-4 shift in transmission
Correction: Transmission flash #253038 completed
24134 mi
Return for sunvisor replacement.
Correction: Sunvisor replaced.
Check harsh 1-2 shift.
Correction: Reset transmission into basic setting
24947 mi
Water leak front passenger floor (frozen puddle discovered in car after 1 week vacation).
Correction: Replace door seal
Sunroof buzzing - sunshade appears out of alignment.
Correction: Refit right side sunshade clip.
34252 mi
Headline loose front left side - Replaced headliner. Lock plate installed for groaning tailgate. Harsh 1-2 shift continues - no solution.
Plastic cover beneath engine loose because dealer failed to tighten screws that secure it. Second dealer replaced and tightened screws, original dealer paid for the work.
Rear seat overhead interior light cluster continually falling out of ceiling. Fixed in home garage by owner with glue the first time. Several months later the light fell out again and some epoxy was used by owner. Successful repair at this point.
35000 mi
Fixed rattle, it was a warped diffuser on top of the dashboard, causing both seats and entire dashboard to be removed. Took three weeks.
123000 mi
US $300
Water Intrusion. Passenger side plenum drain area in engine bay became clogged with debris. Result is that water collects in blower motor and creates a sloshing sound. Diagnosis and fix required partially dismantling the dash.
126000 mi
Paint on the left front wheel arch bubbled above the left front wheel. Replaced left front fender under corrosion warranty.
New sensor installed. Also regular maintenance. ATF changed.
71300 mi
software update on the radio and replaced sunroof switch.
69000 mi
The carpet tore and would be expensive to replace.
85000 mi
Plastic piece that covers the seat track kept coming off, exposed the edge of the carpet which then ripped when I got in and out. Plastic on the other side also came off, carpet would have ripped if used much. Never fixed as could only replace, expensive.
2000 mi
Trunk was badly misaligned with body of car and required hinges to be unscrewed and aligned. Squeak from passenger side of dashboard, can be quieted by pressing on dash. Dealership lubed glovebox hinges, which did not fix the problem.
3000 mi
Squeak from passenger side of dashboard, can be quieted by pressing on dash. Dealer attempted to repair with foam tape, but the squeak has now moved to the adjacent trim panel around radio. Problem has been changed but not fixed.
49000 mi
Front left turn signal housing tab broke, and housing fell out of place.
Squeeks and rattles that local VW dealer claims they could not reproduce. Will report them again next time it goes in.
9000 mi
US $150
Misc Squeeks and rattles. Dealership keeps telling me they can't duplicate. This time they found one and fixed. Although car still squeeks and rattles all of the time. Chipping occuring all around front of car. Body shops identified as paint didn't adhere to primer properly. Dealership will not warranty vehicle and VW rep tells me it is not covered but they will repaint hood only out of gratitude for my purchase of 4
Soot buildup on rear bumper above exhaust had stained paint to the point I could not get it off. The dealer's paint shop had a solvent which removed the stain.
20000 mi
Cosmetic damage to radio and other interior button caused by heat damage. Covered by warranty.
30000 mi
Driver's vanity mirror cracked. Rattle underneath car when going over bumps.
35000 mi
US $65
Fog light grill was loose.
42000 mi
US $600
radio surface damaged/peeling, replaced under warranty
19000 mi
A rear window trim piece had a small crack. Dealer offered to replace. The first piece ordered had a defect so a second part was ordered. This is the only defect the car has had since new.
37000 mi
Paint bubbling on radio and door lock buttons. Buttons were replaced with new design.
42000 mi
Instrument cluster has a loose spot that rattles occasionally.
10000 mi
Replaced peeling buttons on automatic windows
70500 mi
US $390
Sunroof randomly opens and closes. Intermittent.
114060 mi
C $349
Fought with VW for 2 yrs over flaking paint. Even changed dealers. Finally, after threats of court action they painted the complete car except hood and rear bumper, which cost us 349.00. See the Lemon Aid Guide for info on consumer rights.
Suspension was creaky at under 60degrees, new strut mount plates installed, better but still not 100 percent, however, don't plan on doing anything further to it regarding this issue.
Replaced rusting front fenders and trunk lid, repaired rusting left rear quarter panel.
152920 mi
Rust perforation on passenger door within warranty period (12 years). The body shop manager evaluated it and sent in a claim to VW, we are still awaiting VW's verdict.
157580 mi
Rust perforation on two front doors. Doors replaced and repainted under VW corrosion warranty.
171740 mi
Multiple areas of rust perforation: rear doors, rear quarter panels, trunk lid. Took to dealer mandated bodyshop for evaluation under the VW corrosion perforation warranty. Note: should be an option "estimate only" in what done dropdown.
171840 mi
C $40
Rust repairs, partially under VW 12-year corrosion warranty.
Very minor water intrusion at rear liftgate seal resulted in jam of release mechanism, malfunction of license plate light. Replaced release mechanism and light.
66000 mi
US $25
Recurrence of a minor wagon problem: a roof trim strip slowly detaches, will fall off if not repaired. Factory manual recommends 3M windshield sealant to reattach. Now looks OK (very slightly crinkled), holding well one month after.
69000 mi
Initial shop diagnosis of water leak incorrect (thought it was partly blocked sunroof drains), but a reasonable mistake on their part. When leak continued, I replaced seal material surrounding pollen filter myself, which solved problem. When leak continued, I replaced seal material surrounding pollen filter myself, which solved problem.
71000 mi
US $30
New leakage despite previous service: all FOUR door panel seals were degraded (common in 1998-2005 Passats). Instead of $800 to replace panels, I removed, cleaned and resealed them with silicone caulk. Problem now finally solved.
Some kind of plate was loose under the car which caused a rattle.
66000 mi
US $140
The gasket around the base of the antenna had cracked and fallen off.
89000 mi
US $273
90K mile service. Also had them check a creaking drivers door and other sounds the car is making. They lubed the door and recommended rear brake pad replacement and timing belt replacement.
67800 mi
Engine skid plate fell off. Dealer service dept. had not secured it properly after oil change. All fasteners were missing. Dealership finally agreed to replace skid plate. However they did not detect the two worn front axles!
73000 mi
US $298
Interior vinyl panels on front doors came loose and had to be reglued
Interior of car flooded during heavy rains. Per VW due to pollen in sunroof drains-water backs up and floods rear seat carpet. Computers under front seats destroyed. All carpets and electronics replaced via insurance claim.
Water entering front passenger side. Repaired problem myself by pulling down headliner and noticing that sunroof drain tube had become disconnected. Reconnected drain tube and replaced headliner.
82000 mi
US $120
Replaced headlights due to severe clouding of plastic lenses
Water leaking into interior from sunroof plumbing. Likely caused by poor work done during a trip to the body shop several years ago. At least that's what the VW dealer is saying.
81000 mi
Floor was getting very wet at rear, passenger side footwell. Took three trips to VW dealer to get this fixed. Turns out it was a leak around the pollen filter located on the firewall. They charged $170 first trip, but nothing additional.
Near-side headlamp unit replaced. Lens was becoming clouded due to plastic lens degradation after 13 years.
125300 mi
£144
Undertray vibrating badly, sounded like a wheel bearing had gone
134100 mi
£250
Three outer window seals (window-door aperture seals where the window slides down into the door). These were rusted - bubbled up with rust and the driver's door seal in particular was bad/leaking. Both a water sealing and a cosmetic issue.
See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how
frequently Volkswagen Passat problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.