Used 2005 Volkswagen Passat for Sale

This is a nice, comfortable car with excellent fuel economy. An awesome car for long trips as it seats four comfortably but up to five people. It has a 60/40 fold down split in the rear seat, allowing the transport of long items like plumbing, lumber, or skis.

The diesel engine in this car provides 40 to 50 mpg freeway with AC on with plenty of power to climb the hills to go coast to coast and to pass slower vehicles effortlessly. The ride is very smooth, and the interior is very comfortable. However, the main problem with the car is the cost of ownership and starting it in freezing temperatures. The glow plugs, used to preheat the engine to start it in the cold temps, only last a year or two and they are a dealer only part (yes, even 15 years later) and cost $50 each. There is also the complicated suspension system it uses, which gives it the smooth ride, wears out in like five years. The aftermarket replacements are even worse, so it is still best to use genuine VW parts here too because it is not an easy job to change. Then there is the drivetrain itself. It is a design only used in the 2005 North American models. The engine comes with a faulty design for the balance shaft that, when it fails, it stops operating the oil pump and the engine has to shut down immediately or else destroy the engine. VW realized the problem and updated the part to fix the problem but never issued as a recall so the owners have to pay over $1,000 for the part and pay to have it installed. Also, it only comes with a certain automatic transmission that is very expensive to deal with when it fails.