200,000+ KM TDI, is it worth it?

Hi guys,

I'm interested in buying a B7 Passat wagon 2.0 TDI DSG, 2013 year with around 200,000km on it. The car seemed in good shape when i test drove it. It has a DSG transmission which also seemed smooth. It had some nice features like Lane assist, side assist, front assist etc.

What do you guys think, is that too much KM?

you must be in Europe - the vast majority of the guys on here are in North America so take the answers with a grain of salt - our B7 is different that your B7

yatzee said:

you must be in Europe - the vast majority of the guys on here are in North America so take the answers with a grain of salt - our B7 is different that your B7

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Did not know that. I thought it's the same model.

Mobiwan said:

Did not know that. I thought it's the same model.

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we all wish!

The B7 here is american-ized - bigger, softer, and there was no wagon.

http://www.myturbodiesel.com/thread...w-passat-for-us-vs-europe-euro-trim-car.4182/

I had to convert KM to US miles, so I could be sure. 124,000 miles doesn't seem too bad, particularly since we're talking the European model. If the maintenance is complete and documented, it's probably fine. If it had been a North American model, I'm not sure I'd answer the same way...

atc98002 said:

I had to convert KM to US miles, so I could be sure. 124,000 miles doesn't seem too bad, particularly since we're talking the European model. If the maintenance is complete and documented, it's probably fine. If it had been a North American model, I'm not sure I'd answer the same way...

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So generally the EU model is better? I've been told that 200k km (124k miles) isn't a lot for TDI's, so just wanted to make sure.

I think i'm gonna do a DSG oil change as it isn't in the documents but the previous owner said he had done it himself, is there any way to verify that?

Depending on how long ago the guy says it was done, you could go by colour. But that's not science. 200,000km seems kinda high for a 3 year old car....

I bought my Jetta at 8 years old with 268,000, now at 315,000

Apples to oranges, I know

Make sure the EGR and the Flywheel have been done or otherwise save a small fortune for the inevitable :-(

Mobiwan said:

So generally the EU model is better? I've been told that 200k km (124k miles) isn't a lot for TDI's, so just wanted to make sure.
I think i'm gonna do a DSG oil change as it isn't in the documents but the previous owner said he had done it himself, is there any way to verify that?

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Now that it's been established that you're looking at a B7 (the Passat here on the left side of the pond is more properly known as the NMS, or New Model Sedan), I can say that I highly endorse doing the DSG service yourself and save a significant amount of money. That being said, I'm unsure of the difference in detail for this service, mainly in issue of getting access to the DSG filter housing on top of the transmission.
Nevertheless, I'm assuming it can't be that much different, and that you are reasonably handy around tools. Here's a link to my DSG service thread: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=457823
I can't see how you can possibly tell when the service was performed without documentation, so my answer to that would be to perform it as soon as possible after purchasing the car.
Also, an issue as big as the DSG is the timing belt change. If you are at 124K miles, the timing belt should have been changed, with all relevant parts, like water pump, at 120K miles. Have you documentation on that? The timing belt service is more complex than the DSG, and probably best performed by a VW mechanic, as well as being more expensive. If this service can't be documented, I would adjust my offer for the car accordingly.

Isnt the B7 Passat in Europe the same car as the "CC" here in the states?

No, it is not

atoughram said:

Isnt the B7 Passat in Europe the same car as the "CC" here in the states?

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No. A picture by picture comparison is in another VW Forum:

http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/b7/2013-vw-passat-tdi-review-faq.htm

Check page 2 on that link.

You should ignore the nonsense about the durability of the B7 being better than the NMS. They may have a lot of detail differences, but the entire chassis is exactly the same - engine, transmission, suspension, and so on, and those are the things that wear out with high mileage.

I have driven both and they are very similar to drive - except that I prefer the softer ride and better rear room of the NMS.

Nothing wrong with buying a high mileage car if the provenance is good - service history and so on, and the price is right. It had better be cheap. Even better if some of the things that fail at that kind of mileage have been replaced. Turbos, HPFP, DPF, and so on.

atc98002 said:

I had to convert KM to US miles, so I could be sure. 124,000 miles doesn't seem too bad, particularly since we're talking the European model. If the maintenance is complete and documented, it's probably fine. If it had been a North American model, I'm not sure I'd answer the same way...

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Here's a list of the differences between the two models. Could you explain which of them would make the European model more durable at high mileage?

-premium audio by Fender-Panasonic instead of Dynaudio
-no HID xenon headlights
-no LED taillights
-about 10 cm longer wheelbase and body than Euro Passat
-fuel door release button removed, you now push on the fuel door flap (w/doors unlocked) to open
-manual instead of electric parking brake
-umbrella storage inside door removed
-The headlights/taillights/ bumpers are a different shape.
-The NA Passat has a little lip that makes the car smile, the Euro Passat has more of a frown. The edge of the lower grille also ends curved up instead of down.
-The NA Passat's bumper seam goes straight back from the headlight, the Euro Passat goes down. The top and bottom rear of the front fender is also different.
-The front window ends in a point in the NA Passat.
-The chrome trim is different and lower in the Euro Passat.
-The rearmost window is a totally different shape.
-The rear door is a totally different shape.
-The US armrest sticks out. The armrest of the Euro Passat is flush with the area underneath it.
-I can see a homelink transmitter in the driver's side sunvisor on the US Passat.
-The kickpanel trim is more pieces on the US spec car.
-The design of the NA dashboard and gauge pod is similar to the other US Spec VW. The Euro Passat is similar to the last mk5 Passat.
-The side view mirrors a different shape.
-The power side mirror adjustment is in a different location.
-The side window blowers are in the dashboard instead of in the A-pillar.
-The NA Passat has a door unlock button on the pass side.
-The door cards and center console are totally different. By this point I gave up trying to spot the differences because there are just too many. They're different cars.

Part of my reasoning is the higher quality fuel in Europe vs. North America. Another is the emissions equipment. The B7 and the NMS do not use the same emissions systems, as they have different standards. Similar, yes, but not the same. The differences you note above are not engine/transmission/emissions related, but appearance and option items.

Would a B7 be more reliable than an NMS in North America with our fuel quality and their equipment? I have no idea. But the two cars are apples and oranges once you get beyond the name.

The engine and transmission are probably the same in US and Europe. I found this info on the US car:
http://www.natef.org/natef/media/natefmedia/vw files/passat-ssp.pdf
but I had not find the equivalent for the european model.
If engine and transmission are the same, then, as atc98002 indicated, reliability can be function of diesel quality, ancilliaries (i.e. adblue system), and ECU programming (i.e. does the B7 has a warmup routine as agressive as the NMS?). I dont have that info, but maybe others have it. Good luck.

Don't know about part numbers etc in the USA Passat but the euro CR140 uses the exact same engine as the CR170/CR177 and Golf GTD engine ( turbo the only difference) so whether that makes it more durable than the USA CR140 i don't know unless that too is the same engine?