From 2001 ALH to 2015 NMS - Basics to look for?

Hey Everyone - I am an older member who used to frequent the site until my 2001 crossed the rainbow bridge. I am looking at a 2015 Passat 6spd to replace my wife’s daily. She wants to drive our Atlas, so I’ve been back on the hunt.

I have read a handful of threads on the Forum, but surely am not seeing everything. I plan to drive to check this out on Saturday, it is about 2 hours out from where I live.

In a nutshell, what are the major items I should be looking at, or asking questions on? I note turbo failures with 2012-14, did the 2015s show any similar symptoms?

Thank you in advance for any feedback!

My 2 cents: Having owned long term a 2001 Jetta 5 sp TDI wagon, a 2005 Passat TDI auto, and a 2013 Passat TDI DSG, all bought new, I can say the 2013 is by far the most finicky of the three and more prone to various fault conditions, endless recalls, and of course has the ad-blue urea injection and complex emissions system, arguably not fully thought through and robustly engineered before being put into production. The 2015 has a different engine, but has many of the same complexities and has its own set of issues. For me the main concern is very expensive and inevitable repairs after the extended warranty ends, particularly as to the emissions system. Some owners plan on adding a tune to delete much of the emissions system and install a new exhaust setup without a DPF but that costs $$$$, is illegal, and pollutes.

While I am sure some owners have had trouble free experiences with a 2015, I would stay away from it unless I had deep pockets because that extended warranty will expire. By the way, after the fix, fuel economy in my 2013 took a dive and my 2005 is almost as efficient on the highway - both in the mid-upper 40s on the exact same trip (37 miles mostly highway) under same conditions, the 2013 maybe 1-2 mpg better tops.

If you are going to pursue the 2015 look closely at the cooling system and any signs of leakage or overheating. Scan the vehicle for stored codes. Test EVERYTHING.

Tom in PT said:

My 2 cents: Having owned long term a 2001 Jetta 5 sp TDI wagon, a 2005 Passat TDI auto, and a 2013 Passat TDI DSG, all bought new, I can say the 2013 is by far the most finicky of the three and more prone to various fault conditions, endless recalls, and of course has the ad-blue urea injection and complex emissions system, arguably not fully thought through and robustly engineered before being put into production. The 2015 has a different engine, but has many of the same complexities and has its own set of issues. For me the main concern is very expensive and inevitable repairs after the extended warranty ends, particularly as to the emissions system. Some owners plan on adding a tune to delete much of the emissions system and install a new exhaust setup without a DPF but that costs $$$$, is illegal, and pollutes.

While I am sure some owners have had trouble free experiences with a 2015, I would stay away from it unless I had deep pockets because that extended warranty will expire. By the way, after the fix, fuel economy in my 2013 took a dive and my 2005 is almost as efficient on the highway - both in the mid-upper 40s on the exact same trip (37 miles mostly highway) under same conditions, the 2013 maybe 1-2 mpg better tops.

If you are going to pursue the 2015 look closely at the cooling system and any signs of leakage or overheating. Scan the vehicle for stored codes. Test EVERYTHING.

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Hi Tom - thank you for the detailed reply on this. It is clear that if one thing has remained consistent over the years/generations of TDIs (maybe VWs in general?), it is little (and sometimes big) quirks.

bigwoode said:

Hi Tom - thank you for the detailed reply on this. It is clear that if one thing has remained consistent over the years/generations of TDIs (maybe VWs in general?), it is little (and sometimes big) quirks.

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If it's close to the 12 I have which I think there's only little engine related differences and smaller stuff..
Here's stuff for long term ownership I'd spend money on;
- Seat swap (unless you can deal with the factory ones. Mk4 was better than 2012s lol)
- brakes! OEM brakes for prolonged use are prone to under perform
- decent oil regiment. I've done 5/10 on the alh. On this one I do 10/10 but noticeable drop in efficiency is around 7k I'd say. I run rotella t6 in all my vag cars.
- 12v constant on; cigarette lighter turns off with ignition. Heck with that....
- 12v outlet in trunk ... Genius designers left that out. So I plan to make one for mine.


I'm sure there s a ton more. But if anything I'd grab a sel or sel premium. Upgrading on the newer platforms isn't as simple for electronics wise.

^ my personal input


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^ Agree completely on the seats - stock is hard as a rock, need extra padding or a swap for optimal comfort. The A/C fan is way too loud.

I'm using 507 oil and have zero consumption, with annual changes (~ 5,000 miles for me). Clean out the goo in the intercooler to keep the sensor at the top clean annually.
Wish mine had a backup camera - get the upgrade models with that feature if you can.

On the plus side, the car feels very peppy in stock form and cruises at high speed with great stability, the engine in a sweet spot around 2K rpm. Feels much more lively than the '05 even though the HP and TQ numbers are almost identical.

Tom in PT said:

^ Agree completely on the seats - stock is hard as a rock, need extra padding or a swap for optimal comfort. The A/C fan is way too loud.

I'm using 507 oil and have zero consumption, with annual changes (~ 5,000 miles for me). Clean out the goo in the intercooler to keep the sensor at the top clean annually.
Wish mine had a backup camera - get the upgrade models with that feature if you can.

On the plus side, the car feels very peppy in stock form and cruises at high speed with great stability, the engine in a sweet spot around 2K rpm. Feels much more lively than the '05 even though the HP and TQ numbers are almost identical.

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I agree with ya on the camera; would come in handy; but I believe they improved the mirror space or view angles a bit on the 14+ facelift vs the small angled mirrors on previous years. I went with the cc seats due to comfort but I can only speak of my MY12 nms that they need a lot of tinkering to get it all OEM level.

However the amazing down the road feel of this big of a car is for sure a selling point. I got a set of the atlas wheels on mine and the minor offset difference isn't noticeable much.

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Thank you. Didn’t realize certain models didn’t have a reverse cam, thought that was a fairly standard item lately.

I prefer a 6spd, but am not against exploring a DSG. From what I have gathered, it doesn’t seem that manual is an option in the SEL or Premium trims. I am going to try to get some seat time this weekend in some local vehicles. I appreciate all of the feedback!

Not much to check (as I keep learning myself) on the 2015s besides the normal stuff: rust!

Some earlier ones had weak turbos, perhaps 2012-13. Also some earlier ones had clogged heater cores, or prone to clogging.

I would check for the date of the 2nd dieselgate fix, later the better, as it extends your coverage. The best is one without the fix yet, so you take it yourself to get it done and activate the warranty.

HPFP are still perhaps the weakest link, it seems there was a rash of them failing for some time, and then die down?!

Absolutely no valve cover leakage!

According to my reading, the valve cover takes a day to come off and replace that gasket.

Interesting, I feel like I read that the warranty is the later of either the fix or purchase date (of a certified used).

we had a 2013 SE for almost 40K, no problems what so ever. Did the buyback in 17 and bought a new 15 SEL for about $1.5K more. Both DSG equipped. The 15 now has 30K and no problems except the battery went dead at about 6 months. They just charged after sitting for a couple years with infrequent starts. They towed and replaced the battery and gave us $100 gift card for our trouble. No other problems on the 15. The SEL is definitely nicer excepting the faux wood grain interior trim.



the 162K/11 year engine/emission warranty plus the SEL features sold us on getting the 15.


good luck

Skimax said:

we had a 2013 SE for almost 40K, no problems what so ever. Did the buyback in 17 and bought a new 15 SEL for about $1.5K more. Both DSG equipped. The 15 now has 30K and no problems except the battery went dead at about 6 months. They just charged after sitting for a couple years with infrequent starts. They towed and replaced the battery and gave us $100 gift card for our trouble. No other problems on the 15. The SEL is definitely nicer excepting the faux wood grain interior trim.



the 162K/11 year engine/emission warranty plus the SEL features sold us on getting the 15.


good luck

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Thank you! I didn’t realize the extended warranty was that deep. The dealer I spoke with only noted a 2 year limited. Glad to hear that yours has treated you well, I may splurge for the SEL Premium and leave my 6speed wants behind.

Only that deep on the stop sale cars that were never sold before. My 2015 Beetle is that way too. Manuals will be hard to find. The earlier ones had no fix and had to be destroyed if turned in. Some (few) people kept theirs. IIRC the 2015 had a fix and those are still out there but few and far between and usually get a bonus placed on them.

bigwoode said:

Hey Everyone - I am an older member who used to frequent the site until my 2001 crossed the rainbow bridge. I am looking at a 2015 Passat 6spd to replace my wife’s daily. She wants to drive our Atlas, so I’ve been back on the hunt.

I have read a handful of threads on the Forum, but surely am not seeing everything. I plan to drive to check this out on Saturday, it is about 2 hours out from where I live.

In a nutshell, what are the major items I should be looking at, or asking questions on? I note turbo failures with 2012-14, did the 2015s show any similar symptoms?

Thank you in advance for any feedback!

Click to expand...

I know I'm replying a bit late here but I think I can give you some perspective. I owned and sold back a 2014 Passat, then took that money and bought a 2015 Passat. Both cars were SE models with the 6-speed manual transmission.

When you say you are looking for a 6-speed, do you mean a stick-shift transmission? The DSG transmission is also a 6-speed.

I'll assume you are looking at a SE model with a 6-speed stick-shift transmission. SE models were the stripped down ones with a lot less to go wrong. No sunroof, no dual climate control, no rain sensor, no Nav, no finicky head unit, 17" wheels were standard. Both my 2014 and 2015 cars had back-up cameras. It's easy enough to google the different years and trim levels and see what the options were. Body wise, between my 2014 & 2015, there was no difference.

There are a LOT of differences in the engines. The 2014 Passat had a CKRA engine. The 2015 Passat has an all new and updated CVCA engine. Other than nuts and bolts there are no common parts between the two engines. The fuel pump failures, turbo failures, DEF system failures, and the heater core issues are extremely rare in the 2015 Passat. One just doesn't read about those systems failing on the 2015 models. The CVCA engine has a lot more technology in it, belt driven oil pump, variable valve timing, more compact catalyst system, the intercooler is part of the head, etc. Although the CVCA engine is much more complicated than the older CKRA engine, it has something going for it, the 2015 TDIs have a much better warranty. This is what sold me and my son on getting 2015 models. My 2014 Passat had two heater cores replaced under warranty and the third was starting to plug up when I sold it back. HP and mileage is up a bit on the 2015 TDIs.

Again, I stress the better warranty on the 2015 models. It's not bumper to bumper coverage but it covers the really expensive stuff, engine and emission systems.

Lets us know what you end up buying.

Good luck.

If you want a buyback Passat with a warranty and a 6-speed manual, 2015 is your only option. There was no fix for the '12-14 manual transmission Passats. And I agree with BK and the '15 engine superiority to the '12-14s.

But if you want to get back into a diesel, I'd also look at the '15 Golf or Golf Sportwagen. Smaller car, new platform, more available with manual transmissions.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=507419

There seems to be quite a few reports of problems with water pumps, coolant loss, overheating etc in the 2015's such as as this recent post. You might want to investigate those and if looking at a 2015 to purchase look very closely at the repair history and current state of the cooling system.

Lots of the CR TDIs have issues with water pumps leaking. I don't think the incidence on the '15s is much greater than other common rail cars.

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I drove a 2015 6MT this morning (mini road trip), it honestly reminded me of my old ALH. Even had a crayon smell to it.

With that said, the price tag is too high and the trade offer is too low. I am going to check out the DSG Premium in my area and see how I feel about it. Will try to stick to 2015 based on what I am reading, may even check out a Golf ����