My Passat cost to own from day 1...

Hey guys! I just thought some of the guys might want to know what the cost to own for one of these cars has been like. I bought mine in 2011 from the first owner with full service records in a binder from day 1. I took the time the other day to actually log it all in an excel sheet. Needless to say for him doing none of the work and taking it to the dealer or an indie shop his cost to own from 2005 to 2011 (202,000km) was...$25,155CDN.

Since I've owned the vehicle and have done the manual swap and every possible fix (BSMD, Malone 1.5, Manual conversion, Clutchmasters clutch upgrade, Colt Stage 2 cam, Westfalia hitch) I'm into my car from 2011 to 2015 (Now at 308,000km)...$18,299. I hope this car makes it to 500K cause I'm getting tired of pailing money into it. Supposedly all the problem areas have been addressed except for maybe the tandem pump yet... but since day 1 $43K in maintenance seems... a lot. Given since my ownership not all the repairs I could do myself and that's added up. So how have the rest of you guys fared? Sorry for the rant... I just hope I'm done with the money flowing out and wanting to finally reap the benefits. Thanks!

43k is up there. Lets hope the next 200k is just oil, TB, brakes, and tires.

I paid $28k for mine, new, in 2004. GLS sedan w/ leather-wood. Took the DRL relay out and handed it back to the salesman (first "mod", car had 1.2 miles on, LMAO ).

Installed a W8 splash shield, gravel guard kit, nose bra, and Euro switch, tailpipe extensions, and Monster mats when I got home.

Currently has 173k miles.

Don't much remember the cost of service items, I obviously have done all the work myself.

It is on its 3rd set of Michelins. Brakes are original.

Oil changes and rotations every 10k.

Cabin filter and fuel filter every 20k.

Air filter every 40k.

ATF flush every 60k.

Brake fluid flush every other year.

Upgraded to the gear-drive BSM at 80k, went ahead and did the timing belt then. Also upgraded the glow plugs and had Jeff do an RC1 tune on it around the same time. Upgraded the alternator pulley then, too. I never had anything "break", this was all preventive.

I upgraded to Bilstein HD shock absorbers around 100k. The originals were fine, just wanted a firmer ride. I also went ahead and proactively replaced the outer CV boots then. They were not split, but I figured 100k miles was pretty good service, and it is easier to swap the front struts with the axles removed anyways, and CV boots are crazy easy to do on these.

Around 125k I had to replace the LR door latch. That was "officially" the first item that "broke" on the car.

At 150k, the original Valeo alternator died, replaced with Bosch. Thought about putting a Bosch on there when it was new, LOL.

I replaced the original battery at some point, too, putting the slightly larger H7 in there instead of the original H6, which requires a different hold down.

I have also proactively replaced the original brake light switch with the newer style, and replaced the A/C compressor clutch retardation relay with a new one. Neither ever failed.

I've replaced a couple tail lamp bulbs, front marker bulb, and probably 5 pairs of Silverstar headlamp bulbs. (I always buy them and replace them in pairs when one fails).

Wife got backed into by a semi in a parking lot, so I had to have the front bumper cover refinished, new lock carrier, new intercooler, and new upper bumper cover support. Not the car's fault. I broke my rule about using cheap parts, though, and used a Chinabay intercooler, which I found out 10k miles later why it was so cheap as it blew apart in the middle of Indiana on the way to DC. A genuine VAG (Modine) one is in there now. Lesson learned.

That's pretty much it. Great car, still runs and drives perfect. Tight, solid, no weird noises, no rust, no paint problems. Lots of power, GREAT highway cruiser, and still capable of cracking off a 40 MPG tank, although 36 to 38 is more average. We drive mostly highway, and always pretty fast.

My Passat is a bit different being a Frankencar but:

- I paid $14,000 for it in 2011 with 110,000km. I was a bit naïve and over-excited to have a 4motion TDI and didn't check it out thoroughly before buying. I had flown across the country to get it so I wasn't going to not get it at that point and had limited time.

- Immediately got ripped off by a local shop that charged about $1600 to safety the vehicle mostly due to an ABS light that turned out to be a frayed VSS wire in the floorboards.

- within the first year I did a new cam, used set of injectors, radiator, timing belt, windshield washer fluid pump, metal skid plate. cost about $3500

- Then tandem pump, front caliper, front and rear rotors and pads, lift pump, tranny and motor mounts. About $3000.

- New summer and winter tires (Toyo, Michelin), about $1600

- Most recently all new full upper and lower control arm kit and dealer alignment, about $2000.

Now I am determined to do my own work and the car has not needed any for some time except a parking brake cable $120. She has 170,000km now and I hope I really have all the kinks worked out too!

My out of pocket costs to mechanics have been about $8000 with half of that to replace the transmission. I have done most of the work myself.

I'd have to estimate:
$2500 in tires.
$ 800 in brakes
$ 650 Koni FSDs
$2000 BSM components
$ 700 boots cv joints/raxles.
$ 600 oil/filters
$2000 additional misc parts.

$ 9250
$ 8000 (from above)
-------------------
$17250 sub Total Maintenance
$22000 Fuel (220K miles at 32mpg *$3.25/gal)
$10000 insurance
$24000 Purchase price
$73250 total

or $.333 per mile

These numbers are probably accurate to the 10% level.

My '05 Passat TDI Wagon was purchased in 2012 with 82k km on it. I've done most of my own work except the BSM Delete which was more than I could take on in the driveway.
$12900 purchase
$ 80 battery
$ 30 oil pan heater (cheap quick fix 1st winter)
$ 750 winter tires
That was my 1st winter with it
$ 300 rear rotors/calipers
$ 300 Drive axles (chaxles...still need to go OEM)
$ 100. Essentially stole 4 MK4 15" rims off Kijiji
$ 500 new summer tires
$ 2700 BS delete, TB, motor mounts, Malone tune, etc.
$ 500 new alternator, battery, serp belt.
(seized pulley really did a ****ing number on it)
$ 50 supplies to solder wire splices to TCU
$ 200 front rotors/calipers
$ 18400 TOTAL

Now, a few points to make. This was my first car, when I got my first real job and moved. I didn't do nearly enough research and when the dealer offered a low mileage wagon I jumped. We do lots of road trips and have a 140lb dog, so great mileage and lots of room was what I needed.

Then a year of wedding saving and now preparing for her grad school, I just can't justify the investment in OE for anything but the engine.
I get aftermarket parts at cost, have a friend who's a mechanic and have taken the time to research and learn to do a lot of this work on my own now. I'm determined to take this 10 year old car with 146k km to 300k.
Live and learn, but I still love this car somehow.

I'm afraid to find out based on some of the above...but honestly, I have not had to do many of the things listed. Maybe it's time to sell before the big ones hit?
Tires and maintenance items are a given for any car that gets driven, same for the usual suspects. It's those 'german designed' surprizes that hurt.

For clarification a BIG part of the expenses in mine were the transmission related. The previous owner spent $5800 on a new OEM automatic just before I bought it. I then sold that auto out and between the clutches and trans swap I'm into the trans close to $6K. Half of that being CLUTCHES! :S So $11,800 was technically trans related expenses. I didn't include fuel use in my numbers...I don't want to know what fuel/insurance cost for that many years! :S

Some of the numbers above are staggering. These are some of the best/comfortable/fun to drive/economical cars on the road, if you can stay away from VAG dealer network. Otherwise they can be the worst money pits around. I bought one from the original owner with almost $30000 worth of receipts. The engine ate the cam shortly after TB replacement and I got it for 1500. I swapped BEW in it and that's my wife's car. My total cost around 4000 plus my labour, no BSM to worry about, slightly better fuel economy, and winter starting. Power is adequate with stock passat ECM and turbo.
My own car has all the updates (5 speed, cam, BSM delete, tune), as I drive a lot and can't afford to be stranded on my way to work. Bought that one (in like new body/interior condition) for 1500 delivered to my shop, but spend some $$ on Franse's manual tranny swap kit and engine upgrades. I may have around $8000 in it, but that one is a keeper - 180hp, 44-53mpg US highway, 39 mpg mixed driving (on skinny 195/15 tires), could do better if not driving like a tool. The fuel savings are adding up and neither of these cars let me down ever. They are also surprisingly good in winter with proper winter tires (important where I live). In fact I like driving Passat so much , that I rarely pull my fun cars or 4x4 out of the garage and some will be sold -another saving.
Between me and my wife , we had total of 5 passats over the years. Never paid more then $1500-2000 for one, usually with engine or tranny problem. Total investment of less then 5000 plus my labor each. Can't go wrong, if you are competent hobby mechanic and use the knowledge and help from this board.

Some of the problems people seem to have are staggering, too. Lots of them are avoidable.

OH, I definitely agree. A more aggresive preventative plan and adressing several issues at once would keep some costs down.

To be fair on my repairs too, many of them were preventative/preemptive ie while the mechanic was in there I did some of these things.

For instance one injector seemed bad so I replaced them all while doing the cam. Basically I have three spare good injectors now etc... I plan to have this car a long time.

I had to buy mine twice. Does that count?

I don't own a b5.5 but I do own an ALH tdi... What I wanted to say is that most people who buy cars aren't people on this forum, most people don't know what preventive maintaince is, they go take their cars to the dealers and have them fix it. Let's take a perfect world scenario where the dealer doesn't rip you off and everything that's worked on the car is because it needed servicing. Let's also leave out costs such as tires, brakes, oil changes, brake flush, coolant flush, fuel insurance, and whatever else that can be considered normal maintaince for any car out there. These costs are unavoidable no matter what (unless you don't maintain your car but again perfect world scenario). The way I see it at the end of day in my opinion is a car costs you when things start breaking prematurely due to defective parts or whatever the case may be and you have to "dump" money into a car. I'll give you my example of parts changed/fixed because they "broke"

Brake booster hose 61 dollars
Vnt actuator 154 (labour included since I didn't know what I was doing at the time)
Thermostat and coolant 50 or so
Lca bushings and bolts 96
Serpentine belt tensioner shock 56
Left and right rear wheel bearings 90 total
Used abs pump module, new OEM master cylinder, used brake reservoir brake fluid and line flush plus 5 hours labour at a recommended tdi shop 871 total

You may argue some of this stuff can even be considered normal maintaince.

The Last one was the biggest "break down"... It doesn't come out to much (1378) but I have spent way more on the car then that. Some of it was for my pleasure, some of it was for preventive maintaince, some of it was because I was learning and screwed up fixing stuff and then some of it was just regular wear and tear/maintaince items (timing belt, rear brakes, etc)

Oh and this only what I spent, the PO spent a ton of money at the dealer and a lot of the things were "break" downs... I don't even know about the original owner.

At the end of the day it's the way you view the cost. To me, break down wise really wasn't much, but I did spend a good chunk on preventive maintaince too. To someone who doesn't have a clue about cars... Yea it'll get pricey, I'll have to say it but no matter what these cars will cost way more and need a lot more attention then say a Honda or toyota

With all due respect the ALH is known to be a much more reliable platform. Seems like the Passats WILL have to have the below repairs done at some point in it's life making it a higher cost vehicle:

1. Balance shaft module/delete
2. Camshaft prone to all PDs (I know lots of discussion on oils, design etc etc etc)
3. Transmission

Those 3 alone are more than the cost of the car purchase. Oh how I wish mine had an ALH... :S OTOH...the power is quite enjoyable! Don't get me wrong I LOVE my B5.5 and there's nothing like it...I just wish it didn't have these stupid issues from factory that can drain your account in no time.

I know and what I was essentially trying to say is that I separate costs into different categories and I'm saying that at the end of the day a car costs you only in terms of things that have broken due to defects or poor manufacturing that shouldn't have broken or broke very early.

Sorry maybe I went a little off topic...

I have both.

They are both good and bad. I think the ALH cars with a manual gearbox better represent what most of us like about diesels in the first place. But my BHW car sure is much nicer to drive.

I agree with both of you 2.2TDI and oilhammer. I would call the 3 major items all things that SHOULDN'T have to be replaced in the reasonable lifetime of a vehicle. Regular maint seems like pocket change with filters and fluids every 10K miles.

I'm jealous oilhammer! I've been looking around for a low mile ALH to tinker on. I know they're not as "refined" but they seem to run forever with basic maint!

Oh I never looked for a low mileage ALH car. A 383k mile one fell in my lap.

493k miles now... and climbing.

This will be the exception, but other than prescribed maintenance, and a couple of additional maintenance items such as a transmission fluid change, I have never paid for a repair. Ever. In fact, I have only ever had one real mechanical repair (under warranty) and that was the balance shaft upgrade; it was free, so I did the alternator pulley upgrade at the same time, and that cost me an extra couple of hundred dollars. I also had the typical plenum leak, but VW ate the bill for that too. Best car I have ever owned. I am still waiting for the day when I have to finance a repair out of necessity.

We have both an ALH and BHW in the family. I only drive the ALH when I have to. The Passat (6speed) is much nicer.

Passat hardly gets driven anymore since I stopped commuting to work. It might be for sale soon. 2 tanks of diesel in 3-4 months, hardly justifies keeping it. I wouldn't buy a newer diesel without the highway driving, just asking for problems in the city.

My Wagon (Variant) has now 178,000 miles on it.
The alternator was replaced under warranty at 85,000.
Outside driverside axle boot was replaced once.

Since Oilhammer fixed the Balance Shaft at 100,000 miles to a gear unit, transmission flush and did the timing belt/water pump my car has been trouble free.

I did have the stainless steel glow plugs removed and replaced with the new ceramics (reflash was required). Rear brake pads/rotors were replaced once.

I do have a rear passenger wheel shock that just started leaking.

But a great car so far other than the rear driverside power window stopped working. It makes noise just don't move much.

I plan on replacing the shocks/struts, brakes/rotors front and rear, brake fluid flushed, transmission flush, timing belt/water pump and coolant flush. Is there anything else I should do at 200,000 miles? Should the alternator pulley or for that matter the alternator be replaced?

Looks like you are right on track in terms of maintenances--

Check all your suspension components
Replace shocks front and rear if needed
Replace all oil, fluids and filters (transmission, braking system, coolant)
Replace brake rotors and pads if needed
Timing Belt kit and water pump
Accessory belts
Battery ?
Wiper Blades ?
Tires ?
Check condition of motor mounts
make sure you have the metal alternator pulley.

Oilhammer knows exactly what to inspect and service on this car .

I have an '03 ALH wagon with 320k on it. Zero major issues and nearly zero (non-routine-maintenance) issues period. The car just motors along. 50 MPG on the highway. Burns no oil. New turbo at 250K and new clutch at 300k.

I am considering passing it down to my college-aged daughter and getting a B5 with a bad auto that I can do a balance shaft delete, 5-speed swap, and, if needed, cam. I am thinking that I can spend under $10K to get a slightly nicer/bigger tdi than I have now.

But reading these posts has me a bit scared. I thought the reason my ALH has been so awesome was because I owned it since new and have been very good about maintaining it. Now I am beginning to think that the A4/ALH is just a better-designed, more reliable platform than the B5.5.

Should I just start shopping for a nice used ALH for my daughter and forget the B5 option?

Mines up for sale and it's had all that done to it already for under $10k...

Uberhare:

I have a B5 wagon that I bought 2 months ago with a little over 400k km (250k mi). It runs really smoothly. I see that you have a B5 TDI Passat with a 6 speed. Could you please tell me who installed the 6 speed in your car, and how much it cost? I stop in Ancaster, ON every year en route to Montreal to see the Canadian GP. I have a high school buddy who is settled there, I live near Chicago. I might get the 6 speed conversion done on one of my trips! Thanks. Chander

A good deal of BHW Passat TDI owners actually found the 5 speed to be more appealing as opposed to the 6 speed transmission route.

I believe it had something to do with gearing and the ease of both installation and the sourcing of parts.

If I had not gone the VW reman automatic transmission route; I would have strongly considered a 5 speed FHN setup.

Parts and labor to have a conversion performed by a TDI enthusiast / tech is running somewhere is the $3000-$3200 range.

Chander said:

Uberhare:

I have a B5 wagon that I bought 2 months ago with a little over 400k km (250k mi). It runs really smoothly. I see that you have a B5 TDI Passat with a 6 speed. Could you please tell me who installed the 6 speed in your car, and how much it cost? I stop in Ancaster, ON every year en route to Montreal to see the Canadian GP. I have a high school buddy who is settled there, I live near Chicago. I might get the 6 speed conversion done on one of my trips! Thanks. Chander

Click to expand...

Uberhare and I both have the 6spd conversion (as opposed to the more widely done 5spd). We both sourced transmissions out of Europe from a local gent in Kitchener Ontario.

Both Uber and I did the conversions ourselves, Uber was the vanguard - He did his first and broadcasted the learnings for everyone else. Thread here:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=378108

I've been cruising around adds recently looking for deals on a good b5.5 autotragic candidate.

mrrhtuner said:

I've been cruising around adds recently looking for deals on a good b5.5 autotragic candidate.

Click to expand...

I'll sell you my already converted on really reasonable!