Passat 2005 CV joint boot failure

Our Passat TDI (05) is now four years old and has 20k miles on it.
Both CV boots had to be replaced under warranty. The first one failed after 10k miles and the second one after 20k miles.
This is a new experience for me. All of my other German cars CV boots lasted at least 100k miles if not longer.
There is something wrong with the design. It looks like the boot is overstretched. The dealer claims that they don't last long.
If this is the case I will have to get rid of this car.
Checking the net shows that there is a lot of information on the Passat boot failure, very little or none on Jetta boot failure.
I wonder if anyone has tried to replace a broken Passat boot with a Jetta boot or any other boot with the same or somewhat similar dimensions. I have both cars in my garage side by side and examined both. The Jetta TDI (early 05) boot has 5 bulges, the Passat only 4, the Jetta boot also has a better strain relieved bulge design. The outside dimensions are close, as well as I can measure them. It looks like the Jetta boot has more flex and play in it.
There has to be a better solution than just to continue replacing boots and failed joints caused by this problem.
Do any of your experts have an opinion of a solution other than using standard replacement boots.

JK

i had to replace mine @ 80k and i got the same response from the guys @ service desk. I put another 15k and no problems.

Jurgen 01
That's a very good observation. I replaced mine, driver's side and forgot to compare it with the my old and trusty '95 Passat VR6 that still have the original CVJ boot. I was just thinking like many mchanics replace and get it done with. I'll get back to you on this one.

It is common on the B5s. You would get rid of the car over this??? Time is more of a factor than mileage on these, FWIW. It should only cost a couple hundred to have both outer joints rebooted. Easy job.

The reason they do this (and they have BEEN doing this since that platform came out in 1995), is the outer joint gets moved through a very tight turning arc due to the front suspension design. Jettas do not have such a complex suspension. You really connot compare the two.

Both sides have now been rebooted. No I wont get rid of my car but I would like to find a solution to this problem. I am going get a Jetta and a Passat boot and compare them. If they are similar the next time one of my Passat boots break I will use a Jetta boot. I cant loose much, it can break again.
My car is out of warranty. I wonder what the boot design of the new Passat looks like.

jurgen01 said:

Both sides have now been rebooted. No I wont get rid of my car but I would like to find a solution to this problem. I am going get a Jetta and a Passat boot and compare them. If they are similar the next time one of my Passat boots break I will use a Jetta boot. I cant loose much, it can break again.
My car is out of warranty. I wonder what the boot design of the new Passat looks like.

Click to expand...

The current (2006+) Passat is a totally different car, with the Jetta-type front suspension. Again, you cannot compare the two.

Does anyone have the procedure for replacing the cv boots? I have a friend who has a failed one and he wants to try to fix it himself.

EDIT: this is a 2005 Passat

Vegged-Out said:

Does anyone have the procedure for replacing the cv boots? I have a friend who has a failed one and he wants to try to fix it himself.

EDIT: this is a 2005 Passat

Click to expand...

vegged-out look in the other passat forum as this one was intended for pictures i think. look under the "how to's".
trust me its there. i just had to down load the pdf as i noticed one of mine has a split.
if you can't find it send me a PM or email and i'll send the pdf.

email/pdf sent