2005 Pasat Wagon Value?

Lighten Up

Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
Location
SWFL
TDI
2005 Passat GLS TDI Wagon
I bought a 2005 Passat TDI Wagon to replace my Dodge Cummins 12Valve truck.
Not sure if I'm going to keep it as I have tough time getting out of it. I'm not sure of the value? Its perfect inside, no pets or smokers, everything works, sunroof heated seats, monsoon stereo, new Michelin pilot sport 3 tires, 17 inch rims. Car is originally from North Carolina and has perfect service history. All original. Any idea what it's worth? exterior has some nicks around the car but noting major. No rust anywhere. Paint shines very nice. automatic transmission shifts. I'm located on the west cost of Florida
 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
87 4 runner BHW swap, 2011 A3 tdi, several b5.5 bhw's.
Perfectly driveable? No leaks? No inside or outside issues cosmetically? Leak free sunroof? No timing belt or balance shaft documentation? Good tires? Good headliner?

Sub 150,000 miles id say 3000 dollar range if all but documentation of bs and timing belt is a positive answer. Take off a couple hundred for each negative


Over 200,000 miles. 1200 to 1500 bucks if all is positive on the others. Lack of service history/repair documentation hurt, majority of people buying these are enthusiast who have done their homework. A well kept tranny and bs addressed would bring that price up at least a grand.

Sadly these cars only really hold value to enthusiast who turn their own wrenches. Low mile engines are sought after. Wagons are sought after. Wagons with low miles even more so. If the transmission had a good service history its even more valuable. After that, you'd have to have the bs/timing belt done and a 5 speed conversion just to keep the resale value up. Sadly a 1200 dollar passat with 3000 bucks worth of 5 speed conversion parts, bs delete and timing belt kit is still @ a 3500 dollar car despite its newly found reliability, comfort and economy. Too many negatives out there on passats both gas and diesel and its hurt the reputation. Try finding a bone stock jetta wagon 1.9 5 speed for less than 3000. Some cars hold value, some dont. Some crappy cheap cars even less reliable than the passat hold better value (yj jeep with brittle Peugeot transmission and tooth pick Dana axles).

Love the cars but many times they are worth more selling them part by part.

I base this on buying lots of diesel passats over the past year and a half. Im down to 3 right now. 1 parts, 1 for eventual 5 speed swap and 1 daily driver. I make the most of them when i get a bad tranny but good running motor, sell the swap to a 4x4 guy and scrap the car.
 

DeliveryValve

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Location
Western US
TDI
Passat GLS Wagon
....
I base this on buying lots of diesel passats over the past year and a half. Im down to 3 right now. 1 parts, 1 for eventual 5 speed swap and 1 daily driver. I make the most of them when i get a bad tranny but good running motor, sell the swap to a 4x4 guy and scrap the car.
Wow as a B5.5 TDI enthusiast, that disheartening. I guess we can't save them all!

There were just over 13 thousand 2004-2005 B5.5 TDI sold new in the US. I wonder how many are still on the road today?...

.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I've done my best to keep them on the road. If people would just take care of them they hold up incredibly well. I have two 2004s, one with 205k one with 230k. They both look and drive fantastic. Just put a CV joint on a regular's 2005 today with 220k... again, looks and drives perfect.

It is the ones that get neglected to death that take a lot to bring back up to speed, same as any other car. The B5s seem to be graced with much better paint, though, then the G/J/NB, which makes them I think easier to keep nicer for longer. All three of my Golfs have essentially no clearcoat left, and look terrible. But both the Passats still shine like new. :)
 

PickleRick

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2017
Location
Greenville sc
TDI
87 4 runner BHW swap, 2011 A3 tdi, several b5.5 bhw's.
As oil hammer has stated the vw passats dont hold up well to neglect (Honda's and Toyotas do) gasser or diesel.

A new slush box will run you over 3k.

If you can find one maintained well, no water soaked floor board, they run forever. Oilhammer has a stage 2 tune on his slush box

The bhw is an all an all around better swap for small trucks/suvs than the 4bt!
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Maybe it's time for me to get a B5.5 wagon and do a manual swap. I've always liked the platform, had a '96 Audi A4. I will say that B5.5 parts are among the most expensive of VW platform parts. Touareg is more, of course.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I have RC1 on my TDI B5, since about 80k miles. My other one is a 1.8t... and it is undergoing a few upgrades/deletes right now. :)
 

afarfalla

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2006
Location
sugar land tx
TDI
05 Passat sedan and 05 wagen
Maybe it's time for me to get a B5.5 wagon and do a manual swap. I've always liked the platform, had a '96 Audi A4. I will say that B5.5 parts are among the most expensive of VW platform parts. Touareg is more, of course.


just put tags on this one
 
Last edited:

campingalan

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 19, 2010
Location
CO
TDI
05 Passat Wagon TDI
Ughhh…...I am currently going through the same decision point. Oilhammer has had the car twice: 2010 to do the balance shaft, steel glow plugs, engine mounts, timing belt, and a few other items and 2017 to do the shocks, cam shaft, timing belt again and other items. I also just put in some Raxle axles.....and new tires. In July, while on a 200 mile drive, mid way through the drive started hearing some howling sounds when going up a hill. By the time we got home, it sounded like marbles. I just towed it up to a foreign shop that has some experience with the B5s and their assessment is "something in the transmission". It isn't throwing any codes. Oh yes...I replaced the torque converter in 2011.

So, am waiting on the shop to craft an estimate for 1) trans rebuild 2) manual conversion (they have done 3 or 4 of those) or 3) repair just what is broke in the transmission ($900 to pull it; big mystery to replace parts......and I'd still have a 225k trans). And...of course, the 4th option is get rid of the vehicle.

My gut feeling is that the transmission is the last "known weakness" in this car; suck up that cost and the car should continue to excel. However, I am sure the cheapest option they have to offer will be $4k or >, which is a ton of gas in my other cars; plus insurance and licensing.

So, we shall see.
 
Last edited:
Top