SOLD — B5.5 Passat TDI Wagon - 39k Original Miles - $14k obo

[ives]

SOLD !!!!

Not a typo! Only 39,000 original miles.
Asking $14,000 — willing to negotiate for a quick sale! *I'm selling because I need a truck for new work and this was just my 'for-fun'car.*

Showroom condition - was always kept in a climate-controlled garage and used a few times a year by last owner. I am the second owner and just put it through it's paces, drove ~9k miles and had it serviced and deeply inspected by Hillside Imports in Oregon (TDI Specialist listed on this site) — No issues and paperwork to prove it. I'm doing a full timing belt job as well here in Denver where the car currently is. Delivery might be available. Trade for a 4x4 van or truck with bed cover.

New January 2022:
New Air filter
New Fuel Filter
Brand New VW Monster rubber floormats.
Brand new premium Nokian Encompass all weather tires (snowflake rated and very durable in winter AND summer - no need to change tires)
Brand new set of economy tires.

New March 2022:
Timing Belt
Water Pump
Tensioners
Pulleys
Serpentine Belt
Timing Belt
Premium oil and Mann filter + comes with oil for one more change.


Performed flawlessly on it's recent trip. I've been averaging 40-50mpg on the highway, 30-40mpg in the city.

Leathette heated seats, Tiptronic automatic transmission, Monsoon CD/Tape factory premium stereo sounds great. Moonroof.

Absolutely ZERO rust. Clean title and carfax, no accidents, no blemishes, nothing wrong.

Located in Denver. May be able to trailer it to you if you are not too far away. Or you can come and pick it up and drive it home.

Feel free to ask questions. Quickest response will be through the form on this site for the sale + more pics: https://passat-tdi-for-sale.myportfolio.com

Thanks for looking and sharing it around. Please be friendly in the comments.


NOTE on Balance Shaft:
I have not removed the balance shaft. I know people often like to do that as the factory one was not very stable. I've talked with some TDI specialist shops listed on TDIclub and they all don't do that work, VW dealers don't do the work, and the couple import shops around also wont do the work, and the ones I've talked to have said they don't see a reason to do it if you take good care of the car. So, I tried, but seems like many mechanics won't. The engine is purring and quiet and working great.

 

[drmark50]

Is this car staying on the West coast or are you bringing to NY? I am in NY and maybe interested.

 

[ives]

Is this car staying on the West coast or are you bringing to NY? I am in NY and maybe interested.

I would consider trailering it out to you, but it wouldn't be cheap since gas prices are pretty high currently. Probably inthe $2k-3k range, but I'd be wiling to do it. Just FYI too, I have an appointment to get the timing betl/tensioners/pulley/water pump replaced early next week. The price is going up to $16,500 because of that, and I'm changing it above. If you buy it at that price I can be more flexible on shipping costs. (Or you can buy it at $15k and no timing belt job, and I'll still take a bit off the shipping.

 

[drmark50]

Thanks. But not interested in the added shipping cost. Good luck with sale.

 

[afarfalla]

(BSM) on a road trip in my 05 at 29K miles the BSM idler failed, it purred, was quiet and ran great... (auto trans) my 05 wagon at 126k miles, on a trip to FL and back it purred was quiet and ran great, the next day the trans oil pump failed, trans quit and all these silver sparkles appeared in the fluid when i drained it. So what you have is a $16k time bomb.

 

[ives]

(BSM) on a road trip in my 05 at 29K miles the BSM idler failed, it purred, was quiet and ran great... (auto trans) my 05 wagon at 126k miles, on a trip to FL and back it purred was quiet and ran great, the next day the trans oil pump failed, trans quit and all these silver sparkles appeared in the fluid when i drained it. So what you have is a $16k time bomb.

Your 05 was a 2.0 PD engine and not the new 2.0 they released in 05?

Anyhow, as I've said in a million spots, the buyer is very welcome to do the balance shaft job. ZERO shops I've contacted will do it and ZERO said I should worry. Even in these forums most people have said it would be very unlikely to fail at such a low mileage.

Otherwise it's a showroom / time capsule of a car. There are zero other pristine b5.5 tdis with even close to this low mileage anywhere for sale. If anyone wants to find me a shop that will do a BSM job in the denver area. let me know... but pretty sure i've called every single one.

AGAIN. Im open to offers.

I don't understand why people keep harping on this as if it's my fault that I'm trying to sell it. I know it is an engine that can have problems. The 1.8t also has problems... the Vr6 has problems.

Feels like the community here wants me to flog myself for ever driving it....

 

[ives]

If everyone has strong opinions on what it's worth then tell me what I should sell it for.

Don't forget it's almost certainly the most pristine b5.5 tdi wagon in the country with zero issues and ultra low, heated garage kept miles.

I bought it for $10.5k last year with 30k miles. I've spent $2k ish on timing belt and filters fluids etc.

The market is regularly getting 20-40% markups over bluebook value. Gas prices are super high and this car has the power of a V6 and better mileage than some hybrids...

Getting hung up on the balance shaft seems like a moot point since ZERO shops will do it, and because if it is going to break it's less likely to break anytime soon given it's mileage and condition. Im not against it but i can't magically delete it by waving my hands around with cash in them since no one wants to do it.

I was told by a guy who used to own one of the best TDI shops in the country that this particular wagon is one of only 3,000 ever imported. He said he thought $10k was a good deal when I bought it. I thought so too given again... there are zero others like it for sale, the market being up, it's unusually good condition etc.

I mean for crying out loud i bought a cargo van in 2017 for $16k and the same van is worth $38k now.... Im not saying that's fair or that i like it but it is what the market is doing.

So:::: TELL ME INTERNET: What is this car worth?

 

[afarfalla]

KBB a good place to start...2004 GLS (highest price diesel) blk, standard options, excellent condition...trade $4311...PP $6681 and max $7922, $10K you paid too much. See what car max will give you.

 

[ives]

KBB a good place to start...2004 GLS (highest price diesel) blk, standard options, excellent condition...trade $4311...PP $6681 and max $7922, $10K you paid too much. See what car max will give you.

Kelly blue book is not at all a good place to start. But if you really want to start there then take the top value of $8k and add 20-40% for current market rates and gas prices.

That's $9,600 - $11,200

Now figure that I have a totally fresh set of belts water pump, fluids and all filters. That cost me $2k - Now add a new set of tires and wiper and a detail. Now we're at $12,000 - $13,900.

Now figure there are zero like it for sale in the country and it's a rare model/style and the last of its kind before diesel emissions and lower mpgs. I'd say bump it up another few hundred.

Now figure I just did all the work to source a super rare car and refreshed everything I possibly could for preventative maintinence. I'd hope I'd get a small something for my efforts. Let's say $1k.

-----

To suggest kelly bluebook is a reputable place for March 2022 car prices is like saying "I googled the price of that car" or "I asked my buddy who had a VW once."

There are many people and articles etc smarter than me that can explain in depth why and what the used car market is doing. Not judgement if you're not savvy with the market right now, but I am. And prices are way way up.

 

[ives]

Carmax is laughable too. I feel like you're trolling me by giving me these 'baby's first car sale' suggestions. yeesh.

 

[JDSwan87]

OP: I'd suggest letting the prospective buyer have the TB job performed. Most buyers won't pay extra for that because they won't "trust" the work was done properly. It's like spending $800 on tires, driving 100 miles on them and selling the car. Buyers won't give you an extra $750 for those new tires, they likely don't care. In their eyes, it's a car and it has to have tires.

Price: everyone here should be GLAD he posted an asking price, I sure am. Would I pay $16k for this car, no because I'm a tight-@$$. Now, if I were in love with the B5.5 TDI platform and wanted one to have for the next 15 years, I'd probably pay $12k. But I'm not in front of the seller with money, I'm just a guy with a dog photo posting on the internet.

He listed his asking price and something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. If you don't like the price, and aren't remotely interested, move along.

 

[ives]

OP: I'd suggest letting the prospective buyer have the TB job performed. Most buyers won't pay extra for that because they won't "trust" the work was done properly. It's like spending $800 on tires, driving 100 miles on them and selling the car. Buyers won't give you an extra $750 for those new tires, they likely don't care. In their eyes, it's a car and it has to have tires.

Price: everyone here should be GLAD he posted an asking price, I sure am. Would I pay $16k for this car, no because I'm a tight-@$$. Now, if I were in love with the B5.5 TDI platform and wanted one to have for the next 15 years, I'd probably pay $12k. But I'm not in front of the seller with money, I'm just a guy with a dog photo posting on the internet.

He listed his asking price and something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. If you don't like the price, and aren't remotely interested, move along.

Thanks for this, I appreciate the support. I'm VERY willing to consider fair offers, but in this market, I have no incentive to start low.
For what it's worth the 1st service was done by Hillside Imports a reputable TDI specialist listed on this site. And the TB job will be done by Avalon Motorsports (rated one of top 10 import shops in the country). If someone wants to buy it before next week, you can do the TB yourself. I just don't want to drive on it anymore and risk the whole engine.

I'm also pretty OCD and my last TDI was taken from 50k miles to 260k miles and sold for $6k back in 2014... Value should be based on the car itself, the records, the condition compared to others on the market, etc. The reason I posted it in TDIclub was because I thought I might find a B5.5 TDI fan, like JDSwan87 said, someone like me who really digs these cars. I'd keep it myself if I didn't need a truck for work now. I didn't just drop like $3k on this and pay over book for funsies. I did it because I intended to keep it. Having said that. Everything is fresh and brand new so I just saved the buyer a bunch of time driving and waiting at the repair shop or long nights in your garage.

And for more comparison. Here's a heavily modified TDI wagon that was for sale a few years ago with more than 100k more miles on it. Asking price was $8,500. That was pre covid, pre inflation, pre gas prices, pre market hype. And was not a showroom original condition, unmolested, garage kept example that literally still smells new inside.

 

[deming]

I guess I do not completely agree with some of the comments I am reading above from other club posters. This 2005 Passat TDI Wagon is in impeccable condition and its worth significantly more than kbb.com or Nada values. I do not think the price is too far out of line, probably a $10,000-$12,000 car with no updates and no new timing belt kit. Most likely a $15-$16,000 car with everything done, but it is all based on condition and the fact that a car this ultra clean with these low miles is even available for sale is a rare find. I personally own three 2005 Passat TDI wagons and a 2015 Golf TDI wagon so I am pretty well versed and familiar with them. The gear driven balancer shaft upgrade is not a problem to get done and I believe the gear driven balancer shaft upgrade kit is still available. Oilhammer ( Brian) at Cardoc Automotive is the guru and he upgraded all of my cars back in 2010, but with 39k I guess I would drive it a few more miles before worrying about the upgrade. It is a great looking car and my advice would be to hang onto it. Its worth keeping ! Besides there are no new trucks really available to buy these days. It took me 9 months to get my 2022 Silverado HD Duramax.

 

[ives]

I guess I do not completely agree with some of the comments I am reading above from other club posters. This 2005 Passat TDI Wagon is in impeccable condition and its worth significantly more than kbb.com or Nada values. I do not think the price is too far out of line, probably a $10,000-$12,000 car with no updates and no new timing belt kit. Most likely a $15-$16,000 car with everything done, but it is all based on condition and the fact that a car this ultra clean with these low miles is even available for sale is a rare find. I personally own three 2005 Passat TDI wagons and a 2015 Golf TDI wagon so I am pretty well versed and familiar with them. The gear driven balancer shaft upgrade is not a problem to get done and I believe the gear driven balancer shaft upgrade kit is still available. Oilhammer ( Brian) at Cardoc Automotive is the guru and he upgraded all of my cars back in 2010, but with 39k I guess I would drive it a few more miles before worrying about the upgrade. It is a great looking car and my advice would be to hang onto it. Its worth keeping ! Besides there are no new trucks really available to buy these days. It took me 9 months to get my 2022 Silverado HD Duramax.

Appreciate the support!
Unfortunately I NEED to sell it as I need a truck for work now (don't want to take the passat down these forest service backroads haha.)

 

[ekkoh99]

where did the previous owner live?

 

[ives]

where did the previous owner live?

Previous owner was a famous skier. He bought it as a commuter from Breckinridge to Denver in 2004. He died in 2006 in a skiing accident. I think it had like 15k miles on it then.

Family kept it for sentimentality and they kept it in a heated garage between two different homes in Breck and in Vegas. They'd use it on occasion to get groceries and stuff, and one annual ski trip with his old friends.

one of the friends took it on consignment after the parents decided to let it go. And he has a small used car lot. It had somewhere around 25k then (2020). He put another 5k on from 2020-2021 as his local run around car while casually looking for a buyer. fixed a few leaking hoses, replaced the battery, then listed it for sale on his lot. end of 2021.

I bought it then with 30k

I then used it as a commuter for the last 3-4 months and now it has 39k.

I had it fully reviewed by Hillside imports (TDI Specialist listed on this site) and replaced all filters and fluids. Clean bill of health.

Currently still my daily with an appt on 3/28 for a full timing belt job (unless someone wants it without that before then). (Price reflects this work being done as a preventative measure as it's the original belt - but the belts like all parts of the car look basically new.. if it was changed they didn't record it and i don't wanna see someone drive away and a belt snaps.)

Open to offers!

 

[afarfalla]

I've bought and sold 50 VW diesels and never once did I use a menu, that goes for the 20 KiA's I sold also. You didn't add all the wash's and waxing and interior detail to your price.

 

[ives]

I've bought and sold 50 VW diesels and never once did I use a menu, that goes for the 20 KiA's I sold also. You didn't add all the wash's and waxing and interior detail to your price.

A menu? Im confused.

I've probably spent $200 on cleaning. not bad doesn't really need much since it's showroom. But I actually did consider that I've kept it well waxed and clean.

I actually won't make any money on this sale. Im just trying to sell it for a fair price so I can pay for this truck i need for work.

I would not suggest buying this if you want to flip it. But with a BSM and TB in this condition, I'd pay $16k for it knowing I had another 200k+ trouble free miles getting great economy in a sweet looking wagon.

But I really like this car. I'll probably sell it to someone who also likes THIS car, and not someone who just wants a TDI.

 

[afarfalla]

Dealers use a Black Book, similar to KBB, KBB samples the entire USA for a price range for the car that you list. All the cars I sold was thru KBB only difference was instead of excellent, which I selected for yours, I use very good, and always standard options. The B5.5 I just sold for $7500, I had spent $9000 on, I didn't expect to get $600 for the tires that had 200 miles on, or the lane changing module I bought from VW or the new front suspension including struts and springs or the boost gauge I added or the 5speed I had imported from Frans or the aux pump and coolant flange, or the 2 micron fuel filter in line with the 10 micron from the factory or changing all the motor mounts, ...sure there is something I forgot.

 

[ives]

Dealers use a Black Book, similar to KBB, KBB samples the entire USA for a price range for the car that you list. All the cars I sold was thru KBB only difference was instead of excellent, which I selected for yours, I use very good, and always standard options. The B5.5 I just sold for $7500, I had spent $9000 on, I didn't expect to get $600 for the tires that had 200 miles on, or the lane changing module I bought from VW or the new front suspension including struts and springs or the boost gauge I added or the 5speed I had imported from Frans or the aux pump and coolant flange, or the 2 micron fuel filter in line with the 10 micron from the factory or changing all the motor mounts, ...sure there is something I forgot.

Im not sure what to tell you. I guess that's too bad you could not get your money back for the good work you did.

Im not trying to get every dime out.

I found a rare car. (mileage, condition, model setup) We can all agree it's rare. I paid a bit over book because of that rarity, and I spent money that any owner would spend d money in when buying a car like this.

My intention was to have it for a long time, but that suddenly became impossible. So, again, I think $16k for a mint last of its kind tdi wagon with fresh everything and a BSM job is a good price.

Im subtracting the cost of those things I didn't do.

AND I'm open to offers.

AND if you find one that has the similar mileage condition and the same tdi b5.5 wagon set up, I'll match the price.

How can I be more fair than that?

 

[tdidieselbobny]

Nice car yes. You'll have to have a cash buyer, as no bank is gonna finance that old of a car for that much. Another thing, whoever buys it is taking a big risk driving it, as if it gets into an accident, you're definitely not gonna get what you paid for it, insurance company will tell you to pound salt. Probably should have some interior pics/ more than 1 picture of the car....

 

[deming]

That would be an excellent car for ekkoh99 !

I read an earlier post regarding the "black book" of car values. Here is the deal with that --- the "Black Book" is a compilation of used car values based on what vehicles have been selling at the Mannheim auto auctions around the country. It used to hold some merit (pre-Covid), but with the extreme shortage of new cars, used cars and off lease vehicles; you can pretty much toss the Mannheim "black book" into the trash can these days. Currently nobody can get new car or truck inventory based on the micro-processor shortages. Used car values are way up (over 50%-60%). A local dealer near me, who is one of the largest Dodge and Jeep dealers in the U.S., has a big lot with very few cars. He typically gets $7500 over retail window sticker for new Jeep Wranglers. Not many new Jeeps available to him these days and the demand is high. Most "used" cars going through the sales lanes at Mannheim are bringing absolutely insane used car money. Not uncommon for a clean used truck to bring 50%-70% over MMR (mannheim market report). That can sometimes equate to $10,000-$20,000 more than what the vehicle is really worth. The dealer still buys it from the auction and then marks it up another $3,000-4,000 for gross profit. My prediction is the new and used car markets will normalize in about 18-24 months ( when the new Intel micro-processor plants) come online in the United States. This means there will be quite a few Americans upside down in car loans when this market re-adjusts to normal. As far as insuring older cars; you can have it professionally appraised and it can be insured for the actual value. Hagerty insurance does this all the time. Lastly, I highly doubt any Mannheim auctions have a rare "barn find" car with these uber low miles being sold at auction. If I had more room in my garage; I would snap this car up in a heart beat.

 

[ekkoh99]

thanks for the history. Considering...

That would be an excellent car for ekkoh99 !

I read an earlier post regarding the "black book" of car values. Here is the deal with that --- the "Black Book" is a compilation of used car values based on what vehicles have been selling at the Mannheim auto auctions around the country. It used to hold some merit (pre-Covid), but with the extreme shortage of new cars, used cars and off lease vehicles; you can pretty much toss the Mannheim "black book" into the trash can these days. Currently nobody can get new car or truck inventory based on the micro-processor shortages. Used car values are way up (over 50%-60%). A local dealer near me, who is one of the largest Dodge and Jeep dealers in the U.S., has a big lot with very few cars. He typically gets $7500 over retail window sticker for new Jeep Wranglers. Not many new Jeeps available to him these days and the demand is high. Most "used" cars going through the sales lanes at Mannheim are bringing absolutely insane used car money. Not uncommon for a clean used truck to bring 50%-70% over MMR (mannheim market report). That can sometimes equate to $10,000-$20,000 more than what the vehicle is really worth. The dealer still buys it from the auction and then marks it up another $3,000-4,000 for gross profit. My prediction is the new and used car markets will normalize in about 18-24 months ( when the new Intel micro-processor plants) come online in the United States. This means there will be quite a few Americans upside down in car loans when this market re-adjusts to normal. As far as insuring older cars; you can have it professionally appraised and it can be insured for the actual value. Hagerty insurance does this all the time. Lastly, I highly doubt any Mannheim auctions have a rare "barn find" car with these uber low miles being sold at auction. If I had more room in my garage; I would snap this car up in a heart beat.

considering. my wagon is showing its age but still running well with a new camshaft and torque convertor. at 188K
1. Is this wagon a GL or GLS? i dont see steering wheel controls for cruise or radio
2. VCDS scan?
3. Do you have records from the original owner

 

[afarfalla]

Do $14K, contact oilhammer and see what he would charge for the BSM, alt pulley if bad, a trans TC change, trans valve change fluid change and Trans filter change. or I'll do it myself if you consider $10K. Your car looks pretty but there are a number of



thngs that plague this car...like its been sitting a long time is the heater core clogged, are the drains clogged with leaves under the wipers are the sunroof drains clogged ,just to name a few

 

[Windex]

Guys...
We, as a knowledgable user base have pointed out the potential issues on this car. Beaten them to death more so.

At the end of the day he still has a unicorn car. Very low MI on a very soughtafter car...

 

[afarfalla]

Hagerty only insures cars 25 yrs and older, $16.5 and $5K gets you a 2014 passat sel.

2014 VW Passat SEL Premium 29,500 miles $21,500

 

[oilhammer]

The NCS is a far cry from a B5, and there are no NCS wagons. Besides, the list of CKRA fail points is pretty substantial, and seems to grow by the month. I trust my 240k mile BHW more than I'd trust a 120k mile CKRA.

If I could, I'd buy this car. I would probably be on offer for around $12k, though.

 

[ives]

Nice car yes. You'll have to have a cash buyer, as no bank is gonna finance that old of a car for that much. Another thing, whoever buys it is taking a big risk driving it, as if it gets into an accident, you're definitely not gonna get what you paid for it, insurance company will tell you to pound salt. Probably should have some interior pics/ more than 1 picture of the car....

Yep that all sounds reasonable. Such is the case for unique cars. I've had to deal with those issues myself often. It's also why I tend to only buy with cash. Good thoughts for a potential buyer... and they are actually starting to line up which I feel relieved about after the internet poo-pooed me so much for even owning this haha.

It's a good sign when you start getting emails from enthusiasts willing to drive to colorado and trailer it home....

PS - there are interior pics at the website listed above. Here it is again: https://passat-tdi-for-sale.myportfolio.com/

 

[ives]

thanks for the history. Considering...


considering. my wagon is showing its age but still running well with a new camshaft and torque convertor. at 188K
1. Is this wagon a GL or GLS? i dont see steering wheel controls for cruise or radio
2. VCDS scan?
3. Do you have records from the original owner

GLS. This is listed in the original post and website listed...

I knew the 1st owner, (story is also in the forum here), have some records and have recent service records and a detailed carfax.

(honestly not gunna be very many records when the last owner only drove it 25k miles or so. haha)

 

[ives]

Do $14K, contact oilhammer and see what he would charge for the BSM, alt pulley if bad, a trans TC change, trans valve change fluid change and Trans filter change. or I'll do it myself if you consider $10K. Your car looks pretty but there are a number of



thngs that plague this car...like its been sitting a long time is the heater core clogged, are the drains clogged with leaves under the wipers are the sunroof drains clogged ,just to name a few

It has not been sitting. Nothing is clogged.

You and I have already DMed about this and I've posted it a bunch of times. This was kept in a climate controlled garage in a rich persons 2nd home and was driven on weekends and regularly monitored and used just not driven many miles.

There are no leaves in garages. The heater core will not clog from 30k miles of use.