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How Many Miles Can A Volkswagen Passat Last? (Answered)

How Many Miles Can A Volkswagen Passat Last? (Answered)

How many miles can a Volkswagen Passat last? When you’re in the market for a new or second-hand Passat, that’s, of course, a very reasonable question to ask. After all, you’re probably looking to get the most bang for your buck. In this blog, we’ll look at the most popular models but first, let’s start with a quick answer:

On average, a Volkswagen Passat lasts between 175.000 – 195.000 miles. A Volkswagen Passat has to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs 0.45 times a year with a 9% chance of severe problems. Furthermore, Passat owners spend an average of $649 per year on repairs.

Having said that, we’re certainly not done. Below we’ll first explain in more detail how many miles a Passat can last. After that, we’ll compare the Passat to its main competitors in terms of potential mileage and compare the car to other Volkswagens. Furthermore, we also discuss the common problems that the car can have, how much maintenance will cost per year and how to maintain a Passat. Read on!

Also read: What Gas Does A Volkswagen Passat Take?

How Many Miles Can A Volkswagen Passat Last?

So you are in the market looking for a Volkswagen Passat. It’s important to know whether the car you are looking for is reliable or not. We have thoroughly gone through extensive data from several different databases to give you the numbers that will make a clear picture of the reliability for your next possible ride.

The first thing that we have to make clear is how long it will last, and the best way to tell that is to look at the mileage of these cars. On overage, if there are more than 3% of cars of the same badge over 150,000 miles, these cars are reliable.

The data shows that several cars have passed the 150k mile mark, ensuring they won’t go to heaven very soon. After compiling all the data, we were able to get the percentage for vehicles over 150k. The answer came out to be 3.43%, which shows that these cars are reliable.

Any car that can give us 3%-5% value will be happy, but anything lower than 3% would suggest that these cars go to heaven before even reaching the 150k mile mark.

If you have your sights set on a second-hand car, it’s smart to check the history before buying it. This way, you know if the car has any problems or has been involved in any accidents. You can do this in a couple of minutes via EPICVIN. Click here to go to their website and fill in the license plate or VIN number of the car you are interested in!

Amount Of MilesPercentage Of Cars
Cars With 150.000+3.43%
Cars With 100.000 – 149.00012.82%
Cars With 45.000 – 99.99942.31%
Cars With 0 – 44.99941.44%

How Reliable Is A Volkswagen Passat Compared To It’s Competitors?

So it seems that the Passat did well in our first reliability test, but it’s not enough. We have several tests for the Passat to verify whether it’s indeed a reliable car or not. The next test on our list is the comparison with its competitors. A car should not only be reliable in and of itself, but it should also show good ratings relative to other competitors as well.

We have put Passat against its competitors like Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Chevy Malibu. When Toyota is against someone in terms of reliability, it’s obvious who gonna win. But as we have mentioned already, the above 3% is good. Unfortunately, it’s not as good as the Toyota Camry, which has a whopping 6.86%.

Honda Accord took the second spot while Chevy Malibu took the third, and our Passat came last. If we are looking for something other than a Toyota or a Honda, we can go for the Passat.

ModelSample SizeCars With 150.000+ Miles% Percentage Of Cars With 150.000+Highest Mileage
Volkswagen Passat43201483.43%210000
Toyota Camry2427016656.86%330000
Honda Accord2570516116.27%320000
Chevy Malibu13076755.19%280000

How Reliable Is A Volkswagen Passat Compared To Other Volkswagens?

It’s valuable to know how the Volswagen performs in their own circle, and with this data, we have seen that Passat is not so bad at all. The best one turns out to be Touareg, followed by the Beetle, and then comes Passat.

ModelSample SizeCars With 150.000+ Miles% Percentage Of Cars With 150.000+Highest Mileage
Volkswagen Jetta97692972.48%185000
Volkswagen Passat5.7881602,76%260.000
Volkswagen Tiguan14.336530,37%200.000
Volkswagen Beetle1.334715,32%240.000
Volkswagen Touareg458418,95%230.000
Volkswagen Golf1.605271,68%240.000

How Much Does Maintenance Cost Per Year?

A reliable car should have a low maintenance cost overall because if the car is constantly being taken to a mechanic, it’s not reliable. The Passat has an annual repair cost of  $639 on average. Furthermore, we have compiled several model years to give you a better insight into how much you will be spending on your Passat.

Year of manufacturingYearly Maintenance Cost
2007$577
2008$635
2009$886
2010$797
2011$639
2012$656
2013$724
2014$606

The 2009 model had many problems that made the annual repair cost much more than the average cost. The reason was the ABS control module failure. This failure has not been reported in the models post-2012.

Also read: The Complete Cost Of Maintaining A Volkswagen

Volkswagen Passat Common Problems

If you´re in the market for a Passat, you also have to know which common problems it has. Below, we´ve given you a summary of the issues that plague the Passat. If you want a detailed look at the problems of the Passat, read the article we just linked.

NOTE: Before buying a used car, I always like to make sure the vehicle isn´t having any problems that you should be aware of. The easiest way to do this is by buying an OBD2 scanner. These scanners can easily be plugged into any car you’re interested in, and they’ll give you a rundown of potential problems.

Oil Leaks

The camshaft chain tensioner and valve cover gaskets are the culprits in leaking oil. The average cost for the valve cover gasket is somewhere around $200. The blocked PCV system causes these gaskets to blow up, so if you have a PCV problem unchecked, even if you replace the gaskets, sooner or later, the gaskets will blow up  again, causing lots of oil leaks.

Negligence can cause the bill of repairs to go up as much as $500, so make sure that the PCV system is not clogged in any way. 

The Digital Display On The Gauge Cluster Fails

These problems were seen in the models before 2010. The gauge cluster will go haywire due to some failure in the electrical components like fuses or relays. The diagnosis cost can be around $150, and still, you might not find the exact problem. In most cases, the whole gauge cluster needs replacement.

Ignition Coils And Ignition Wires Including Spark Plugs

The engine can start to misfire unexpectedly, which is caused by one of three possible failures; it can be more than one at the same time. The ignition coil can fail, which can cost you about $120. Spark plugs can fail to cost you about $200, or the spark plug wire can go bad, costing you about $110.

Sunroof Issues

Water gets clogged and further damages the control module by seeping inside the interior and accumulating on the floor. After some time, if this problem is unchecked, the water can damage those control modules situated under the floor area where all this water is present. And we know that water and electrical components don’t go well together. This is a recipe for disaster, and disaster is what we get in this case.

The diagnosis alone can cost about $150, and the repair itself is super expensive; and would have a figure above a thousand dollars, it won’t be less than that. Please make sure the system hasn’t been flooded with rainwater; check the floor mats whether or not they are dry. If they are wet, lift the floor mat and check the floor panels, rust will tell you the final verdict and see if all the electrical components are in working condition. 

Rainwater Accumulated In The Plenum Tray Due To Clogged Drains

This problem has been widespread in the models before 2013. The base of the windshield, the plenum tray gets clogged, and the water starts dripping inside the engine bay, damaging the electrical components, brake booster, etc. So make sure that the plenum tray doesn’t have debris in it and has been kept clean.

Not only will the water enter the engine bay, but it will also seep into the cabin, and thus you will see the wet floor mats. Most of the time, the floor mats get wet due to a leaking sunroof, but in this case, it’s the clogged plenum tray. Check if there are some leaves stuck in there; if yes, clear them out, and you will get rid of this problem. 

The Water Pump Fails To Cause A Huge Catastrophe As An Aftermath

The engine can be damaged greatly due to this problem, causing a lot of money to fix. It might either be caused by overheating of the engine or possibly the timing belt failure. Failure in any of these can cause your wallet to get thin real quick. So to prevent your wallet from losing weight, it’s advised to check the water pump and the timing chain at regular intervals, or otherwise, it will become an expensive fix.

A timing chain replacement can cost around $1200, while the water pump costs around $900. So make sure that the car you are looking at doesn’t have a heating issue.

Is A Volkswagen Passat A Smart Buy?

After going through our rigorous testing, now it’s time to extract the verdict out of all those reliability tests. But one more thing that plays an important role in deciding whether the car would be a smart buy or not is the value of the car itself. It’s a big deal in the car market to know if it can keep itself from depreciation.

A smart buy would be the one that keeps its value through time and wouldn’t become worthless in years to come. So many cars have gone to heaven just because they had no value left in them, and they depreciated so much so that now they are extinct. So let’s see how the Passat will do in the test of maintaining its value.

After going through the database for the Passat sales, we have seen that a Passat will depreciate 46% in 5 years. BMWs lose about 70% after 5 years, so this 46% is not that bad. It means that they are retaining their value, but it’s a matter of demand. How many people are willing to buy a Passat? If the sales are good and people are buying these cars, then yay.

When we compare the data of Passat and Camry, we saw that, for instance, in 2018, about 40,000 Passats were sold, and in the same year, about 340,000 Camrys were sold, 300,000 more than a Passat.  You can have a good, comfortable Passat for a good price because it’s a Passat. 

Volkswagen Passat Maintenance Schedule

Many manufacturers give the figure 10,000 miles for an oil change that is too far-fetched to give a low overall maintenance cost, but you should have the engine oil changed at not more than 7000 miles; earlier is better.

Now coming to the overall maintenance schedule, recommended by the manufacturer. So let’s get into the schedule, shall we!

Before/on every 10k miles interval

You must be having

  • An oil change and oil filter replacement.
  • Tire rotation
  • Ad Blue fluid check
  • Airbag system check
  • Wiper blades inspection

Before/on every 30K mile interval

You must have a thorough inspection of these important components

  • Brake system inspection
  • Fuel filter replacement
  • Dust and pollen filter replacement
  • Tire inspection
  • Tire filler bottle expiration date check
  • Brake fluid check
  • Clutch unit check
  • Check the water pump and the timing chain at regular intervals or otherwise it will become an expensive fix

Before/On Every 40K interval

This is the most comprehensive inspection that you must have to ensure that all the vehicle functions are working fine.

  • Engine
  • Coolant
  • Brakes
  • Exhaust
  • Electrical components
  • CV joints
  • Battery
  • Underbody sealants
  • DSG transmission fluid change and filter change
  • Tire filler bottle replacement and mobility kit

If you can have the receipts for all the regular maintenance appointments, you will know that this car is well maintained. But not all people keep tabs on these things, so you might check how well the car is kept; it’s a rule of thumb if the car is super clean and there are no oil leaks, then you know it’s well maintained. If the car is not kept clean, it means that it hasn’t been properly maintained either.

Sources

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