Suffice it to recall how reliable the Volkswagen Passat B3 and B4 generations were, which were produced from 1988 to 1996. A simple design, a million-millionth engine, a manual transmission - all this withstood very solid runs.

But today we will talk about more modern Passats - B6, which already have mileage. Should I buy these cars in the secondary market and what modifications should I avoid?

American version of the Passat

Now on the market, you can often find the Passat B6 of the American assembly, it has a soft suspension, other optics, a dashboard and an audio system. The trade winds brought from the USA are equipped with engines with a volume of 2.0 TFSI and a 3.6-liter VR6. The transmission here is a 6-speed automatic and a DSG robot.

Reliable body

A feature of the Volkswagen Passat is that the body, that the older generations, that the newer, durable and has a very high corrosion resistance. Still, it uses galvanized. Rust on the body is rarely seen, this suggests that the paintwork is also very strong. The only thing that age can give out over time is a grille made of chrome, as well as moldings, they especially grow old if the car often went on salty roads in winter.

There are many cars in the sedan and station wagon on the market. Universals about 40%, they are convenient in terms of transport due to the large trunk of 1,731 liters, if you lower the rear row of seats. The price for all-rounders is about the same as for sedans.

Internal electrician

Although externally the car is made at the proper level, inside an electrician after several years of operation may create some difficulties for its owners. For example, after about 6 years, the heated seats and their electric adjustment, door locks and other small items can fail. It happens that wedges turning the headlights, why adaptive headlights will simply shine in one point. But if the electronic steering wheel locks, which locks the steering wheel and refuses to unlock it, you will have to change the whole unit, the price of which is 450 euros.

When buying a Passat with mileage, you need to carefully check the climate control, if it has any glitches, or the temperature is not accurately shown, then you may soon have to change the damper ducts, each of which costs about 100 euros. These flaps are located inside the front panel of the servos. After 80 thousand kilometers, the stove motors can start beeping, by the way, they were usually changed under warranty. Cars, early years suffered from the fact that their compressor was extremely unreliable and demanded replacement, and this is minus 500 euros from the personal budget.

Inspection of motors

You should carefully examine the engine before buying a Passat B6 with mileage. Listen to the sounds that makes the engine must be carefully. For example, take a fairly popular turbocharged engine for the Passat - TFSI with a volume of 1.8 liters, then after 100,000 km. run in cars produced before 2010, you can hear, as rumbles, supposedly everlasting, timing chain.

In this case, you need to hurry to the service and make a replacement of the timing drive along with the chain, it will cost about 200 euros. And if you miss this point, and the hydraulic tensioner allows the chain to jump a few links, you will have to change the cylinder head, here the price is already much higher. The cylinder head separately will cost 1600 euros, and if complete with springs and valves, it will cost 3,000 euros.

Generally, before the Passat there were no engines with a timing chain, so the 1.8-liter TFSI engine is the first such instance, and in general, this engine is considered the most unreliable part of the Passat B6.

In general, all these engines, running on gasoline with direct injection, are very unreliable, they work noisily and do not start well in severe frost.

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A water pump of a cooling system, which is in the same unit with a temperature sensor and a thermostat, can also cause problems. Such a water pump can leak already after 90,000 km. run To replace it will have to pay 170 euros, this price includes the drive belt from the balance shaft. There are cases when the bushings of the intake manifold wear out for this run, which means that completely change the collectorwhich costs 450 euros. It even often happens that the solenoid valve that controls the turbocharger fails.

For those who like to save on oil, and later it changes, there is a risk that after 120,000 km. valve of the crankcase ventilation system fails, after which the crankshaft oil seal will flow, and the oil pump pressure reducing valve will also jam in the open position. The blessing that the red bulb will notify on it. For those who like to drive at elevated speeds, it is necessary to add oil to the engine - about 0.5 liters per 1000 km. run

But this is nonsense compared to the 2-liter TFSI. Already through some 100 - 150 thousand km. the motor will eat about a liter of oil per 1000 km. In this case, you can change the oil separator for 150 euros, which is located in the crankcase ventilation system. You can also change the valve stem seals, but when this will not save, you will have to disassemble the engine and replace the rings - they will cost about 80 euros.

Also, the ignition coils will require replacement of approximately the same mileage, each will cost 35 euros, and also the injectors on the injection system will also reduce the budget by 130 euros each. There is also a timing belt, which only turns the exhaust camshaft, it is advisable to check it every 45,000 km. avoid replacing the cylinder block, which for a 2-liter engine is more expensive. Moreover, the belt can break without warning signals, unlike a chain.

Cars manufactured earlier than 2008 may require repair of the cylinder head due to the fact that the high-pressure fuel pump drive rod gradually undermines the intake camshaft cam. This happens after about 150,000 km. The pump pumps gasoline in the wrong way, and as a result, you have to buy a new shaft for 500 euros and install it.

The 1.6 FSI and 2.0 FSI engines on the Passat with direct injection proved to be not the best side in the harsh winter frost. Despite the fact that the manufacturer released new firmware control unit, this did not help the case. The only thing that can help the engine is to keep it clean - to keep the filter screen of the fuel pump clean, which is located approximately under the rear seat in the fuel tank. The filter has to be changed along with the pump., which pulls on 250 euros, but now there are a considerable number of craftsmen who can change the filter without changing the pump, this service will cost 80 euros. And after 50,000 km. need to do a nozzle cleaning, this work will cost 250 euros.

FSI engines with direct injection have such an ignition system that does not tolerate short trips in the winter, long-term parking with an engine at idle. If the engine is not warm enough in winter, the spark plugs will require more frequent replacement - after 12000 km. If the candles are faulty, they will quickly ruin the ignition coils. A set of candles will cost 25 euros. A model with a 2-liter engine to a complete stop can bring the kazakhlauschy valve of the exhaust gas recirculation system, its replacement will cost 150 euros.

These unreliable “direct” engines, but the most reliable engine of the Passat B6 is already a rather old engine with distributed injection, 1.6 liters in volume. Such an engine is now very difficult to find, because it is installed on 6% of the 6th generation trade winds. And this engine is not particularly powerful - only 102 liters. with. It is clear that the dynamics of acceleration at the Passat with such a motor leaves much to be desired. But this motor is durable.

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But there is other good news - diesel engines, which are not so few - about 42% of cars on the market. Buying a Passat B6 with a diesel engine, it is better to choose a car released after 2008, with a 2-liter engine, which has a common rail power supply system, these are the CBA and CBB series.

Such motors are really reliable, they serve for a long time and do not cause problems to their owners. Every 100,000 km. will be needed change nozzle sealswhose set costs only 15 euros.

There are also diesel engines with 8 valves, a volume of 1.9 and 2.0 liters, but they have more expensive pump-nozzles in the power system - about 700 euros for each. BMA, BKP, BMR series engines that come with piezo-electric pump nozzles are a more risky choice, they have these nozzles even more expensive - 800 euros for each. But they serve very little - 50-60 thousand km. They have weak wiring, already after 120,000 km. the motor can start to troit and run intermittently. If this happens, then you can safely see if everything is fine with the connectors in the injectors.

On 2-liter diesel engines installed on the trade winds older than 2008, usually on the drive of the oil pump the hex roller wears and wears out after about 200,000 km. A signal should appear that there is no oil pressure, it should not be ignored and this roller should be immediately replaced in order not to have to touch the engine.

And if there is a dull knock somewhere in the rear wall of the motor after 150,000 km., This means that it is time to replace the dual-mass flywheel, which will cost about 450 euros. If it is not changed in time, it can fall apart and with its debris will harm the starter, clutch, and in general, damage the gearbox, the repair of which will cost 700 euros.

Transmission and possible troubles associated with it

The most hassle-free transmission is the 4Motion all-wheel drive system, which works with the Haldex clutch. There is enough time to change the oil - about every 60,000 km. Such a transmission will serve no less than 250,000 km. You should also look for the internal CV joints, so that they do not leak lubrication, the new hinge will cost 70 euros.

Manual gearboxes are also quite reliable, the 5-speed ones are installed on cars with 1.6-liter gasoline engines and diesel engines with a volume of 1.9 liters - these are the weakest modifications in terms of power, 6-speed gearbox is installed on all other versions . The only thing that can cause inconvenience - seals, which after about 80,000 km. can flow. And in the models released before 2008, the shaft bearings in the boxes are rather weak.

There are also automatic boxes, such as the 6-speed Tiptronic, some problems may arise with it. This box can easily overheat, and bearings and hydraulic unit deteriorate from overheating. Already after about 80,000 km. transfers can be switched not as usual, but with blows, which means that there are 2 options: either to change the hydraulic unit for 1100 euros, or to restore the old masters for about 400 euros.

But the most problematic box was the “innovative” DSG robot box (Direct Shift Gearbox or Direkt Schalt Getriebe). With 2-liter diesel engines and petrol 3.2-liter VR6, as well as with 1.4 and 1.8 liters turbo diesel engines, there is a 6-story BorgWarner DQ250, which has an oil bath and multi-plate clutches in it. In this oil bath 7 liters is quite expensive ATF DSG oil, a liter of which costs 22 euros. So that the box does not break ahead of time, this oil must be changed every 60,000 km. This robot box is also considered a weak point of the mechatronic control hydraulic unit. The difference from the machine is that shocks when shifting gears can appear already after 20,000 km. A replacement of the hydraulic unit will cost 1,700 euros.

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But, in the first place in terms of problematics is the 7-speed DSG DQ200 robot, with dry clutches Luk, which appeared after 2008. In this work, all the same problems with the hydraulic control unit, but the price for it is 2,000 euros. Also here friction clutches work inadequately, constant jerks and tugging appeared on many cars. At the service centers they made a flashing of the control unit, trying to correct the moment of opening and closing of the discs, taking into account the degree of their wear, also changed the clutch for 1,200 euros and even reached the replacement of the box, which costs 7,000 euros. But after 50,000 km. jerks and bumps when switching began again.

Only in 2010, the developers did the upgrade of the “robot” DSG-7, in which the control unit was improved and the grip was strengthened. In order not to lose customers, Volkswagen in 2012 made an increased warranty for the robot DQ200 - 5 years or 150 thousand km. run

Suspension on the Passat

The suspension as a whole is strong, but it also has several weak points: silent blocks of front levers, they have to be changed after 30,000 km. After restyling in 2008, silent blocks were strengthened and they began to withstand 100,000 km. run Rack stabilizers, front shock absorbers, steering tips, upper shock absorber mounts simultaneously after 100,000 km. require replacement. Prices are not particularly high: racks - each for 25 euros, shock absorbers - for 150 euros, the other parts cost no more than 20 euros.

By the way, for Russia, the manufacturer officially produced the Passat B6, intended for roads that leave much to be desired. In these models are installed springs and dampers tighter, as well as their ground clearance is 2 cm more.

Quite a lot at the Passat "sores", but no matter what it is, this car is valued in the used car market. The price of these cars every year drops by only 12%. In general, if the desire is still there buy Volkswagen Passat B6, it is best to choose a modification released after 2008, with a diesel engine and manual gearbox. Such models in the secondary market cost about 600,000 - 750,000 rubles.

Feeling behind the wheel

In terms of controllability, the Passat B6 showed itself from the good side, it goes perfectly in a straight line, without straying from the desired path, despite various irregularities on the road. Even at a speed of 200 km / h, the steering wheel responds perfectly to the actions of the driver. The buildup and rolls are quite small, the machine keeps the arc even at high speed without drifts.

Passat B6 clearly repeats the road profile, so various road irregularities are felt, this makes you feel not very comfortable in the car, it feels like a sports car has a strong and stiff suspension. This car is more designed for the driver, it has aggression and sports notes, even the sound of a 2-liter turbo engine is quite aggressive.

Here, in fact, all that we talked about, only in a more concise form: