2013 Passat VR6 - the new used DD

[Panda87]

The "SHHH" is a normal, a function of the torque converter. I think this was revised in later models.

The coolant was the head gasket. Odd that they couldn't figure it out. There was a campaign and a lot of them got new head gaskets / heads.

Maybe since it was in its first production year, they hadn’t yet released the campaign? I was worried it was the head gasket.

 

[supton]

The coolant was the head gasket. Odd that they couldn't figure it out.

Couldn't or didn't want? VW weaseled out of replacing some rusted out fenders on me because I had nearly 300k on the car--the moment I said how many miles the manager's face changed. Oh well, it had been worth a shot.

All this thread is doing reminding me of my Jetta wagon and how much I liked it... best of luck to the OP.

 

[jsean]

It drank 1qt of coolant every 5k mi. VW couldn’t figure out why. The transmission had a VERY concerning “SSSHHHHHHHHHH” sound heard inside and outside when it would downshift to climb the hill that leads to our house. Our neighbor further up the road had one that did the same thing on our hill. The seats were excessively stiff.

A lady bumped into the passenger side of it with a Corolla while entering the interstate. The body shop couldn’t get the paint right 3 times in a row (fisheyes, mottling, etc) and then we realized that they never put the sound dampening back in the door skin, so it was like a steel drum. The axles got a slight wobble in them after that and the alignment was off. VW also couldn’t fix those (3 different dealerships) and told me the alignment was fine every time, even though they all returned my vehicle with the steering wheel cocked a different direction every time. I doubt they checked axle runout, but they “said” they did.

The VR6 at WOT was admittedly a ton of fun. It pulled like a freight train. I wanted to like it, but VWs inability to correct any issues (or act like they cared) was the line in the sand for me. We owned it for only a year and went through 3qts of coolant.

Thanks for sharing. We were interested in the Atlas when we were looking for a large family hauler. But everything I read online made it sound like VW was refining the model in 2018-2019 and that the Atlas got better starting MY2020+.

The VR6 is indeed a lot of fun. I’ve only ran it WOT once and credit to VW, they’ll let you run it in right past the redline if I keep it in manual mode (fuel cut off happens at 7,250 rpm but the red line is indicated at 6,000rpm on the tach).

 

[meep]

These are nice cars, and a bonus if you get one where the DSG isnt having issues. This is a great place to spend long commuting hours. I wouldn’t fret premium for the other benefits and savings youll see with this car.

 

[KCJeep]

I had a Passat VR6/DSG and still miss it. The one I let get away.

Enjoy!

 

[jsean]

These are nice cars, and a bonus if you get one where the DSG isnt having issues. This is a great place to spend long commuting hours. I wouldn’t fret premium for the other benefits and savings youll see with this car.

It is a significant upgrade over the Corolla over my commute. The DSG has been working well thus far - the one thing I can’t quite figure out is how to modulate the throttle for a smooth take off from stand still. I can do it about 50% of the times. Rest of the times it feels like that actuator catches up after I got on the gas pedal and then it goes.

 

[jsean]

I had a Passat VR6/DSG and still miss it. The one I let get away.

Enjoy!

Thanks! Yours wasn’t custom paint green right ? I heard from @Zee09 on his mega BITOG thread that you only like green cars.

 

[edyvw]

Congratulations.
Change DSG fluid, and do it every 30-40k.

 

[KCJeep]

Thanks! Yours wasn’t custom paint green right ? I heard from @Zee09 on his mega BITOG thread that you only like green cars.

Silver Passat GT. Fun car wish I had kept it longer.

They came out with a special run of gorgeous green in 2020 I think it was, but hard to find, I believe @Zee09 had a bead on one at some point.

 

[trd1zz]

With Focus now gone to a family member and me getting bored driving our trusty steed Corolla (221k miles with no issues and been in the family since day 1), I started looking for something a little more exciting than the Corolla. A really low bar as many of you will point out.

What year Corolla?

 

[jsean]

Congratulations.
Change DSG fluid, and do it every 30-40k.

Thanks. That’s my plan - changed it out to the Liqui Moly stuff from FCP right when I got it.

 

[jsean]

Silver Passat GT. Fun car wish I had kept it longer.

They came out with a special run of gorgeous green in 2020 I think it was, but hard to find, I believe @Zee09 had a bead on one at some point.

View attachment 318750

Looks sharp. Funny thing, I did test drive a black GT before this one popped up. The seller was asking stupid money and wouldn’t budge on their asking price. Oh well

 

[jsean]

What year Corolla?

‘05 with the 1zz.

 

[tbm5690]

Looks sharp. Funny thing, I did test drive a black GT before this one popped up. The seller was asking stupid money and wouldn’t budge on their asking price. Oh well

I had my search narrowed down to a GT Passat or the GLI...the MT won me over to the GLI but I would have preferred the interior on the Passat.

 

[wemay]

I miss my 2.0T Passat, can't imagine how much fun it would be to have owned the VR6 (my favorite engine of all-time).

 

[jsean]

I had my search narrowed down to a GT Passat or the GLI...the MT won me over to the GLI but I would have preferred the interior on the Passat.

Nice! What year GLI did you end up with? I didn’t consider the GLI - just the Passat because we needed the rear leg room to get 2 car seats in the back. The difference between the 2.5 and VR6 was night and day.

 

[jsean]

I miss my 2.0T Passat, can't imagine how much fun it would be to have owned the VR6 (my favorite engine of all-time).

Did you have the 2.0 budack in your Passat by any chance? Always wondered how they are compared to the EA888 gen3 1.8 and 2.5 5cyls.

 

[wemay]

Did you have the 2.0 budack in your Passat by any chance? Always wondered how they are compared to the EA888 gen3 1.8 and 2.5 5cyls.

Yes, the budack. It was a little loud (not in a good way) and although decent around town, it was in no way a performance variant. But i still enjoyed how it drove, felt and looked inside and out. That was my last VW of 10 in my life since the age of 24.

 

[edyvw]

Did you have the 2.0 budack in your Passat by any chance? Always wondered how they are compared to the EA888 gen3 1.8 and 2.5 5cyls.

Budack is short on hump even compared to 1st gen EA888 I have in Tiguan.

 

[trd1zz]

‘05 with the 1zz.

Oh man, 9th gen Corolla is the GOAT. I can't say I agree with you on it being boring to drive. Although my 9th gen has the manual 5 speed. With the 5 speed it feels like a different car vs. the 4 speed auto.

Total weight of around 2500 lbs, 1ZZ has plenty of low end usable torque, this car zips, good mpg, drop dead simple to work on, cheap to run, and lasts forever.

I'll leave you with the same thing my Toyota dealership parts counterman told me a couple months ago last time I picked up some parts for it: "don't ever sell it".