I've got a 2007 VW Passat ready to turn in or buy for $15000 but sons say it will be a lemon after 70k miles!?

Question 1
I've got a 2007 VW Passat ready to turn in or buy for $15000 but sons say it will be a lemon after 70k miles!?...  It's been great and has 38k. Do you know if ALL Passats will have big trouble with the fuel pumps as they're telling me? Help! I must decide soon.

Answers
1)   Ask your sons what miles have anything to do with the condition of a car.

Wait for them to stutter and stammer, and attempt to explain how far something has gone somehow equals what shape it's in.

Seriously. Think about it. It's just a scale of distance. It doesn't say the car is in good shape, or bad shape.

I don't get why so many people look at miles and think it gives them some magical insight into how much longer the car will last, but don't be as stupid as your sons.

if you like the car, keep it, and maintain it well..

Oh, and remind them that the lemon law, and therefore, the definition of cars as "lemons" only applies to new cars.

A used car isn't a lemon. It's just a used car. In good shape or bad. - Vipassana

2)   The guy before me has a point but is pretty dumb.
Yeah the mileage means distance. But the more mileage the more wear and tear. Thats why they tell you to replace certain things after a certain mileage has been reached. If the car is maintained and cared for then there wont be any problems.

I doubt passats have problems with the fuel pumps. If you do hit a problem with the fuel pump, you can buy one on your own and replace it yourself. its fairly easy to do, just research it online and youtube to get an actual video of it. Me and my dad replaced the fuel pump on my 97 jetta gls earlier this month.
However VW seem to have a lot of electrical problems, at least the older ones do. for example my passanger window doesnt work, nor does my backseat driver side window. And the trunk button sometimes has difficulty registering (i have to press it multiple times) - Shaun diZle

3)   VW has had some serious reliability issues over the years, which in turn leads to some pretty bad consumer reviews, there's plenty online to look at, I wouldn't be too worried about the fuel pump as that's not as bad as the transmission going south, that usually happens around 70k. I can think of better cars for 15k - Buster

4)   What do they know? Keep it, maintain it, and it will go well past 70K. - djaca70

5)   That is ridiculous.
I have over 300,000 on my Gulf GTI.
VW has never had any sorts of serious problems.
It is the most reliable brand out there.

It is easy to prove.
Look at the resale value.
VW holds resale value better than any other car.

And it is silly to talk about any car being a lemon.
It is almost always the owners and faulty mechanics who don't do good maintenance.
The Passat uses Bosch fuel pumps, the same as Volvo and Mercedes.
There is no "big trouble" with the fuel pumps.

Just silly rumors. - Motorhead


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Question 2
Are Volkswagon cars generally a money pit?...  We have a 2004 VW Passat. This year alone we have put probably $3000 in to this car. Every year it's something. My husband insists that VW cars are "special" and need to go to a dealership for repairs (which means higher labor costs). We aren't wealthy. I think this car is over-priced and not worth it. I can not fathom how we have put more into this VW in the last two years than I have put in my 1998 Explorer in the last EIGHT years!

Is this generally a money sucking car? Or do we have s troke of bad luck with this one?
I didn't drive it into anything. They are mechanical failures of various types. Not body repairs.

Answers
1)   Stop driving it into things then........dumb ass - tk240z

2)   I think you had a stroke of bad luck.
However,
it is normal for a VW to cost more than other cars. It's an import car from europe, so labour costs as well as parts' costs will be higher than, say, the Explorer's. Your husband's persistence on bringing it to the dealership is definitely costing you more, but it could be because it's still under warranty, or simply because he wants to keep authentic VW parts in the car. A general garage will definitely be cheaper, but you have to know your way pretty well around them to not get ripped off or a bad job done on the car.

As for being worth it, that's a matter of opinion. I'm not picky about cars, if it's got 4 wheels and it goes decently fast and is decently safe, I'd drive it. If I were in your situation, I would either bring it elsewhere for repairs, or definitely ditch that car and get myself something else that would cost me less per year in maintenance.

PS: a stray thought, I know resell value is pretty high on VWs. - David S

3)   volkvwagon are shit belive me.
The parts are so expensive and the design are made by a retarded fool.
Buy a Range Rover sport - Jollymankillu

4)   VW has always been the least expensive car to own and operate.
That is because they not only are well engineered and built, but because there are so many of them, and they try to use consistent parts and methods.
This means there are more 3rd party mechanics and parts available for VW, than any other car made.

So the problem is your husband.
Instead of using this fantastic supply of 3rd party parts and mechanics, he has been using the dealer.
And that is a terrible idea.
The good mechanics all go independent, so you get a lot of kids at the dealer.
Dealers don't do good repairs because they mainly want to sell new cars, not fix old ones.
It is the independents who live or die by the quality of their work.

It is true you can beat an Explorer and it won't show very much as compared to a VW, but if you actually do take care of it, a VW will last almost forever, with far less cost, any time.
It has nothing to do with luck. Cars do not break because of luck. They break because of abuse and lack of maintenance. Nothing serious should ever happen because everything can be caught before it becomes expensive. - Motorhead


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Question 3
Does the VW Beetle have a draft shaft, or is it like a front wheel drive car, with the engine in the back?...  Does the VW Beetle have a draft shaft, or is it like a front wheel drive car, with the engine in the back?

Answers
1)   The old beetle, has a transmission mounted w/ the drive axles coming out on each side. The engine has no motor mounts, but is bolted onto the trans w/ 4, 17mm bolts. If it takes you more than 15 minutes to take the motor out, you're fired. - Bob H

2)   Neither the 'old Beetle' [produced until the 1980's] or the New Beetle [began production in 1998] have a 'drive shaft'. These two cars are completely different . About the only thing they share is the similar body style and the name...
Usually, only cars with engines in front and rear wheel drive have a drive shaft. BMW , for example. Also, All-Wheel-Drive or 4-wheel drive cars have a drive shaft.
The old Beetle had its engine in the back. It had 2 short axles connecting the transmission to the wheels.
The New Beetle has its engine in the front. Its called front wheel drive. It also has 2 short axles from the trans to the wheels.
Hope this helps. - fenton

3)   You did not specify which Beetle(the New Beetle or the old Type 1-the air cooled engines) Most people don't know the difference calling them all Beetles. Volkswagen never officially called it a Beetle until 1971(with the SuperBeetle) Otherwise, they were all the Type 1 sedan.
All front wheel drive cars I know of, have the engines in the front. Name me one car company that doesn't.

The Type 1's had an aircooled motor mounted in the rear directly onto the transmission/rear axle (or transaxle)From the transaxle to the wheels were independent driveshafts. They were rear wheel drive because the engine weight was there - and the weight gives you traction.
The New Beetle(which is a step away from the air cooled engines to water cooled engines) is a front engine mounted onto a transaxle on the front end. (This is basically the Rabbit engine frame assembly with a different body) So it is front wheel drive because the weight of the engine is over the wheels for the same reason as the rear wheel drive cars. It basically has 2 independent drive shafts(one to each wheel)as the transaxle was the source of twisting power. Much easier to understand if you got a "Fix your VW" repair manual and looked at the pictures.
The driver always has a "draft" in one hand. Why do you think they are the friendliest people? - I might assist if I feel like it


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Question 4
why dose my 1971 1200 beetle have trouble accelerating?...  the bug runs fine for about half an hour then all of a sudden flat spots in the acceleration start to appear then a few minutes later the car as real trouble acceleration and starts jumping around you ever have to drop down a gear and rag the f**k out of it before changing up or you just have to keep pumping the gas pedal and it will pick up speed. It has no trouble holding any speed it only has trouble accelerating. Ive reset the points recheck all the valves and reset the timing to 10 degrees BTDC please i need help

Answers
1)   change the fuel filter first. check the fuel pump pressure. if all else fails you might have to rebuild the carb - brian d

2)   Brian D pretty much has it.

But besides checking fuel pressure (3 to 5 psi), you should also check volume.
It should squirt a couple of feet.
Your fuel tank input screen (looks like a vertical tube about an inch in diameter and 4" high), could be getting restricted.

It could also just be the accelerator pump, and not require the whole carb being rebuilt.
Take the air cleaner off and pump the butterfly.
You should be able to see the accelerator pump squirt through the small brass tube.
I have even seen them where the tube had fallen in. - Motorhead

3)   Sounds like crappy points sticking when heated to me. - doane_nut


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Question 5
What would be the reason for the rear wheels on a 1968 VW beetle to be bowed in?...  Ok so im working on a 1968 beetle and i pulled the rear end out and put it back in and I did it exactly the way I put it back in but now the rear wheels are bowed in like this \ / and it is just got me puzzled of what I could have maybe done wrong or if it will straighten back out if I drive it down the road. Thanks
-Clint

Answers
1)   The wheels will return to a normal stance once you move the car. - Arthur O

2)   Is the motor in yet? That additional weight will level them out as that is what the torsion was set to hold. If the motor is in, but you have not moved the vehicle yet - then think of the tires as pencil erasers. they don't slide easily when pushed sideways so they are stuck by the friction on the floor. Get it rolling - just down the driveway is enough. You will see, the wheels come to normal. - I might assist if I feel like it

3)   The 1968 was the last year of the swing arm axle.
It always has rear camber.
It is why you should rotate tires on older VWs (but rotating tires is not a good idea on newer cars).
When you hit a bump, the axle swings up and goes from negative camber to positive camber.
So slightly inward is a reasonable compromise.
It was originally desogned for off road, where it did not matter.
Look at the Dakar road ralley, and you will see all the competing cars have lots of camber to start with.
When they went independent rear suspension in 1969, there was no longer a need for initial camber.

However, it is also true that they will look better once you roll 10 feet and they flatten out some. - Motorhead


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