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OK, maybe a little overdramatic.
Is buying a 7 year old 2.0 TDI Passat with 80,000 miles on the clock going to end in tears? What are the things to look out for?
I know a lot of this depends on the specific car, the type of mileage it's done etc but I wonder whether it's sensible in principle.
Yes, I can confirm that you are going to die.
HTH.
Not going to be of much use to you, but get as much history on the car as you can.
I have a lease car through work and it's about to be replaced (April). I am looking to buy the car off the lease company as it's been ace and I know that everything has been looked after properly - it's done 96k and will be comfortably over 100k when it goes. It's a 2009 BMW320D btw.
LOL at high mileage !
Our Audi has done 289k miles, you'll be fine.
Just run in.
Taken 2 passats from ~90000miles to over 200,000miles.
the old 1.9 engines are far more bombproof than the new 2.0Tdi ones.
Known issues
Electric hand-brake
Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) - could be a problem on a car like that as they are only averaging about 10,000 miles a year so could be a lot of town driving.
Had one big problem with the oil pump - these are the most elaborate oil pumps you will ever see, they have a habit of the the hex shape bar wearing and unfortunatly if this happens and the oil pump fails than its new oil pump, new turbo and usually new engine.
Look out for high oil consumption.
Had an issue with a sticky turbo actuator unit too.
Don't let that put you off though, great cars.
Usual stuff - full VW service history, check for signs of premature wear to identify whether it was thrashed or driven sensibly.
I have a 55 plate passatt with 110k and its great no problems just check on regular service, timing belt should have been changed, brake and clutch fluid replaced also check the cv joints dont make a noise on full lock and check the rear springs arnt damaged otherthan that they are a great car cant fault them. You also need to check if they had the recall done on the injectors which was last year if not get that done as soon as possible.
At that mileage and age I’d be concerned that its not been used enough, juts short runs to the shops, school etc. not good. 80k on a TDi, barely run in.
80K in 7 years is on the low side for a diesel!
You will die, we all will one day 🙂
My company car is an 05 plate passat 1.9tdi 130.
It is utterly bombproof. Currently on 180k miles. Only thing it has needed was a cv joint and a new clutch. The engine still feels completely fresh and pulls like a tug boat.
At 80K it's barely run in! VAG diseasels go on for ever - it'll probably last longer than you!
As long as it's got a full service history what's not to like??
In my experience experience people tell you that high mileage isn't a problem any more and that the engines if looked after will do 200,000 miles+. This maybe the case but on every high mileage car that I have had experience with its always the electrical sensors and control boxes that fail. I had a fairly new high mileage Astra on which the ecu failed, a 4 year old bmw 320d on which the squib (wiper stalks and steering input sensor) failed then the turbo (mechanical failure admittedly (common at around 100k)). The latest to go on the 320d bmw is the foot well control module. This controls the lighting and some other electrical bits. It means we currently have no reveres light and 2 of the 4 rear lights don't work buts its £300 for just the replacement control box. I hear similar story's on the fleet cars at work, they barely ever need any actual mechanical work, Its always electrical.
Not that I'm saying that an higher mileage car is doomed to failure but next time you hear someone's off the cuff comment about engines going for ever just have a look at the reliability of the electrics.
Andy
A friend of mine had one with 100k on the clock and full service history, and it was nothing but trouble.
He had the injectors replaced (£2000), new turbo (£1000) and it was constantly in the garage with electrical niggles.
Electrics going wrong before the endgine +1
Although IME they're more often a random failure not nececerily age related. And ofen not as much a black art as people percieve.
i have never owned a car with less than 80k miles. it's barely run in at that
My Mondy is 51 plate and has 183k (I bought it on 80k / 4yrs old) and never had any issues other than expected wear and tear, still on original clutch as well. The last MOT it had a brake light bulb out and required some welding to a sill (although there were a list of advisories).
All sounds good then.
+1 for checking the DPF - might get it removed and have a remap at the same time.
I've got a 1.9 tdi Fabia atm and the engine's been mostly fin - it's more the suspension that's showing its age.
friend had a golf tdi with the 1.9 engine, it snapped a camshaft at approx 120000miles which destroyed the engine. Seems to be a 'fairly' common problem from reading the forums.
Who knows though in reality, it could've been clocked and actually done 220000miles.
In summary - its a lottery, might be fine, might be a disaster.
LOL at high mileage. I recently bought a 4.5yo car with 120k on the clock. Replaced a 13yo car with 156k - the problems I was starting to get with that were definitely age rather than mileage related. Personally I'd look at getting something newer and higher mileage than a 7yo car with only 80k on the clock (for the same money), but that's just me. Still happy that mine was a relative bargain, so I can afford to pay any big bills I might get (that I could just as well get on something with 30k less miles).
Oh I would check the indicators - the passat I was following earlier today did not appear to have either of there's working!
That is a low mileage car...
2.0 engine - TDI - research the injector problem - and make sure that there is no way you can be impacted - the failure of just one injector shuts the engine down - on your drive,motorway,whatever - there are some nasty stories about these and if one goes you have to replace the lot at vast cost if you cannot persuade VW to pay.
The oil pump problem - again research - find out which engine codes are affected and plan to get it done before a problem occurs.
Sorry but I do not think the 2.0 matches the 1.9 bomb proof reputation , too much of a lottery IMHO .
That's not high mileage
I bought a Passat Tdi with 104k on clock, ran it to 178k.
Did go wrong more, and cost a chuffing fortune to fix.
But, we paid £4k, ran for 3.5 years and got £1200 trade in...
iesel Particulate Filter (DPF) - could be a problem on a car like that as they are only averaging about 10,000 miles a year so could be a lot of town driving.
It won't have one.
Like everyone else has said, the 2.0 can be a ticking timebomb compared to the 1.9
My mate got a 2.0 and its oil pump went. Absolute nightmare. Parts were not available, but he luckily tracked down a engineer who rebuilt his engine with a modified oil pump.
Still cost about 2k even with us and another mate taking the engine out.
Strangely enough, when the car was sat outside with no engine, he received a letter from VW asking him to take it in to have the injectors replaced FOC under recall so its worth checking if its been done already.
It's a cracking car though and he's going to keep it for a while hopefully.
Oh and these days 80k over 7 years is nothing. I've a 2 1/2 year old Fiesta with 67k on it.
Can't see that singletrackmind has posted yet... his Passat has got over 300K on it! Amazing.
'High mileage' my ar$e. Got my 1.9 TDI Passat at 94K miles, now has 230K on it. Better engine than the 2 ltr though.
1.9 TDi is bombproof.
1.9 TDi is bombproof.
Not if you have the (lower than normal) factory sport suspension, then take a bump on North Arran a wee bit too fast. You find that the suspension travel + rubber compressing on engine mounts = sump sticking out lower than road surface and in many small bits. end of having a car on holiday that week.... 😳
308k , Am I going to die?
probably
1.9 TD PD 100bhp. Getting abit wooly in the handling dept and the CRB is rumbling abit.
1 rear door lock refuses to work off the plipper
rear washer is u/s
apart from that all as it should be .
I use 1ltr of oil every 10k , then just change it with a flush and filter.
No water loss from cooling system
Had a Y reg since new. Getting rid of it now as had too many bills in the last while. It's a really tough car and has been great to own; Still on the original exhaust and battery!
The front suspension arms need replaced as often as the front tyres and you absolutely have to keep the drains under the battery and servo clear (use a piece of wire)or you'll wipe out the main computer, rot through the servo (I had water sucked into the engine sump and my brakes slightly on for half a year 'till I worked out what was up!). You have to use the correct oil for the PD engine.
If it's got Siemens injectors they can fail, shutting down the engine instantly (VW will replace them if you bully them!).
I had a spidey-sense tingling before opening this thread that the car in question wouldn't have high miles.
Buy on condition not mileage, is the short answer. My Mondeo at 115000 miles is barely run in, and is in better shape in the important ways than my dad's Focus at 20000 miles (it does look like **** and creak like a sailing ship in a storm, mind)
I deliberately bought a 1.9 tdi rather than the 2.0 engine. Its a simple no nonsense engine, no complicated dpf or covered with electrical sensors. We had some pool cars as 1.9 Passats that got driven by everyone in the company and they all went past 350k and were still brilliant.
80 k , well I think you get the drift
Oh and you will die.
That era 1.9 yes. That era 2.0 no.
Mileage and age are only two of the three critical variables, price is the other - how much is it?
£3k?
My audi a4 just hit 150k and still going strong, electrics are going tho, so far lost the door control unit rear wash wipe rear reverse sensors and gets through a lot of bulbs 1.9 tdi will do300k as my taxi driver loves to point out
Head gaskets have a habit of going on the 1.9tdi models as do the abs electrics.
1 rear door lock refuses to work off the plipper
fixed mine the other day. held the inner handle open while plipping it and it freed up. seem to work consistently now.
157k here.
120k Mondeo of that vintage. Other than a dmf and clutch has been superb.
My previous car 1.9tdi 05 golf from new was barely run in when it went back with 60k odd on it. Always preferred my 105ps 1.9 to the 140ps 2.0tdi my wife had at the same time in an a3 I never could say why though! VW groups wear their miles well ime but as has been said 80k is not high.