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Volkswagen Passat 1.4 16V TSI Comfortline common faults.

2005–2010, estate, petrol, 122 HP.

The fault list covers: CAXA engine, DQ200, DQ250 transmission.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

6 fault write-ups. 4 important. 5 recalls.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

4 important faults

critical1

1.2 / 1.4 TSI (EA111): timing chain and chain tensioner

critical

A few seconds of chain rattle on a cold start, later a permanent noise; the chain stretches and the tensioner does not hold it. If the chain jumps, the engine is badly damaged inside, and the repair is a rebuild. The tensioner is driven by oil pressure, so it does not hold with the engine stopped: a car left rolling in gear is the typical trigger for the chain jumping.

between 65,000 and 100,000 km

What to check

  • Start it cold, and in the first 2 to 3 seconds watch for the rattle from the chain side
  • Ask whether the chain and the tensioner have been replaced, and ask for the invoice
  • Check the oil change history in the service book: stretched intervals speed up the wear
1 more steps in the write-up

expensive3

DQ250 (6 speed wet DSG): mechatronics and clutch pack

expensive

The solenoids of the mechatronics unit wear out: slow or harsh shifting, then limp mode. A characteristic sign is the partial or complete loss of reverse. Wear of the clutch pack or the wrong spring force causes jerking and slipping. Because of the wet design it fails less often and at higher mileage than the dry DQ200, but when it does fail, it is expensive.

above 150,000 km

What to check

  • Pull away slowly from standstill and watch how smooth the 1 to 2 and 2 to 3 shifts are
  • Select reverse several times, cold and warm: is it delayed, does it engage at all
  • Under load (on a slope) watch whether the clutch slips
2 more steps in the write-up

B6 / B7: electric parking brake seizing

expensive

The servo motor of the electric parking brake seizes: the brake does not release, or does not apply properly. The repair is replacing the motor or the switch, and the rear caliper can be affected too. On a used car it is a separate warning sign if the seller blames only the switch.

What to check

  • Apply and release the electric parking brake five or six times in a row
  • Watch whether it releases evenly and without noise on both sides
  • Try it on a slope: does it really hold the car
1 more steps in the write-up

DQ200 (7 speed dry DSG): mechatronics

expensive

A thin wall of the mechatronics valve body can crack, which causes a loss of pressure. The typical signs: jerking and harsh shifting from 1st to 2nd at low speed, a flashing PRNDS display, then a gear engagement fault, intermittently at first.

What to check

  • Pull away slowly from standstill and watch the 1 to 2 shift: does it jerk, is it harsh
  • Check whether the PRNDS display flashes or the dash reports a gearbox fault
  • In creep mode (brake released), does the car move off evenly
1 more steps in the write-up

comfort1

B6 / B7: electrical fault in the door lock module

comfort

The contacts of the lock module cannot take the current draw of the lock motor, so over time they burn through and their resistance rises. At first the door only sometimes fails to open or lock centrally, later not at all. The alarm often reports it too: the car sees a closed door as open. Typical fault codes are 67074 (central locking motors, electrical fault) and 67330.

What to check

  • Lock and unlock centrally ten times in a row, watching all four doors
  • Check on the dash whether it reports an open door while closed
  • Try it when cold too: at first the fault only appears at low temperature
2 more steps in the write-up

cheap repair1

DSG selector lever: failure of the P position switch

cheap repair

The dash shows "Error: Workshop! Only leave vehicle in position P" with an audible warning. The message appears in whatever language the car is set to, for example "Fehler: Werkstatt! Fahrzeug nur in Stellung P verlassen" in German.

Show the rest

The message points at the gearbox, but the fault is not there. A tiny switch sits in the module under the selector lever and signals that the lever is in park (P). Its contact wears and can also burn. That makes the signal unreliable, and the car warns you. The fault codes appear as 617752, P173400 or B116229.

At first it is intermittent. Sometimes the message comes up, sometimes not, so a short test drive easily misses it. Later it becomes permanent, and the gearbox can drop into limp mode.

This fault looks more expensive than it is. The maker released a separate retrofit switch kit for it (5Q0713128A for the black module, 3Q0713128 for the white one), which can be fitted in half an hour. The kit costs 70 to 100 pounds. At a franchised dealer, however, the whole selector lever module sometimes gets replaced, which costs 626 to 1,000 pounds there. So the difference between the two routes is roughly tenfold.

The affected group is post 2013 MQB platform Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda cars with a DSG gearbox. The switch is in these gearboxes, because that is what these cars have in common. The part itself is not part of the gearbox but of the module under the lever.

What to check

  • Watch the dash after starting: the message is intermittent and can be missed on a short loop
  • Move the lever from P to D and back several times, then get out and lock the car
  • Ask whether the selector lever switch has been replaced already, and ask for the invoice
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Volkswagen Passat 1.4 16V TSI Comfortline

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

vinkodex.com · Before you buy it, see what can go wrong.

Official recall5 recallsShow

The manufacturer fixes these for free at a franchised dealer. Ask with the VIN whether it was done.

Most recent: 7 April 2008

08V156000FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERYFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY7 April 2008 · NHTSA (USA)

VOLKSWAGEN IS RECALLING 412,000 MY 1999-2005 PASSAT (5TH GENERATION) VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS AND PRODUCED AFTER JUNE 14, 1999. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE AN UNDERBODY HEAT SHIELD THAT CAN BECOME DAMAGED. IN ADDITION, AFFECTED VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS MAY HAVE A FUEL LINE (1.8T ENGINES ONLY) OR FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE (4MOTION/ALL WHEEL DRIVE ONLY) THAT CAN LEAK DUE TO FRACTURE.

Risk: A HEAT SHIELD THAT MAY CONTACT THE EXHAUST SYSTEM CAN RESULT IN A VEHICLE FIRE. IN ADDITION, A FUEL LEAK FROM A FUEL LINE OR FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, CAN LEAD TO A VEHICLE FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL UNDERBODY HEAT SHIELDS ON VEHICLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS TO COVER THE POSSIBLY DAMAGED AREAS AND FLASH ALL 1.8T ENGINES WITH A PRECAUTIONARY SOFTWARE UPDATE. DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT AND ADJUST THE FUEL LINE ROUTING ON 1.8T VEHICLES AND THE FUEL TANK VENTILATION VALVE ON 4MOTION/ALL WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES, AND REPLACE COMPONENTS IF NECESSARY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 13, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

The authority's notice

07V063000EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCHEXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH20 February 2007 · NHTSA (USA)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER, WAGON, AND CONVERTIBLE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH OR WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL, A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY.

Risk: THE BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE, OR REMAIN ON. FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE PROPER SIGNAL WHEN BRAKING COULD LEAD TO A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE NEWLY DESIGNED BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 27, 2007, AND WILL BE CONDUCTED IN SEVERAL STAGGERED MAILINGS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 21, 2007. VEHICLES WITHIN THE MAKE, MODEL, AND MODEL YEAR OF THIS POPULATION MAY BE INVOLVED IN EITHER THIS RECALL OR 06V-183, BUT NOT BOTH. THE REMEDY IS THE SAME FOR EACH RECALL. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERS WILL APPLY THE REMEDY BASED ON THE VIN NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VW AT 1-800-822-8987.

The authority's notice

04V586000FUEL SYSTEM, DIESELFUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL15 December 2004 · NHTSA (USA)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE HIGH PRESSURE DIESEL PUMPS WERE PRODUCED WITH AN IMPROPER FASTENER, WHICH COULD ALLOW DIESEL FUEL TO ESCAPE FROM THE PUMP.

Risk: FUEL LEAKAGE IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DIESEL PUMP. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 8, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLKSWAGEN AT 1-800-822-8987.

The authority's notice

A12/01485/22Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The airbag propellant may deteriorate over time. In the event of an accident this can lead to the release of fragments of the front airbag from the generator housing, increasing the risk of injury. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

The authority's notice

A12/01892/20Safety recallInjuriesno date · EU Safety Gate

The vehicles affected may have been fitted with Takata gas generators which could allow the ingress of moisture and thus result in the degradation of the propellant. If the airbag deploys, this could cause the gas generator to burst, causing metal parts to enter the vehicle's interior, causing injuries to the occupants of the vehicle.

Remedy: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users Date of entry into force: Unknown

The authority's notice

Engine and transmission

1 engines · 2 transmissions

CAXA · 1.4 TFSI

90 kW (122 HP) · petrol

DQ200 · 7-speed DSG, dry clutch

DSG · 7 speed

Clutchdry
Torque limit250 Nm
MakerVolkswagen

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it. More than one transmission is possible. 6 gears = DQ250, 7 gears = DQ200.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
Comfortline
Body
estate
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
automatic
Engine size
1390 cc
Power
90 kW (122 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2005–2010

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • DQ200: lifetime fill by the maker, not in practice

    • lifetime fill: the maker does NOT specify a change

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Engine oil and oil filter

    • LongLife30,000 km or 2 years(valid only with LongLife-approved oil)
    • 15,000 km or 1 year

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Coolant (antifreeze) change

    • first: 193,000 km or 10 years, then 97,000 km or 5 years(G13 / G12++: first change at 120,000 miles or 10 years, then every 60,000 miles or 5 years)

  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years
All B6 versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms