I have a 54 reg VW Passat (bought new) that has done 60,000 miles. In the last month selection of 2nd gear (either up or down) has been greeted with a fairly loud 'crunch' and associated difficulty in locating the gear. After road testing I have been advised by both a VW main dealer and VW specialist that the synchro is likely to have gone. The likely bill for repair is likely to be well over £1200 (for a vehicle whose Guide price is about £4000). I do not believe such a condition should arise after such a relatively low mileage. I have driven for over 40 years and never encountered any similar problems in a wide range of cars at similar mileages or greater. Is this a known problem? What recompense is reasonable from VW?