What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Scottish fiver
My VW Passat V5 is registered Dec 1999. It's a V registration. I have had it for 7 years now. I bought it in 1992 and it had 2 previous owners and 10000 miles on the clock. Apparently it had a bump in a VW dealership in Manchester/Oxford and sat in a field for about 6 months. Anyway, It has leather seats/interior Xenon lights, heated seats etc it has been very reliable and comfortable over the years. It does guzzle the gas a fair (which is my biggest gripe) but has a quiet engine with necessary punch and power if required. It's great on the motorways and devours the miles in comfort. It's got a good-sized boot and well built. Anyway it now has 80000 miles on it and I'm now thinking about the situation with it's chain belt? I understand it will have to be replaced at 100,000 miles and this might cost £600-£700 if the work is done by an independent garage. Is this a fair price? Do you think I should hang on and get it replaced and continue with the car or should I sell it over the next year or so before it hits the
100,000-mile mark? Or should I do nothing and take my chances and if the engine gets wrecked at say 120,000 miles, well I've had a fair innings anyway and tow it away for scrap. It is still in very good condition. I have a wife and 2 kids, need a car to take golf clubs and occasional holidays, camping trips. So if you recommend I dump it now can you suggest an alternative? I want a car that has a bit of style about it, decent running and repair cost and of course well built too. I would appreciate your advice.
100,000-mile mark? Or should I do nothing and take my chances and if the engine gets wrecked at say 120,000 miles, well I've had a fair innings anyway and tow it away for scrap. It is still in very good condition. I have a wife and 2 kids, need a car to take golf clubs and occasional holidays, camping trips. So if you recommend I dump it now can you suggest an alternative? I want a car that has a bit of style about it, decent running and repair cost and of course well built too. I would appreciate your advice.
Asked on 12 December 2009 by
Answered by
Honest John
In the VR5 and VR6 it's a twin chain arrangement and they eventually
stretch. The cars can also develop cylinder head gasket problems because it's a single head spread over two banks of cylinders. The car's not worth very much, so it's a toss up whether to spend the money on the chains or not. The alternative would be to treat them as kindly as possible, with 5,000-mile oil and filter changes, and only start to worry if they get noisy.
stretch. The cars can also develop cylinder head gasket problems because it's a single head spread over two banks of cylinders. The car's not worth very much, so it's a toss up whether to spend the money on the chains or not. The alternative would be to treat them as kindly as possible, with 5,000-mile oil and filter changes, and only start to worry if they get noisy.
Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.
The Good Garage GuideSimilar questions
I am currently driving a 2002 Skoda Fabia 1.4 and have decided to give the car to my daughter. Prior to handover I thought it would be prudent to have a full service so booked it in to my local Skoda dealer....
I have recently bought a one owner 1999 Mercedes 230SLK with 40,000 miles on the clock for a bit of summer motoring. It's a lovely car and I paid £7,995 for it from a good dealer but not a specific Mercedes...
.jpg)
