# Disel passat **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** volkswagen, passat\ **Created:** [December 26, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/disel-passat/41305 "2009-12-26T20:47:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![copwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d07c76/32.png) [@copwood](https://community.cartalk.com/u/copwood)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/disel-passat/41305/1 "2009-12-26T20:47:59Z")
my son wants to buy a 1997 disel passat with 200,000 miles for $3000. Is this price good, bad, ridiculous? what problems can he expect? should I tell him I’ll disown him if he buys this car. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/disel-passat/41305/2 "2009-12-26T20:52:15Z")
$3,000? 200,000 miles? Don’t be ridiculous! ---
**Author:** ![copwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d07c76/32.png) [@copwood](https://community.cartalk.com/u/copwood)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/disel-passat/41305/3 "2009-12-26T20:58:30Z")
can you say more than it’s ridiculous. I think so too, but my opinion has no value since I have no knowledge about cars. thanks ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/disel-passat/41305/4 "2009-12-26T21:06:57Z")
Any 12 year old car with 200,000 is a small step away from a major mechanical problem. And older VWs are, if anything, worse than average for repairs, diesels included. Looking at [cars.com](http://cars.com), there are lots of newer cars with less miles for about the same price. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/disel-passat/41305/5 "2009-12-26T21:20:16Z")
This is a $900-$1200 car… ---
**Author:** ![copwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d07c76/32.png) [@copwood](https://community.cartalk.com/u/copwood)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/disel-passat/41305/6 "2009-12-26T21:23:22Z")
thank you for your response ---
**Author:** ![SonofSpermcube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@SonofSpermcube](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SonofSpermcube)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 4:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/disel-passat/41305/7 "2009-12-27T04:43:59Z")
VWs of that era are money pits. A Passat should do better than a Jetta, but not by much. The diesel engines will last forever, it’s the electrical systems, climate control, things like that that fail. [http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/volkswagen/passat/](http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/volkswagen/passat/) There are worse cars out there, but the reviews are not pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/disel-passat/41305/8 "2009-12-27T15:19:32Z")
Copwood; even if your son received this car as A GIFT!, it would still be a bad deal. As others point out, the first major repair, and it will come soon, will amount to several thousand $$ and he will be perpetually in a money pit. The owner who is selling it knows EXACTLY what costs he will be in for very soon, that’s why he is looking for a sucker to buy it. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/disel-passat/41305/9 "2009-12-27T21:51:30Z")
As a private sale, it is worth $1300 if it is in excellent condition. If it is in average condition (some work required but no major problems) it is worth about half that. You probably can’t offer $500 and expect to enter a negotiation, so you might as well walk away. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/disel-passat/41305/10 "2009-12-28T01:37:47Z")
Assuming your son and you will continue looking, it’s worth while making [http://www.kbb.com/?trid=20&psid=1-566-15371-4860-19-3&gclid=CNb10N7-954CFR9M5Qodkxbh9g](http://www.kbb.com/?trid=20&psid=1-566-15371-4860-19-3&gclid=CNb10N7-954CFR9M5Qodkxbh9g) a bookmark for your reference.