It is interestting that one of Volkswagen’s worst plants and on of Ford’s best are in the same country. The Puebla plant of VW has had problems with morale and product quality for at least the last 20 years. Even the plastic trim parts on the Golf and jetta are poorer quality than North American plastic.
However, the car in question, the Passat, is still built in Germany, to my knowledge. So it should have at least the famous German assembly quality for which the original Beetle was famous.
Ford’s plant in Hermosillo, in NW Mexico, is really a Mazda plant where both companies build their small and intermediate cars (Fusion). The plant uses modern (Japanese) management techniques, detailed and ongoing worker training, takes care of emplyees’ social issues, etc. Things no Mexican organization; industrial, government or religious, HAS EVER DONE! This plant is Ford’s best plant worldwide in product quality, effiency, safety, overall unit cost, etc. Ford’s worst plant worldwide is Dagenham, England. It still suffers from all the old “we:they” (I’m all right Jack) antagonistic problems which Ford has been trying to solve for the last 40 years at least. To expect a good car to come out of this plant is daydreaming.
Yes, but you’ve ignored the part where I said “and those repair bills will be considerably higher than for a comparable car from some other manufacturer.” Not only that, a lot of insurance companies will charge higher premiums because of the higher repair costs.
The only problem is finding a “comparable car from some other manufacturer.” Since VW is the only cheap euro car sold in the U.S., you would be forced to but a domestic/ricer in that price range. I do agree with the other posts, I would avoid anything built in north america (Mexico/U.S.), regardless of brand.
If you do get a passat, be sure to change the trany fluid and filter and the coolant fluid at a resonable interval, say 50k. VW claims both never need changing (for marketing reasons), which is a disaster!
03 passat also, also has bad hood release that I have to lubricate on a monthly basis (why do the Germans over-engineer these things). i also have to replace wipers yearly, and had to redo the rear brakes. Plus a “squeeky” sun roof (even tho I don’t use it and it remains closed, about once per year it starts “chirping”, sounded like a bird stuck in the sunroof!). Most recently a defective ignition switch (no start temp <10deg)