VolkswagenPassat Sedan2000Overview/volkswagen/passat-sedan/2000/base/

2000 Volkswagen Passat Sedan

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2000 Passat Sedan.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2000 Volkswagen Passat Sedan is classified as a passenger car with a 3.9-quart engine oil capacity utilizing 5W-40, 5W-30, or 0W-40 viscosity grades. Reliability data registers 524 total owner complaints, with Service Brakes, Hydraulic ranking as the primary concern area among five distinct recalls affecting this model year. This concentration of brake-related documentation positions the 2000 Passat within the model's reliability history as a year marked by significant hydraulic brake system scrutiny, offering researchers a focused case study in component-specific failure patterns.

Model year201220102009200820072006200520042000

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity3.9 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-40 / 5W-30 / 0W-40OEM · verified
Lug nut torque89 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 540 CCA battery, OE oil filter 078115561J. Note the factory front wiper blades and serpentine belt are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 48 · 540 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP195-65HR15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter078115561J alt 06A115561B
Engine air filter058133843
Fuel filter1H0201511A alt 441201511C
Spark plug101000035HJ alt 101000063AA
Battery000915105AF alt 000915105AG
Front wiper blades8D1955427 discontinued · alt 3A1955427A
Serpentine belt06B903137E discontinued · alt 06B260849B
Thermostat078121113G alt 050121113C
Cabin air filter8A0819439A alt 8D0819165B

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length184.3 in
Overall width68.5 in
Overall height57.5 in
Wheelbase106.3 in
Curb weight3042 lb
Track (front / rear)59.1 / 59.1 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)61/39

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 3.9 qt of 5W-40 / 5W-30 / 0W-40 engine oil, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 89 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 22.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-3-6-2-5. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 4
Engine CoolantUSE G012ABG-A1 COOLANT
Engine Oil5W-40 · 5W-30 · 0W-40
Engine Oil Capacity3.9 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · 5W-40 · API
Engine Oil Capacity6.5 qt
Power Steering FluidUSE VW. PART NO. G002000

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs7 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts18 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug22.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug22.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs7 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts89 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub85 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-4-3-6-2-5
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)870 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)20 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)800 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)60 rpm

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.43 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type100
Oil Capacity8.45 oz
Standard BCI Group Number48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance540 cca
Standard BCI Group Number48

Service checks

Injector Primary Resistance13-19 ohms
Engine Oil Pressure17.4-23.2 psi @ idle, 39.1-65.2 psi @ 2000
Intake Valve LashHydraulic in
Exhaust Valve LashHydraulic in

Brakes

Brake ApplicationLUCAS
Torque Caliper to Bracket11 ft-lbs / 92 ft-lbs / 22 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle92 ft-lbs / 89 ft-lbs / 70 ft-lbs
OtherTEVES
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.276; Rear: 0.276 specification
Brake ApplicationLUCAS
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0004 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.012 in / 0.02 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., step 2: 9074 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages
130 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
244 ft. lbs.44 ft. lbs
390 degrees.90 degrees
490 degrees.90 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
144 ft. lbs.44 ft. lbs
290 degrees.90 degrees
390 degrees.90 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
144 ft. lbs.44 ft. lbs
290 degrees.90 degrees
390 degrees.90 degrees
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
144 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9044 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 40,000 mi.

Every 5,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 10,000 miBrake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Neutral Safety Switch (test) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate) · Windshield Washer System (inspect fluid level)
Every 20,000 miBattery (inspect electrolyte level) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Door Hinge (lubricate) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Headlamp (inspect alignment)
Every 40,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Sunroof Assembly (inspect) · Tie Rod (inspect)
Every 80,000 miDrive Belt (replace)
At 105,000 miTiming Belt Tensioner (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2000 Volkswagen Passat Sedan lead in one area — the service brakes, hydraulic, 147 of 524 reports (28%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 5 recall campaigns target the service brakes, hydraulic, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 11 of the reports describe a crash and 26 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the service brakes, hydraulic pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
208
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
7
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
524
Owner complaints
11 involved a crash · 26 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 524 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic147
Engine & Engine Cooling75
Service Brakes, Air29
Electrical System27
Fuel System, Gasoline24
Suspension24
Visibility18
Steering16

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14E007000Engine And Engine Cooling:EngineReported 07/03/2014

The Gates Corporation (Gates) is recalling certain aftermarket Tru-Flow Water Pumps, part number TFW 41127, sold at certain NAPA Auto Parts and/or installed by automotive service technicians after November 1, 2013 (and… Remedy: Gates will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began during May 2014. Owners may contact The Gates Corporation at 1-303-744-1911.

08V156000Fuel System, Gasoline:DeliveryReported 07/04/2008

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… 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…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 208 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
V1719012012855652023-08-21Engine And Engine CoolingUpdate to Volkswagen engine oil standards
V1719012012855622023-05-30Engine And Engine CoolingVolkswagen Engine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
V1719012012855602023-04-24Engine And Engine CoolingEngine oil quality standards, update to attachments.
V9419012011521192022-12-12EquipmentUpdate model year applicability to include 2023.
V2719012011894222022-12-06Electrical SystemBattery testing and charging using special tools VAS6161 & GRX3000VAS Charger. Updated to…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Passat Sedan. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2000 Passat Sedan take?

3.9 qt of 5W-40, 5W-30 OR 0W-40 MEETING VW SPECIFICATION VW50200, per the factory manual.

Does the 2000 Passat Sedan have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.