Still paying on my B5.5, being upside down is the worst

[RabbitsKin]

A couple years back the wife took a job in DC, about 70 miles one-way. Although the commute was a pain, she needed to round out her military career before retiring. Not having any new-ish vehicles, we opted for a B5.5 wagon, nice and comfy GLX 4MO. It was already 5 years old, but we really didn't like the newer ones at all, and it was pretty cream-puffy with only 38K.

Boy what a mistake. Not only did she pile on the miles quicker than we thought, we found out the hard way that the wear and tear made it difficult to keep the car aligned. It ate up about two tires every six months. It developed a repeat evap leak which would require dropping the tank to repair (already been done once under warranty). Normal VW things like timing belts and an occasional power window issue I expected. The heater stopped working last winter.

Even though we aren't putting many miles on it now, the value is mostly gone. It just hit 120K, and the value has dropped to right around $5K. Talk about being stuck, we're still $3K in the hole. So now I have the upside down blues, not that I expect any sympathy


I think the experience would be much more bearable if it had a manual transmission, but alas. Give me some inspiration, Oh B5 Forum. I've whined enough. Gotta get this car to the point where I like it again!



Other cars in the stable:

[The Swami]

Whoa, may I ask what year is your B5.5? When is the last time you had your front end suspension components checked? What kind of tires are you running?

The trick to owning a VW, especially in the DC Metro Area; is finding a good indy mechanic/tuner. Since you're in Winchester and drive to DC, the best shop I can recommend is New German Performance in Lorton, VA. A great shop can make the ownership experience a pleasure because you know you're getting excellent work at a price significantly less than the dealership.

Check your front end suspension components; i.e. Tie Rod Ends, Control Arms, and Shocks/Springs. Since your car is getting up there in miles, replacing these components will extend life into your car and allow you to get better mileage out of your tires! Since you've already put 80,000 miles on the car, it's worth checking!

Good luck,

Will aka The Swami