Another One Down
My daughter was driving the 99 tonight to her brother's apartment. I had just put the new tires on the front this evening, and last week I did a complete brake job including rear calipers--about $500 and a bit of my time.
All this was to get the car to pass NYSI.
Well, something happened, and she wound up hitting the guard rail. Air bags went off. Right front tire was off the bead and looked blown. Front lower ball joint was ripped out of the steering knuckle (yes, THAT steering knuckle!).
She's ok, but the car is a goner.
I think she hit a pothole or something in the road, and the resultant blowout made the car swerve into the rail. But it's just a guess.
I'll try to get pics up tomorrow.
Sad thing is, my son is selling his 98 Passat and buying my 99 A4. So I will soon be B5-less with this loss of the 99 Passat.
All this was to get the car to pass NYSI.
Well, something happened, and she wound up hitting the guard rail. Air bags went off. Right front tire was off the bead and looked blown. Front lower ball joint was ripped out of the steering knuckle (yes, THAT steering knuckle!).
She's ok, but the car is a goner.
I think she hit a pothole or something in the road, and the resultant blowout made the car swerve into the rail. But it's just a guess.
I'll try to get pics up tomorrow.
Sad thing is, my son is selling his 98 Passat and buying my 99 A4. So I will soon be B5-less with this loss of the 99 Passat.
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
Glad she’s OK.
This is your chance to upgrade to a “nearly new” ‘05 B5.5.
This is your chance to upgrade to a “nearly new” ‘05 B5.5.
Man, thank god she's fine. That's all that matters.
I've always wondered about airbag reliability with a 20 year old car. It's nice to know that everything engaged. I wonder if someone can comment about that for our cars.
I've always wondered about airbag reliability with a 20 year old car. It's nice to know that everything engaged. I wonder if someone can comment about that for our cars.
The replaceable thing is gone- so what, but your daughter is safe and now has valuable experience with the danger of bad roads. My daughter was in an accident that totaled our Explorer, just by turning left into the intersection when the green turn arrow lit. She didn't expect the Accura coming at her to run the red light, and was mad at me for the longest time whenever I suggested that she could have avoided the accident.My daughter was driving the 99 tonight to her brother's apartment...She's ok, but the car is a goner.
The car did it's job. Be glad.
Glad she is ok. The A4 is still a B5 and now she can get the 98 from her brother. You not only have a spare knuckle, you have most of a spare car now.
The 98 is a lost cause. Needs too much work to be reliable and pass NYSI. It has over 250k on it.
I've owned a VW since 1987. Well, there may have been a short 2-year gap in the mid-90s, but for thirty years it's been a part of my life. I've owned B5s since 2009.
It will be strange not having a VAG car in the driveway. My wife has an 07 Routan, but that hardly counts. And I am very happy with my Suburban.
Truth is, the new VWs don't really seem to be VWs anymore. If that makes sense. They seem to have sold their soul. Yes, I am an old fart who started with aircooled (a bus), but I also loved my MkI Jeta GLi, my Mk III jetta, my MkIV GTi, and my Vanagon. My Audi A4 is a great car, and the 99 Passat was a nice cruiser.
Then VW decided to become a volume brand. And lost what made them special. Sure, they put out a model or two that was intriguing. However, their main lineup has more in common with Hyundai and Honda--bland appliances that go from A to B with all the appeal of a margarine container.
I've owned a VW since 1987. Well, there may have been a short 2-year gap in the mid-90s, but for thirty years it's been a part of my life. I've owned B5s since 2009.
It will be strange not having a VAG car in the driveway. My wife has an 07 Routan, but that hardly counts. And I am very happy with my Suburban.
Truth is, the new VWs don't really seem to be VWs anymore. If that makes sense. They seem to have sold their soul. Yes, I am an old fart who started with aircooled (a bus), but I also loved my MkI Jeta GLi, my Mk III jetta, my MkIV GTi, and my Vanagon. My Audi A4 is a great car, and the 99 Passat was a nice cruiser.
Then VW decided to become a volume brand. And lost what made them special. Sure, they put out a model or two that was intriguing. However, their main lineup has more in common with Hyundai and Honda--bland appliances that go from A to B with all the appeal of a margarine container.
this -> "Truth is, the new VWs don't really seem to be VWs anymore."
I'm stuck with that same feeling every time I consider getting something newer than my '04 V6 5MT wagon. I thoroughly enjoyed my '05 VR6 6MT GTI before this Passat, but the current VW lineup doesn't do it for me. The only possibility might be a GTI with a manual, but I'd prefer another VR6 to the turbo, or a good diesel with a manual transmission - and something a little bigger to fit my kids when needed. The Passat and Jetta have become bland. The CC had a glimmer of possiblity, but then the manual wasn't available with the V6.
Everytime the VW dealer sends an email seeking my vehicle as a trade-in, I reply that there's nothing there interesting enough in the lineup that would fit my family and be fun to drive. No one likely ever reads my responses, but it's cathartic to send them.
I'm stuck with that same feeling every time I consider getting something newer than my '04 V6 5MT wagon. I thoroughly enjoyed my '05 VR6 6MT GTI before this Passat, but the current VW lineup doesn't do it for me. The only possibility might be a GTI with a manual, but I'd prefer another VR6 to the turbo, or a good diesel with a manual transmission - and something a little bigger to fit my kids when needed. The Passat and Jetta have become bland. The CC had a glimmer of possiblity, but then the manual wasn't available with the V6.
Everytime the VW dealer sends an email seeking my vehicle as a trade-in, I reply that there's nothing there interesting enough in the lineup that would fit my family and be fun to drive. No one likely ever reads my responses, but it's cathartic to send them.
Your daughter's mishap once again demonstrated how safe these cars are.
Our kids tend to get into mishaps more than we do, probably due more to lack of experience than anything else. In 2003 my elder son totaled my 1989 Dodge Spirit (highly under-rated car, very reliable and very cheap to maintain) -- he spun out on the freeway in the rain after being tapped by another motorist who had slightly overshot a lane change. No airbags, but the car's structure, headrests, and seatbelts did what they were supposed to in absorbing the impact of the collision and protecting him. In a completely unrelated incident, my niece totaled the 1989 Plymouth Acclaim my brother-in-law had bought after test-driving my Dodge. That one was her fault, but once again the car crumpled in a way that absorbed most of the impact of the collision, protecting the occupant.
We are still a two-B5 family (1996 A4 sedan and 2001 Passat wagon), and I likewise have no real enthusiasm for any of the potential replacements -- Golf Sportwagen if we want to go smaller than the Passat or the new (Opel, made-in-Germany) Buick Regal wagon, if we want to go bigger than the Passat. I bought domestics prior to the Passat, but everything since has been German.
Our kids tend to get into mishaps more than we do, probably due more to lack of experience than anything else. In 2003 my elder son totaled my 1989 Dodge Spirit (highly under-rated car, very reliable and very cheap to maintain) -- he spun out on the freeway in the rain after being tapped by another motorist who had slightly overshot a lane change. No airbags, but the car's structure, headrests, and seatbelts did what they were supposed to in absorbing the impact of the collision and protecting him. In a completely unrelated incident, my niece totaled the 1989 Plymouth Acclaim my brother-in-law had bought after test-driving my Dodge. That one was her fault, but once again the car crumpled in a way that absorbed most of the impact of the collision, protecting the occupant.
We are still a two-B5 family (1996 A4 sedan and 2001 Passat wagon), and I likewise have no real enthusiasm for any of the potential replacements -- Golf Sportwagen if we want to go smaller than the Passat or the new (Opel, made-in-Germany) Buick Regal wagon, if we want to go bigger than the Passat. I bought domestics prior to the Passat, but everything since has been German.
That is exactly why I now have my 16 yr. old daughter driving the Passat (she does not want to drive my Volvo XC70). Heavy, safe vehicle and I don;t blame her as the Passat has a fun factor to go along with it. Glad she was safe.
TomK
TomK
1 - 11 of 11 Posts
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