I figured they would have done the “easy” software only fixes by now.

Because the cal does other stuff to. Like prevent DPF regenerations.

Couple points :)
1) This car doesn’t have a TDI. It doesn’t even have the 68 hp MF true “turbo diesel”, it has the 60 hp 1V ECOdiesel engine with no fuel enrichment. These were made from 1991-1992 in limited quantities. Though if this car actually has a Giles pump it might be making more power than a factory TD did.

My 91 Mercedes, which has a passenger airbag where the glove box normally would be. It has a small “oddments” box between the front seats, but this is too small for the manual. MB thought of this and installed a little cubby in the rear parcel shelf which is the exact size of the owner’s manual booklet.

This advert shows one of the super early “swallowtail” rabbits. Very few were produced.

Bad ball joints can lead to a sadface situation like this:

“Unless, of course, you get a first-generation Volkswagen Touareg. It has nowhere to go but up.”
Unless the air suspension fails...
So far so good with our 04 V10! TDIGate and cheap fuel prices have hurt the kbb some, but we haven’t totally lost our shirts yet.

Also don’t forget that this car, being a 4Matic, has *very* expensive front axles, expensive front springs, and fiddly electronics controlling the 4wd system.

The problem is the cars *aren’t* injecting ablue when they should be. I should know, I own a 12 Passat and have logged the system with VCDS. No wonder the 5 gallon tank lasts 20,000 miles instead of 7,000.

Also: “The heater also has an issue, refusing to blow out the center vents at all.”

Looks like that car also has the upgraded digital climate control system - look up the Climate Servo used on these cars (and early 70s Chrysler products) and you’ll know why it was changed.

Those look like 16s to me. The 17s look much better IMHO, and is what our ‘12 is fitted with.

80 / 90s Mercedes V8 S-Classes had the same control. City / Country horns.

This is really nothing new. I recall reading that the Jeep XJ was the first vehicle whose body was crash tested in computers before ever being built, in 1982 with Renault’s computers. The test shown here is much more complete simulation for sure, but car makers have used computers to simulate crashes for quite some…

In many areas I see a title loan place on every corner. It blows my mind! Are people lining up to go visit TitleMax or something?

Probably any post 70s Mercedes with the fuel tank between the trunk and back seat. You could cut into the back side of the fuel tank to create your secret space. The tank is hidden by trim and a metal plates so it’s quite discrete.

At first the bumpers weren’t very well integrated. Let’s look at Mercedes for example. The 1975 W114s had quite massive looking bumpers:

My ‘12 Passat has 95k k on it already!

They used to have 100k powertrain warranties. The 4 speed 01M automatics saw an end to that.

“The scammers tend to target the outer pumps at the station—the ones which are harder to see from inside the station. If you can, use the pumps most visible to the attendant.”
Great... guess where the Diesel pumps are usually placed!