Volkswagen Passat Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement at your home or office.

Our mobile mechanics offer services 7 days a week. Upfront and transparent pricing.

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

(18)

Included for free with this service

Online Booking

Mechanic comes to you

12-month / 12k-mile warranty

Free 50 point safety inspection

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to your home or office 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

Customer Ratings

(18)

Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement Service

How much does a Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a Volkswagen Passat Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement is $155 with $15 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
2004 Volkswagen PassatV6-2.8LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$239.60Shop/Dealer Price$264.35 - $330.50
1991 Volkswagen PassatL4-1.8L TurboService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$222.37Shop/Dealer Price$243.30 - $301.96
2002 Volkswagen PassatV6-2.8LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$230.59Shop/Dealer Price$253.60 - $318.44
1996 Volkswagen PassatL4-2.0LService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$175.07Shop/Dealer Price$184.20 - $207.40
2012 Volkswagen PassatL4-2.0L Turbo DieselService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$205.55Shop/Dealer Price$223.77 - $270.94
2016 Volkswagen PassatL4-1.8L TurboService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$244.99Shop/Dealer Price$271.74 - $347.49
2002 Volkswagen PassatL4-1.8L TurboService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$304.85Shop/Dealer Price$346.44 - $466.99
2014 Volkswagen PassatL4-1.8L TurboService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$221.95Shop/Dealer Price$242.80 - $301.16
Show example Volkswagen Passat Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement prices

What is a serpentine belt and how does it work?

A serpentine belt is a relatively long, flat, multi-ribbed belt that is driven by the engine’s crankshaft pulley. The belt drives many, and often all, of the engine accessories such as the alternator, air conditioning compressor, power steering pump, water pump, and air pump. The serpentine belt is tensioned by a hydraulic or spring-loaded automatic tensioner. Some older cars use a serpentine belt to drive most accessories but will also have a shorter v-style belt to drive, for example, the power steering pump.

Belts

When to consider replacing the serpentine belt:

  • Regularly scheduled maintenance. Typically, belt manufacturers recommend belt replacement at 90,000 miles. However, the belt must be inspected for wear or damage at regular intervals prior to this high mileage.
  • Squealing noise, belt slippage, visible belt damage. Should the belt fail or wear out prematurely, you may hear noise or you may see visible signs of deterioration such as missing chunks of rubber, excessive cracking, or a shredded appearance on the edge of the belt.
  • Battery Light. A loose belt, perhaps caused by a defective tensioner, may not drive the alternator at adequate speed and thus the battery may discharge, causing the warning light to illuminate.
  • Engine overheating. Often, the serpentine belt drives the water pump. In those applications, if the belt breaks the engine will overheat in seconds to minutes. If the belt is inadequately tensioned, you may notice higher-than-normal engine operating temperature.

How do mechanics replace the serpentine belt?

  • Prior to removing the belt, the mechanic must run the engine to determine if the idler pulley and the belt tensioner are noise-free. Those rotating components have grease filled bearings and are subject to wear. In addition, the mechanic will ensure that all pulleys and accessories are turning in the same plane. These steps help make sure your new belt will operate trouble-free for its full-service life.
  • The belt’s routing path through the various components is noted. The belt tensioner is released, usually with a wrench or lever, to release the tension from the belt. With the tension off, the belt slides off the pulleys.
  • All rotating components — that is the alternator, air conditioner compressor, etc. — are checked for smooth operation and no noise.
  • If everything checks out, the new belt is slipped over all of the pulleys while holding the tensioner away from the belt. Once the belt is centered on all pulleys, the tensioner is released and the installation is complete. The engine is run to ensure normal operation.

Is it safe to drive with a serpentine belt problem?

No. Should the belt have visible damage, you risk unexpected and sudden breakage that could potentially leave you stranded. Serpentine belt problems that result in the alternator not charging may cause the battery to discharge, which will result in loss of electrical power to the vehicle. Additionally, if a deteriorated belt breaks and that belt drives the water pump, the engine will overheat in a matter of seconds.

When replacing the serpentine belt keep in mind:

  • On many cars, the expected service life of a serpentine belt is around 90,000 miles. Should the belt fail well prior to that, a very careful inspection should be performed to check for out-of-alignment pulleys, a possibly out-of-position crankshaft harmonic balancer on which the drive pulley is mounted, binding pulleys, or a defective belt tensioner.
  • Attention should always be given to serpentine belt routing, since proper routing is critical to proper belt tension, and function of the driven components.
  • Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish serpentine belt related noise from other engine noises. In these cases, a mechanic will determine the origin of the noise by momentarily running the engine without the serpentine belt attached.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee


Meet some of our expert Volkswagen mechanics

Real customer reviews from Volkswagen owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(18)

Rating Summary
16
0
0
0
2
16
0
0
0
2

Rusty

0 years of experience
532 reviews
Rusty
0 years of experience
Passat 2014 - Serpentine/Drive Belt - Grand Prairie, TX
Rusty was very informative. He was in contact and even was able to do the service earlier. I will use him again on the other services he stated need to be done.

Mike

10 years of experience
177 reviews
Mike
10 years of experience
Passat 2007 - Serpentine/Drive Belt - Raleigh, NC
Will book and recommend Mike to anyone who will need car servicing.

Matthew

7 years of experience
3 reviews
Matthew
7 years of experience
Passat 2012 - ABS Speed Sensor - Tampa, FL
A1 service

Alexander

5 years of experience
126 reviews
Alexander
5 years of experience
Passat 2008 - Headlight Bulb - Columbus, OH
I was very impressed with Alexanders knowledge,competence, in the way in which he goes about doing his job. I would request him again.

Excellent Rating

(18)

Rating Summary
16
0
0
0
2
16
0
0
0
2
Number of Volkswagen Passat Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement services completed
198+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Volkswagen MECHANICS
1000+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

Is It Safe to Drive With a Cracked Windshield?
Your Your windshield is there to block wind, rain, sleet and snow while providing you with visibility. However, it’s made of glass, and glass is inherently fragile (even today’s tempered safety glass). A single rock is all it takes to...
Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Distributor O Ring
If your car has a distributor, common signs the o-ring must be replaced include oil leaks and engine performance issues.
How to Replace an Anti-Lock Control Relay
ABS brakes use an anti-lock control relay to regulate the pressure of the brake fluid in the ABS system. The control relay breaks down over time.

2013 Mercedes SLK250 - AC works intermitently

Claimed by Kevin Gainer

New battery. Car won't start until minutes later when attempted again.

A voltage test will not reveal whether the battery is defective or not. A different test, referred to as a "load test" (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/battery-is-dead-inspection), is required. During these no start incidents, check to see if the engine immobilizer system (security system)...

Error codes on my 2012 Q5 P2099 P2096 & P2196

These codes could possibly be related to an issue with the turbocharger or the catalytic converter. Unfortunately these codes could lead to very expensive repairs depending on what exactly is the cause of this issue. I would recommend having a...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com