# Can someone more car savvy than I help me ID a replacement part # for my Volkswagen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 3, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189 "2009-03-03T20:32:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189/1 "2009-03-03T20:32:17Z")
I have a 2003 VW Passat Wagon (1.8 cylinder, front wheel drive, manual tranny) that is missing both roof channel moldings (driver side and passenger). They are press-in pieces of trim that fill in the lengthwise u-channels in the roof sheetmetal and they run from the top of the A pillar to the edge of the back hatch. My dealer wants $95 apiece to replace them, which I think is ridiculous, so a friend with VW connections has offered to get the replacement parts for me cheap if I can locate part numbers for them. I have not had any luck finding them by googling or searching parts websites, and my dealer isn’t about to share the numbers with me. Is anyone out there savvy enough to sniff out the part numbers for me, or suggest a good website where I could find them myself? Thanks in advance for any help! ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189/2 "2009-03-03T21:35:31Z")
Have a look here: [OEM Aerodynamics Part numbers: N/A Euro skirts bumpers valances spoilers rubstrips valance front rea | VW Vortex - Volkswagen Forum](http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2542110) I don’t think there’s a part number for the thingy you are looking but there are some links to external sites that specialize in VW parts. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189/3 "2009-03-03T22:26:12Z")
Dealerships sometimes do not want to give out part numbers just so you don’t go shopping around. Call a dealership as if you are planning on buying the part there. Ask if they have stock, and say “What is that part number so you don’t have to look it up again when I get there?” ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189/4 "2009-03-03T22:31:57Z")
And I’d try posting this Q to a VW-specific forum, too. They may have more helpful info than just the part numbers ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189/5 "2009-03-03T22:49:12Z")
I can get the part numbers tomorrow if you dont have them by then. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189/6 "2009-03-04T14:13:46Z")
> [@RedSwinglineOne](#): > > Dealerships sometimes do not want to give out part numbers just so you don’t go shopping around. > > Call a dealership as if you are planning on buying the part there. Ask if they have stock, and say “What is that part number so you don’t have to look it up again when I get there?” I tried this tactic. Instead of giving me the part number, the guy wanted to fill out a part pre-order so that I could reference that next time I called. They definitely don’t want me shopping around. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189/7 "2009-03-04T14:14:46Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > I can get the part numbers tomorrow if you dont have them by then. Really? That would be great 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189/8 "2009-03-04T15:52:35Z")
Also if you have no other luck, might try a body shop rather than the dealer. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189/9 "2009-03-04T16:40:50Z")
> [@Figaro](#): > > Really? That would be great 🆒 Yep, I totally forgot but luckily came home for lunch and saw this. I’ll get it for you in a couple hours. > [@control-z](#): > > Also if you have no other luck, might try a body shop rather than the dealer. That’s actually what I’m going to do. I know someone who works in the parts dept at a large body shop that fixes VWs and other European cars. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189/10 "2009-03-04T18:08:47Z")
This should be them: Left 3b9853702e3c Right 3b9853701e3c ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-more-car-savvy-than-i-help-me-id-a-replacement-part-for-my-volkswagen/488189/11 "2009-03-04T18:17:37Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > This should be them: > Left 3b9853702e3c > Right 3b9853701e3c You, sir, have my thanks! Awesome 🙂