How to Replace the Rear Brakes on a Passat

1. Loosen the rear wheel lug bolts with the tire iron. Lift the rear of the Passat with a good-quality floor jack and lower it slowly and securely onto a pair of jack stands placed under the rear of the car at the proper jacking points.
2. Remove the lug nuts on the rear wheels and take off the wheels, setting them aside. Spray brake cleaner on the brake components and wipe everything down with a rag. This will include the caliper, the rotor and nearby parts.
3. Locate and remove the caliper bolts, located on the top and bottom of the caliper facing the wheel well. Use a socket to remove these, while you hold the inboard nut with an open-ended wrench to loosen the bolts. Set the bolts aside.
4. Slide the caliper off the rotor. Tie the caliper to a nearby chassis or suspension component with a piece of wire so that there is no weight on the soft brake line, which can damage it.
5. Disconnect the brake pad wear sensor from the brake pad. Remove the brake pads, one from the caliper and one that should still be on the caliper bracket. Spray the caliper and the bracket with brake cleaner and wipe them off with a rag.
6. Remove the lid for the brake fluid reservoir in the engine bay. Remove about ½-inch of the brake fluid from the reservoir. Place the caliper piston tool onto the piston in the caliper and turn the tool so that it pushes and turns the piston into the caliper. Install the new brake pads in the same orientation that the old ones were installed.
7. Connect the brake pad sensor line. Slide the caliper over the rotor. Reinstall the caliper bolts with the socket and ratchet. Repeat the above steps on the other side of the car. Reinstall the wheels and lower the vehicle to the ground. Fill the brake fluid reservoir with fresh brake fluid. Pump the brake pedal until it feels firm.