1999 Volkswagen Passat GLS review from North America

Radio has blown out twice... replaced once under warranty.

At one point (~60k miles), the time would reset every time upon turning on the car.

Tie rods replaced.

Upper and lower control arm on driver side need replacement.

Tires lose tread quickly.

Ignition coil replaced.

Fuel pump went out while on highway.

Engine valve cover replaced due to leaking oil.

Engine began burning oil forcing me to check the oil levels every 200 miles.

CD player decided to stop working one day.

The backlight for the dash controls went out.

In a nutshell, I hated to love this car so much. It was in an accident a couple weeks ago and totaled. Was this a blessing in disguise for me? First off, I have to say I felt very safe while in this car and walked away from a bad accident unharmed.

As for the exterior of the car, it was very appealing and drew a lot of compliments, especially for a car so old. The car stuck to the road like glue and it handled the corners with precision. The interior was well-built and the parts were high-grade.

Despite being fun to drive and look at, the car was too expensive to maintain and a real headache sometimes. VW brought a true German automobile to the table with the Passat but it also brought with it all the nuances. Maybe the next generation of Passats will be better.