1976 Volkswagen Passat GL review from Australia and New Zealand
"A scary death trap"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
The head gasket went at 152,000. $540AUD to repair.
Coolant ALWAYS leaked - could never properly find the leak with success.
The rings were gone when I bought the car. It didn't really smoke (burn) oil except when you let it rip on the highway, then the oil just blew out the exhaust like nobody's business (the crank case pressure was too much).
The front tyres wore very easily.
The electrical system was diabolical. There was poor earth (grounding) everywhere you looked. Lights were always dim...
General comments?
The car, on the plus side, had virtually no rust whatsoever (except a little bit under the front edge of the bonnet).
Because of the bad weight distribution, it would slip and slide scarily on a wet road, even without dumping the accelerator. For this reason I really don't recommend driving this car up a hill when it's raining!
Not a bad performer at the lights, (except in the wet).
The interior is inferior. Seats are plastic, and it's easy to 'slide off' them if you know what I mean. The dash had virtually rotted to dust, the dash knobs come loose easily, and most of the window winders had snapped -and they were made of metal!
Recommended Reviews:
 | 1989 - Passat G5L 1.9 5 cylinder Audi Best all round car I've owned |
 | 1982 - Passat Variant GL 1.6 gas Reliable economical workhorse |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 1994 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1996 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.5 petrol Manual |
| Performance marks | 6/10 |
| Reliability marks | 6/10 |
| Comfort marks | 6/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 180000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 190000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Datsun 200B |
| Date of Entry | 25th April, 2003 |