1998 Volkswagen Passat SE review from UK and Ireland
"Nice looker - disappointing mechanicals"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
AC Compressor at £400
Suspension Control Arm at £200
Rust on rear window sill
Noisy tappets.
Slow coolant leak.
Intermittent electrical fault.
General comments?
A nice car, that shows off the Germanic build quality of the interiors. As its not a Sport model however, the suspension is wallowy, and does not engender safe feeling at high speed.
The suspension problems have also put me off, as I read many people suffer from the creaking suspension bushes that are costly to fix!
Overall though, disappointed really, and will be returning to Nissan shortly (changing to a 99 plate Primera today!). Much better handling, and reliability to boot... although the interiors will need some getting used to.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 T Manual |
| Performance marks | 7/10 |
| Reliability marks | 7/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 65000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 95000 miles |
| Previous car | BMW 3 Series |
| Date of Entry | 15th March, 2004 |