Faults:

Headlight switch faulty - replaced and fitted for very small cost.

Small coolant leak.

New water pump and alternator - wear and tear given the age and mileage those happened at.

CV joints and various suspension parts replaced.

Other general wear and tear - brakes, regular oil changes and timing belt changed at specified interval.

General Comments:

This was a VW Passat I bought at 5 years old in 1998. It looked very nice in metallic silver and being a GL model, it had decent alloy wheels and equipment. On the outside it looked more modern than similar cars at the time even though this was the older shape Passat with the big plastic front grille before the facelift in 1994.

This model stood out for several other reasons though - it was well equipped with electric everything and very plush interior, seats were very comfortable and the ride was above average. Generally the interior was a nice place to be. Fit and finish and the general feel of the car was good.

To drive it was also pleasantly surprising. Nothing to get excited about, but the 2.0 engine gave plenty acceleration when you needed it and economy was close to 40 MPG on a long drive. Handling was OK for a front wheel drive car with lots of grip (if you fit decent tyres that is) and the gear change was slick and involving from the 5 speed manual box.

To sum up, I have few negative things to say about this car; only positive. I think it was a very underrated car when new. I put serious mileage on this car with nothing much more than wear and tear and minor faults - which is more than can be said for some modern cars I've had lately that needed serious expensive repairs at a few years old and less than 100,000 miles. Whereas this old Passat done me good for 14 years and over 200,000 before I sold it off for scrap in 2007 - would have kept it, but economically it was not worth it. Would love another even today :)

Faults:

Ignition module @ 100,000.

One CV joint @ 94,000.

Battery @ 116,500.

General Comments:

Great car, massive, capable of 40mpg on the motorway, but hates towns.

Top speed above 130mph, great handling and apart from belts, tyres, oil changes, coolant changes, battery top ups, and brake pads twice, only the above has cost extra than normal.

The bodywork is also bullet proof, 8 years old and no rust at all.

Faults:

In the 18 months I owned the vehicle it needed a new cambelt, power steering belt, rear shocks, middle exhaust section, fan belt, glow plugs, CV boots.

General Comments:

A very reliable car as you would expect from Volkswagen - this model of the Passat was spacious and very well built; it performed well, and has good road holding and excellent passanger comfort.

However it needs servicing regularly and its appetite for parts left me needing money! Having owned 5 VW's previously I believe this car was probably abused early on in its life.

Faults:

The VW emblem on the floor mats have worn down, and one of the door handles has come off about three months ago. Other than that, the car has been great.

General Comments:

I love my Passat. I have put So much money into it since last May when I bought the car....it's MINT CONDITION, only 50k miles.

I put a $5k stereo system in it, tinted the windows (deep!), put Racing Dynamics chrome wheels on it, a "Volkswagen Motorsport" decal across the top of the front windshield, a rear spoiler, and projector-beam PIAA fog lamps. I have upped the performance a lot with Pirelli high performance tires, a super high performance air filter, a Borla turbo-air-flow muffler and two chrome "vacuum" exhaust tips, and a performance computer chip. This car can move!

The sound system includes a Blaupunkt head unit, Blau 6-disc CD changer, 10 Infinity Kappa series speakers in passenger cabin, two 12" Kicker XPL subwofers, and three amplifiers (1 Kicker, 2 Kenwood), and neon lighting effects in trunk where box and amps are. The car is beautiful and I plan to keep it for years to come.....it's my baby!

Faults:

Aircon - unknown faults £750 to fix.

EFi system - £200.

Noise from rear suspension not fixed.

I also suspect central locking may need fixing sometime on drivers door.

General Comments:

Car is very very spacious with good rear legroom.

Poor performance suspect auto unit has something to do with it.

Averaged about 28/29 mpg.

Front seats hard. Go for the comfort seats (optional extra).