1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS review from North America
"Lovely, but troubled"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Turbo blew at 70,000 miles. $2000 to have it repaired. Then, the spark plug broke off and fell into the piston not too long after that. This cost $1500 to repair because the auto shop had to open the cylinder head. The transmission began cutting off and the cruise control worked only sometimes, so I sold it.
General comments?
It handled like a dream. The suspension, the ability to drive through corners and maneuver around accidents, items in the road, etc. was amazing. It had all the bells and whistles, including the 6 CD changer, the thing costs a dang fortune to fix, however. And it took premium gas. Thankfully I unloaded it prior to the gas crisis.
Recommended reviews
| What will go wrong today? |
|
| Great on fuel, but not terribly comfortable with lots of repairs, just like a North American car |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 1998 |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8 turbo Automatic |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 4 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 17000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 78000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Malibu |
| Date of Entry | 28th July, 2008 |