1996 Volkswagen Passat GLX from North America - Comments

4 transmissions (automatic) in 3 years! Luckily, the warranty covers it. Volkswagen will soon have more money in this car than I have! Dealers and corporate both deny any inherent problems with this year and model, but a guy I work with had the same car with the same problems.

Buy an Audi instead.

I have encountered the same problems with my 1996 Passat GLX. 4 Transmissions in 6 years... ridiculous. I point blank asked a service rep if this seemed unusual and he agreed. Still, he didn't know what was causing it. The car has been a major pain in my butt from the beginning.

I own a 1996 Volkswagen Passat GLX with a manual transmission. Basic components have worked very well--engine and transmission still are fine and after 80,000+ miles I'm still on the original clutch. Difficulties are more in the nickel and dime department: fuel indicator has failed, odometer had to be replaced, cruise control was fixed three times in the last 8 months before it worked properly. Car is less reliable than my old Toyota but a lot more fun to drive: excellent acceleration, holds the road well, comfortable on long trips, roomy back seats. But I understand that reliability with VW is an on and off thing. Current models are very highly rated by Consumer Reports and salesmen say that reliability has improved but I'll believe it when I see the statistics.

Wait a minute! Buy an Audi instead? Isn't Audi just an up-market VW? If so, Buy a Toyota instead of wasting hard-earned money on an overpriced unreliable VW/Audi.

I own a 1996 Volkswagen Passat GLX VR6. I bought it a year and 1/2 ago with 110k miles on it. I later found out that the car has a 98 transmission so it obviously was replaced even though it doesn't say it on the car fax report that I paid $20 to see. I paid $4500 for my car and since then put $4500 into it. It's just common sense if you buy something with that many miles on it your going to have to start replacing the original parts. Anything you can think of I have replaced on my car. All the fog lights and those things aren't cheap. side markers, hoses, ignition coil, ignition switch, paid $600 to get the air fixed, front and rear breaks and a lot of other things. Currently the check engine light is on. my brother who is a volkswagen mechanic took my car did the diagnostic and found out the ignition coil was the reason why it was on. two weeks and $500 later after it was fixed the light pops back on. It is currently still on. Sometimes my car doesn't want to start when it is in the sun long. Who knows why? The mileage thingy is fading.. you can only read like 1/2 of the numbers. (only when it's warm outside) If you push the locks down when you're in the car they pop right back up. I have had nothing, but headaches with this car, but you know what? I still love my Passat very much. It's fast and when I sell it i'll miss it when I go and race a v6 mustang or firebird and loose.