2002 Volkswagen Passat TDi 130 Sport review from UK and Ireland

Glove compartment lid started popping open over bumps.

Friction stays on two of the heater vents no longer work so the vent won't stay in the desired position.

Stop relay on the diesel pump has failed twice, immobilising the car both times.

Rear wheel bearing at just 52,000 miles.

Handbrake cable snapped at 30,000 miles.

Several build quality / trim issues including loose A-pillar trim, baggy footwell carpet and a passenger seat that creaks like an old barn door.

Not the bargain A4 equivalent it first appears to be. Beautifully trimmed interior makes it appear a class above rivals such as the Mondeo, but under the skin it's not really any better made at all, or at least this one isn't. Far too many quality and reliability problems for what in modern terms is still a fairly low mileage car.

Good points are the astonishing performance / economy compromise from the 130PS Pumpe Duse diesel, with 50 mpg regularly returned on a motorway cruise. It's a relaxing car too with comfortable seats, generally low noise levels and a good level of perceived quality from the choice of trim materials.

The number of faults and build quality issues have been very disappointing though, especially as these are supposed to be VW's selling points. My Mondeo was far less troublesome and held together better in the 3 yrs / 105,000 miles I had it, although did not perform so strongly, and wasn't so nice to just "sit in".

I would definitely think twice before going the VW route again. It hasn't been a bad car, but it hasn't met my expectations.