1999 Volkswagen Passat GLS review from North America

Ongoing problem-- car will not completely fill up with fuel unless topped up. Fuel shutoff engages when tank is 3/4 to 7/8 full. VW is unable or unwilling to diagnose any problem.

Cruise control has worked intermittently since I bought the car. It works, quits, mysteriously starts working again, quits, etc.

Needed front brake pads at 28,000 miles.

Radio reception is poor outside urban area. My other car seems to have twice the reception.

Significant interior rattle when temperature is below 25 F. This appears to be from the rear-view mirror.

Many recalls, including tie rods and, most recently, front control arms.

The car handles and performs very well, especially in highway cruising. I often find myself driving 90 mph without even knowing it. It seems like it has more than the rated 190 hp. I love driving it. It makes 60 miles of commuting a day tolerable.

Body has held up well with a nice finish.

Despite some of the bizarre problems (namely the fuel issue and the cruise control), I seem to have had better luck with my V6 Passat than others who purchased the 1.8T model and have experienced numerous and costly repairs. Of course, I have relatively low miles (40K in five years) and am concerned that the car will become very expensive to maintain as the miles increase.