1999 Volkswagen Passat Wagon review from North America

Found this "fine, pre-owned European car" advertised on eBay by a private dealer in Pennsylvania, but closed the deal over the phone. Before the dealer could ship it to me, the anti-lock braking system module failed. They replaced it at a cost to them of $1300, so they said. They assured me it had passed a 100+ point inspection and that it was in "excellent mechanical condition."

Despite two assurances from two different salespeople that the car was a non-smoker, it arrived reeking of smoke. They agreed to pay for a full detail, which did not eliminate the problem.

The driver-side mirror adjustment knob was broken off when it arrived.

The black plastic shroud under the engine compartment came loose on the way home from the place the dealer shipped it to. The highway chewed it to pieces. Dealer agreed to reimburse for the cost of replacement.

Took a 400-mile road trip the first weekend we had it. Drove well - quiet, fast, comfortable, with a slight alignment issue. Was very happy with my purchase at this point.

Passenger-side rear window regulator broke at 53000 miles.

Transmission began having trouble at 53000 miles/3 months after we bought it. Coming to a stop came to be an act of faith, as the car's engine/transmission did not want to stop turning despite letting off the gas and putting on the brakes. We got used to that. Then the tranny began slipping halfway through intersections or when pulling out into traffic. Didn't get used to that. Shortly thereafter, it gave up the ghost completely.

The local dealer and an independent VW garage both diagnosed complete trans. failure and recommended replacement at a cost of $5500. We had owned the car for seven months at that point. We gave the used car dealer an opportunity to fix the problem. He offered $500 and told me I should have purchased an extended warranty (true). I offered him another chance to fix the car. He declined. We brought suit against him. One year later, he settled. He paid us the purchase price of the car plus a $1000.

Take Home Message:

Consumer reports rated this car highly. Never buy a car sight-unseen. Don't ever trust a used car dealer. There are not enough honest ones out there to warranty giving the good ones the benefit of the doubt. There may not be any "good ones" by the way. Don't ask a smoker to tell you whether or not a used car belonged to a smoker - it smells normal to them. Buy an extended warranty from your local credit union, Sam's Club, or Costco (the dealer marks those up 50-100%). Make friends with an attorney who doesn't mind taking a fight for the "little guy" once in a while, pro bono if possible.

My suit prevents me from putting the name of this dealership here in my review, but if you're having bad vibes about the one you're negotiating with, write me and I'll tell you if it's the same one. Alternatively, buy a car from a private party after you have it inspected by a mechanic, and buy a warranty.

Finally, cars are mechanical things. Mechanical things break. Put the name of the most reliable car you can think of into this website and you will find lots of positive and negative reviews. You can't win, it's not an "investment", it's an EXPENSE. Grin and bear it. Thank you sir, may I have another...

Take Home Message:

Consumer reports rated this car highly. Never buy a car sight-unseen. Don't ever trust a used car dealer. There are not enough honest ones out there to warranty giving the good ones the benefit of the doubt. There may not be any "good ones" by the way. Don't ask a smoker to tell you whether or not a used car belonged to a smoker - it smells normal to them. Buy an extended warranty from your local credit union, Sam's Club, or Costco (the dealer marks those up 50-100%). Make friends with an attorney who doesn't mind taking a fight for the "little guy" once in a while, pro bono if possible.

My suit prevents me from putting the name of this dealership here in my review, but if you're having bad vibes about the one you're negotiating with, write me and I'll tell you if it's the same one. Alternatively, buy a car from a private party after you have it inspected by a mechanic, and buy a warranty.

Finally, cars are mechanical things. Mechanical things break. Put the name of the most reliable car you can think of into this website and you will find lots of positive and negative reviews. You can't win, it's not an "investment", it's an EXPENSE. Grin and bear it. Thank you sir, may I have another...