1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS from North America - Comments

Head gasket failed at 13,000m.

Valve gasket replaced 3 times for leaks.

Coolant sensor failed at 10,000m.

Fuel gauge sensor failed at 16,000m.

Driver side window switch failed at 13,000m.

Ongoing brake squealing (dealer has no fix)

Brake pads wear very quickly and will damage rotors without warning.

The Passat's body style and high standard feature list are what sold us. We had a relatively good experience with our '95 Jetta (though it had several initial quality problems) and felt that the Passat was a good step up. As much fun as the Passat is to drive and look at, its reliability has turned us off to VW for a very long time.

The Passat suffers from poor quality control in some areas of assembly and especially in the electrical components. We had several sensors fail early in life. We have never had this problem with Honda or Toyota. Even worse, VW's quality problems appear to be totally random and each failure is something the dealer has never seen before. At least with the Japanese marks, if there is a quality problem, it's very predictable within a given model year/range. VW is very slow to implement fixes for known defects and their dealers are totally in the dark when it comes to fixing problems the first time. Our experience with the Passat continually left us wondering what part of the car would fail next.

The Passat has gained great respect for its styling and performance. I believe the 1.8T engine is the best 4-cylinder engine we've had in any of our cars. But I'm not convinced that VW builds cars that will last a long time or be anywhere near as cost-effective to operate as some competitors. VW is growing so fast in appeal that they're missing the grass-roots importance of establishing repeat customers.

Our VW Passat @ 20K just had the engine light come on and left me stranded. The garage man mentioned that this is a common problem as the "Coil" shorted - out. I am not satisfied with this car.

I have had very similar problems. We have owned 2002 Passat station wagon 1.8T for one year. It has only 12,000 miles on it and it has broken down 3 times. In the first week, coolant was blowing in our faces. Three months later it was a bad ignition coil. Finally, one of the cylinders stopped working. I finally lost my patience with the last breakdown, for I was left on the side of the road with my 10 month old baby and dog. Volkswagen would only tow me to the nearest dealer, 50 mile from my home! I paid $150 to be brought home and Volkswagen refuses to acknowledge that I have suffered in any way and has been very rude on the phone. This car has been a huge waste of money. I have owned both a Golf and a Jetta in the past and will never, ever buy a VW again!

COIL PROBLEM WITH 1.8T

I understand that there is a problem with the coils in the 1.8T engine. Beware, because the problem evidentaly does not register on the computer diagnostic equipment???

I own a 2002 Passat, which at only 19,000 miles is now in the shop for the second ignition coil replacement. Since this is apparently such a widespread problem, the coils are in short supply, and the car will most likely be in the shop for about 10 days. What is most upsetting and outrageous about the situation is NOT the fact that bad ignition coils were installed in the 2002 cars, but the fact that VW will only replace the coils AFTER they fail. (After the second failure, I asked to have the rest of the coils replaced, and was told that VW won't allow this.) So I have to drive around and wait for the next shoe to drop, hopefully not in some far away place, or on a deserted road late at night. I thought that VW thought more if its customers than that. This is surely the last VW I will ever drive.

Our 2002 Passat has had 2 engine coils replaced, and my coworker just had her 3rd coil go on her Passat. The dealership is overrun with this problem and cannot replace coils prior to malfunctioning. It is a dismal situation, and we are just waiting for the next one to go. I would never purchase another VW.

I bought a VW Passat April, 2002. The car only has 4300 miles and already has four times of break-down due to coil problem. Right now I am pursuing to get refunded under Lemon Law. I will never buy any VW car in my life.

We bought a 1998 Passat with 80,000 miles in great condition. We loved the ride and the safety ratings. In just over a year we have had to replace the main computer, a wiring harness and a steering part. We can't afford to keep it because we don't know what will go next. Repairs tend to be very expensive.

Just bought a 1998 Passat 1.8T a little over a month ago. It's been in the shop 3 times now with the check engine light blinking and the ABS brake light blinking on and off. My local VW mechanic can't figure it out. Currently it is running wicked rough and my mechanic said for me to take it to the dealer for a diagnostics check to see about the ECU. It's the only left to check. He put new Bosch plugs in. New temp sensor, coil pack, etc. The car has 87,000 miles and is in great condition otherwise. My 30 day used card warranty has passed and now I must pay for the problems that already existed. I'm bummed. Great smooth riding car. However, all these malfunctions are really stressing me out.

--- bummed in NH.