1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS from North America - Comments

Coolant system problems around 72,000 miles. First a bad O-ring somewhere in the coolant system led to a coolant leak. In addition the water pump needed to be replaced.

The oil pressure warning light began flashing intermittently around 75,000 miles. I consulted the dealer and was told that it may be sensor and that I should keep a close eye on the oil level and bring the car in if it warning light persisted or increased. I watched the oil level closely and was diligent about the next 2 oil changes. While driving one morning (right after turning over 80,000 miles) the oil pressure warning light came on and stayed on. Being on a remote access highway I needed to try to continue to an exit. A few miles later the engine began to knock and then locked up. Even after the engine had locked up an oil level check indicated full.

Be careful with this engine. This motor was being treated well. The engine is a $2,800 problem.

Your experiences are frightening. My Passat just had an engine light appear which resulted in a post warranty ECM replacement. Once replaced, they confirmed it is a coolant problem resulting from contaminated coolant. This car has been a VW serviced car from the day I bought it. Beware, I suspect there may be some "make work" deals out there.

Actually this person is talking about the not-so famous 1.8T oil sludge problem. Audi/VW has finally acknowledged the problem and is has extended the warranty to 8 years/unlimited miles for oil sludge related problems such as this. They will also reimburse you for now-covered repairs, but they are a major pain to deal with. Contact your dealership warranty administrator for the forms. I am currently suing Audi of America for an oil pump replacement that they denied due to one missing oil change receipt in 66k miles from previous owner. They will try to get out of paying at all costs.

After reading reviews on different websites and looking at the common lists of problems associated with these cars, I have decided that the four-cylinder turbo engine from VW/Audi is the bad seed. When I read about someone who has the V6 in the Passat or A4, they do not seem to have nearly as many problems with the car. It's too bad really as the turbo four is a powerful and economical engine, when it is working.