Used 1997 Volkswagen Passat Diesel Consumer Reviews
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Drivetrain to die for!
JimboTheFed, 01/14/2003
1997 Volkswagen Passat TDi 4dr Sedan
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Yes, it has hardware issues: door latches, power window alignment, ignition keyswitch (recall issued), electrical gremlins... But even with all that, I love this car! But I am an engineer and tinkerer, own the Bentley repair manual, and don't mind pulling the door panel off, either. 179000 miles and climbing 30K+/year. We'll grow old together. Drive this car hard and it will NOT ever smoke - the computer craves to be driven!
German Engineering
mb, 01/19/2003
1997 Volkswagen Passat TDi 4dr Sedan
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Purchased my VW Passat TDI in March of 1997 after reviewing several articles on the TDI engine. Hard to believe you can get that great fuel mileage in a mid-size vehicle. No American made auto can do that. I have almost 150,000 miles on it now and it still runs great. I like going almost 900 miles before I have to fill up again. I change the oil every 5,000 miles and the timing belt every 60,000.
I'll miss my VW
Disappointed VW fan, 03/30/2007
1997 Volkswagen Passat TDi 4dr Wagon
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I bought my VW used and I was okay with having to replace the clutch almost immediately as well as having a rod in the trunk snap which made the trunk impossible to use until I found a mechanic willing to weld the rod back together. But after 9 months of VW ownership, I'm calling it quits. I love VWs and will look for them in the future, but definitely with more skeptical eyes. Besides the normal repairs and somewhat non-normal repairs, I had an air flow sensor malfunction, and needed to replace the throttle valve because my Passat was driving itself. 3 weeks after those repairs, I either get to replace the heater core, fix a radiator problem, and replace the oxygen sensor or call it quits.
I love Diesel
Sean La Garde, 01/06/2003
1997 Volkswagen Passat TDi 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I have put all but 17 miles of the 97000 miles I have on it. I get great fuel mileage and have had very little problems. The only major problem was a cracked valve in the brake vacume line. Scared the pants of me. I plan to keep her for another 100k
Miracle MPG with the Passat TDI diesel
SchnellAutos, 07/24/2002
1997 Volkswagen Passat TDi 4dr Sedan
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
My 1997 Passat TDI has been great. There's no smoking or tat-tat-tat engine stereotypes. The torque is high, so acceleration is quite good (better than my '87 Saab 9000). The miracle is the gas mileage! The worst I've had in 5 years is 41 mpg, while the best was 59.7 mpg on the highway in May 2002. Devoted use of synthetic oil and use of Amaco's 47 centane diesel fuel has aided mpg. One quibble...the door handles are bad, but otherwise maintenance has been very cheap, and only for expected items (brake pads, scheduled timing belt replacement, etc.). Replacing the original Goodyear tires with Michelins improved performance. Cold weather has been NO problem at all.
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