Used 1996 Volkswagen Passat Consumer Reviews
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Ripper in disguise!
vwlover007, 09/15/2014
1996 Volkswagen Passat GLX V6 4dr Wagon
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
1996 Passat B4v Wagon with 5 Speed Manual & VR6 6 Cylinder. Don't believe all these cry babies who trash a complete & awesome model car because of door handle/ lock and window regulator issues with this model..... This B4 Passat wagon is perhaps the most under car that VW ever made. This car in VR6 5 Speed form is fast ! and fun! it rips nicely and handles well too.! & The car has lots of cargo room. It looks nice!. Is very comfortable to drive. It has good AC & a nice glass two way sunroof. This car cruises nicely without effort and above 3500 rpm is a ripper! a hammer ready to throw down if need be ;) My car has excellent ABS Brakes and the front calipers and rotors are Beef SWEET!
Dependable work-horse
ca_cowgirl, 06/19/2011
1996 Volkswagen Passat TDi 4dr Sedan
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I purchased my '96 TDI used with 125k miles, and it has turned out to be one of the most dependable cars I've ever owned. It now has 273k miles on the original engine. I'm quite impressed for a diesel, it's much quieter than Mercedes, does not smoke, burn oil, and it consistently gets 42-48MPG. I drove from Sacramento to Kennewick Washington on ONE TANK of diesel. Over the years, the car has began to "age", and as such, the door handles are faulty and cease up, the cup holders broke off, lid to glove box broke, and AC switch broke one really hot summer day. Other than that, this is a very comfortable driving, easy handling automobile that I will drive until the doors fall off.
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See all 0 listingsLove my TDI
Sallert, 06/11/2002
1996 Volkswagen Passat TDi 4dr Sedan
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Bought the car used for the number one reason to consider a TDI powered VW...fuel economy...and have been totally satisfied. Still average 47mpg HW/36mpg city. Only problems have been a faulty original 109 (EFI)relay (common problem...$12 fix) and the '96 was designed with no glovebox and only one crappy bolt-on cup holder.
Want Aggravation, buy a VW
RSamide, 09/19/2002
1996 Volkswagen Passat GLX V6 4dr Wagon
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This car is roomy, stable, and comfortable to drive. It is not reliable. It is expensive to maintain. We constantly have warning lights indicating problems the engine, brakes, or ABS. We have replaced the ignition switch twice, the secondary thermostat, the cruise control switch, the dashboard bulbs, the coil, recharged the AC, replaced hatch hardware, on and on and on. I will celebrate the day we sell this car and return to a reliable Honda or Subaru.
Fun to drive, expensive to maintain
Dave GLX'ed, 04/19/2004
1996 Volkswagen Passat GLX V6 4dr Wagon
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Bought this car for my wife in early 1998 w/ 30K miles. The car handles very well and gets good mileage. However, it's dark side is the reliability and maintenance costs. At 45K the instrument cluster stopped working. The check engine light is always coming on. Numerous visits to the garage to extinguish. Heater core disengrated, taking the water pump out with it. Now the rack and pinion is going, not sure if I should continue or put the car out to pasture. I am still a VW fan (my 87 Golf is at 310K and still going strong), however VW really over complicated the automobile when they designed this vehicle. Also the Service manual is terrible.