Used 1998 Volkswagen Passat Consumer Reviews
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One of the Good Ones
JonR, 10/18/2003
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
From reading other reviews of this car, it appears I was lucky enough to find a relatively good one. I bought the car at 48K from a mechanic Reliability has been OK. There have been a few costly quirks in the 50K I've been driving it mostly related to the electrical system. However, my biggest frustration with this car is that I can not get comfortable in it. My manual seats are either too close or too far away from the pedals. The gas pedal is also very steeply angled resulting in cramps in my feet and ankles, which is a shame since I love the performance and handling.
1998 Passat, V6 four door...
Scott McGarvey, 02/26/2005
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS V6 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The 1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS V6 Sedan is fun to drive, but requires serious maintance. In other words, you will get to know your VW Customer serice rep by his or her first name. This car seems to get about 20 miles a gallon. No one other than a VW service center wants to touch this car for repairs or maintance. It handles like no other car that I've driven, but because of the reliability issues I do not plan to buy any VW again.
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See all 0 listingsVery Good Car
BDF, 05/14/2005
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Unquestionably the best car I have owned - including more expensive marques. Build quality fantastic and ergonomics great. A bit spartan in interior design, but the quality and feel to the controls is unbeatable. My wife has a Saab 9-3 and the Passat is a far superior car (even she says so). Very reliable, with no major part failures - just keep changing the oil. Quality is what this car is about.
Passat Review
Pittsie, 11/28/2003
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I've had my Passat for almost 6 years and LOVE it! Handles nicely. Nice design. Continually, I'm complimented on my vehicle.
maybe fun to drive but not fun to own
Pj October, 11/29/2003
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car has been a source ot constant stress and aggravation. On the way home from picking it up from the dealer I noticed the cruise control did not work.This was only a sign of what was to come, numerous engine leaks, leaks all over the place. The trunk leaked like crazy, they finally fixed it on the fourth try (it would have been declared a lemon otherwise). Too many problems to mention.The ONLY thing that saved me was the extended warranty (they have paid out over $5000.00).
Not a car I would buy again
Slimjim, 06/14/2005
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have owned this car since it was bought brand new. Once the warranty expired, it has been nothing but heartache. There have been over $8000 in repairs done to this car in the past 24 months. Here's a listing of the parts that have gone out: Master Electrical Relay, computer module that controls the firing of the spark plugs, ignition switch, timing belt broke (bent all the rods), the turbo (2x), cruise control, and numerous electrical issues (to many to list here). All work that was done on this vehicle was done at the dealership. I've had it with this car.
Don't Buy It
KDW, 12/17/2003
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Bought in Nov. '02 for my son. Impressed with style and ride but mechanical and body are a piece of junk. Within weeks, the parking light assembly fell out. Then within 6 months and with only 62,000 miles on it, the timing belt tensioner failed and smashed the valves requiring a new cylinder head - total cost near $4000. Research indicates that the tensioner problem is a manufacturer design flaw but VW of America wouldn't admit it or help a nickels worth. We dumped the car at a major loss and wouldn't own another VW under any circumstances.
Mostly problem free
Velma's Owner, 12/25/2003
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought this used car from the dealer in 1999. It had a total of 6,000 miles on it. I've had no major mechanical problems and outside of replacing the brake pads last year, very little in maintenance costs. Of course, buying a VW extended warranty helped as there were some wierd problems with the fuel guage--replaced twice, the trunk light switch, and the mass fuel sensor. But the car is so much fun to drive, I can look the other way at the expenses. BTW- -if you think VWs are expensive to maintain, try SAABs!
Engineering that pays off.
JPSANTA, 01/23/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I purchased the Passat because as a new father, safety becomes a higher priority than style. Although the Passats style is subdued with the fine lines of its European ancestry. I now need to replace this car due to a major traffic accident, Airbags deployed, front crumpled, as designed. (It was the other guys fault, he blew through the intersection without stopping, and I hit him.) I stepped from the vehicle without a scratch, in a lesser car I would have been injured.
1998 Passat
Browsekid, 04/21/2006
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
The 1998 Volkswagen Passat is a powerful and spacious vehicle. It has a nice music system. Its fuel economy varies from 18 MPG in the city to 28 on interstate. The pick up is great.
An electronic MESS
monobl, 03/23/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Owned since new. Early U.S. car; turbo failure, covered by warranty. Bad turbo lag with replacement unit; claimed 'within spec'. Problem w/ engine seals and coolant smells in cabin. Non-stop electrical bugs. Cabin/trunk lights that work when THEY want to. Dead ABS control module. Door locks that lock when THEY want to. Replaced A/C/vent system. Front bushings failed; PRICEY fix requires replacement of control arms. Bad oem brake rotors; can't remachine ANY warpage, requires REPLACEMENT as only solution. Coccoon-like cabin cozy, but limits outward vision. Outside mirrors too small. So-so factory radio, weak cupholders.
Never again
NoMoVWs, 05/07/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car was great for the first 3-4 years. After that, everything started going wrong. My radio, two windows, sunroof and cruise control all broke within a year. I also had oil leaks in the engine. Thank goodness I bought the extended warranty - that saved me thousands of dollars. Now I'm going to drive it into the ground and get rid of it.
Great Alternative to Accord/Camry
banksii, 03/04/2002
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I've owned my Passat GLS Sedan since it was new and have since put about 77,000 miles on it. This is an overall great car. Clean/timeless styling, typical high quality German build, good overall gas milage are some of the best features. I paid a little more than I was prepared to for an Accord when I bought it, but it has been worth it especially when you consider that the VW has more standard features.
Poor, poor quality
RichW, 07/19/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Great to drive but... Really poor quality. Turbo failure at 23,000 miles, 4 control arms, both tie rod ends, two outer CV joint boots, ignition control amplifier, two oil leaks, coolant leak, power steering fluid leak, trunk switch, sunroof no longer works, vacuum leaks. Really a piece of junk. Unfortunately, I also own it's Audi twin - an A4 (though that has been a little better). VW just doesn't care about quality. Read Consumer Reports or a JD Power reliability report if you don't believe me. VW has some of the poorest quality in the industry. I will never buy another VW/Audi product.
High Price Performance for Its Class
corps04, 08/07/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLX V6 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought my Passat right before Consumer Reports rated it a "best buy" in the Spring of 1998. I had planned to buy an Audi A4 V6 but learned that the Passat had the same drivetrain for ~$3,000 less. I haven't been disappointed. Despite six years and 72,000 miles, I still love it. It's been very reliable and gets about 27.5 MPG on premium fuel. Overall, the car is very well built with high quality components. To this day, the car runs smooth and quiet.
Awsome car.
In search for I, 08/15/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Well, first off in the 98 model Passat, you have the AEB coded motor, which out of all B5 Passats made 98-present it happens to be the worst. That being said, this car was more or less a test dummy for VW, every problem that's been encountered with the 98-99 style Passats has been fixed. Regardless of that, this is probably the most enjoyable car I've ever owned/drove/ridden in. The European design screams reliability, but also expensive to fix when if by chance it does break down on you. 150 HP out of a family sedan makes this car so much fun to drive, turbo is is a lil slow to spool up, once it does though, you'll forget all about that.
Love my 98 VW Passat GLX
bjdevore, 09/07/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLX V6 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I've had my Passat GLX for six years and love it! The only negative things I can say are that the cup holder was poorly designed and the burled wood has cracked in a couple of places. Not only has it been very reliable transportation, but it's still fun to drive!
worked on today
rusk, 09/13/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I just had my 98 passot worked on today. i just started having some slight vibration so i took it in. They replaced the ignition control unit. At a price of 386.70 labor was 120.00. This was the 1st major problem i've had in the 6 years of owning it. I have 56000 miles on the vw and have really enjoyed the auto.
VW needs lessons from Toyota
pospassat, 09/18/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
There is nothing about this car that allows it to overcome all of its faults. This is by far the worst car I have ever owned! I will never buy another VW based on the experience I have had with thier service departments and the quality of thier product. I have dumped more money into this car just to keep it on the road. On top of that many of the repairs are things I have never seen go bad on any other vehicle and they reoccur. Buying this car is the worst mistake I have ever made!! Do not follow suit...
Nice car
hammond, 10/03/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Nice car, but anti-pollution devices a problem from day one, and dealer run around.
DO NOT BUY
hubal22, 10/19/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car is begining to be a major problem. After 50K miles all kinds of things are begining to go wrong. Coolant leaks. Vaccum pump mailfunciton. Stering fluid leaks. Oil/gasket leaks. all kinds of electrical problems. I am spending over $1000.- a year on maintenance for the last 3 years. The interior that I liked when I bought the car is pealing off. The rubber parts are melting and start deforming. The center arm rest is cracking everywhere and the closing lid has fallen off. I have compared this car to Hondas, Toyotas and Nissans of the same age and many more miles and they had less problems and looked in better shape.
Great Wagon
Clayvb, 12/19/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Wagon
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car is simply great, unless more horses under the hood is essential for your well-being. I have had no complaints - a few pricey repairs, but have never been stranded. The gas mileage has remained high, including >30 mpg on the freeway. Would buy another VW in a heartbeat.
Great but unreliable car
Kirk, 03/12/2005
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
If it weren't so unreliable, this would be my favorite car of all. For the money, you get great performance and handling, excellent seats, good gas mileage, great looks, and the 5- speed manual is fun to drive. But lots of things started to go wrong on mine: radio, sunroof control, cruise control, keyless entry, and more I'm sure I forgot. And then there's the engine. Ignition coils, and then oil sludge. VW admits a design flaw, but to cover problems under warranty you have to have receipts for every oil change since new (and I bought mine used, and changed the oil myself often). The true cost to own this car is way too high.
Solid touring sedan
Chris McKeever, 03/16/2005
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Solid car. Four cylinder turbo outperformed 6 cyl Camry in my opinion. Quick, handles like a sportscar, excellent displays, no engine troubles. Great, great car.
'98 Passat Wagon
wileybosco, 03/14/2003
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Wagon
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I'm coming up on 5 years with my Passat wagon and hoping to go as many more. I really enjoy this car. It's solid, practical, stylish (for a wagon), fun to drive, and despite the mixed reviews, I'm quite happy with the reliability. I did have the control arms replaced on one side at 40k miles because they were creaking, but VW took care of us on that and we've had no other notable problems.
Like all VWs, buy it new
D. Rogers, 08/02/2005
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I drove this thing for 3 years, on long highway hauls and in slow urban traffic (downtown Atlanta traffic and 1,000+ miles a day trips). The ride and suspension were good, and the engine was a little weak, but adequate- the 1.8Ts have been improved in power since. The 5-speed tranny had a very long clutch, which was very expensive to fix, although 3 kids learned to drive on it, so that wasn't a surprise. The new front end ($2000 neighborhood at the dealer) and other repairs at 70k were not appreciated. Neither was the deteriorating interior, with the cloth going threadbare, the stereo shot, and like all of this company's cars, the rubber grips were horrible disfigured after 7 years.
Gorgeous Fun, But High Cost of Ownership
Leslie, 08/08/2005
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLX V6 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I remember, my husband had me come to Edmunds.com to compare the features of the VW Passat GLX with the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry in 1998 and I was blown away. Seat memory for two drivers, heated seats in this class of vehicle, a cooled glove box? Wow. Just in case, I bought an extended warranty because I only dealt in the other brands I mentioned previously (turns out that was a good thing until that expired). On the day that the two-year VW warranty expired, my water pump died and I started to become wary. I had never had a car strand me before (it was only a few feet from my house, but still...). Several warranty and recall repairs later, I'm quite done, thank you.
1998 VW Passat
Meg40185, 11/13/2005
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This is a great car! I have had a few problems with it, but the good definitely outweighs the bad. It has comfortable seating, since it is equipped with the lumbar system. The gas mileage is another plus, especially right now with the gas prices as high as they are. All in all, this is a GREAT car and I would definitely buy another one.
Not Worth It
kranest, 01/14/2006
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Wagon
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I paid $18,000 for 6 labored years of the 1998 Volkswagen Passat. I just traded it in today for a new Subaru Legacy - gladly. The turbo engine is a problem as well as other glitches. Expect repairs - you'll be using that 10 year / 100,000 mile warranty if you bought it new.
1998 Passat
ET, 06/24/2006
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I have owned this car since I bought it at about 129,000 miles. I have kept up on maintanince and it has treated me very well. Right now it has 173,000 miles and when I tell people that, they say it looks like it has half of that. I have the 5-speed and on the highway I can easily get 30+ mpg depending on the speed. The build quality of the car is exceptional, the looks stay strong even after 8 years of driving around; not like the cheap looking interiors of many other cars after time. There have been a few problems, mostly electrical. The door lock/key fob/alarm system is only works intermittently and an electrical problem keeps the trunk light from working on mine. Tip: use synthetic oil
What a let Down
Donal, 05/10/2003
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Wagon
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Two transmisions, two turbo chargers, a few miles on foot and 200 miles on a tow truck, have dramatically changed what we think about our practical, but sporty, kicking sound, good looking V.W. My wife still drives ours to work (4 miles one way) The children and I won't get in it.; Actually, at this time we are borrowing my fathers car. The Passat is in the driveway; it won't start.
VW Sucks!
autodrive, 05/17/2003
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
So many issues with this car it would take me weeks to write you. I wouldn't have my worst enemy buy this piece of crap car!!! The most unreliable car ever built. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT BUY THIS CAR!
VW wants drivers...
cmnstr, 06/17/2003
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
... all I wanted was a car, not a lemon. Between the recalls, that I was never alerted to by VW and the other problems (interior & trunk lights malfunctioning often; replacing both headlights/taillights twice in four years, timing belt breaking/causing major damage to the engine). The timing belt and damage was covered under warranty, but not until I started making phone calls. My experience with the dealerships have been almost as disastifying as owning this car. But overall, my 1st car buying experience was not a good one.
Never ever another VW again! Ever!
ElenaK, 07/08/2003
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I am the first and only proud owner of what is now a piece of junk.I had my major maintenance done at a dealership,100000 miles.Did anyone mention to us that at(pay attention) 105000 a timing belt needs to be changed?Is there a line in the maintenance booklet about such schedule? As a result my timing belt went off at full speed on the interstate.I keep thanking the fate that we were able to stop the car on the left shoulder and avoid somebody crashing into our back where our kid was.Now they told us that we are SUPPOSED to know when to change the timing belt and that it is not their responsibility to let us know.The information is on the web, they say.
Inconsistencies Abound
Worthington1, 07/09/2003
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
From reading other reviews of this car, it seems that each Passat was either built well or built poorly. After five years and 45,000 miles, I'm getting rid of this car before I have to shell out over $3,000 for brakes and control arm. The first thing my dealership always asks when I call for service is whether I have the extended warranty - guess they're already expecting a load of problems. VW is not customer oriented. They're more focused on how much money they can make from service over the life of the car. Sad to see mine go, but glad to be rid of the headaches.
A damm good car.
bobwilson, 03/21/2002
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
This car has been both fun and reliable. I made the right decision by not getting an automatic or a sunroof, as those 2 items can be somewhat troublesome.
I should have known.
Toopers, 03/19/2006
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 2 people found this review helpful
When I went to the dealership to buy the car discovered that VW only gave the car a 2 year warranty, I should have walked away. While the Passat did fine for the first 3 years, it is nothing but trouble now. Door locks, moon roof, radio work sporadically. The list of needed repairs is too long to list. The cost of repairs is more than the car is worth. Mind you, I have owned the car since new, done every service requested, and it has never been wrecked. This car is junk. Based on what I have read, a lot of VWs are having the same problems and VW Corp just ignores the people. VW corp doesn't need to tour the US to understand why they are losing market share. Just 1 word -- quality!
Capable but flawed
heymatey, 09/20/2004
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS V6 4dr Sedan
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
German "feel." Great highway car. Smooth quiet ride, but rolls too much. Roomy. Drives better than friends' Jag X-types. BUT.. Bought V6 Tip Passat w/84k mi 10 months ago. Cruise didn't work (dealer fixed). In 16k mi: tie rod ends failed (should be recalled), probably bad control arms (s/b recalled), ABS controller bad so tach is flatlined & oil/brake/ABS lights are on (WHY can't VW make an ABS system good for 5 years?), radio knob screwy, climate control lights intermittent AND have mystery oil leak I refuse to tackle until it becomes major. Service v. expensive ($1200 t.belt/h2o pump, $800 brake rotors/pads @ dealer!). GET EXTENDED WARRANTY-wish i had!
VW Passat
teppink, 03/04/2002
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Sedan
0 of 1 people found this review helpful
A dream of a car - my 14th VW and the best. 55,000 miles and not a bit of a problem. High quality, compares well with its cousin Audi and same class BMWs and Mercedes.
Piece of Junk
wasanasan, 09/18/2009
1998 Volkswagen Passat GLS 1.8T Turbo 4dr Wagon
0 of 7 people found this review helpful
In the 10 months that I owned this car it was drivable maybe 2 months out of 10. The front axle snapped, a hole in the gas tank suddenly appeared, it ate oil like there was no tomorrow, electrical problems, smelled like exhaust fumes were coming into the cabin from the engine compartment to the point were I thought I would pass out. This car is a money pit!!!!