Used 1999 Volkswagen Passat Consumer Reviews
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Glad to have it
I bought the car new and now have 66K mi on it. Overall, I'm rather satisfied with it. Did not have problems others reported (or maybe not yet). Major out- of pocket expense was $400+ brake job (rotors needed to be replaced), which I think was a bit excessive. Minor out-of pocket expenses included: replacing power mirror knob ($120), which somehow got broken (can't figure out how), and a new engine temp sensor (similar amount). Changed O-ring during maint service. Before I bought the car, dealer had to fix a water leak. Rear window motor was replaced under warranty. Windshield was a stone magnet; replaced it twice. Must change original tires soon.
Need quality control
I have owned this car for more than 6 years, never has any major work done on it. The only dealer repairs that I had made was a leaky crank shaft boot, and a couple of recalls. The ride still solid and sound. I have only paid for new brakes and 4 new tires at 60,000 miles, and scheduled maintencance. But the little stuff like the dash board back light, the hood release latch (cost $200 to replace), a broken mirror control switch ($70), were coughed out from my own pocket. Also the car had a few glitches during the warranty period, i.e. air bag sensor, trunk lock. I guess they should use better quality parts at the plant. But other than these, I still like my car.
- GLS 1.8T SedanMSRP: $3,4501,113 mi away
- GLS 1.8T SedanMSRP: $1,3001,367 mi away
Expensive to Own and Operate
I bought this car new and still own it. At 67,000 miles the timing belt broke causing the valves to hit the pistons. This was covered under the warranty, but the dealer was very confrontational and I thought at one point that I may have to sue them. The ingition module has gone out twice, and now it has some other yet to be determined problem. If you buy one of these be aware the timing belt needs replacement (~$750) every 60,000 miles or you will ruin your engine and you need to uses synthetic oil in it
Great car for the money
I purchased this car used to replace a '94 Passat GLX. Great performance, styling, and many helpful features head the list of improvements, including keyless entry, side curtain air bags and a great stereo. Mileage is in the 21 MPG range. Just replaced the water pump at 60k, otherwise the car has been flawless!
Dont waste your time or money
If she didn't wreck my Civic I wouldn't be on here. Parts are outrageous, car has hardly any power looking for new engine now after for months ownership cheap interior, loose steering, radio has bad reception. Seat recliners are bad, nothing good about this car but the sunroof. Turbo is extremely weak. So don't try to talk you're dad into it because it's definitely not worth the hassle first hand. Bad idea.
1999 Passat GLS 1.8T. Just the facts.
Bought used with 40K miles in Feb 04 Sold with 115K miles in Aug 09 Control arm link. $700 Computer replaced. $600 ABS failed in 06 but never fixed. Rear Axle went out of alignment. With the B5 frame, the entire axle must be replaced. I never replaced it because it would have cost $1.2K. Leaks 1 quart of oil per month. Heated side mirrors failed in 05. Timing belt never changed. I loved my Passat but never felt confident to take this car on long trips with the family. It is a nice car but the repairs are expensive. My new ride. 2003 Passat Wagon with 73K miles.... :) As I said, apart from the reliability, I love this car. Enjoy, this is just my facts.
This is the best car ever! I love it!
I love Volkswagens. When I purchased it, my trade in was a 1994 Jetta. I have no regrets. It handles beautifully. I've had no mechanical problems to speak of. And, it looks great!
1999 Passat GLS V-6
Mine was built on a Monday morning or Friday afternoon. 2 failed fuel sending units, leaking rear shock, cam seal blew, power steering leak (twice) CV boot cracked, rear hatch lock repaired, squeek in drivers door, broken bottom engine cover. Bought new and it's not driven hard and only put on 12K per year. I'm jealous of all the other positive reviews. Can't say the same for mine.
No more VW
Purchased from neighbor 2 years into 3 year lease. All I've ever owned are VW's. Passat is a pleasure to drive. However, over 8 years, I've had many problems even with only 77,000 miles. No AM reception, trunk doesn't open even manually (i.e. without keyless entry) due to a faulty latch, water leaks into the trunk lid and then drips into the trunk when the lid is opened; air conditioning stopped working - dealer said the vent system needed to be realigned, the power windows stopped working and the entire control box had to be replaced, first clutch replaced at only 30,000 (other VW's I've owned were at closer to 70,000). No more VW's for this driver.
Glad I'm leasing
I leased this vehicle for a 3 year term. During that time I really enjoyed driving my Passat. I got what I expected.The car is more elegant than the Japanese and American competition. The more you drive it, the more you appreciate the superb engineering, especially when you drive other competing vehicles. It's downfall is reliabilty. Do not purchase this car for the long term and expect it to be as reliable as a Japanese vehicle. It went in for numerous repairs (tie rods, water pump, engine stalls,heated seats twice, transmission stuck in park) and failed to start on several occasions. It also died at idle may times.
Nice Car. Needs a better engine
This is a nice chassis and excellent interior. The oil leaking underpowered 1.8T is the weak point. I've known the original owner since she purchased it brand new. She took excellent care of it and kept up on regular services yet at 60000 miles it is leaking oil like the exxon valdez from almost every gasket and seal. I would expect better from a company like VW/Audi.
The Real Passat
Owned 4.5 years. Drivers door hinge came unscrewed. Car leaks oil very bad. Vacuum lines on car keep breaking due to poor quality. Recall after recall after recall. Change battery and car memory dies. $90 charge from VW to reprogram. Cant even change the battery, that is sick. Emission light keeps coming on. Was only recently able to get book to repair car. Turn on flashers with headlights on burns up flasher switch. Another "common" VW problem. VW seems to arrogant to deal with. Will never own another Water cooled VW again. I have owned an aircooled VW my entire driving career (14 years) and will stick with aircooled.
Love It!
I got this car with 130,000 kms. last year. I took it in for service today with 206,000 with it's first problem (a faulty hazard light switch). During that time it got me from Alberta to Boston, and all over Canada at 130km/hr+ with no issues/maintenance other than oil changes. It runs smoothly, ALWAYS starts (even in -30C), and goes like a bat out of H. My previous car was a '94 VR6. That one lasted 400,000 miles and I'm thinking this one will too.
Great car
I bought my Passat at 120k, I'm up to 155 now with no major problems. Only repairs I've had to make were a faulty coolant sensor, serp belt, and a control arm - all less than $300, and pretty routine maintenance. Car gets good mpg's, I typically get around 28-30 on the interstate.
No Problems!
I just finished making my last payment on my Passat, and have had almost no problems! Did replace O2 sensor, had small vaccum leak,and F&R brake jobs,new tires and battery but otherwise did Mfgr.'s Recommended Service schedule, and no problems! It feels almost like I had a Honda or Toyota in terms of reliability, and a BMW or Benz in terms of performance!
Wonderful car, electronic problems
Car purchased new, 4 yrs. old, 58K miles. Love the design, roominess and build quality. Ride/handling are comfortable, sophisticated. Accel is OK, turbo kicks in late, power up hills is sluggish and needs Tiptronic assist. Transmission doesn't shift back up quickly enough after sustained lower-gear driving. Gas econ is GREAT (34 mpg @ 72 mph-hwy!). Overall avg mpg: 26. Problems have been electronic: failed engine temp sensor, trunk light switch, dash lights. SHOCKING failure (at 4 yrs): electronic firing regulator shorted out; diagnosis + part ($348.) + labor = $600! What else electronic may fail next?? VW techs say: water pumps go out at around 60K.
First and Last VW
I was reading some of these other reviews and had to add mine. I bought my Passat new, granted it has 85K on it, but I have had more problems with this car in the past year or two. New stereo (twice), Door handle broke (twice), plus other little pieces have "fallen" off. Volkswagon does not stand behind their products at all and the maintenance is a small fortune if you go to the dealer. I have finally decided to go back to a car that is reliable for the long term. Honda, I am coming back!!!
Quality Issues Galore!
My '99 Passat needed new brakes at 35,000 miles, the driver turn light assembly fell off (while driving 70 mph on the freeway)at 34,000 miles, the passenger side boot failed at 30,000 miles and was replaced by VW under warranty, at 36,000 mi. the driver side boot has failed and VW says is not part of the drive train, therefore not covered under the 100,000 miles warranty! We have owned cars for 20 years with fewer repairs!!
Don't do it.!
Absolutely the worst car I've ever owned. Purchased brand new. Have been back to dealer multiple times with electrical problems. (It would just go dead while driving). Constant problems with brakes, and cosmetic plastic items literally falling off the car. It finally cost me $3800 just to get all the engine leaks found and repaired so that I could trade the thing off.
Love My Passat!
Unfortunately, I must sell my Passat to get a mini-van because of twin toddlers and I need the space.I have been driving my Passat for 4.5 years and love it!The performance is like driving a sports car. Hugs the road,accelerates fast(I have a 5 speed), and is very fun to drive. The leather package is very comfortable and feel very safe in this car. Stereo sound system is great!The car is very quiet when.The only problem that I have with this car is the electric sunroof. When I close the sunroof, it bounces back open.I've had this fixed before and problem is back again. Also the 6 cd changer is broken and needs to get fixed as well.
Nothing but problems
I have very little that is good to say about this vehicle, or Volkswagen in general. I have had several unresolved problems with this car and the dealership where I bought it. In addition, if you ever have a problem with Volkswagen don't bother calling their headquarters. You will get rude, inattentive service with zero resolution to your problem. Problems: Thermostat, spark plugs, "false" computer chip errors, etc.
Nice car to drive but...
I've always driven Hondas and Toyotas and when my wife bought her Passat used with 95k, I was expecting a decent vehicle from VW as well. Boy was I wrong. "German engineering" in this case means that everything was engineered to fail at 100,000 miles. We paid $8,500 for this car two years ago and have put $6,000 into in repairs since. The timing belt and water pump were expected but when we had to replace the power steering rack, strut mounts, all four window regulators and had to fork over absurd money for German-made synthetic oil and filters to keep the turbo from blowing out, we were not pleased to say the least. Can't wait to get rid of this thing for a Honda or Toyota.
service sucks!!!!
Don't buy this car unless you already have a good mechanic. vw dealership service sucks. Car has some flimsy features that malfunctioned less than a year of ownership. the other reviews were probably written by vw salesmen. the car is okay but there is no support from vw or dealerships after ownership...service really, really sucks!!
This is a Real Man's Car
I just bought my 1999 Passat three days ago, and it has well over 100,000 miles on it. I bought it from the original owner who kept the car as clean as a show room model car. I have a 2.8 litre V6 30 valve engine with a rare 5-speed transmission. I also have heated front seats, heated side mirrors, leather, sunroof, rear window shade, and every option I believe you can get. The 5-speed transmission is well worth the time, as I like 4 door performance sedans, the Maxima was another choice that I was considering, but when it comes to build quality and ride, i think the Passat took it hands down. On the highway the car is nearly flawless, hearing nothing but the sound of your own voice saying how happy you are to own this machine. I will buy another Passat.
Shocked at the problems you all have
I bought the car new in late 99. 4cyl tubo with 5 speed. Didn't take the greatest care of it and still driving it into the ground. Only issue was the timing belt which cost me $1200 when it blew on the freeway at 100k miles which was just over the suggested change amount. Tip for everyone-DO NOT TAKE THE CAR TO A DEALER! Someone mentioned you have to have the battery changed at a dealer. What crap.I changed all mine and I am no mechanic. Also, premium gas, you are kidding! U don't need it, never used it once. I have $185k and have spent about $2500 on maintenance over 10 years. Simple oil changes-$35 and a brake job for $200 ea 5 years or so. On my 3rd set of costco tires. be smarter!
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Purchased my Passat used with 38,000 miles on it. I thought I was moving up in the automotive world and I was, moving up into expensive frequent repairs! If only these cars performed as well as they look. I got hooked on the great exterior and interior design, but the reliability is horrible. Timing belt, ECM, suspension, power steering all have been problematic. Car eats oil for lunch, but doesn't leak. I got a decent price when I sold it, but I felt bad knowing what the new owner would experience owning this car.
Just say no to SUV's by a VW
We purchased this car brand new 4 years ago. It was my first "four-door family car" but I insisted on a manual trans for a sporty feel. I love the get-up and go. Someone tailgaiting? Put it in fourth and watch them disappear in your review mirror. My friends loved the leg room especially in back. Now it carries 2 kids in carseats. Followed the scheduled maintenance and the only problem was with the keyless remote for the trunk lock. My husband thinks it is time to upgrade to a monsterous SUV. Over my dead body! I love my VW! I've had sport vehicles all my life -- this car by far is the most fun with the most pep!
Great Car
I have not had one iota of trouble in 3 1/2 years of owning this car. It is great to drive, looks fantastic, and has held its value.
Fun to drive - rough on the wallet
This car is really fun to drive. It handles well. It costs WAY too much to maintain. $900 to replace the timing belt. $500 to replace the brakes. Timing belt slipped and had to get the engine replaced. Found a used one for $3000 as opposed to the $7000 the dealership quoted me. Basically it's not worth having because it costs too much to maintain.
Decent value for the money & a fun drive
Happy that I chose the 2.8 6 cylinder engine. Unless you use a performance chip in the 4 cylinder turbo, this is the right engine to go with. The styling and ergonomics of this car are great. Plus, it's fun to drive. The German engineering stands out over Japanese cars I've owned in the past. However, I only have 30k miles and I treat my cars like gold. I've had annoying problems with the electrical system and the trunk. These should not be reasons to make trips to the dealer in a car with so few miles.
Buy Japanese
I guess I was expecting the same sort of reliability from this car that I've experienced from my 1992 Toyota Camry XLE. The Passat is fun to drive - handles like a dream and has plenty of pep. But the mechanical reliability leaves a l;ot to be desired. In my opinion, the water pump and radiator should not give out at under 70,000 miles. My Toyota has nearly 200 thousand on the odometer and it's going strong. The Passat will never go that sort of distance.
Passat
We purchased this car brand new 1 years ago. It was my first "four-door family car" but I insisted on a manual trans for a sporty feel. I love the get-up and go. Someone tailgaiting? Put it in fourth and watch them disappear in your review mirror. My friends loved the leg room especially in back. Now it carries 1 kid in carseats. No problems!
Great Car
The Passat is a fun car to drive, it is peppy. The main reason we bought the Passat is for all of the safety features it offers and that it is featured on the Highway Safety web page as a great pick with the highest review. We get great gas mileage as well, plus it is a great looking car. We have been real pleased with the vehicle and hate that we have to sell it to get a larger vehicle as our family is growing (in numbers) and we need more seats.
Great for the first 3-4 years...
Nearly problem free for about 3.5 years, but then a variety of SMALL issues came up: bad O2 sensor, belt tensioner, lights on dash burned out, etc. Various things that are annoyances, but don't affect the car's driving.
great car
Very good performance, safety and looks great! The cup holder is the only drawback, but it does work.
Crappy Car
Had to fix numerous times, otherwise good performance and fun to drive.
ready to get rid of the lemon !
I bought my VW as a certified used vehicle with 28K.My fun with the car lasted 18 months. Multiple trips to a dealer due to check engine light. Recently with 56K the timing belt fell of while I was driving around town. I was 4K too many to have extensive repairs to the engine covered by limited warranty. To top it of the timing belt failure happened bearly 2 weeks after car was serviced at the dealership. Call s to dealership and VW left me very disappointed not only with the car but also customer service.
Maximum Features for the money,
More features than BMW & Mercedes combined.
Great Car
I love my '99 Passat. The V6 engine is like butter, 5 speed manual transmission is fun and we have racked up 57000 miles on it on our long trips across Texas. The only problems I ever had with the car was the CD changer (didn't work after 2 yrs), and most importantly, whenever I turned off the AC and turned on the fan the smell from the vents was bad. We took it in twice for the smell during the very limited 2 yr/24000 mi warranty and all that could be done was to take the oxygen out of the car to kill any possible mold growing in the system. The problem was back after 3 months.
1999 Passat
Return to VW after 15 years of Honda & Toyota was a concern due to reliability woories. Passat has been a very solid, very reliable sedan. Pleasure to drive, Very quiet. 31 mpg overall on recent 1100 mile trip with lot's of 80 mph stretches.
Volkswagen Passat V6 GLS
Car overall runs very good compare to Honda or Toyota 99. Grips to the road and solid feel. So far no problems and regularly change the oil.
expensive annual maintenance
My 15-yr old 535i BMW is more reliable than Passat. Did extensive research & test drove other cars. PRO: Crash tests ratings. Affordable, styling, turbo. CON: Expensive yearly maintenance. Terrible cruise ctrl, air- con, tires, stereo. WEAK on take off, 1st gr. Many small parts broke down (no good reason). So-Calif service GREAT: still under warranty, made repairs. Nor- Calif. service HORRIBLE: no warnty, paid expensive annual repairs. VW treats you well until warnty ends, then gouges customer. BIG PROBLEM: air-bag sensor defective after 3 yrs! VW tried to blame us. CONCLSN: Buying a new car soon. A VW Passat is not even in my radar screen.
I Love the Car, but...
I love my wife's Passat, but when anything goes wrong it's an absolute nightmare. We've had three or four problems with the car requiring dealer service, and every time there's been a two week wait in order to get the car looked at. Right now it won't start, and the dealer said "Well, there's other cars in front of you so it'll be at least a week." That is absolutely unacceptable. When the starter went out on my Ford I was back on the road the next day. Not only do you have to pay out your rear end for VW service, you have to go out of your way to do it. It's enough to keep me from ever buying another VW.
1999 Volks Passat
Great car. Alot of fun to drive. Great gas mileage.
Impressed with VW now....
I never thought of owning a VW till I bought this one..One word WOW!! The German craftmenship is outstanding. Just drive one and make your own decisions.
Pasatt
Great car!
Nine Great Years
I bought this car new in 1999, coming up on 9th anniversary. It has been the best car I've ever owned by far. Aside from routine maintenance, I've replaced the water pump and the timing belt. That's it. Gets 26 mpg city, 36+ mpg highway, with standard transmission and regular gas (although VW recommends premium). It is now well north of 150K miles and still runs beautifully. No rust. No complaints. And lots of zip too! Has a few features (like the sunroof) that now cost a lot more.
35mpg highway
Bought a 1999 30v manual Passat and it is getting 34mpg+ on crosstown trip. Leather heated seats, heated mirrors, lots of power and still 35mpg at 75mph. Searched hard to find a better deal and am very satisfied. Paid $5150 for one that had $4000 spent on it, glove box had many tales. Water-pump, all timing-belt components, ABS computer, marker lights, oil-stuff. Love it for what it is!!!
Passat 1991 is Great
This is a great car that rides like a true German car. Very stable at high speeds and quiet. Very smooth transmission and triptronic is fun to use once in a while.
145K and still driving
My V6 has had some minor suspension repairs, such as 1 tie rod and an upper control arm. I think it's entirely reasonable to have to replace tires, brakes and some suspension components when mileage exceeds 100K. Great car overall. Had I known it was going to last so long, I'd have gone for the leather. Love the interior. Easy to upgrade and find parts after 9 years.