Faults:

Radio has blown out twice... replaced once under warranty.

At one point (~60k miles), the time would reset every time upon turning on the car.

Tie rods replaced.

Upper and lower control arm on driver side need replacement.

Tires lose tread quickly.

Ignition coil replaced.

Fuel pump went out while on highway.

Engine valve cover replaced due to leaking oil.

Engine began burning oil forcing me to check the oil levels every 200 miles.

CD player decided to stop working one day.

The backlight for the dash controls went out.

General Comments:

In a nutshell, I hated to love this car so much. It was in an accident a couple weeks ago and totaled. Was this a blessing in disguise for me? First off, I have to say I felt very safe while in this car and walked away from a bad accident unharmed.

As for the exterior of the car, it was very appealing and drew a lot of compliments, especially for a car so old. The car stuck to the road like glue and it handled the corners with precision. The interior was well-built and the parts were high-grade.

Despite being fun to drive and look at, the car was too expensive to maintain and a real headache sometimes. VW brought a true German automobile to the table with the Passat but it also brought with it all the nuances. Maybe the next generation of Passats will be better.

Faults:

Several electrical issues (sensors, etc)

Main bearings disintegrated at 30k miles, requiring engine replacement.

General Comments:

The car performs well enough, though the turbo-powered tiny 1.8 liter engine seems to function as an on-off switch and mileage is surprisingly poor for a 4 cylinder. Comfort and amenities are fine, though the fabric upholstery is difficult to keep clean and the soft rubber covering on most plastic pieces started to peel off almost immediately. The main issue was two of the four main bearings failing very prematurely. Had the extended warranty not covered it, it would have cost us $8000.

Faults:

The air bag light is constantly on. Took the car to the dealership and told me that the airbag module is faulty. Replaced module, nothing happened.

When I reverse and break, there is a really loud sound, similar to mountain bike brakes. The brake pads are new.

There is rust on a 1999 model!!! VW flaw on hatchbacks. Rust is at the bottom of the rear window right underneath the wiper. My friend with a 1994 Golf has the same problem.

The sideview mirror control is quite high and awkward, and always in the way when I cannot fully open the door. I already knocked off the knob with my knee and had to have it replaced.

Had trouble with the control arms and I got my dad to replace them, because of the outrageous deal price.

General Comments:

This is my very fist car, and I love the quick acceleration you get from a red light. The 5 speed transmission makes city driving very fun.

Because it is a stationwagon, there is a lot of room for anything. I used it as a camping vehicle before. Put down the rear seats and can easly fit 2 adults sleeping.

The seats are comfortable on long rides and you can adjust them so you can have a good road view.

The sound system is very good for stock, but the speaker quality itself is not very good, since I blew the speakers a couple of weeks after I got the car.

Because of the high gas prices nowadays, this car is very good on gas considering it's size. On the highway going on averge 130 km/h, it was taking in an average of 7.3 L/100km.