Faults:

Thermostat, indicator relay switch, power steering pump and alternator replaced.

Engine timing belt changed and regular oil changes.

Suspected head gasket at the end of its life. Acceptable after over 250,000 miles and 20 years.

General Comments:

Very underrated car, although a little dull to look at, I found it a more involving drive than rival cars at the time. Not a race car, but the 2.0 engine was noticeably better to drive than the 1.8 petrol and still gave close to 40 MPG on long drives.

Interior was comfortable and most things were electric. Solid feel of materials through out. Ride and handling were average, but again, smoother than most similar cars at the time.

General reliability was its strong point. I spent a lot in preventative maintenance on this car, and thus it served me well for 20 years and many miles with no more than general wear and tear. Would have kept it, but with coolant loss and a suspected head gasket, plus the fact it was not getting any younger, it was time for it to go.

Still, this 90s Passat remains one of my favorite cars and I have replaced it with a more modern Passat - hope it lasts a long time as well.

Faults:

Entire instrument panel ceased to work at 75000 miles, had to wait 5-6 weeks for replacement from dealer since it was a VR6.

Entire front drivers wing had to be replaced when rammed by a Mitsubishi Pajero.

Intermittent starting problem, replaced entire coil pack, about a month later same problems started. This has meant that the dealer had to look at it. He replaced the Coolant temperature switch, still same problems in the same day at a cost of £120. Has mentioned that will probably have to replace ignition system, immobiliser and keys at a cost of £320.

General Comments:

The car is comfortable, though after the plush leather seats on my XM not nearly as much. The engine has decent performance and is more accessible than the XM's. Instruments are clear and concise.

Unfortunately no glove compartment, in fact few creature comforts. There seems to be a problem with the heater, as there is constant misting up despite using the vents to keep the screen clear.

Bodywork is in a good condition with a minor rust trace barely starting to appear on the rear passenger door. My recent misfortunes have made me wonder whether to look into getting a replacement as support is a nightmare. Parts are expensive and dealer support more so.

Faults:

Small injector pipe leak off blanking plug has split twice.

Fabric fuel lines between injectors degraded over time and one split. Easily replaced though DIY... took 2 minutes.

Drivers door window is touchy...

Dash clocks break their contacts on the back, causing loss of lights and the odd gauge or two. New clocks is the easiest solution, though they are dealer only parts.

General Comments:

The car is great... fold down the seats and sleep 2 at a push. One easily.

Fuel economy is better with the TDI, but it's still great. The car has enough torque so that once you get it going, it will cruise happily all day long at about 90mph.

Reliability is amazing... it never goes wrong other than the leak off bung and fuel lines, which can split. The solution is to carry spares as they are easy 2 minute fixes at the side of the road. You can tell when one has gone because you get a heavy diesel smell in the cabin all of a sudden.

If you find the ride a bit wallowy... replace the front struts with MK3 Golf VR6 gas dampers and lowering springs, which stiffen up the front end. With gas dampers on the back, the car even though it is an estate will corner on rails... I know cos mine does.

Don't worry about high mileage, they eat this up for breakfast. It's not uncommon to see them with over 250K miles and still going strong. Parts are very cheap and they seldom need anything anyway. Electrics are their achilles heels, but there is hardly much in them anyway.

Watch for rust at the trailing edge of front doors and rear wheel arches. Other than that they are great.