Faults:

Timing belt, water pump, oil changes, all the maintenance required it got what it needed. Last time it had a service there was major work to the suspension and brakes. Interior and exterior is looking a little rougher now, but it is nearly 20 years old.

General Comments:

The car looks great in dark blue metallic - very common colour for this generation Passat, looks very nice. 1.9 TDi with the better 130 horse power version. The SE model is the one to have in this colour combination and spec.

Engine still pulls strong while averaging 50 - 55 mpg.

The car is fun to drive for its age, and still feels modern enough to keep in 2022.

Interior is comfortable as expected.

VW dealers have a cold reception for older cars, so as people always recommend, it is best to find a friendly local garage for MOT's and servicing. Most mechanics have a good knowledge of these cars now and can help with common faults.

Had it nearly 10 years and want to keep it another 10 years, it is that good. But at nearly 20 years old I doubt it will last, but it has been an excellent car.

Faults:

Needed a new thermostat.

Previous owner changed one injector. Before that the history is unknown.

General Comments:

Great car, fantastic power in the 130 engine; wouldn't choose anything less.

650 miles to a full tank, averaging 55 on the motorway, and more if you're careful.

Extremely reliable, must service regularly with the correct oil.

Will last forever. A friend has one with 320,000 that's still going strong.

Was told not to buy high mileage, but I trusted my instinct on this one, and it turned out to be a great car.

Faults:

Exhaust flex pipes began rusting away, probably around 110,000 miles, and the noise finally became intolerable by around 140,000 miles. Replaced at an independent muffler shop for around $250.

I read that "water ingress into front passenger footwell" is a chronic problem with these Passats, so as soon as I had the car home, I removed the battery and hosed out the drain holes at the base of the windshield. They were plugged with goop! No water problems in the front.

But there's a chronic water ingress problem at the left rear door. I've had it at the VW dealership twice, but they just end up washing my car without solving the problem.

The engine has an overly complex engine ventilation system; there's constantly some weird EGR module going haywire at $450 a pop. This causes pressure to build in the crankcase, blowing engine seals and causing oil leaks. In the last two years, I've had the valve cover gaskets done, cam tower seals, as well as some other gasket I can't recall, I've cleaned out the crankcase breather tube, and the thing still blows oil and smells like it's about to burst into flames.

When I bought the car, the driver's seat heater didn't work. The next winter, I got a letter from VWoA announcing a seat heater recall. My driver's seat bottom leather and heating grid were replaced for free, and now works perfectly.

The interior is full of irritating squeaks and rattles, leaving an impression of junkiness. In other aspects, though, the car seems pretty well-made.

The radio has static when going over bumps. It makes me wonder if the antenna has an intermittent bad ground. But dropping the headliner to diagnose is just too hard, and there's no way I'd pay for a mechanic's time for that.

General Comments:

My previous car, a Volvo 740 Turbo, was supremely comfortable, and when I first got the Passat, the seats felt much firmer, and just different. I figured I'd get used to it, but after four years with this car, I've concluded it's just plain uncomfortable. The wide center console digs into my fat leg, and I can't find a comfortable seating position.

At nearly 150,000 miles, there's always some irritating little thing wrong with the car, but it's been generally dependable enough.

The car is seriously fast, handles well, is safe -- and with the manual transmission, kinda fun to drive.

The Monsoon double-DIN radio is utterly horrendous. Radio reception is dreadful, and the sound is too bass-heavy.

Parts are expensive.

It's nicer to drive than an Accord or Camry, but it's no BMW.