14th Jan 2008, 23:30
Interesting thought... if you folks have so much trouble with the dealers and you've bought a used car, go some where else! There are lots of smaller garages around that deal in VW repairs. I don't get going back for more after you have been shafted once.
1st Jun 2008, 22:13
No complaints here either. 1999 Passat V6 - 116,000 miles and have not had anything major since buying it with 36,000 miles. Window clips need to be replaced, had do the CV joints, a few normal fixes...
10th Jul 2008, 20:39
1999 VW PASSAT.
At 89K miles, it's starting to show it's age although it still runs better than my wife's '07 Passat. Need the ABS control unit replaced, cv boot, sunroof switch, and brakes. No problem with window clips although both cup holders and AC vents are broken.
Went to the dealer and they wanted $2400 for the ABS control unit. The whole car isn't even worth that on Kelly's Blue Book. Anyway, found a mechanic that works at a diff dealer and is repairing it for a little over $600 incl labor in his backyard.
Will do what it takes to make this car last a little longer. It's not worth much as a trade in but it does drive well. Wish it had the gas consumption of a Prius but can't have it all, right? Good luck, fellow Passat owners.
20th Jan 2009, 18:58
I fell in love with the looks of the Passat, so when I saw a 1999 1.8t with a rebuilt title (it had been t-boned and repaired) and a possible bad turbo for half of the normal asking price, I bought it.
I really wish I didn't love driving this car! It is a little low on power at lower rpms, but I can live with that. Essentially, because I am a mechanic and bought a 100 dollar manual, I have only spent about 1000 dollars on repairs that could have gone 4000 or more at the dealer. I've had the car for about four years. Now my wife wants one with an automatic. Heaven help me!
25th Jun 2009, 02:28
I love my 99 Passat GLS turbo. I've had it for 3 years now, and am very upset to sell it because I need to get an SUV for the new family. At this age, with 100K+miles, I'm averaging about $800 extra a year in additional engine expenses, which is not bad at all for a 10 year old german car. Most of these expenses are expected replacements for this age.
It's still gorgeous, extremely solid and the design competes head to head with most recent cars. I just spent a week looking at 2010 sedans of every brand that exists, and the 99 Passat is still sharper than most. And so damn solid.
My feeling is a lot of these detractors live some place that is particularly hard on cars. I don't, I live in LA, so maybe the Passat has issues when pushed against the elements, who knows. But my Passat feels safe, reliable and strong, and the dash lights and design are still very cool.
25th Oct 2009, 11:33
I recently replaced myself three of the four door lock actuators because the electrical door looks started working erratically or not at all. Some electrical components in WV will most probably start failing when older than 8 years or such. Sad part, it's a mess to have them replaced because of the complex door assembly, and I guess the parts must be very expensive at the dealership (I got mines off Ebay out of a more recent car). As for the window actuators, mine are still fully functional, but I've noticed there is a cheap plastic retaining pin that keeps the window in place that could eventually fell off and make the window in-operational. Again, a very costly repair simply because of the complexity of the door assembly.
8th Nov 2007, 00:01
My 1999 Vw Passat has been very good! I am replacing the front window clips, but I really can't complain it has a 142,500 miles on it. It burns some oil and the Ac is marginal, but it is a good solid car.