Volkswagen Passat reviews

Thirteen years old and 170,000 miles of trouble free motoring. I am rather dreading the day when I have to change to something else and lose this trusty servant. It tows well, carries large loads both inside and on the roof, cruises economically with its six gears and has more than sufficient power for my needs. The only drawback is that it is very low and slithers over speed bumps or slightly raised centres on country roads so that I had to replace the under engine covers a few years ago.

. Excellent

Good car - reasonable economy- beginning to experience a few issue - abs sensor issue and gearbox oil leak in last 3 months but it has done over 100k without any issues.

Getting quite expensive to maintain now as high mileage(210,000miles)but prior to that very good

A classy vw that offers great space and versatility if serviced regularly will go onto give you starship miles and great value for money x

Lots of things are going wrong now and I have spent over £1500.00 on repairs over the last few months. Wish I had got rid of it.

Disappointed with my VW Passatt estate reliability because:- Battery failed after only four years - it seems small for starting a 2l diesel engine Dual mass flywheel failed after only 34000 miles and the VW price for replacing this was £1400. The cam belt replaced after 5 years at a cost of £600 whereas Fords on our 15 year old Escort have cracked this problem Autohold is very useful but does not release smoothly at times, particularly when caught in stop start situations when the engine is hot on long journeys However, car is good to drive and does have plenty of room I will not be buying another VW

As the car ages the electronics become a nightmare. Electronic management system is located in a depression in the footwell of the front passenger seat which is prone to flooding by water ingress through the air filter totally submerging the unit. With less than 100,000 miles on the clock the engine runs harshly with vibration in the steering and transmision. Three different garages have no idea what's wrong with the engine. Latest advice is to keep running the car until it breaks down and then scrap it. It is an old car and a reconditioned engine would cost more than the vehicle is worth, but I expected more than 95,000 mile out of a diesal engine that has been regularly serviced and well looked after.

Based on a time when I hired a car in Italy during a hot summer in 2000 - it turned out to be a Passat, I was very taken with the car. On returning home I tried to buy a similar Passat but the model I wanted was not available in South Africa and I ended up buying a 1999 Audi 2.4 V6 Auto - this was an unbelievably brilliant car - a sports sedan deluxe - best car I ever owned (I am age 81 today). And I previously owned and drove several V8 Mercedes. After a number of years I moved to the UK where I bought a 2007 Passat 2.0 Auto, which I still use. It is very light on petrol, has excellent power, is spacious and comfortable even for rear-seat passengers (overweight). Of course it has lots of room for the luggage of 4-5 persons. Harry Tyler (1935) Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Having owned this car for 3 years, and the third Passat in a row, I find them very reliable, comfortable and economical. The 140 bhp engine gives ample power for fast overtaking when necessary, for cruising comfortably at legal speeds, and averaging 50-55 mpg without effort. The large boot and seating area allows the car to carry 4 people and their luggage easily.

I'm the second owner and purchased when the car was 3 years old, so have owned it for 4 years. It had an excellent service history and quite high mileage when purchased and whilst I do only 10,000pa I do keep it well maintained. With mixed driving it is averaging 53mpg, which I think is acceptable for the size of car and my style of driving. There are a number of issues; the car has always suffered with high road noise and therefore I pay a bit extra to have lower dB rated tyres, which do make a significant difference. The car seems to consume wheel bearings, I need a couple replacing almost every year. Final issue concerns paintwork, the car is beginning to develop a few rust spot, particularly on the bonnet and tailgate. For a 7 year old car with over 150,000 miles on the clock, the interior is in great condition, leather seats show no wear. All switches, the radio, the heated seats etc. all in perfect working order, no warning lights on. The car drives well, the turbo works, great acceleration, good brakes, accurate steering. The downside - it has the emissions cheat device/chip installed.

Had my car 9 years, just turned 150,000 miles, still on original exhaust and clutch, no reliability issues whatsoever. Serviceable parts changed only, brakes, suspension knuckles, a cv joint, but that's about it, and over 9 years I find that remarkable. Fuel consumption nowhere near as good as the diesel at 30mpg but being a 20 valve engine, wonderfully smooth and and quiet. Best car I've ever owned and she's now nearly 16 years old. Would have no hesitation buying another!!

My 1999 Passat 1.9 TDI estate is still going strong with over 235,000 miles on the clock. 52 mpg with motorway usage. With servicing every 12,000 miles it has never let me down. Battery lasted 10.5 years and the exhaust and gearbox are original - yes over 16+ years old. I believe this is the best work horse car ever built and the best car I will ever own. The slight minus is the timing belt intervals on the early models is 40,000 miles. They don't make cars like this anymore. Having spoken to many mechanics they confirm that the golden age of reliability and build quality was late 1990's to 2004. Even the top makes Mercedes and BMW etc do not make car like they used to. The accountants got involved reducing the cost and quality of every component including the nuts and bolts.

I have a 150hp se business for 3 months while I wait for my company car. When I heard I would have a Passat for 3 months I was under wealmed. But... Now I have had it for 10 weeks I love it. It's that good. Don't be fooled by babge snobbery.

Vw Passat 1.6 estate diesel blue motion Excellent all round car with loads of room

My 3rd passat, great comfort and practical car. Reliable

People are too quick to judge these cars woth negative comments due to driver errors if you know how to drive passat are faultless had my since new no electonic handbrake fault as long as you can read the dashboard and follow it correctly will never let you down and is better as never needs adjusting as any one you lend it to want be able to mess with it. Also very spacious economical and built to last done over 300,000 miles.

We are very pleased with this vehicle. It looks great, feels great and overall performance is very good.

A GOOD CAR, PERFECT RUNNER,RARELY GIVES PROBLEMS, NOT VERY COMFORTABLE,IT IS A BIT ON THE HIGH SIDE IN RUNNING COSTS, ON THE WHOLE A GOOD CAR IF POSSIBLE I WOULD NOT SELL IT NOW.

A top tow car, comfortable and extremely reliable