Overview & Reviews

GLS model vanishes from radar as Volkswagen prepares for launch of all-new Passat in mid-1997.

• Huge interior with lots of leg room, superb seats, excellent road manners

• 2.8-liter V-6 responds sluggishly when harnessed to automatic transmission

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 43.00

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  VW Passat TDi - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By sky - April 27 - 4:13 am

  My 1997 Volkswagen Passat TDI drives well, and gets great fuel economy (50 at high altitude, 45 @ sealevel). However, this is the worst car I have ever owned in terms of non-drivetrain repairs. the quality of construction and materials are very substandard. I have experienced repeated component failures, and have had to make repeated repairs for same item. Owners of newer ones (2004-2005) have reported identical and worse complaints. this car has very shoddy materials and worksmanship. My 83 Toyota (340k miles) is more reliable than the VW ever was.

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  Crappy Passat - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By Aarons - November 28 - 10:00 am

  This car is being repaired every month. Power Windows keep breaking, VW known defect, suspension, bearings, wheel hub. Looks great but what a piece of expensive crap.

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  Top of the line VW? - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By Lori Cox - November 17 - 2:00 am

  Love driving the car, hate the design. You would think buying the top of the line VW would insure top of the line quality. Not so. All four door handles have broken (some more than once), power windows failing, and weve had several mechanical failures before 50000 miles. Dealers are inept and rude. Dealer parts and labor are astronomical. I will never buy a VW again.

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  Hate this VW Passat - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By Hate my VW - November 17 - 2:00 am

  How can I describe the worst car experience of my life. We bought this car used in 99 with 60K miles on it. Admittedly, we have driven many many highway miles and the car now has 196K on it but everything, everything has broken. Weve replaced the brakes four times, two "super reliable Audi" transmissions (dont buy that sales feature), constant problems with door handles, constant front end problems, etc etc. We thought the car was cool and powerful- the best compromise for a growing family buying a station wagon. What we ended up with was a huge money pit that has not had the check engine light off for more than a week since we bought it.

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  Ill miss my VW - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By Disappointed VW fan - January 13 - 8:46 pm

  I bought my VW used and I was okay with having to replace the clutch almost immediately as well as having a rod in the trunk snap which made the trunk impossible to use until I found a mechanic willing to weld the rod back together. But after 9 months of VW ownership, Im calling it quits. I love VWs and will look for them in the future, but definitely with more skeptical eyes. Besides the normal repairs and somewhat non-normal repairs, I had an air flow sensor malfunction, and needed to replace the throttle valve because my Passat was driving itself. 3 weeks after those repairs, I either get to replace the heater core, fix a radiator problem, and replace the oxygen sensor or call it quits.

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  German for "Piece of Junk" - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By theronald - May 3 - 9:36 pm

  This car was really nice for about the first 3 years that we owned it. Ever since that point, it has had many nagging, expensive, and repetitive failures. (Among those too numerous to mention - Door Handles, Controller, O2 Sensors, Belt-tensioner) The Yellow light has been on more than it has been "off". Were it not for the fact that I was unemployed on & off for most of the past 4 years, we would have "dumped" it on some other poor sap. Have talked to several other GLX owners - most had same problems. Their highly-touted "German Engineers" should all be fired, and replaced by the guys from GM. (Ive never had to replace all 4 door handles on a Buick twice!)

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  Anybody Want to Buy My Passat Wagon? - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By poskarp - September 9 - 9:10 am

  Although purchased used, this car was great until it reached its fifth birthday. Over the last five years this car has nickeled and dimed (or more accurately $500 and $1,000) us to death, especially with the pesky check engine light that has been diagnosed at least three times. Ive put more into this wagon over the last five years than I did for my last two Toyotas which had double the mileage. So much for my European love affair, Im going back to the orient where my cars have been reliable to over 150,000 miles

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  My Passat experience - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By Sam in Agawam, MA - August 3 - 10:00 am

  There is not an aspect of this car I have not had problems with in six months of ownership. The original tires were awful (Goodyear) & the replacement Dunlops helped quite a bit. The wheel bearings, inner tie rod ends, ball joints, and transmission output bearings all needed to be replaced at only 50 thousand miles! The car is currently in the shop having the transmission removed on account of a worn gear that determines the speedometer reading. The engine knocks when hot, despite the new coil pack I installed on the car six months ago (the original was cracked.) I cant wait to trade this in.

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  Lack of Quality - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
  By NA - March 10 - 12:50 pm

  I bought my 1997 Volkswagen Passat new in 1997 after having good luck with a 1989 Golf. However, the Passat has been of poor quality and I will never purchase another VW. Problems include the door handles, power windows and front end (tie rods, bearings). I get nervous when the "check engine light" is not on (faulty air pump, does not impact drving). It is a great handling car, it is roomy and I like the VR6 engine with the 5-speed manual transmission. I am at 135,000 miles and the next major repair will force me into a Honda or Toyota dealership.