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 11 through 20 of 43.00-
First car. - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By Phill - August 2 - 5:33 pmI am a new driver and this is the first car that I have bought. I didnt really pick this car, it was more seredipity that i found it. It was everything I was looking for, relativly cheap (under $4,000) spacious, and not an American car. At first it was great, then a couple of problems occured. Nothing too serious, a dead battery because of a broken relay, an alternator that stopped working. These are significant problems yes, but easly fixed and they are not harmful to the car or people inside of the car. Overall the car is very exciting, fast, and handles beautifully. Even with its problems it has been worth it. I couldnt have asked for anything more.
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Could of Been So Good! - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By Lorale - March 23 - 2:00 amI bought the car with 20,000 miles on it. Love the room and drive. Had way too many problems with the door handles that all had to be replaced! (at $343 each!) The interior door handles peeled, the engine light and ABS light came on and off. Had them checked, and dealer said, "No problem found". I found the car to have a ridged ride. Would of loved to have a glove compartment. This car could of been GREAT!! I wouldnt buy another one, because of the many small, but costly problems!
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Hope It Lasts Forever! - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By VW4Life - December 5 - 1:23 amI have owned nothing but VWs. They all have been reliable and great to drive. In 2000 we needed a bigger car as we were expecting our first child. We drove the new Jetta, and but it seemed small and sort of cheap. Then we saw the beautiful Indigo Passat GLX. It is a big, roomy sedan which drives and handles like a dream. The VR6 engine is the best thing VW has ever designed. The check engine or ABS lights have NEVER been on in this car. I bought it with 38,000 miles on it, now it has 96,000 miles and drives like the day I took it home. The first owner probably neglected a few things. It needed brakes, rotors, battery, etc. that first year, but the dealer covered everything. Find a good mechanic, do your maintenance, and this car will last!
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1st luxury car - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By soccerfreak11 - June 16 - 8:43 pmWe bought this car with 74,000 miles and have had a few problems. 1) EGR valve. No idea what so ever how to fix it. 2) rear window doesnt work. It is a solid car with good MPG, but could be better. Tons of interior room and trunk space. Love the sunroof. The radio goes into SAFE mode every time the battery is disconnected though. Now it is permanently locked and only the dealer can open it. The exterior design is a definite draw back. Over all, it is a great family car.
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great German car! - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By creed hyatt - February 24 - 4:43 pmI bought this car about a year ago, and have really enjoyed driving. Auto trans can shift hard occasionally, had some problems with the ABS & Check Engine lights coming on - but that could be because my mechanic couldnt figure it out - I never found any performance problems when these lights were on. Overall its a great car, very comfortable, plenty of power. My only complaint is the lousy gas mileage - I have never gotten the claimed MPG.
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still runs, but i"m mechanical - 1997 Volkswagen Passat
By tim9999 - January 23 - 2:56 pmBought used for cheap, needed clutch, bad A/C. The clutch was 600.00 from the clutch guy I know. Heater core went out at 120k this is typical i guess. Heres what I did: disconnected heater core, ran heater hoses to A/C heat exchanger, (A/C bad anyway...) Now heats ok. Needed water pump at 130k. Runs strong, handles great for big car. Nice leather interior. Huge inside area. Easy to work on compact vr6. Have done all work myself except clutch.
