Overview & Reviews

After promising the availability of all-wheel drive this year, Volkswagen, in a last-minute product change, has cancelled the Synchro all-wheel-drive option on all Passats for 1999 and will not be offering the GLS wagon with a V6 engine.

• Tight structure, fun-to-drive, comfortable seats, nice sound system, artful design, an Audi at Volkswagen prices.

• Excessive squat and dive when accelerating and braking.

User Reviews:

Showing 11 through 20 of 202.00

• 

  1999 Passat 1.8T - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Brad Landis - May 5 - 1:13 am

  We love the ride of the car. The 1.8T has a funny hesitation when you step on the gas. The car has been totally unreliable. Its in the shop every 3 months for something. Definitely would not recommend.

• 

  Never again! - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By 0osarahhh - April 18 - 9:34 am

  Ive had this car for about 5 months and already cannot afford the up keep! I paid $4000 for it, and have put about $2000 into it now. First I had to replace front brake hoses, right and left control arms, then the thermostat went, now I have oil leaking and a major electrical system problem. Never again will I buy another Volkswagen.

• 

  German Engineering and Performance! - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Don Ho - April 17 - 9:13 am

  I purchased my Passat new in 1999. It is OK. The cup holders stink, but other than that, this is an impressive car. It has a solid build, outstanding performance from the V6, and the 5 speed just adds to the fun. Traction control really helps (this feature is tough to find with a manual transmission). Getting over 30 MPG highway is also nice. After 7 years, the only major problem was a bad water pump replaced under warranty. A couple of hard starts taught me not to leave the car sitting for more that a few days with a nearly empty fuel tank. Do-it-yourself mechanics like me will find major maintenance items a bit of a challenge, but routine stuff is no big deal (oil, filters, plugs, etc.).

• 

  My favorite car ever! - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Jill in Portland, OR - April 15 - 10:00 am

  We love this car! I like the gas mileage (good for a station wagon). The heated seats are great on rainy days. I like manual while my husband likes automatic, so the tiptronic is the perfect feature for us. Leather makes cleaning up after messy kids easy. The car is very quiet and theres plenty of power.

• 

  Disappointed in German Lemon - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Pisco - April 5 - 3:06 am

  Looks and drives great but reliability is not good. In last 4 months have spent $4000 on repairs. Axle shaft assemblies, water pump, timing belt, serpentine belt, brackets (one was $250), headlights, lower control arms, etc. Our local VW dealer is very hard to work with and not many shops can fix the VW. We are looking to unload this car as quick as possible.

• 

  Great car - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By Brooke02 - March 28 - 2:00 am

  At first I thought this car was ugly but my husband kept taking me back to the dealer as this was the only car that his 6ft4 frame could fit into without his head hitting the roof even though it would be my car. After 4 years of driving this car I have had no mechanical problems.

• 

  No Problems! - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By geopassat - March 22 - 10:00 am

  I just finished making my last payment on my Passat, and have had almost no problems! Did replace O2 sensor, had small vaccum leak,and F&R brake jobs,new tires and battery but otherwise did Mfgr.s Recommended Service schedule, and no problems! It feels almost like I had a Honda or Toyota in terms of reliability, and a BMW or Benz in terms of performance!

• 

  228k and going strong - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By stillgoin - March 19 - 12:50 am

  Purchased new and have had reasonably good experience compared to some others. Timing belt tensioner pulley failed at 84k. VW rebuilt top end under warranty. I now change at 75k. Control arms replaced @ 135k, ignition module @ 140k, cruise control stopped working at 170k, drivers window operation is sometimes erratic. Still doesnt burn any oil, clutch is still tight, car is very tight, only one or two rattles. Still get 30 mpg highway. Will run it until the wheels fall off.

• 

  Excellent Car - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By loschios16 - March 5 - 2:00 am

  Fun, reliable, safe, comfortable... this car has everything its competators dont. It has all of the features of more expensive cars for much less.

• 

  Decent value for the money & a fun drive - 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  By recruiterone - February 13 - 2:00 am

  Happy that I chose the 2.8 6 cylinder engine. Unless you use a performance chip in the 4 cylinder turbo, this is the right engine to go with. The styling and ergonomics of this car are great. Plus, its fun to drive. The German engineering stands out over Japanese cars Ive owned in the past. However, I only have 30k miles and I treat my cars like gold. Ive had annoying problems with the electrical system and the trunk. These should not be reasons to make trips to the dealer in a car with so few miles.