looking to buy a volkswagen passat.tips??info??help??

[peterock29]

hi guys im new im thinkg about getting a 1995-1997 volkswagen passat.i love these cars a couple friends of mine have had these cars and loved them.i know alot of the 4 cylinder volkswagen from those years are kind of weak and people have told me stick with the vr6 motors.my questions to you guys are what are common problems with these cars how reliable are they??any major or minor problems to look out for??i need some tips and info from the experts here.any and all info is much appreciated thanxx

[pgrobin]

I purchased a 1996 VW Passat GLX a couple of years ago for my daughter. Overall I like the car, but these years do have issues.

The Automatic transmission is prone to failure. I was able to get a reconditioned unit installed for about $2,800 US.

The door handle mechanism actually wore out, a new one was the best solution. There are small parts in the door that weaken or break causing issues with the doors.

The oil pressure sensor failed, leaking oil on the ground. Replacement was a huge task because just getting to it is very difficult.

The heater core WILL FAIL and is a pain to replace. The entire dash must come out.

Frankly, from a reliability point of view I'm not impressed. If I'd had a workshop do the repairs I'd be out a lot of cash. Since I can do the work, and actually enjoy doing it most of the time, this is affordable. There will be more problems but they are common to all cars and depend on mileage and overall condition of the car.

[MalcQV]

Mine is a 2003 model but carries many of the problems the earlier Passats had. My main issue and it is still on-going is water leaking inside the car. Just do a search on here.