Thinking about buying a 1999 passat, 41,000 miles, reliability most important to me. doesnt seem reliable from my research. true?

I really think you should go to www.reliable-store.com they have got books on every vehicle and also how to service/repair it, parts info, wiring diagrams, electrical diagrams, fuse diagrams, error codes, etc everything

I suggest you try one of those instant download manuals. My brother ( a mechanic) buys it when he can't fix some technical
issue He buys from www.reliable-store.com . A lot of mechanics actually do this. Website is very good for this. Must try it !!

If you have never used synthetic oil in the past, why switch now? There are a variety of synthetic oils available, however, Quaker State and PenzOil have put a lot of research and effort into making a reliable product that I would trust

That year dodge was known for bad transmission's. I dont live near you so i cant help you with a good transmission shop.if you find a good mechanic you could buy a aftermarket trans from (jasper engines/Transmission's) for example and have your mechanic install it.

check main fuses under the hood if not that take back to dealer and research lemon laws! BUY IMPORTS!! More reliable and don't spend $20,000 on $5,000 dollar cars!

check kelly blue book for price. and reliability.

It all depends on how it is maintained. It is a reliable car with a reliable engine. The engine will outlast the car. However, if the previous owner didn't take care of it, it will eventually let you down. A good friend of mine owns an 06 Corolla which he bought used last fall.. It has not been perfect but he also doesn't care about his cars. (His previous car went at least 75,000 miles without so much as an oil change.)

I think you're in the clear!

Very reliable cars. We have a 1999 taurus and with regular maintainence and services, we are at 190,000 miles and it still runs great. Travels about 60 miles per day.

yes it is a money pit ,like a jag or merc ,well any big car in fact --BUT WHAT A SUNDAY CAR

Volkswagen recommend a visual check(for this model) at the first 60,000 miles and then every 20,000 (replace if necessary). There is no manufacturer's recommended replacement interval. (Information gained from Autodata).
However most manufacturer's for the majority of models recommend a change at 72,000 or 5 years whichever comes first.
It is now known that a visual check is not reliable because the kevlar strands inside the belt break down over time and an indication of expected breakage is impossible to gauge.
Using the '72,000 or 5 year' advise, a belt change for anything older than a 2004 vehicle would be a good idea.
In money terms, a change of belt will cost 5 to 15% the cost of belt failure.


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