Four problems related to power train have been reported for the 1996 Volkswagen Passat. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Speedometer/tachometer and fuel gauges went crazy. With engine off speedometer reads 80 mph and tachometer reads 4000 rpm. This occurred after a cold start-up and is known to be an instrument cluster failure. It appears to be specific to 1996 model Volkswagen Passat glx models and is reported to be a $600. Or more dealer repair with a need to special order the replacement gauge/cluster assembly from germany requiring 4-6 weeks for parts delivery. This is unacceptable ! printed circuit boards and instrument clusters are not wear items and should not fail under normal operation. I am not about to pay vw $600. Or more to fix a known defect. It is certainly possible to use the VIN numbers to determine if this defect is limited to a certain production time period. Perhaps the vendor supplier to vw had some production problems that were discovered and corrected. Owner's of these vehicles should not pay for a known defect that results from normal vehicle operation.
Fuel gauge, speedometer and tachometer needle will not set at zero even when ignition is off.
The instrument speedometer will not set at 0, and the rev counter also will not set at 0.
Odometer replaced: new milage is zero(0): used-car buyers beware of this problem. . . Inaccurate milage readings.