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Most 98 owners report many initial problems. A lot of us (I have
a 98 T5, front wheel drive) have found that the cars are doing
well now that they are "middle aged". That is, the initial problems
were often fixed in the first 18 months (or so) by the dealers. Once
fixed they seem to be doing OK (not great but once a month to the
shop would be rare).
Others do report more on-going problems. Typically many minor things
that require repairs and are annoying. Front wheel drive owners do
enjoy a fairly reliable powertrain (engine, transmission and drive line).
Problems are more in the area of trim, electrical, oil leaks, motor
mounts, switches, etc. (but they do continue to run and get you home).
The AWD models are about the same except they have additional problems
associated with the AWD system if they are not maintained correctly.
As an example, AWD systems need 4 tires that match in size. So you
have to rotate tires frequently for even wear. If a tire needs replacing
you should replace all four. They should not be driven very far on the
spare and flat bed towing is recommended. If you avoid these issues
and rotate tires regularly then I suspect it is closer (in terms
of reliablity) to what the front wheel drive models experience and
it really should not be in the shop all that often.
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