Cute, sporty, fun car

Quality issues

When I first saw this car I immediately loved how it looked, and when I was ready to get a new car I decided to give it a try. If it had been an impulse buy then I would have gone home with a red VR6 the day I test drove it. But instead I went home and did some research on it and was vastly disappointed with the amount of problems the car had. I'm one of those people that likes to drive a car for a long time (I drove my Honda Civic for 5 years without one problem, power windows and all!) VW is now changing their warranty for 4 years bumper to bumper and 5 years powertrain on their 2002 models, if they had offered this warranty when I was looking for cars then I most likley would have gotten it!

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Honda civic

Looks, speed, stereo, interior

none

I have never been happier with an automobile. The Wolfsberg edition only comes out every 3 years and a limited number are made. The Turbo engine gives it more than enough power and I have had no problems with it. I get great gas mileage, even for a Turbo, and am constantly getting compliments on it.

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2000 VW Jetta GL

Looking at it in my rear view mirror after trade-in.

Quality from top to bottom.

I still feel my stomach drop with disgust when I see a VW on the road. I was so happy when I purchased my first new vehicle, a loaded Jetta GLS a year ago. The happiness was so short lived as it was the cause of numerous headaches.

The first thing that broke was the window regulator. Due to a genius design, when the regulator breaks, the window falls into the door frame. I was a slight bit discouraged, but the dealership repaired it right away and I was back on the road. Then the passenger side window fell... I had to return to the dealership seven times for this problem (4 drivers side, 3 passenger side). Only Jetta owners can relate to the inconveniance this causes as there is no way to raise the window and secure it until you can get it repaired. I would cringe every time I would lower the window, which I avoided as much as possible. Kudos to the service advisor who honestly told me, as if I needed it, that it was in fact a design flaw that a majority of owners were experiencing.

The engine literally quit twice. The battery and computer chip were replaced. I had to "jimmy" the lock the second time as the electrical system was dead. This brings us to the next repair, the pin in the door lock broke, thus making it impossible to get into the vehicle.

The alarm would engage itself sporadically, and I would have to disconnect the battery to bypass the alarm.

The radio was replaced as it had an internal defect that was causing hissing. Not to mention the various buttons that were inoperable.

The cloth seats accumulate lint that can simply not be removed no matter how much you try. I bought a special brush that didn't help. It mostly just smears it around.

I purchased a special hand washer to protect the paint. It did not help. It scratched no matter how hard I tried. I waxed it to try to cover it, but this was just a quick fix for low quality paint.

I finally traded my vehicle in, and was happy with just getting the average trade in value. I actually put this vehicle up for sale, but didn't have the heart to sell it to somebody. Car dealers have no soul, so I will leave it to them.

Avoid these cars no matter how good they look. They are meant to last about as long as it takes to drive it off the lot.

speed

leg room wit stock seats

the car is awsome when you supe it up wit an abs superchearger 15 spoke rims a dragon intake g5 cannon exhaust two nex racing boket seats 2 acono racing harnests (4 passangers and driver)and brand new sport suspension

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nothing comes close

ride
value
clean looks

too early to tell

like the looks. quality of materials. ride, performance.
for those experiencing high oil consumption, have you tried a heavier weight oil such as 20W-50 to see if that helps. also, are you having VW service do the oil changes? VW may be using a high volatility (crappy) oil, supplied by VW. within first 700 miles, my 2.0 5 spd saw the oil level go from full to 3/4 full. unusual to be sure as i have never seen that on a new car that i purchased. i only have 900 miles on it and just added 1/4 qt to get it back to full, so time will tell, i guess. got the 2.0 strictly because of high gas costs for foreseeable future. would have liked the V6. the jetta wagon (which i have) is made in germany so i'm hoping to avoid the many quality control and reliability problems i've been seeing described here from all the mexican built jettas.
any other "german" built new generation jetta owners out there? care to comment??
can only rate it as excellent so far, but way too early to tell.

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82 vw scirocco
94 geo tracker
2000 subaru legacy sedan

Smooth ride, seats are fairly comfortable but have no lateral support. large trunk.

I could write a novel about the problems I've had with this car, but I'll try to keep it short. 1. Burns about a quart of oil every 700 miles. 2. Engine knocks when accelerating. 3. Annoying interior rattles and squeaks throughout the dash. 4. Idles roughly after engine warms up. 5. Factory alarm goes off when I unlock the doors, and sometimes goes off when I'm driving the car. After a couple minutes it shuts the car down, leaving me stranded. 6. ABS light is always on. 7. Door moulding falls off. 8. Malfunctioning remote trunk release button. 9. Water leaks into trunk and back seat floor filling up spare tire well and mildewing carpet. 10. Loud buzzing/rattling sound under the car when the engine is between two and three thousand RPM. 11. The rear power door locks stick and will only lock/unlock manually. 12. Front window seal is falling out. 13. Power sunroof broke and came out of the rails the second time I tried to open it. Now for some reason it intermittently pops up and down on it's own. 14. Shifter is loose and makes chunking/rattling sounds. 15. Had to replace the break pads and rotors twice, and the break master cylinder once in the last three years. 16. Pushed the cigaret lighter in to see if it worked and it shot out of socket burning my wife's leg. 17. oxygen sensors have needed to be replaced every year. 18. With the a/c on, you have to floor the gas pedal just to keep up with traffic. 19. The clutch engages at the very top of clutch pedal travel even after a new clutch was installed, and cannot be adjusted due to the "auto adjusting cable". 20. For the price you pay for replacement parts, you'd think you were importing parts for a Ferrari. (The repair costs are even more astronomical). 21. No glove box(?). 22. No trunk light. 23. top of dashboard vinyl is cracking and faded. 24. Even though the ride is soft there is a lot of wind and road noise. 25. The car wallows and sways badly on turns above 25mph, and feels unstable on the freeway. 26. Not a drivers car - the engine is weak and unresponsive. Overall disconnected feel of the controls. And I'm sure some other things I can't remember right now.

My experience with this car has been a complete nightmare. The car felt pretty good and didn't have any problems when I test drove it, so I thought I'd give Volkswagen a try. This has become the most expensive mistake I've ever made in my life! I wish I had access to the Internet before I bought this car, go read just about any VW forum and you'll find out what these cars are about. When visiting a few Volkswagen forums to discuss some of the more serious problems with the car (oil burning and engine knocking) to hopefully get some insight on what's wrong, everyone replied saying they all had the same problems, and no one seemed to think it was unusual. Every VW forum I go to there is hundreds of complaints about oil consumption, even on brand new Volkswagens. How is VW getting away with this, why isn't there a recall? Even my VW mechanic says that burning oil is completely "normal" for a VW, and I'm just going to have to live with it. Refilling the engine with oil every 500 miles isn't really a big deal to me. The real problem is when the burning oil causes $100 O2 sensors, $20 spark plugs, and $400 catalytic converters to foul and need replacement every year. My son's Civic has over twice the miles my Volkswagen has and it has never burned a drop of oil. Like other people on here have pointed out - almost all the good reviews are from people with brand new Jettas that have yet to experience problems, after a few years I'm sure most of them will change their opinion of Volkswagen.

Thinking about the amount of money I stand to lose after getting rid of this car makes me sick to death. DO NOT TAKE YOUR CHANCES WITH A VW! If your looking for a good, reliable car in the same price range as the Jetta, the Honda Civic and Accord are unsurpassed.

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1995 Civic Ex - Wife's car, owned since new, 110,000 miles
1990 Civic Si - Son's car, owned for 7 years, 185,000 miles
Other than tune-ups and regular maintenance, I have not had to spent a dime on either of these cars. The Jetta does not even compare.

Good Speed But might need a chip for better speed

cup holder, open window noise

i think jetta is a good car overall.I did have some electricol problems with the car at first but I think i caused them.

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Looks cool, makes you feel just like those "cool" commercials

POS when it comes to quality engineering

This car looks and drives great....when its working. I purchased my Jetta used and was thrilled with it for the first few days. Then almost at once the engine light came on and the driver side window refused to roll up. After two trips to the dealer I had the mass airflow sensor replaced and had to pay for a new window regulator (the car had just recently turned 25 months old). Now I'm having all sorts of trouble with the electrical subsystem, battery won't charge, keyless entry has gone out.

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The car has gotten great gas mileage and has handled well during a lot of city driving around the crowded streets of Nashville. The car is also appealing to the eyes and has a lot of trunk space for a car its size.

Where do I begin? During the first months, my husband and I noticed small things that were annoying which the dealer said were normal including a constant and irritating rattling noise coming from the console on the passenger side. We also noticed a yellow lubricant or "goo" oozing out from the doors on both the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle. This lubricant only appears on extremely hot days. I live in Tennessee where 5-6 months of the year temperatures are in the high 80's and 90's. The goo has become a constant companion.

Also during the first year of ownership, we experienced problems with the timing belt. I was without a vehicle for almost 2 weeks while waiting on repairs and parts, but the dealership did give me a rental vehicle during the second week. Later in that first year, the check engine light came on. This light would become a familiar friend as well. This time is was the O2 sensors and luckily the car was still under warranty. Recently, we were not so lucky. This time the check engine light came on and the maximum air flow sensor had to be replaced as well as the fuel pump relay...grand total...$1,140 which was not covered by warranty because the warranty had recently expired. I also already need all new tires, and the car currently has a very squeaky suspension that I imagine could lead to other potential problems. Needless to say, I'm afraid.

Did I happen to mention that the cup holder broke within the first three months or that we have also had reoccurring problems with the lights on the instrument panel going out?

Last, but not least, is the road noise. Driving the streets of our subdivision, my Jetta purrs like a kitten. Get her on the interstate at 75 mph and she roars like a lion. This road noise at higher speeds has been an issue since the first few months of ownership. The dealer has told us that this too is normal. At 70- 75 miles per hour, the Jetta is running at 4,000 rpms. This is normal? I believe that my definition of normal and Volkswagen's definition of normal are two completely different things.

I bought a new car for its reliability and to keep the repair bills down to just usual and customary maintenance. I thought that if I took care of my new car then it would last me a long time as my previous car had. I am truly sad to say that this has not been the case with the Jetta, and I have serious buyer's remorse. I am also saddened by the fact that I feel like I can no longer trust Volkswagen and would probably never buy another car manufactured by them again.

I wish that I could report that my overall experience with the Jetta has been positive, but I cannot. I had a 1988 Volkswagen Fox before the Jetta. The Fox lasted over 10 years and almost 200,000 miles. Because of the Fox's reliability, I wanted another Volkwagen and so after much research, I chose the Jetta. The Jetta was a dream for the first 6-10 months and then the problems came. This was my first brand new car, so I thought maybe there were just a few glitches that needed to be taken care of and then the car would be fine. After all, it was covered by warranty. Now after 2 years and 3 months of ownership, I feel betrayed and would not recommend this car to anyone. The constant repairs are unsettling and expensive. I am driving the car to work each day and asking myself what will be next.

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My husband owns a 1990 Camry that we bought around the same time as our Jetta. The Camry, at present, has about 150,000 miles on it and still runs like a dream. We have only had routine maintenance costs with the Camry. I wish that I could say the same for the Jetta. For that reason, we traded in the Jetta 3 days ago for a 2002 Saturn SL2 which is made in Spring Hill, TN only 35 minutes from where we live. We got an extended warranty for up to 75,000 miles. Nothing is better than peace of mind.

IT LOOKS NICE. BIG DEAL!...SO DO A LOT OF OTHER CARS!

THE FRONT END OF THE CAR WAS BUILT FAR TOO LOW. WITH MOST CARS, YOU CAN PUT YOUR WHEELS UP TO PARKING BUMPERS. WITH THE JETTA, BEWARE OF PUTTING THE FRONT OF YOUR CAR TO THE CURB, YOU WILL LOSE GRILLS. I HAVE REPLACED GRILLS FAR TOO MANY TIMES-YOU MUST PURCHASE THEM FROM YOUR VW DEALER. ALSO, THE UNDERNEATH FRONT PLASTIC HAS TORN OUT FROM THIS PROBLEM-REPLACING IT COSTS $160.00+. DID THAT TWICE WITHIN 2 WEEKS. MY MOM DROVE MY CAR AND LOST THE FRONT END JUST AFTER IT HAD BEEN REPLACED. VW SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THIS CAR AND MADE IT HIGHER OFF THE GROUND. VW DESERVES TO BE SUED. ANYONE AND EVERYONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM OR KNOWS OTHERS WHO HAVE, PLEASE EMAIL ME. I'D LIKE TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT. I HAVE NOTICED DRIVING ON THE ROAD THAT 1 OUT OF ABOUT EVERY 3 JETTAS IS MISSING AT LEAST ONE OF THE FRONT GRILLS. VW SHOULD BE PUNISHED.

ALSO, MY BRAKELIGHT SWITCH HAS BEEN REPAIRED 5 TIMES. MY YEAR WARRANTY IS NOW UP AND THEY EXPECT US TO PAY! THIS OBVIOUSLY IS A DEFECT IN THE CAR. WHEN THIS BRAKLIGHT SWITCH BREAKS, THE CAR DOES NOT COME OUT OF PARK. YOU ARE STRANDED, OR HAVE TO JIGGLE THE BRAKE AND RESTART THE CAR ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES. AFTER HAVING REPEATEDLY CONTACTED VW, THEY EXTENDED MY WARRANTY ON JUST THIS PART FOR A YEAR. AFTER THE YEAR IS UP THEY EXPECT ME TO PAY FOR THEIR FAILURE IN PRODUCING THE CAR CORRECTLY.

AS A COLLEGE STUDENT I BOUGHT THIS CAR AS A RELIABLE AUTOMOBILE. NOW I HAVE TO WORRY EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT THAT I WILL BE STRANDED

DO NOT BUY THE VW JETTA!

THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS MISBUILT AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED

EMAIL ME IF YOU KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!
CONSIDERING CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT

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