Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

vocus · July 2002

I have a 1999 Passat 1.8T automatic now. What a different animal from my car! In this Passat (with 28K HARD miles), the engine feels slow and dead from a stop, with no power left for passing.

Is that the design difference between the old 150hp and new 180hp engine? If so, I am soooo glad I wanted for the 2002 turbo engine.

bimmer12 · July 2002

Hey Guys:

I was looking to purchase a Jetta and was contimplating between a Jetta GLS 1.8T and a Jetta GLS TDI. Since I do a lot of skiing and winter driving, traction control is very important to me. I noticed that the 1.8T has ASR while the TDI has EBC(Electronic Braking Control).. DOn't know anything about EBC. Does anyone know the differences and which one is better in snow? Also, can any TDI owners remark about the diesel's ability in snowy conditions? Looking at a 5-speed manual for both...

Thanks and enjoy your day!

blueguydotcom · July 2002

I have an 01 Wolfie with the sunroof and 6 disc changer...no monsoon. I paid 19.5k or so.

protege_fan · July 2002

My gf and I have a '91 Jetta GL. It has about 177000 km on it. It hasn't been too bad. It did leave me stranded one winter....I really wasn't happy about that!!

But my gf says it gets pretty good gas mileage still (about 650 km/tank or so....730 highway) and I haven't noticed it burning any oil.

Belts have been the biggest problem on the car though. We've had it in a few times to either get them replaced, or a bolt fell off, etc.

It's noisy as crap in the cabin....highway driving is unbearable to me.

Power-wise, it's not bad in the city or on the highway.

The gear shifter is terrible. It's cable actuated and you the shifting feels loose and disconnected.

Oh...and in the winter, sometimes the throttle will freeze down so that even if you take your foot off the gas, the revs continue to climb. It happened to me twice. Pretty scary the first time b/c I didn't know what was wrong and was afraid to stop and pull over!!

Anyway, I'd say no to the car. If you do happen to get it, I recommend getting a repair manual (Haynes or Chilton) and keeping it with you. The one good thing about an older car like that is there are plenty in the junk yards if you need parts.

If you really want no frills, get something like a Ford Festiva. Seriously...you can't kill the dang things and you can get them for like $2000 CDN!!!! Just don't get into an accident in one!! :O

Good luck!

vocus · July 2002

I know the ASR is pretty good. It has saved my butt a couple times. I drove it once on pure ice, did not spin once. Truly a good system.

Never drove a TDI in snow (only test drove), so I don't know about the EBC. It sounds like something that works to stop you though, not to help you go (like the ASR does).

mdaffron · July 2002

Did you call VWoA? Response?

I'd be furious if I'd heard a comment like that about me.

Meade

vocus · July 2002

I tried to talk to the GM last night at the dealership, but when I asked for him, I was told he was not there. I am going to call VW customer service today and talk to them about the situation.

And I was also surprised that the service writer didn't say anything to correct what the person on the phone said (she had her own attitude about having to work 10 mins. after her 6pm time to leave). All she did was flip the earpiece open on the Nextel phone she was on so they were talking privately (I couldn't hear him anymore after that). They did go on talking about my case though, but I don't know what was being said on the other end.

Since VW already said they are not going to buy the car back from me (which I kinda knew anyway), I am going to just keep it until I turn the loan over (probably a year or two), then sell the car privately or trade it for something else. I can guarantee it won't be a VW though.

8u6hfd · July 2002

The best one to buy is the Bentley manuals.

target3 · July 2002

I would consider it. See if you can get some service history documentation, though.

That car has low miles on it for a 1990 - it could have 100,000 left. I had a 1988 and had no problems at all. It got great gas mileage (31 highway). Unlike protege_fan, I liked the gear shifter. But I do agree that a Haynes manual would be a wise purchase. In the older cars, there are a lot of repairs/maintenance that owners can perform.

protege_fan · July 2002

Just today, while my gf took her car on a trip for work, her car stopped being able to go into 5th gear. She says if she tries to put it back into gear, it makes a terrible sound.

About 2 years ago, I remember driving that thing on the highway and 5th gear popped out by itself...so I pushed it back...it stayed in for a bit and then popped out again. Eventually it just stopped popping out...btw no terrible sounds made then.

IIRC, we replaced the clutch (not me...a shop did..) just last year because of some major problems...and now this! This is why I avoided buying used!

8u6hfd · July 2002

either synchro is gone or the gear is gone or both

protege_fan · July 2002

It means money outta my pocket

Thanks for the tip though.

vocus · July 2002

It's a 12 year old car, right? You said no problems with it really? Count your blessings that it's still running ok.

protege_fan · July 2002

Engine still pulls fine. When it idles it's fairly rough though. I personally won't travel long distances in it anymore, but it did a 600 km trip just last month, so I guess it's ok.

It's a '91....so I guess it's really 11 years old. No real diff b/n 11 and 12 years....it's old and it was used when they bought it, so I have no idea how it was treated beforehand.

vocus · July 2002

That is another thing to consider. You don't know how the previous owners treated the car. Since it's in pretty good shape (I presume), they probably treated it pretty well.

vocus · August 2002

I talked to VWoA today about what happend at the dealership the other day. (I wanted them to finish the work on my car before reporting them, for fear they would mess it up or something.) They had told me about not buying the car back (which I kinda thought would happend anyway), so I asked them about what I could do about having a car with these recurring problems. I suggested either a refund of 2 car payments (since the car sat in the shop for about 2 months of the 9 that I have owned it), or an extended warranty to 100K miles. The rep on the phone said she couldn't tell me anything of the case yet, but it's a good possibility that I would be considered for the extended warranty. If not, then I will just get rid of the car before the 50K warranty expires (another 2 years or so, with as much as I drive). I also was referred to another dealership, in case of problems in the future. We will see how that goes if the car has to go back into service again.

nixer · August 2002

After reading Lord knows how many post re: Jetta reliability and actually posting and getting some reassurance, I bit the bullet and negotiated a deal on a 2002 Jetta GLI at $1300 under invoice. What was interesting was my wife and one of my son's thought I was experiencing mid life crisis, I'm 56, but I have had 4 Bugs and a Rabbit in the past. German engineering is not a problem and the grin when I drive says it all. Hopefully, I will only be back on this sight to seek information and not relay horror stories of dealer incompetence and product failure.

blueguydotcom · August 2002

>>a 2002 Jetta GLI at $1300 under invoice<<

I'm guessing that you meant MSRP because 1300 under invoice on a brand new model is a screaming deal and I'd like to buy my car from that dealer.

fish8 · August 2002

Congrats Nixer........

Enjoy!!!

nixer · August 2002

Thanks for the congrats, fish8. Any yes, it was $1300 under invoice, not MSRP.

justin · August 2002

i am curious, on the new Jettas, a lot of them seem to come with those aftermarket looking tailpipes. are those removable so that you can just have a normal, almost invisible, set of pipes? or are those big pieces actually part of the muffler?

blueguydotcom · August 2002

How? Really! Good grief, that's an amazing deal. That's amazing, especially with the GLI as it's brand new. I just checked edmunds TMV and they're showing a price under invoice too.

venus537 · August 2002

my jetta gls 1.8t has the chrome tipped tailpipes. not sure if that's what your talking about when you say aftermarket looking pipes. but that what one of those mid year changes VW did for 2002 (1.8t/vr6). it came along about the same time as the new radio design. you could remove the chrome tips, but the pipes don't bend down to be out of view. actually the rear bumper is different for the jettas equipped with the chrome tip tail pipes because it has a little cut out for the tail pipes.

1300 under invoice! was this car a demo? how many miles did it have? what's your secret nixer?

justin · August 2002

now i am really confused. what is the new radio design? i have steering wheel controls, CD/cassette in dash (non-monsoon), but (thankfully) regular looking tailpipes (the ones that bend down).

maybe what i have seen on these jettas are actually aftermarket. they are two pipes like mine, but they look like they come out farther, and they are wider/bigger. the two pipes look like they are too big, because they touch each other. mine are inches apart it looks like. just was wondering....I think it takes away from the flush rear end treatment, having a piece of metal sticking out like that.

i guess this performance look add on stuff really is all the rage now! maybe i should get some big pipes! i would need bigger wheels though...:(

vocus · August 2002

Well VW called me today about their solution to the problems that I have been having. They told me they would pay one car payment for me. And also, when I picked up the car last night, everything was fixed right! Can you believe it?!? I am glad it's finally taken care of.

fish8 · August 2002

Your telling us the rattles are gone? Are you sure it's your car?

winsan · August 2002

yeah vocus, check the vin, the engine number, body number and so on .... maybe they changed the car! Unbelievable!

nixer · August 2002

I'd like to think I was at the right place, for a change, at the right time. Remember, it's closeout time for dealers now on their remaining stock. The 2003's are arriving and most manufacturers start throwing additional cash at them as an incentive to make room. I started low knowing that and it worked to my advantage. With 13 miles on it, I wouldn't couldn't consider it a demo, but others might.

8u6hfd · August 2002

You have the new radio design. The previous one was a single din, cassette player.

The bumper is the same, except for the lower (black) valence (which is replaceable) which includes the muffler cut-outs.

vocus · August 2002

I am sure no one is happier than I am about the situation. Got my car fixed right (finally!), and got a credit for one payment in the process.

vocus · August 2002

Very funny. Actually, there is one little problem left. The dealer broke off the clips on the package shelf for child seats when he worked on it before. I am waiting for a set of them to come in, but that's it.

vocus · August 2002

Very funny. I hope they didn't switch my car, because if they did then I am paying/carrying insurance on the wrong vehicle!

jskho · August 2002

There is like a $1250 dealer incentive in lieu of the low rates. But if it is low rate + $1.3k under invoice, it is a terrific deal.

fish8 · August 2002

Give us info. I didn't even know your car was in the shop again. How did they fix your car? What was causing the rattle in the dash?

vocus · August 2002

I put the car in the shop for the squeaking sunroof panel when opening, the rattle in front, the part they broke, and the (possible) coolant leak. The coolant is fine, but I overfilled it accidently. The clips are on order. They took apart the headliner and had to replace 2 clips for the sunroof. The dash, they got the molding fixed somehow and the rattle stopped.

I don't know or care how they did it, it's just important that they finally fixed it right. And it only took them 10 freakin' times!

vocus · August 2002

VW doesn't offer incentives on their cars. That's dealer money. I think it's pretty much the same thing, except that only the dealer is entitled to it, not the customer. (VW doesn't believe in rebates, because they are said to lower resale value. Maybe that's why VWs hold their value alot better than most other cars out there.)

So if you got $1300 off invoice (the dealer "cash" rate now) plus the financing, you did pretty well. Congrats on your new purchase!

justin · August 2002

for Paul!

naimfan1 · August 2002

All--

Well, VW finally did it. They managed to convince me and my wife that we could no longer put up with the foibles of our 2000 Jetta GLS TDI. After replacing the glow plug relay, the MAF, one window repair, the CE light being on the better part of a year, the glow plug light flashing (and being told that pulling up on the brake pedal and clutch pedal might help), etc etc we finally traded it in toward a Honda CRV.

Immensely frustrating, since the Jetta was a great car to drive when everything worked. However, it has been a long downward slide for about the last year. Having to either drive with the CE light on or visiting the dealer or other shop to get it reset on a weekly basis was absurd. Even worse was VW Service, who insisted everything was OK most of the time. They were never able to answer the obvious question: if everything is OK, why did the CE light come on?

My wife and I both work full time, I'm in school 4 nights a week, and we have a 4.5 year old. We do not have the time or the inclination to be visiting our favorite VW independent repair shop (Blazer Automotive in Englewood, CO, who are FANTASTIC) every week to have codes reset or to have repairs done. I think we'd understand more if we hadn't taken such good care of the the darn thing, but enough is enough.

VW will have to develop a reliability reputation that can be compared to Honda/BMW/etc. without laughter before we'll go near one again. Great pity, since the TDI was the 3rd Jetta we owned.

Best Regards and luck to all.

Bob

Anakin · August 2002

BMW is known for being reliable?

I don't think BMW enjoys a reputation for reliability like Honda and Toyota appliances.

blueguydotcom · August 2002

On what planet? If you call weird electrical gremlins reliable, then Bimmers rule. THE reason I have passed on BMW thus far: horrible reputation for reliability.

naimfan1 · August 2002

All--

My impression of BMW reliability was that they are essentially bulletproof. That is based on the experiences of the people I know who own or have owned them and maintained them properly. Anecdotal evidence, surely. However, the only comments I've heard personally on their reliability are positive. One person I know has a 1985 318 with 250,000 miles; the only "repair" that he had to do was replace the drivers seat, which wore out. Another has a 1999 M3 with 60,000 miles which has been totally flawless.

Didn't mean to stir up debate on BMW reliability, merely to point out that VW has a LONG way to go to get close to vehicles that I would consider to have terrific reliability.

Best Regards,

Bob

blueguydotcom · August 2002

I could list the myriad of weird problems that plague all my friends with BMWs but I think the stuff in CR and the like that shows serious malfunctions after 4-5 years is better evidence. And in fact BMWs may be just as reliable as other cars and it's the super expensive repairs that make it seem so much worse.

venus537 · August 2002

were talking about bad reliability here and it's not about the jetta, what a relief.

fish8 · August 2002

HELLOOOOOO.......(echo echo echo)

chmeeee · August 2002

There's nobody home right now. Please leave a message.

winsan · August 2002

Hi guys, how deep do you need to press the brake pedal before the brake take effect? I have to press 2 inch before the brake starts working.

Thanks!

justin · August 2002

i have had two jettas now, and they are the same. hard to brake smoothly when you first get a Jetta! i don't have to press it down 2 inches, but they aren't the most linear brakes in the industry. i will say the 2002 325Ci does seem to brake smoother than the Jetta. not sure about better or shorter, but the brakes feel easier to control anyway....

Jetta brakes seem to be very grabby.

i drove a Cabrio, and the brakes were "normal"....

must be a jetta thing.

mdaffron · August 2002

You already told us all about your free monthly payment.

Regarding the BBB ...

Will you ever let this END?

Meade

justin · August 2002

i THINK i hear a rattle. from the drivers seat, in the rear door behind me, i think i hear something. it happens with certain songs on the CD player. maybe a loose speaker or something? didn't do it at all this morning though.

have to get the car serviced soon. if i hear it again i will mention it. if not, my lips are sealed.

vocus · August 2002

Loose speaker wire in the door. Had that too.

Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

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