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Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

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Comments

  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    huh? you lost me? i KNOW you aren't actually telling what my personal experiences are! :) you must be trying to say something else.

    please elaborate.

    thanks!

    FYI - almost bought a Maxima - lots of experience with them. As far as the G - drove one about 2 months ago for about 30 minutes. I couldn't get past the cheap interior, and the typical sleazy non English speaking salesperson. gold chains and all. no kidding. that is what is selling infiniti's here in the DC area....

    Outside of front end styling, the G just doesn't offer anything over the Max in my opinion. But again, I would be in a Passat over any of them. Why is it that even Lexus GS400 power window switches are cheap compared to my Jetta? I guess I have been spoiled....
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Talk about bad luck with tires...I just got my tires rotated on Saturday at my 20K service with my oil change, and I parked the car all day after that. I went out Sunday evening with a friend and her 2 kids, and noticed my left front tire was a little low. So I checked the air pressure, 15psi! Ugh, it was going flat. So I went and tried to change the thing, but the VW jack is rediculous. This person at Wal-Mart (I changed it in the parking lot) was nice enough to lend me her power jack, and lifted the car right up. The wheel nuts were hard to get off too, since they were just torqued that day. Anyway, got it all done. A nail in the left front tire! They patched it though, and $20 later it's back on the car. Love having the full-size spare too, not having to worry about having the cheap donut tire on if something would happen.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    If you are getting a new Jetta as a first car, I would definitely recommend it. And VW has a first time buyer program too (check their site, http://www.vw.com under "finance" for more info). A used Jetta, however, will make for expensive parts and repairs eventually. Good luck with the car search.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have only driven my car (with 17s and sport suspension) in the snow one time, and it was only like 3 inches. No problems, and the Tiptronic was a great feature to have as well. Since we here in MD don't get much snow, I don't think snow tires would be needed. But if you have alot of snow, then it might be advisable to get the 16" wheels (205/55R16) wheels and snow tires.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    seen that Jetta ad where the guy is in his Jetta sitting in the factory? I thought it was funny - the people in the factory say "Security!" in English. I should think they would be speaking Spanish in Mexico....
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Mexicans can't or don't know how to speak english?
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    are you referring to my post? must not be, since i did not say that Mexican's can't or don't know how to speak English.

    i was remarking how, if VW wanted to "keep it real"...they should have made the ad different. assuming most jettas bound for the U.S. (target audience for ad) are made in Mexico.

    got anything else???
  • balticjetta18tbalticjetta18t Member Posts: 146
    I fully understand the bit about the spare jack. I learned how to use mine in my garage my first month of ownership. I was installing the OEM accessory mud guards on all four fenders. I had to turn the front wheels in full opposite steering directions in order to install the fronts.
    I had to remove each rear wheel as you have to drill into the plastic wheel house to line up the mounting screws. I put a small piece of plywood under the jack so those nubs would not crunch into my concrete garage floor. I keep it in the spare tire bay JIC. It was good though to be familiarized with how the jack does work for any future reference. The flat piece of wood would come in handy if you had to change a tire on a soft shoulder too.
    BTW...I believe we have VW roadside assistance that would have done your emergency tire change for free...
  • ferricfootferricfoot Member Posts: 8
    I'm not a parent but if I were, I'd consider a car that is 1) safe, and 2) reliable. I thought that my old Corolla was both when I bought it as my first car a number of years ago.

    I chose to go the Jetta route this time because I was looking for a car that was a little more fun to drive and I think I have a winner in my 1.8T!

    Now, looking at it from a kid point of view, for the same money as a Jetta, couldn't the folks get junior a Miata? On the coolness scale, I'd say that the ragtop is a lot cooler than the sedan! Or even the Rab..., uh, Cabrio?! That might also be cooler than the Jetta.

    Anyway, just my $.02
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    My feelings on cars and kids: you want a car, earn the money and buy it yourself. :) It's what I did and I strongly believe in that concept.

    Of course if my kid bought a used VW I'd assume he/she was the milkman's progeny.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    45 new messages?

    You guys have been busy!
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    "2. Buy 15" wheels and tires (as suggested some 400 messages ago)? If so, what are the benefits of smaller tires in the snow?"

    I'd choose this option. You can have dedicated snows, the cost is less, and you can do it yourself as the season dictates. You can even switch to non-snows for a long trip if you know it will be dry roads...

    Plus, there is probably more variety of tires in 15". You'll also get longer lifespan out of your tires.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    Oh yeah, you don't drive fast in snow anyhow, so any performance "gain" would not be apparent with sticking (or not, pun intended) to 17" tires.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    "What part of the country are you in and how much snow do you normally get there?
    Normal avg. here is 6-18 in. plus ice."

    Here in Taxachusetts,(http://www.smallgovernmentact.org), we can sometimes see twice that in a single storm!
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    I'd say go with a used S10 pickup or Ford Ranger or other small pickup truck.

    Get 2WD, and the 4.3 motor, smaller motor if you are worried about gas efficiency.

    Don't worry about body, but make sure good mechanicals.

    If you are in snow country DON'T SKIMP, GET GOOD SNOW TIRES. Also, get a locking rear differential. This will be as good as 4X4 for way less money.

    You will be happy with the performance, you can move your stuff around, and you might be able to use it to make some money on the side (moving people, landscaping, odd jobs, etc.).

    Good luck.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    Thinner width snow tires "slice" through the snow and slush and make contact with pavement better than wider tires.

    Visualize a sharp knife versus a dull knife
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    If only the VW Jetta turbo had RWD....

    sigh...
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    "I went downstairs and stuffed a drain plug in the condensation drain tube. Problem fixed"

    that was not a nice thing to do. you're a meanie.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    #7262 of 7271 First Cars by ferricfoot

    Now, looking at it from a kid point of view, for the same money as a Jetta, couldn't the folks get junior a Miata? On the coolness scale, I'd say that the ragtop is a lot cooler than the sedan! Or even the Rab..., uh, Cabrio?! That might also be cooler than the Jetta.

    ---------------
    #7263 of 7271 ferric by blueguydotcom

    My feelings on cars and kids: you want a car, earn the money and buy it yourself. :) It's what I did and I strongly believe in that concept.
    ...


    Cool? Get the kid a Jeep or a VW Thing.

    Best idea? UMass had free (to local residents, not to taxpayers of Taxachusetts) buses around the 5 college area.
  • geoffdgtigeoffdgti Member Posts: 83
    2. Buy 15" wheels and tires (as suggested some 400 messages ago)? If so, what are the benefits of smaller tires in the snow?"

    I'd choose this option. You can have dedicated snows, the cost is less, and you can do it yourself as the season dictates. You can even switch to non-snows for a long trip if you know it will be dry roads...


    You want smaller 15" (steel) rims in the winter so you have more sidewall to absorb the impact of all the potholes. 17" wheels don't last long in the winter in my part of the world. (Northern New England) If you happen to live in a part of the world blessed with good road surfaces, 17" wheels with all-season radials should work fairly well for occasional snow driving.

    It's also better to run a width no wider than a 195 on a VW in the winter. On a slippery surface, it's the downforce per square inch that gives you the traction so you're trying to minimize the amount of tread on the road. A wider tire will work OK but you'll be giving up some traction.

    All in all, a VW is a great snow car and it'll get you there in the snow with performance 17" tires as long as you drive cautiously and avoid driving when there's more than 6" of unplowed muck on the road. I run Nokian Hakka Q's on 15" steel wheels in the winter but that's because I frequently see rain to ice to snow transitions where the new generation high tech studless snow/ice tires work best.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    When I slit my right front tire on the curb about 2 months ago, I called VW Roadside assistance. It took the truck 3 HOURS to get to me. I was at my friend's house, so I didn't care, but still.

    I figured I would lift the car myself and do the tire swap this time, but didn't realize the standard jack was so complicated. I am glad that woman came by and let me use her big jack.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I know what you mean about buying a car yourself. You will have more respect for it. I used to beat the crap out of my mom's car when I drove it, because it wasn't mine (I did buy her one to replace the one I beat into the ground though). I have had like 5 cars in the past 5 years, all paid for by myself. I appreciate them more that way. :)
  • geoffd1geoffd1 Member Posts: 21
    When I slit my right front tire on the curb about 2 months ago, I called VW Roadside assistance. It took the truck 3 HOURS to get to me. I was at my friend's house, so I didn't care, but still.

    I haven't used it but I thought VW roadside was actually AAA? The quality of AAA depends 100% on the luck of the draw on the local garage. I've had them no-show. I've had them show up in 5 minutes and do a really good job.

    I figured I would lift the car myself and do the tire swap this time, but didn't realize the standard jack was so complicated. I am glad that woman came by and let me use her big jack.

    I got a flat when my GTI was a week or two old. I had to read the stinkin' manual but the jack worked well enough to do the job. I couldn't get anybody to pull off my snowtires last spring so I went to WalMart, bought a floor jack, and changed the steel wheels and snowtires out in their parking lot.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The reason it took so long was because the tow truck driver got lost or something, he said. I realize the roadside assistance is only AAA, but I still had to wait 3 hours. :) I am glad it's free, because if I paid for AAA and still had to wait for 3 hours, I would have been a little upset.

    I am thinking about investing in a floor jack, as to not have to worry about using the jack that came with the car. I never thought it would matter really, since I don't do my own maintenance or anything like that. But, with my luck with tires, it seems almost appropriate to buy one of those jacks. :)

    To their credit, I love the way VW lays out the compartment for the spare and tools. Very nice. The jack seems more complicated than the ones I used with the Proteges (99 and 01) that I had.
  • AnakinAnakin Member Posts: 410
    I used the jack when I got my aftermarket wheels, and I don't remember it being complicated.

    My wife says I'm really good with mechanical things, but I think that's only because she can't tell a phillips head from a straightedge.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    "...VW roadside was actually AAA? The quality of AAA depends 100% on the luck of the draw on the local garage. I've had them no-show. I've had them show up in 5 minutes and do a really good job."

    Which is why you should report them to AAA. If they get enough reports, they will not carry that garage any longer. It really does work to complain to the right people you know.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I should know that more than anyone here. :)

    As far as the jack, it just seemed like it was difficult to get under the car. Of course, it was hot as hell and dark when I was trying to do this, so I was not in the most cooperative of moods. :)
  • gracieb712gracieb712 Member Posts: 3
    I need some help - a friend of mine is deciding between a 1992 Jetta w/ 103K miles on it, current owner has only had it 2 months and there are no service records available and a 1991 Geo metro, 42K miles, all service records available, owned by one little old lady. Price is the same for both: $2,000.

    I have been reading a lot about fuel pump problems on older Jettas...and I wonder if the guy selling this one smells a problem coming. My friend is a 52 year old woman, and she is single.... so she has no one around to give her a straight opinion. she has called 2 mechanics and they disagree.
  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    May sound surprising, but for an older VW, she will end up spending a lot of money, time and trouble keeping it in good running shape. The Geo will handle abuse better, provided it has been taken care of well (having all records is a big plus). Chekc to see if it has remained parked and entirely unused for any extended periods of time - that could be detrimental. If the oil changes and service intervals are approximately equally spaced out, its been used as a low mileage but regular use car.

    Then again, numerous short trips play havoc with a car's transmission. It is really a toss up - have them both inspected by mechanics before you decide. (as opposed to just calling the mechanics and asking their opinion!)

    But at that price point ($2K) she can't go wrong with the Geo. Possibilities
    a. Very carefully maintained, no problems, continues to provide great service - great!
    b. If problems crop up, they can't be major (assuming no major repairs were previously needed and the inspection checks out ok), and will cost MUCH less to repair and take care of than the Jetta.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    to anyone that is reading this forum, thinking about buying a VW of any kind.

    beware VW Credit.

    i financed my 2002 Jetta through them for 60 months last October, at 5.5%. my credit union is offering me 4.9 %. so to save money (and consolidate other credit union business) i sent a pay off check to VW credit. they received the check. i know this because I Fed Ex'd it, and, they admitted they received it.

    however, they have now conveniently "lost" my check. they tell me I have to stop payment on it, and get another check from my credit union.

    VW credit are complete and total idiots. if it weren't so time consuming, i would not be getting another check to them. the family attorney says that they have my payment - they admitted to having it - not my fault they chose not to cash the check :) but he says i would still receive bills in the mail from VW, and it would be a court battle. so, to save time, i am actually allowing them to humiliate me, and i am doing more legwork (going to the credit union, fed-exing again, etc).

    just wanted to pass it along. VW cars = near perfection. VW CREDIT = common corporate thieves!
  • balticjetta18tbalticjetta18t Member Posts: 146
    You have a tracking # from FedEx, true?
    Get the name of the recipient whom signed for your FedEx envelope...
    Ask your credit union to see if the check has cleared... Was it a CU draft signed by your bank or did you sign it? OR, was it a payoff check made out directly to VW credit by your CU? Get this information and call them to force them to track it. If they did cash it and your CU has the returned canx check, then you can shove that down their throat. Usually your refinancing institution will sent a bank check or draft directly to the lien holder since they are acquiring the new lien on your vehicle. Get your CU involved and do not take VW credit's humiliation. You need to humiliate them period.
    Good Luck...
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    I financed thru VW Credit and have not had any problems. No lost payments or other issues. How can so many of the people who own VW's and participate at Edmunds have so many problems? I have TWO VW's and very, very few problems. My Jetta and Golf are both rattle free and the only problems have been one window regulator and a heated mirror. And I expected to have problems with the regulator. I must be very lucky.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I am leasing through VW Credit and so far so good. All corporations will have issues like this come up. I hate for someone to generalize to that extent. Thats like saying I have a rattle in my dash so ALL VW's are POS's. It's just unfair.

    Justin: I am sorry to hear about your "VW Credit" problems. I'm sure it will work out in the end.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    no, the check has not been cashed. and like i said, they admit to have received the check. they just say they have lost it.

    i am sending one more check. i have been advised that this one will be processed immediately.

    we shall see....

    i wouldn't generalize about VW Credit except that i have spoken to literally 20 people - each one more idiotic than the next.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I totally agree with you. I should be more mad than anyone on the board, because it seems I have had the most problems with my Jetta (since it's a 2002 anyway). I still love the car, despite the problems I have been having. I don't know if I would ever buy another one, but I do still like my car.

    I just turned 20K miles last night, and everything still is fine...
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    How long is your commute each day? You seem to put tons of miles on your car.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I live in Baltimore and drive to Lanham, MD each day, 35 miles one way. With going out with friends or my dad alot at night, it's nothing to put on 100 miles a day. And even though my car was in the shop for 2 months (I put about 5000 miles on loaner cars!), my mileage is still high. If I had driven the car every day without "down" time, the mileage would be closer to 25K now.

    I don't mind commuting for work though, since the jobs in Baltimore city tend to pay less. Also, you have to pay for parking there. So on that alone, it's worth the drive.

    Even though I have 20K miles now, the dealer told me a couple weeks ago I would still get $18K for the car if I traded it in (which is NOT happening any time soon). I think that's pretty good resale.
  • blackjetta18t1blackjetta18t1 Member Posts: 278
    2001 VW Jetta GLS 2.0 auto
    Burns oil, has the same loud knocking sound, has bad brakes that were supposed to be replaced, but were not...., rattles, climate control lights do not work, new driver door latch needed, going over any bumbs or road irregularities-you hear LOUD squeaking from the car, like the shocks need lubrication or something, and once again the passenger chair needs a new seat frame....POS

    Anyone got any idea what the loud squeaking whilke going over bumbs or bad road is? I've had it for a while and never thought anything of it then my cousin with his 02 Jetta said his does not do it and my friends 93 Saab doesnt either.

    Also, yesterday I was coming home from New York City and stuck in some traffic, but then it opened up alittle bit but the road was all chewed up for construction, and while going over that I noticed the EPC light come on. What does that mean? What could the reasoning be?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Sounds like you got a "problem child" as well, like I did. Also, if your EPC light came on, the computer probably stored the code. Get the dealership to check it and see what's up with it.

    Someone here at work does have a problem that I forgot to mention though: They just bought a used Jetta GL from Carmax about 2 months ago. He realized the car burned 4 quarts of oil in about 1000 miles. He is HOT! I told him that was a characteristic of the 2.0 engine, and he should have done his research.

    Another co-worker of mine hates his gf's Jetta, saying the back brakes went up on it at 30K miles, and some other things happend to the car. She can't wait to get rid of it.
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Four quarts in 1,000 miles is excessive. If the car is under 50,000 miles it should be covered under the 5 year 50K powertrain coverage for second owner. New rings in the motor should solve the problem and be covered by VW.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Thanks alot. I will tell him. I had forgotten about the warranty carrying over to the second owner.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I have the 2.0 in my Jetta and my car has not used a single drop in 3,000 miles. Maybe the '02 are fixed when it comes to oil burning. I'll cross my fingers!!
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    i would be careful about oil burning. is their smoke? a tell tale sign is blue or black smoke, or oil under your car. if you have leaks, or smoke, then it is obviously in need of repairs.

    if you have no smoke, and no pools of oil, then the car is just an oil pig. :(

    not a good thing mind you, but i wouldn't think the car would actually be damaged, unless it runs out of oil.

    some cars go through times when they use more oil than other times. when my car was new, it used about a 1/4 of a quart. ever since the 5k oil change, it hasn't used ANY. not sure why....
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have to keep in mind to check my oil. I checked it at 18K miles, and it was fine from the 15K oil change. I did alot of highway driving between then too, but the oil level was right on. I think the 2.0 engine is more a culprit of this than the others though.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Like I said, there are alot of people at my work who have MKIV Jettas. Well, there are 2 guys whose gfs have Jettas, a 1999 and a 2000 (both 2.0). The 1999's back brakes went at 30K, the front bumper fell off the car for no reason (hard to believe to me), and the MAF went too.

    On the 2000, the window fell into the door. The guy said he doesn't like the car much at all, yet they still have it. He said they were gonna get rid of it a couple of weeks ago, and the payoff matched what the car was worth. If they hate the car so much and they are even on top of it, I wonder why they didn't get rid of it? Makes no sense to me.

    On the other hand, my other co-worker leased a 1999 Jetta GLX with everything. She said she loved the car in the 3 years she leased it (she took it back to them, because she didn't want a car payment), and NEVER had a problem (no windows, no MAF, no nothing). So there are good Jettas out there, contrary to some popular belief.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I know I have had some bumps along the way with my car (9 months, 20K now and it's a 2002 1.8T), but I really like it alot. I would be a little hesitant in buying another one though. It seems that I can't find anything out there for the price of ~$20K that I like though. People look at me like I am crazy when I tell them how much I like my car, knowing the drama I have had with it.

    This is not an issue for me right now, but just something I was thinking about. What do you all think? And would you buy the same car again if you had the chance all over again?
  • hoodornamenthoodornament Member Posts: 114
    VW credit is definitely behind the times, I wish they could offer quality "service" as much as they do quality vehicle. For example, I chose to pay an extra $100 per payment to knock down the principle on my Passat. What ended up happening is that they reduced my payment by $100 each month, so instead of owing $535 a month, I would get a bill for $435 the next month, $335 the following, etc ,etc. This is a disgrace. Additionally, the person on the phone promised to fix it, it took 4 months. Finally, the bill doesnt tell you what you owe on principal, and most of all no auto bill payment or balance info on the web?
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    yes, they are rejects. i LOVE online bill payments. VW credit is lame. i hate them :)
  • balticjetta18tbalticjetta18t Member Posts: 146
    I refinanced my O1 Jetta 3 mos after I took delivery on a 6.9%, 60 mos to a 5.9% for 58 months from a local bank. My new bank handled everything fine with no repurcusions. I kept my payment exactly the same and took a cash in pocket return of $600 and added my skipped month's payment (due to paperwork) and purchased my extended warranty in cash. With 24k, 2yr B2B warranty, I wanted to know that I was totally covered as long as I was paying a loan on the car. This was to supplement the 10yr, 100k powertrain factory coverage.

    As far as VW Credit sending a next months bill when you paid an extra $100, their computer system was correct in billing you the lesser amts. That was OK as you just continue paying your $100 over payment. Your true total payoff amt. is dropping along with the accrued amt. of interest. I had the same situation with a Student loan for 10 yr term. I would send in normal payments in the beginning, and sent in big chunks resulting from bonuses and large tax returns. They in turn sent me statements that would say I didn't owe anything until some future date as the total of ten years to pay it back still stood.
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