Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

newcar31

10,000 miles. I guess it makes it that much cheaper for VW to give free oil changes up to 20,000 miles. After they got rid of the free oil changes, I wonder if VW changed the interval?

vocus

I have a 2002, and I can rememeber seeing in the manual that you only change the 2.0's oil every 10,000 miles.

I waited to change my oil at 11,500 once in an old Bonneville I had, and it was black as tar. I wouldn't think the oil would look any different (what was left of it) in the 2.0 motor.

johnny282

I know everyone has an opinion on this, but one reason I use Mobile One is so I can get 6000 to 7000 miles between oil changes. But you guys are right, even if your like me and find Jiffy Lube the most convenient method of oil change, check your oil regularly!! The Jiffy lube I go to here in Tucson always reminds me that I can get my fluids checked and/or topped off for free in between changes.....I could stop in every week if I wanted to. For a guy like me who's military and goes on Temp duty, it's nice to be able to tell my wife to just stop in and let them check her car.

One last thing. I wish VW would go to a monitoring system like BMW has. The PCM or some other computer tracks how the car is driven, and a service light comes on when it's time to change the oil. I know it's a pain to get the light reset, but if you do alot of highway driving in moderate temps you could probably get 9 or 10k out of an oil change. Even if it costs an arm and a leg to get it changed at a BMW dealer, you're getting 3x the milage per visit.
BTW, Has anyone heard of oil consumption problems with the VR6?
J

bluewolf

Why is your 1.8T in the shop? I assume it's at the dealer you bought the car at, right? Hope they take care of you soon.

I've had my 1.8T a year now, and love it, no problems at all. (knock on wood) Honestly though, I like my TDI better and will replace the 1.8T with a 2nd TDI.

coolwhite

These newer engine designs will on average consume more oil than 10 years ago due to several engineering changes all for improved fuel economy. Dual overhead cams with 4 or 5 valves per cylinder are designed so that larger volume of oil is delivered to the heads to maintain adequate lubrication which is metered thru the valve stem seals to lube the stems and guides. This oil slowly gets down to the combustion chambers and burns. Many manufacturers are slowly recommending 5W20 grade motor oil for their products (Ford has been filling their 4.6L and 5.4L engines with 5W20 oil since 2001) to improve their corporate fleet mpg ratings but this will result in higher oil consumption for the consumers. I would never use this type of oil! Its 10W40 Castrol GTX dyno or synthetic for my 1.8T. My son's 2002 Cabrio 2.0L runs 6000 miles without any oil consumption. Every engine builder is now using very thin low tension compression rings with plateau honing in the bores. These cylinder bores MUST BE perfectly round and straight or these low tension rings will not seal the irregularities, oil blows by into the crankcase, the EGR system will suck this oil vapor and returns it to the intake and its burned by the engine. Good stuff ha?? Thats why many companies are setting their spec. at 1000 miles/qt. for oil consumption. Its always a good practice to check engine oil dipstick level every 2nd. fuel fillup only when the engine is at normal operating temperature and the engine has been shut off for at least 3 minutes. Remember, the thinner the oil viscosity the higher volume of oil consumption!

vtripicchio

I have a 02 gls 2.0 with about 7500 miles on it. At 1000 miles I put in mobil 1 and changed the oil again at 6k. It was amazing how much oil the car "used" between 1 and 6k, at least 2 quarts of SYNTHETIC oil....It's a good thing I checked the oil at about 4k, it was very low. If I went the full 5k interval, I probably would have ran out. I will now check the oil level every 500 miles, dealers have told me 1/2 to 1 quart every 1k is acceptable. Just for thought, I also purchased a 02 GMC envoy within 2 weeks of the jetta. I also used mobil 1, the car did not use any detectable amount of oil. For that matter, no creaks, rattles, or any of the annoying jetta-type problems with the GMC. The envoy is a Brand new vehicle, the jetta has a few years under it's belt, and the envoy is a signifigantly better initial purchase.....very, very poor build quality in the jetta!

tmc1688

Very interesting story vtripicchio, you say you bought a 2002 Jetta and stated:

(the jetta has a few years under it's belt, and the envoy is a signifigantly better initial purchase.....very, very poor build quality in the jetta!)

How can it have a few years under its belt?

Do you mean its in such a poor quality it is comparable to a used Jetta?

venus537

vw no longer recommends that you use premium gas for the 1.8t. i know the manual recommends premium, but wv isn't about to reprint all their 2002 jetta manuals because of their change of heart. they will go to the expense of making new stickers the for inside of the gas cap though, hence the 87/91 numbers instead of 91. 91 for those who want that little extra power at higher rpms.

my red jetta has been virtually perfect. then again, i just went over 1k mark. i do miss my 16 inch wheels though. my old vr6 had me wishing for my accord's v6, not the case with the 1.8t i have.

jettachick02

My car died at 100 miles !!!!!!! I'm still waiting to get the details from the dealer but while walking for help I did notice the mile and a half stretch the road lined with some sort of fluid leading up to the parked car . Lemon?

8u6hfd

Did you dealer fill out the worksheet on oil consumption, based on the TSB VW sent out to the dealers?

I'm willing to bet the dealers don't want to spend the labor on installing new piston rings to correct the problem.
From Alldata.com
TSB #:1301-01
Date:JUL 01
Title: Engine - Cylinder De-Glazing & Ring Replacement

target3

I do not think so. This came up about a month ago. I called the service department at my dealership and they had heard nothing of the sort. 91 was still recommended.

natasham

I have always been a Jeep driver and I have decided to switch to a VW. I am torn between a used 2000 Jetta GLX (standard shift, fully loaded, with 23K on it) or a new 2002 GLS with much bigger payments! I took the car to a VW dealership (its being sold at a Jeep dealership) just to get it checked out and was told that it looks good- i.e. no flood or accident damage. Any thoughts or problems with either that a former Jeep driver should know before deciding between the two?

mseals

I believe what he was saying is that the design of the Envoy is new, the truck has only been out for this model year. The jetta has been out since the 99 1/2 model year. That means that if there were problems with the jetta, that there has been ample time for VW to fix it. GM would either have to do a recall for any major problems or fix minor ones in the 2003 model.

justin

the Envoy has going for it over the competition is the inline 6 that GM made for it....my opinion.

vocus

My 1.8T is in the shop because of this little rattle I had. I took the car in like 4 different times, and they did not fix it. I was telling my good friend (who is a lawyer) about it, and he said he would give VW a call and see what he could do. They have been sweet as pie to me every since. The regional rep. from Michigan that was sent to Md. to check out the car wants this "rubber treatment" kit ordered for it (don't ask, I don't know). He will not let the car go until it's installed, and this kit comes from Germany (that's what the dealer told me anyway). So I am driving a 2001 New Beetle now. If I have to take this car back again for this rattle, they better pray for themselves. I mean they are treating me great, but tomorrow it will be 2 weeks since I have seen my car. I guess I should be glad it's been in the shop for only a rattle though. But still.

And no, it is not the selling dealership. They are a bunch of buttfaces to say the least. The shop manager there told me "I must have mouse ears" because he did not hear what I was. That went into the certified mail report to VWoA as well, along with his name and dealer name.

vocus

The Envoy has crappy crash protection for a brand new design. Of course, it IS GM.

justin

i hope your car gets fixed up right. i have always used 89 octane in my cars. i figure, why change now. i thought i read somewhere that changing octanes is not good. could be an old car myth though.....

mseals

All SUV really aren't that great in crash testing because most automaker go on the assumption that its sheer mass will protect it. In a car to car collision, they are probably right, but most crash test are with an immovable object so that results in poor crash test. If the jetta and an Envoy were in a head on collision, I think I would rather be in the Envoy. Remember all crash test scores are based on like vehicles, not all vehicles.

I just so happen to ride in a Trailblazer yesterday for the first time. I have to say, that engine is perfection, it is butter smooth and power is on tap at any speed. I have never been in a GM vehicle that had such a smooth engine and my dad has worked for GM for 25 years. That is why I have vow never to by an American car again

bluewolf

Anybody who bought the 2.0L VW absolutely did not do their homework before buying. There is NO good reason to buy a 2.0 over a TDI or the other proven VW engines for that matter. There are some good 2.0s out there, but alot of oil-eaters, and it feels like it's coming apart on the highway. About as refined-feeling as my '91 Escort inline four.

VW needs to lose this engine and come up with a better base engine. The average consumer walks into a dealer, says I want a VW on a budget, and gets a cute car with a terrible engine.

It wouldn't take much research on Vortex or Edmunds to figure out the 2.0 is a gamble.

bpi

"There is NO good reason to buy a 2.0 over a TDI or the other proven VW engines for that matter."
I personally will pick the TDI over the 2.0, but a price difference of at least $1,300 (comparing MSRP's) can tip the scale for a lot of buyers.

justin

the 2.0 is the only engine offered in the Cabrio. some people HAVE to have that car. doesn't mean they will have problems. again, some people actually check their oil. some people use thicker oil. the thing that stinks about the 2.0 is the power to MPG ratio. it stinks.

venus537

try calling a different service department or ask the dealer you called before to explain the updated stickers (87/91 versus 91) the latest jetta 1.8t's now have. the service manager at my dealership has no motive to deceive me and when I saw the new sticker inside the gas cap, all suspicions were removed.

vocus

I agree, I hate the 2.0 engine. In the New Beetle I am driving right now, it does feel alot more powerful than the Jetta though. But it still sucks. And I also measured my mpg by writing down the tripmeter total and dividing it by the amount of fuel put into the car since last fill-up. I am getting 24-25.5mpg, the same as I get with my 1.8T with harder driving! Why get the 2.0, it's no cheaper on gas, because it will use regular as well.

The TDI is a great engine as well. I would rather have one of those than the 2.0 as well. Also, this 2.0 in the New Beetle I have as a loaner (it's a 2001) sounds like a lawnmower engine when revved up. Ugh! I miss my turbo whistle!

vocus

The customer relations manager at the dealer where my car is just called me about an hour ago. She said the part they need (this "rubber treatment" they call it) had NOT come in YET! It will be 2 weeks tomorrow. Good God, I wish it would come on. I want my 1.8T back!

On the other hand, the customer service at this dealership (Russel VW in Baltimore) is phenominal. Whether my car is ready or not, she calls me every other day to check on me and be sure everything's ok with my loaner. She also said she went and talked to the shop foreman about the part 2 times today to see what's going on. I am really thrilled with the service I get from this dealer. Antwerpen VW in Pasadena, Md. (where I bought the car), on the other hand, SUCKS! The service manager literally told me I "had mouse ears" if I heard this noise, or else I was imagining it. I will never go there again.

steven39

hello folks, i posted in here a few
weeks ago, explaining about my new
jetta gls turbo which was purchased
about 1 month pryor. anyway the car
turned out to be so problematic
within 500 miles, examples,ac stop
working, took turbo atleast 30 sec
to get going, airflow sensor failed
driver window fell into door all
this within 500 miles YES U READ
RIGHT WITHIN 500 MILES.anyway the
service advisor at jetta dealership
told me that the jetta is a worthless
piece of crap and he says that buying
a brand new jetta is like buying a
3 year old used car.u can expect
problems right off the bat. he also
went on to say that the problem lies
in where the jetta is built in
mexico. very bad quility control.
have other friends who own jettas
and beatles who have had similar
problems.i have replaced this car
already with a new acura rsx and all
i can say is the difference between
these two cars is night and day.
ALL FUTURE JETTA OWNER WANNABEES
BEWARE!U WILL BE SORRY! SORRY TO
OPEN A CAN OF WORMS HERE BUT THE
TRUTH MUST BE TOLD. THANK YOU.STEVE

xud

Could you state what year was your Jetta? What trim level? and what engine?

vocus

I don't think you are opening a can of worms, buying a Jetta. Alot of people in here have not had troubles with their car. And also, if you had that many problems, you probably could have gotten VWoA to buy the car back or something. Instead you did it the not so smart way and traded the car in, probably lost thousands too. Oh well, live and learn.

xud

I asked the question because VW seems to have improved quality of the Jetta. I thought it might be a 99 or 00 car. I am surprised to know it's a 02.

automan227

Can someone please tell me if I am getting ripped off on this deal? I would appreciate a quick response as I need to make a decision within the next day or so.

2002 Jetta GL
$258 Per Month
$1250 Due at Signing
39 Month Lease
12,000 Miles per Year
Dealership picks up the remaining months of my current lease ($800).

Thanks again.

AS

vocus

You can do better! That's too much money. It should be closer to $200 a month than that, especially with the cash outlay.

pat

Folks, folks, folks:

If you don't believe someone's post, fine, don't respond. A "troll" is encouraged by responses and discouraged by silence.

The comments that I have removed here are way out of line, whether any given message is truthful or not.

You can certainly state your own experiences and observations in response to a post with which you disagree, but calling the poster names and making ugly analogies is firstly not what the Town Hall is all about and secondly counter-productive in that it only encourages the poster to continue.

Email me if you have any questions about this.

Thanks.

Pat
Sedans Host

blueguydotcom

VW sent me a letter this week dated March 2002...it's regarding the ABS recall. Two months!

Gosh, VW is on the ball with recall notices.

raven18

automan227, if you are going to lease make sure you get enough mileage coverage. 12,000 miles per year isn't all that much. I don't take too many long road trips and just basically drive around town or short 100mile trips and I go just over 12,000 a year, but let's say I wanted to take a longer road trip, I would be in trouble with mileage overage. I don't know how many miles you drive per year, or what they will charge per each mile you go over 12,000 per year, but do your math there as well. I always ask for 15,000 per year, to give myself the extra cushion in case I do need to make some long road trips. Another thing to consider when leasing is disposition fee,and wear and tear. Read the fine print before you sign a lease agreement. Hope this helps. Good luck.

automan227

My father who will be driving the car does not put on more then 8000 miles per year so 15,000 is way overkill. Anyway after reading all the bad press that the GL and the 2.0L engine has gotten I have decided to pass on it. I will start looking for a GLS in that 250 per month price range.

Thanks for your help.

AS

vtripicchio

My previous post was not to compare the jetta to the envoy, rather use an example to show my disgust....First off I purchased my 02 gls 5 speed for $13k brand new. I purchased it from a woman that won it in a church raffle. Yeah, I know the 2.0 sucks in power, but I figured how could I go wrong for that kind of money....I needed a "commuter", the envoy was for my wife. I was still going to get the "german" feel: solid ride etc...Well, the engine uses oil like no tomorrow, the doors rattle(i know about the foils, silicone etc) the over-all build quality leaves something to be desired...the jetta has been out since 99 1/2, the envoy is brand new with no major complaints...I love german cars and thier "feel". I have owned two different porsche 944 turbos, i drive my parents 1997 E320 weekly, my business partner has a 540 sport etc...the jetta is not even close in over-all feel or build quality to bmw, mercedes etc...it boggles my mind that people readily spend well upward of $20k+ for a jetta, regardless of the engine...we all laugh at american cars, however my 92 mercury cougar 5.0 has 175k on it and still runs like a champ, with no major repairs...and i challange anyone to find a better 6 cyl engine than gm's new in-line 6, (short of an M3 of-course)....I just am soo dissapointed with this mexican rattle-box....p.s. what is this "rubber treatment", is it for the door rattles? Please explain if so.

fhohio

For the record, we have a 2001 Jetta purchased last summer. Has about 8,000 miles on it, with the 2.0 engine. Only possible complaint is that, like others reporting, the engine seems to use some oil, about 1/2 quart every 1000 miles or so (5-30W). No other problems, rattles, etc at all so far. It seems odd that this car would use more oil than our 1999 Dodge van, or our 1991 Mazda Protege with over 118,000 miles on it. I only wonder if the oil consumption in the Jetta will increase with use and age?

blackjetta18t1

how bout the Audi 2.7T? Audi 3.0? Good engines, are they not? Nissan's VQ series of V6's? There are plenty of V6's out there just as good, and some better than that of GM. Just my opinion though...

steven39

hey folks, just wanted to touch on
a few more things about my car,
first off it was a 2002 gls 1.8turbp
with tiptronic, as you all have
probably read about my car problems.
anyway the service advisor who i was
dealing with at the vw dealership
says that the problems with jetta
quality is where they are built in
mexico.BIG MISTAKE!they are not built
in germany like most people think.
only passat is built there. he also
went on to say that on average he
hears more than 50 jetta complaints
a day, rangeing from electrical,
to jettas needing new brakes with'
under 15000, and major oil cunsumtion
problems with 2.o engine. he says
he has almost quite several times do
to irate customers screaming in his
face,including me. anyway go to
carpoint.com click on jetta cunsumer
reviews and you will see all the
horror stories regarding jettas
especially the one about lady with
new jetta whos tranny blew out at 500
miles while she was on vacation.and
vw came and towed the car to the wrong place and car was missing for
half a day. these cars are built
by MATTEL, OR FISCHER PRICE, OR
TYCO TOYS,this is totally inexcusible
for a car company.i guess the only
saveing grace here is the new
4 year warranty. anyone here who would like to discuss this with me
further can e mail me at
steventhedemon@webtv.net and i would
be more than happy to discuss this
with you. thanks steve

blueguydotcom

Just curious who here has taken their car in for the new ABS controller?

Jettas made in Germany? Who really thinks that? Read the car's sticker...pretty clearly tells you from where all the major parts originate and are assembled. Of course the Jetta wagon is an exception, but lets not go there.

And I'm not attacking anyone's veracity this time or making "ugly" analogies.

protege_fan

What is the ABS recall specifically for? Just a bad controller?

socal007

Any info re: this engine (which will be in the Touareg) being available for the Jetta/Golf ??

moparbad

The 220HP VR6 may be in the MkV Jetta and Golf, but not in the current Golf and Jetta.

blueguydotcom

If I recall correctly, yes. Some worry about a the part heating up to surface-of-the-sun temperatures then thermonuclear meltdown and eventual armageddon. But really what component failure doesn't lead to the inevitable conclusion of life as we know it?

protege_fan

Must have been somewhat serious for them to issue a recall notice, no? When they sent you the recall, do they tell you a particular VIN range? OR do they just send the notice to those affected?

vocus

I never got a recall, and got my car checked at the dealer anyway through its VIN#. Mine was not affected, and it was built in Sept. 2001. They just send a recall to a particular person, because I have gotten them before for other cars I have owned.

Anakin

I think they just send out blanket recall notices. I had my car checked last week when I had my 10k service and mine was fine.

steven, I'm sorry to hear you had problems with your Jetta, but it's not the end of the world, and it certainly doesn't make all of our Jettas bad. I've had my 02 Jetta since September and it has 10k trouble-free miles on it. If you didn't know your car was built in Mexico, it's YOUR fault for not reading the window sticker.

Good luck with your RSX.

cybrwmn

Greetings:
I'm in the market for a 2.0 Jetta GLS, 5 speed with leather and luxury packages. The Monsoon is possible, but I'd prefer to hear it first. (Emissions are included in both invoice prices below)

I want to lease for either 3 or 4 years with $2,500 down either way and 15K per year. Is $19,881 a good price on which to base a lease?

Both KBB and Edmunds put the invoice at $18,972 without the Monsoon and $19,259 with the Monsoon. I don't know how updated these websites are though. I had one fleet dealer say that invoice was $19,581 and that I could have it for $300 over.

Then there is the "holdback" issue which all dealers say "isn't a factor."

Suggestions? Help?

TIA,
CybrWmn

blueguydotcom

Why are you putting so much money downon a lease? That money is gone forever...

Spread out that 2500 over the course of the car's payments. Even if that means you pay $50-60 more per month, you're still gonna come out ahead as you'll have that cash gaining interest.

A 3 year lease is a VERY long time if you dislike the car. 4 years is interminable and you'll be outa warranty on the car. Do you want to pay for warranty-type issues on a car you don't even own?

Last, ask to see an invoice in person. Edmunds and KBB have been wrong before, but why chance it?

bpi

"Spread out that 2500 over the course of the car's payments. Even if that means you pay $50-60 more per month, you're still gonna come out ahead as you'll have that cash gaining interest."

Putting the $2,500 in a money market account is financially better than putting it down on the lease? Unless by gaining interest, you meant appreciating in value as in a stock market or other non-riskless investments.

gp33122

I have a 2002 Jetta 1.8T automatic. Has anyone else experienced some misfire at early morning startup, but then goes away after a few seconds. I took the car to VW service and they changed the wires and spark plugs and kept it over night to start it up in the morning. Next morning came and it kept misfiring. They then emptied the gas tank and put their own gas and kept it over night again. Next morning the misfiring did not occur. Service advisor said to try a different gas station, always using premium gas of course. I tried that for a few weeks and it seemed to work, but I've noticed that it has slowly started to misfire at early morning startups again. Has anyone else experienced this and got it fixed? If so, how did they fix it?