Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

justin

good points, until your last sentence. i think people buy VW's because they are far from Protege/Civic/Corolla, and you only pay a small amount more, sometimes, to get the VW.

do you still find people with window and MAF problems? do these people know that the MAF issue goes away on its own usually? my 99 VR6 had the light on the dash. i ran the car almost out of gas, the light came on, filled it up with gas twice, light went off, never to return again. naturally, i learned my lesson about gas caps, and running out of gas in general. it does something with a vacuum system something blah blah blah.

i never had window issues. i knew people with pre Gen IV VW's that did however. lots of them. do you know, since the Cabrio is really just a Gen 3 Golf, does it still have the window issues?

newcar31

or has Justin had problems with all his cars that were non-VW? I swear, Justin has had every car that has been compared to the Jetta in this forum and they all have had unusual problems, yet the VW's he has owned (which are known for unusual problems) have been trouble free. Heck, the Jetta is even more fun to drive than a brand new 3 series according to Justin. Something is kinda fishy here......

Ground control to Major Justin........

vocus

Yes, I am driving a Protege DX now. Manual windows, pop locks. It's nothing compared to the Jetta.

But I am picking up my car tonight from the dealer. They said it's working within manufacturer specs, and they can't do any more with it. I get to drive it on my trip to NC tomorrow (gone until Saturday), so that's good. I am going to the lawyer tomorrow before I leave.

So we shall see what happens when I return, with the Jetta Saga.

justin

seriously, i think what it is, is like what i saying with regard to Paul. i bought every car that was supposed to be wonderful and reliable. because i was really into that, or i thought i was. then, from experience, i learned, it is all a load of BS. no car is perfect.

with that information that i learned the hard way, i figured, if no car is going to be trouble free, why not buy the car that looks better, drives better, is safer, has more elegant style, and the FABULOUS blue interior lights?

nothing fishy at all really. and yes, i have had MANY MANY cars. all for about a year, except for a Sentra and my VW's.

anonymous02

Better cars for the money?

Altima? Subaru? Accord? Regal(not sure on cost here)?

Oh, and silver door handles make the car???? (I do like chrome, and would love to see real metal bumpers again with lots of chrome!)

justin

NC huh?? Raleigh? that will be a fun trip in the Jet! just try to ENJOY the drive. if you let yourself, you will have a blast on I-85!

anonymous02

"you have a protege as a loaner? that has got to be, well, as protege_fan says, ironic! do you feel "home" now that you are driving it again?

you can pick up a new Protege for CHEAP. get a one year old used one (Hyundai's now hold their value better) for even cheaper. with a good warranty left too. and no rattles!"

Better yet, keep driving the Protege, and let the VW sit in the shop for a year. You can rack up the miles on their car, then just take the VW back with low mileage, and sell it off.

Don't forget to do your home improvement projects (cement, lumber, bricks, pipe, loam, mulch, shrubs) while you still have the loaner car.

:-)

protege_fan

Great idea with the home improvement projects!! HAHAHAHA!!

So Paul, since you're taking your car (ie. the Jetta) on this trip, that'll push you over the mileage limit for the Lemon law right? How will that impact your case?

newcar31

Anyone: "I have a Civic and it's pretty nice"

Justin: "I had one of those, the dashboard fell off then it exploded with 3000 miles on it"

Anyone: "I think the Protege is a pretty nice car"

Justin: "I had one of those, it was running on one cylinder as I drove it off the lot with 300 miles. Then the wheels fell off. It didn't rattle though"

Anyone: "The Accord is a pretty nice car"

Justin: "I had one of those, it was so boring that I went into a coma while driving it. When I came out of the coma, I went to drive the car. As soon as I pulled out of the driveway, it started to overheat. Then the wheels fell off. Then the car exploded. So much for Honda reliability"

protege_fan

Where'd you find that nail and how'd you hit it so hard right in the head???

fish8

You wrote:

"I can't help but wonder how the "rattle Jettas" are driven and the image of the chase scene in Ronin is the first thing that comes to my mind."

My rattle serviced when my Jetta had 500-600 miles on the odo. (BTW: my car had about 150 when I bought it) How hard can I drive in those short miles? I also took it easy since those were break in miles.

I would be able to live with my Jetta with the dash rattle(maybe), but I will try and fight to get it fixed. I am not sure if I would go to the lengths that Vocus is, but unless I am in that situation I don't really know.

Off topic question (everyone stop cheering): How often do you wash your cars and with what type of soap. I am totally obsessed about my Jettas appearance and am just curious about others car habits.

vocus

That was too funny! Justin, no hard feelings, I was just in a really bad mood today and that literally made me laugh out loud! Thanks, I needed that.

vocus

I talked to my lawyer already, and he said since I already alerted them about the car before 15K, that's what matters. But thanks for the concern.

And as far as "using" the loaners, I am glad these loaners can't talk when I take them back!

vocus

I usually get the dealer to wash the car. Since it's there all the time, I have not washed it since I have owned it (7 months tomorrow).

VW sent me this little car care kit though, when I first got the car. I hear the soap in there is pretty good, but don't know as I never have had a chance to use it yet.

And my car is driven mostly on the highway, and not abused at all. 9/10 smooth roads, so I don't get why it rattles.

protege_fan

I recommend a good wash like Mother's California Gold (doesn't strip wax) or Meguiar's Gold Class. These are both cheap and easy to find. If you want higher quality (ie. more expensive) there are others that you can get mail order or off the internet.

If you want a really good forum about car care, email me and I'll send you the address.

Also, check out the forum here in TownHall called "Store bought waxes Part II (No Zaino posts)". Very good info there and knowledgable folks to answer anything and everything you need.

fish8

Car care kit????

I got 2 small peices of chocolate in a really big box. I looked at the box and thought it was going to be something cool and I opened it and it was chocolate with my dealers name on it. I guess its better than nothing.

I use Zaino products on my car and my wifes. Great stuff!!

protege_fan

I'm not letting them wash my car anymore. It was nice the one time I let them do it in the cold of winter, but I know they've induced a few swirls into my paint, so the only person I let touch my paint is myself.

protege_fan

Oh....if you're using Zaino then all is good. I hear that stuff is great. I think Sal also makes a wash, doesn't he?

fish8

The bad thing about Zaino is you can only buy it via mail no internets purchases available. But, it is well worth the money.

protege_fan

I was told that there are "distributors" that you can find if you email them. Still, I like the ease of walking into a store and buying what I need.

I'm using the Mother's "Ultimate" 3-step system and I've had really good results. Their clay bar is really good too.

rigbygs

No rattles, but the following: Window regulators on front doors left and right doors, and left rear passenger door. If I replace the front regulators this will be set number four. 1 @ Mass Airflow Sensor. 1 @ AC Switch/Sensor, yet to be replaced. 1 @ Coolant/Radiator Sensor. 1 @ Rear Break Pads w/ one rotor. 1 @ turn signal switch. Oxygen Sensors 3rd Set. Car was purchased new in January 2000. 1st problem started in September, if I recall, and it has been nothing but problems sent. VW Customer Care... funny
Also forgot to add, that during my last vist to VW, I was told I would need a new Throttle Body...

fish8

I've heard Mothers is good. I just like the ease at which Zaino comes off after it is dry. My Jetta has no less than 4 layers of Zaino wax on it. It really makes the car easy to keep clean.

Vocus: You have never washed your car? EVER? Poor car!!

justin

god, as much as i hate to say it, i kind of laughed too. seriously, i did have a lot of drama with old cars. but, as i have realized, cars are metal and rubber. it is the person that makes the actual problem last longer than it needs to.

i do have to question why newcar feels the need to cloak his obvious dislike for me with "humor" though. is there a reason you can't just be direct and say what's on your mind? isn't that what the car forums are really for? for frustrated/dimished male ego's to try to make other people feel bad, cause in real life they are at the bottom of the feeding chain. newcar, you aren't even doing that right! come on now!

and by the way, i NEVER had an Accord. was never that young and stupid. or old and boring, as is usually the case

and i was only in that coma once, but luckily the exploding Protege woke me from it, in time to find my evil twin and my stepmother plotting to buy me a sporty Camry Solara.

lesleym

This is the third time in 2 years that my front window regulators on my 1999 Jetta have broken and my window has crashed into my door. And of course it occurs every summer when those cheap plastic things melt. Will they ever fix this problem? This time my warranty was expired so I called VW Customer Service at 800-428-4034 and they paid for 100% of parts and labor so they must know the part is cheap and unreliable. If this happens to you, please call CS and get VW to pay for it. The more people that complain, the more they have to pay so they might actually try to fix the part permanently.

vocus

What model Jetta do you have? I bet it's a 2.0 model, because I hear they have the most trouble.

I have also heard of a couple of VR6 owners (the SOHC one) having to replace their trannies too.

newcar31

"is there a reason you can't just be direct and say what's on your mind?"

Yeah, it's that dang Town Hall membership agreement.

"for frustrated/dimished male ego's to try to make other people feel bad, cause in real life they are at the bottom of the feeding chain."

I don't understand why you need to start with the socio-economic psychology garbage everytime I say something you don't like. It isn't just me either. Paul is really angry about his car. Your advice: "Just be happy, you shouldn't worry about your car, bla bla bla, nobody makes a perfect car, bla bla bla, find a happy place, etc." Bottom of the food chain? Ha! I used to be at the bottom of the food chain when I worked at Jiffy Lube during college, then I graduated.

rigbygs

Yes it is a 2.0

I also called a local import repair specialist shop about three weeks ago. Same issue with many VW's of same make / model. His comment, unsolicited, was He was sorry that I had a lemon. I then asked about the other problems, and he said that he was having to fix the same type of problems two or three times for the same car. He also informed me that VW had just dropped the prices on the Mass Airflow Sensor Sensor, which is said is common when they start experiencing a lot of calls on the product / part...

anonymous02

I usually use Ivory liquid (or whatever dishwash liquid is available), but right now have a bottle of Rainwash car wash liquid from Walmart.

I use the orange bottle of Nufinish liquid for a wax. Easy on, easy off.

I try to wash once a week if possible, once a month no matter what. Wax 2-3 times a year (even though mfr. says only 2x).

rigbygs

Someone must not like me... I call, and the story each and every time is no, or you must pay for labor, or I'm sorry the warranty miles expired, so we will not fix or assist. I simply do not have the money... After a while it becomes trying... Not that I have given up... I completely understand what you are going through, and I especially know how bad this can be since I have no AC at this time, again because I don't have the money to fix and VW will only pay for the part, but want at least 4 hours of labor....

fish8

FYI

Dishwashing soap is the worse thing you could ever use on a car finish. It was meant to clean pots and pans not car finishes. Everytime you use it it take the wax(protectant) right off your car. I would recommend using the car wash you bought at WalMart.

anonymous02

I usually use it VERY diluted (1 teaspoon to a 5 gallon pail of water).

Also, I wax often.

I find the rainwash cleaner doesn't really clean all that well.

I guess it is better than ammonia (which I have used in the past).

protege_fan

Dawn is used by a lot of detailers to remove old coats of wax. It is harsh because it is fairly alkaline, but once or twice a year is not going to destroy your paint. I just used Dawn this last weekend and it removed the wax in a hurry! Just be sure to rinse lots so there's no film/residue and there is no damage.

That said, I would NOT wash every time with dish soap as I use carnauba wax and I don't really want to wax every week!!

bluong1

If yes how often you should do this? I use Nu Finish to wax my car. They recommend to wax once every six months, and apply each time two layers. I just did it last week on my one year old Mazda Protege5 and the car feels smooth like glass.

Bruno

protege_fan

I think it's necessary when you're wanting to apply your wax, etc. to the freshest possible surface. For example, if you're using high-quality waxes, you want there to be nothing but clearcoat between the paint and the product.

I used Nu-finish, but it left wax residue everywhere and stained my black trim. Thumbs down from me.

Nu-finish is a polymer that offers long lasting protection, but the shine is nothing compared to a carnauba wax. It just depends on what you're after....shine or durability.

anonymous02

It got good ratings from Consumer Reports (for whatever THAT might be worth!) and it is easy to apply/take off. THAT is worth a lot to me!

justin

hey there. sorry about your car. a 99 gen 3 or gen 4 Jetta?

pat

folks we need to remember that we are here to talk about cars and not each other.

Thanks.

Pat
Sedans Host

curioushokie

Hey all, I wanted to replace my stock head unit and get one with a CD player. I have the Monsoon right now, and was told if i replace the head unit, I would also have to replace the speakers, since Monsoon runs on a different power level (1 ohm compared to 3-4 or something like that). Is this true, or the guy have no clue what he's talking about?

vcjumper

Distributor around here is a barber shop!

protegextwo

"But I am picking up my car tonight from the dealer. They said it's working within manufacturer specs, and they can't do any more with it..."
by vocus

I just received my copy of Consumer Reports: August 2002 Issue. They did a nice comparo on the Ford Focus ZX5 Hatch, Subaru Impreza Outback, VW Jetta Wagon, Toyota Matrix/Vibe Crossover and the Mazda Protege 5. The VW Jetta Wagon GLS 1.8T was ranked highest., by CR.

But,....I almost spit and choked on my Starbucks double shot Latte when I read the following. "Among our car's (the VW Jetta Wagon GLS 1.8T) five sample defects were overly tightened wheel nuts and a dash rattle."
-Consumer Reports August 2002

Cripes FIVE sample defects!! The Vibe had 1 defect, the Matrix had 2, the PRO-5 had 1 and the Subie and Foci had 3 sample defects each. Volkswagen had better pay a little more attention to their assembly line. A lot of people read CR and the rest prolly read Vocus and Fish in here, lol! "Among our car's (the VW Jetta Wagon GLS 1.8T) five sample defects were... and a dash rattle." Maybe, the built-in dash rattle is the manufacture spec?

-love train

venus537

you don't think the Jetta's workmanship is better than the Protege. you're joking right. take out the Protege's handling and it doesn't hold a handle to the Jetta. why are there so many jealous Protege drivers over here? is it because of vocus?

if vocus could somehow forget about his rattles for a moment, he'll tell you that the Jetta is in a different league from his last Protege.

if you want to talk about a 24K+ economy car, try the WRX board. take out the turbo and all wheel dive and this car is pure economy cheapness at its best.

newcar31

"why are there so many jealous Protege drivers over here? is it because of vocus?"

No offense, but I don't think anyone is jealous. The Protege people are over here because they are following the vocus saga. If anything, the vocus saga would make people LESS jealous.

"if you want to talk about a 24K+ economy car, try the WRX board. take out the turbo and all wheel dive and this car is pure economy cheapness at its best."

Couldn't you say the same thing about the Jetta? I think you could. Here, let me try:

If you want to talk about a 24K+ economy car, try the Jetta board. take out the 1.8T or VR6 and the fancy interior and this car is pure economy cheapness at its best.

fish8

You used Ammonia as a car cleaner? Do you just look in the cabinet and choose any cleaner you see? Even if you dilute the dish soap it will still strip wax. Also, why even use soap when it is diluted 1tsp per 5 gal? You may wax often, but everytime you wash your are taking the wax off.

protege is correct that some folks use dawn to strip old wax. I have also done that on previous cars I owned. But the key to that is you would immedietly apply a good wax after such a wash. Then during your next car wash, you would use a PROPER CAR WASH SOAP...not dishsoap.

Just trying to give some good advise!!

mdaffron

You'd better call me when you come through Richmond today!

Meade

Kirstie_H

I'm in the same category -- last year I traded in my Protege for the Jetta. Fortunately, my experience has been different than vocus' experience, in that I've had no problems at all with my Jetta. But venus, you're right -- the Protege is an entirely different car than the Jetta.

I will always love my Protege for being such a cheap-to-own, reliable, great car, but I love my Jetta for the driving experience.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

newcar31

Hey, there's a Jetta vs. Protege discussion in the comparisons board. That would be a more appropriate venue to continue with that discussion.

I've always wanted to say that, even if it does make me a hypocrite.

anonymous02

"...But venus, you're right -- the Protege is an entirely different car than the Jetta."

C'mon. A car is a car is a car for the most part.

When you start comparing sedans and suv's or convertibles with wagons, then I can see the validity of that statement. But, ENTIRELY different? I don't think so.

chicagopro

ROTFLMAO

mdaffron

"I will always love my Protege for being such a cheap-to-own, reliable, great car, but I love my Jetta for the driving experience."

Kinda like the Saab I had in the mid-80s. Excellent, wonderful driving experience. Fantastic car to drive. But 60,000 miles on the odometer had seen an entirely new transmission, fuel injection problems (good ol' Bosch K-Jetronic crap), three alternators, new front and rear rotors, two rear main seals, and a new heater core.

I'll let you have your driving experience, and I'll keep my Protege. Which, btw, offers a pretty nice driving experience too.

Meade

bkm119

Does anybody know if there is any Dealer Cash available on the 1.8T Automatic for the month of July, and if so, what the amount is? I'm in Pennsylvania if it makes a difference.

Thanks.