Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

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  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I have the 17-inch tires on my Jetta, Michelin Pilot Sports to be exact. Goodyear told me $325 for ONE tire when I asked them about it. I went to this little tire place in NC, and the tire (a different brand though) was $122 on the rim and out the door. He also said this was the first MKV Jetta they have worked on. He said there are alot of older VW models, but hardly any of the new ones, in NC. I thought that to be weird, but I don't know.

    The size for my tires is 225/45HR17. Check the prices on the net for them, you will be shocked. :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    On the way back from NC (going 70-85mph the whole time, but mostly 80, with the AC on and cruise set) I got 28.6 mpg. Not too bad, for the power the car has. That was about the same I got with my 2001 Protege ES when I had it, and the power was nowhere near the same as the Jetta 1.8T's is. (Also, the car had 2 people and was full of luggage too.)

    I had to go over Old Fort Mountain in NC (elevation not known, but the truck speed was 35 if that helps anyone tell how high this mountain is). I had the car in Tiptronic on the highway as not to let it downshift if I stabbed the pedal, and (maybe) get better mileage. I did not have to downshift from 5th gear to go up this mountain! I did like 60mph up the thing too! I was really shocked. I remember going across that mountain in a 1986 Pontiac 6000 (my mother's at the time, in 1989), and the car almost blew it (2.5L 4cyl) engine with the AC on, she turned off the AC to make it up actually.

    Also, I have back trouble and turning the seat heater on "1" made my back not hurt at all. The best long-distance comfort I ever experienced. My dad kept falling asleep (he doesn't have a license, so I had to drive all the way), so I guess the car was comfortable for him as well. :)

    I really enjoyed this trip in the car (1000+ miles), and am glad I got it now. The dash rattle, BTW, is not noticeable on the smooth highways or with the Monsoon kicked up a little. :) I guess MD just has crappy roads. :)
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    Did you stop buy and see Meade?
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    i must have read the previous post wrong. i thought it said CR found two defects. i knew CR must have found more than two defects on the VW. if not, someone there was napping on the job! we all know what CR thinks about VW quality.

    they love their Hondas though!! :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Since I returned from my trip a day early, I called him and told him. He had other plans though, so I didn't get to see him. Oh well, maybe another time. :)
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    Yes, they do! They also are pretty fond of Toyota's.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I went to get my oil changed at this small shop near my work in Lanham, MD. before my trip. They told me they found sludge in the oil and I should get this "power wash" thing to clean the engine out. My car has only 15K on it, and I found that hard to believe. I thought maybe the oil was just really clumpy or something, since the car sat for long periods of time at the dealership since the last change. I did not get the power wash thing done though.

    When I went to NC, I asked the people who put my tire on to check the oil for this "sludge", because they seemed pretty honest. The woman (yes, a woman mechanic) pulled the dipstick right in front of me and checked it. She said there was nothing in the oil, so the other guy must have been trying to make a sale. I am glad I didn't fall for it.
  • 00tahoels00tahoels Member Posts: 13
    Real quick guys, I'm new to the message board. How big are the brakes in the front of the 2000 VR6? I'm just curious, thnx
  • vic19vic19 Member Posts: 56
    Jetta Wagon average reliabiltiy
    Toyota Matriz better average reliability
    Pontic Vibe better average reliability
    Ford Focus ZX5 much worse than average reliabillty
    Mazda Protege5 much better than average eliability
    Subaru Impreza
    Outback Sport better average reliability
  • jimbeaumijimbeaumi Member Posts: 620
    Vocus, I agree with you: they just wanted a sale. I can't remember if I've done that; I might have on my last car, and only after the miles crossed 80K.

    Is my August CR late to the mailbox again? It looks like a wagon comparison this month; am I correct?
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    The mechanic was refering to the condensation build up on and around your oil cap. It looks like a milky substance and you will find it on the oil cap and sometimes a little bit will be inside the valve cover. After working for Jiffy Lube for 4 years (and other lube joints for 2 years), I've found that VW's almost always do this. It's not sludge, it's oil with moisture in it. It doesn't hurt your car because it only forms on the bottom of the oil cap. The "power wash" won't do anything and it won't stop it from happening. If it bothers you, you can "power wash" the oil cap by using a rag and wiping it off. Checking the dipstick for sludge is kinda dumb. Unless the car has been run hopelessly low on oil (in which case the dipstick might look burnt and sludged), the dipstick should look fine, even in sludged cars. Dirty looking oil is not necessarily an indication of sludge.
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    don't worry about sludge. you own a VW - not a Toyota! :)

    i need to check my oil one of these days....
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I actually meant to ask you about that, because I know you worked at Jiffy Lube. Thanks for the advice, but I just wanted to ask a second opinion (from the tire shop) to be safe.

    And this guy didn't say anything about the oil cap, he said that the dipstick had sludge or something on it, and he showed me it. It looked a little darker than golden brown to me, that's what made me doubt his claim.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    You don't have to worry as much about checking the oil, because you have the 1.8T. not a 2.slow. :) Just kidding.

    I hardly ever check the oil between changes. I need to get better at remembering to do that. :)
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Sludge usually looks like baked on varnish but it can be so bad that it looks like crunched up liquified oreo cookies. The quickest way to look for sludge is to remove the valve cover. I don't know what kind of jackass would try to show you sludge on the dipstick. If the engine is THAT sludged where the oil pan is full of junk, the engine probably wouldn't be running. Besides, all of you 1.8T owners use sludge-resistant and turbo friendly synthetic anyways right? ;)
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I must be lucky so far with my 2.0, because it has not used any oil in over 1500 miles. Obviously that could change.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    No, I do not use synthetic. I used it in my 2001 Protege, and it didn't really show any benefits (fuel economy, roughness, etc.), so I do not use it in this car. They charge me enough for the special filter this car takes anyway. :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    This ONLY applies to you people who have the 17-inch tires on your Jettas. NEVER have them rotated side to side, only front to back. They are unidirectional tires, and you can't switch sides of the car. Just a friendly reminder...
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    When I was in NC, I got red clay all over my shoes because it had just rained before I got into the Jetta. I have the black interior and floormats, and got some on the pedals and floormat (I have those cheap plastic Wal-Mart floormats over top of mine to prevent stuff like that, but sometimes you can't). Anyway, I took some of that Oxi-Clean stuff to it, and it came right out! Off of black floormats! I was totally surprised.

    If you have any kind of stain (used it on a Coke stain on gray floormats in my loaner Beetle too), this stuff will more than likely take it out.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I was thinking about getting one of those silver looking dash trim kits for my Jetta with black interior. I think the silver would look very nice and contrast well with the black interior. I hear these are very to install as well.

    What do you guys think? Thanks.
  • jeasherjeasher Member Posts: 3
    I have been reading with much interest the assorted problems people have been having with their Jettas. I am seriously thinking of buying one (a 2002 2.0 GLS for my girlfriend), but I am concerned about the reliability. I have asked two owners on the street how they liked their's and they both said "lots of problems" (bad luck?). Anyway, I would greatly appreciate some input here. Thank you.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    "...the 17-inch tires on my Jetta, Michelin Pilot Sports to be exact. Goodyear told me $325 for ONE tire... and the tire (a different brand though) was $122 ... size for my tires is 225/45HR17. Check the prices on the net for them, you will be shocked. :)"

    I AM shocked! I think that would be a future consideration for purchase decisions. Why would anyone want a car with tires like that? I paid less than that for 31 inch BFG TA's!!!! Thank goodness our Jetta has 14 inch, normal tires.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    #6416 of 6425 Newcar... by vocus
    "but I just wanted to ask a second opinion (from the tire shop) to be safe."

    Asking a tire shop about an oil problem?
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I think (fingers crossed) that I have come up with home remedy for my dash rattle. I had a radar detector in my old car and decided to put it in my Jetta. Since my rattle disappears when slight pressure is applied to my dash, I put my radar detector wedged against my dash and windsheild so pressure is put on my dash. I drove to work this morning and did not hear the rattle. If this in fact does cover up the rattling, I wonder if I should still bring my car in Wed to have the dealer look at my car. I am afraid this will only cause more problems. But, this really does not "fix" the rattle it only covers it up. Thoughts??
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    The girl at the bank who did my Jeep loan said she had a new Jetta last year, and she said she wanted and should have gone with a Jeep. She regrets having ever gotten the Jetta. It had a leaky sunroof, plus some other problems. Our 1996 GL had a bad fuel pump and the exhaust always rattles.

    I'd recommend you read the last 4 months of posts to this forum and make up your own mind.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    If you have a '96 Jetta I do not think it is fair to state you would not recommend the NEW Jettas based on a '96 Jetta's history. They are completely different cars. Just my opinion!!
  • AnakinAnakin Member Posts: 410
    I owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and it was in the shop 9 times (leaving me on the side of the road) in one year before I traded it for my previous Honda.

    Jeep isn't exactly a paragon of reliability.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    ....now I drive a Jetta 1.8T??? And I posted that message #6330 miraculously while driving home from from work and not killing myself in the process???


    here's what I drive: http://www.geocities.com/thisistan/index.html


    Oil

    I think in 1999, VW issued a TSB saying all VW's should be using synthetic oil.


    newcar31: when you say a "milky" substance in the oil, I'd jump into conclusions and say head gasket is leaking....


    I agree with the dirty looking oil isn't sludge. Check the dipstick of a diesel motor. It's always black (soot). Even after the oil change, it instantly becomes black (versus the Delvac 1's gold color).

  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    That looks like a TDi Golf to me!!
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    I will email you about that problem a little later on.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    Thanks pat.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    "newcar31: when you say a "milky" substance in the oil, I'd jump into conclusions and say head gasket is leaking...."

    That would mean that the majority of VWs and some Audis that I've seen have bad head gaskets including some brand new ones. I don't think so. Like I said, the "milky" substance is only on the oil cap. It must be something to do with crankcase ventilation or temperature. You're right about this being a sign of a bad head gasket, but you'd see a whole lot more of the "milky" substance and it would be in more places than just the oil cap if the head gasket really was bad. Jetta owners: Go pull your oil caps off and check them and I'll bet lots of you will see what I am talking about.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    "If you have a '96 Jetta I do not think it is fair to state you would not recommend the NEW Jettas based on a '96 Jetta's history. They are completely different cars. Just my opinion!!"

    Same company.

    I go by a company's past history and how they have treated customers, and their track record in general. Also, it would be useful information for people considering a used Jetta. This forum is NOT titled "NEW Volkswagen Jetta", just "Volkswagen Jetta".

    Thanks for the opportunity to clear that up.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Someone would rather a Jeep because her Jetta had problems? Isn't Mopar the very definition of problems? At least "American" car company is.

    >>I think in 1999, VW issued a TSB saying all VW's should be using synthetic oil.<<

    If this were so, then VW dealers would put synth in the 1.8T when you go in for those 5k check-ups. But that's not so. Synth...dino...not much difference as there is only one real synthetic oil out there. On the g35 forum some people went to great lengths describing the oil.

    Doesn't matter to me though, my Jetta is a lease. It's the next owner's problem.
  • 8u6hfd8u6hfd Member Posts: 1,391
    like I said....without seeing it (and I don't see it on my TDI)....normally it's a conclusion of a bad head gasket....but these engines haven't quite blown up yet or seized, which is a good sign. (I'll just end that there)

    The local dealerships where I am all use "synthetic" Castrol Syntec...which BTW, the owner's manuals states 5w40 is the preferred oil (if not available, use 5w30), and is only available in synthetic form. I believe aside from the VW dealerships Havoline synthetic is available in 5w40.

    Then there's the 5w40 Mobil Delvac 1, but since it's designed for diesels, many people tend to hesitate to use it in the gas motors (though there are people who used Delvac 1 in the 1.8T and noticed an improvement in smoothness).
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I believe the person was looking at purchasing a NEW Jetta, That's why I commented on comparing the reliablity for newer Jettas. Also, you base your purchasing decisions on the history of the automaker? Jeep is notorious for poor reliability. I know my '97 Wrangler was a disaster.
  • anonymous02anonymous02 Member Posts: 1,538
    I have a 97 Wrangler.

    No problems at all. Besides, nobody else makes a convertible SUV that can do what a Jeep can do, except Hummer, which is out of my price range.
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    I agree..............though not sure what that has to do with reliability!!
  • winsanwinsan Member Posts: 36
    >>I go by a company's past history and how they have treated customers, and their track record in general<<

    mmmmm .... look at the history, what car makers have built good and reliable cars for the last 30 years ...
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Why 30 years? I can think of a number of car companies that have recently (80's and 90's) built good and reliable cars. Toyotas, Hondas, Subarus, some Mazdas, some GMs, some Fords, Nissans.....
  • justinjustin Member Posts: 1,918
    jeasher:

    i would not recommend a Jetta to someone like you. since you question the Jetta's reliiability, i would simply recommend that you buy the car that you think WILL be reliable. if it helps, a lot of people base their decisions on other peoples statistics, like JD Power and/or Consumer Reports. In the Jetta size class, they really like Honda, Toyota, and to some degree Mazda and Nissan. Hope that helps...

    vocus:

    you want my honest opinion, right? i have seen those dash add-ons. personally, i don't think that brushed metal/silver looks good in a BMW from the factory, and i really don't think they look very elegant when they are glued/taped on aftermarket. just my opinion, since you asked :) VW got just creative enough with the Passat W8. that chrome looks good in the car. understated and nice. have you seen it?
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    CR recommends the Jetta. CR recommends the Passat and the Golf also. The stated the Jetta has improved in reliability.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I referred to the second place as the "tire shop" as not to confuse the first oil change place with the second garage. The second place was actually NC's version of Firestone. So I think their opinion was fine.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I was looking at pics of someone's aluminum dash kit on VWVortex.com, and thought it looked pretty neat actually. Nothing like the cheap aftermarket wood trim you see in some cars out there. I am still thinking about it, but not sure yet.
  • hoodornamenthoodornament Member Posts: 114
    Can you point me to the link of the aluminum dash kit you are speaking of, you have peaked my curiosity, thanks in advance,

    HO
  • AnakinAnakin Member Posts: 410
    some of you with 17" tires should check out Kumho Ecsta 711's. I bought those for my OZ wheels, and they have been great. They handle nice, wet or dry. And the best part is, they're only about $80 each.
  • jeasherjeasher Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the responses, but I'm also curious as to what years you guys have. Could the 2002 model be better than the 2000 or 2001?
  • redmacredmac Member Posts: 4
    I have been following this board a bit with interest. Why? Because my wife was totally stuck on owning a Jetta.

    I find a couple of things of interest. I have read lots of seeming problems with the Jetta, but I have to think it is the disgruntled few that are generating most of the complaints. To use this board to *compare* cars seems kinda pointless. Everyone from personal history has a car that they don't care for. I owned a Chyrsler mini-van that was the biggest piece of junk I have EVER owned. Yet I have a neighbor that swears by them :)

    Anyway, the chrysler was the *last* American auto I will ever own. I have mostly owned japanese cars (A couple of toyota's (corolla, camry), a mazda (626) and currently an Acura MDX. Been completely happy with all of them.

    While I"m not expecting the VW to be *quite* as reliable as the Japanese autos. I'm hoping that it will at least be more reliable than the Chrysler.

    Test drove several Jetta's this last weekend and the wife decided on a black GLI with leather, sunroof and monsoon. I got one that had just been delivered the day before for 23,792.00. (MSRP was like 25,500 - invoiced at 23,540).

    I will say driving it home, I was pretty impressed with the fit and finish. Seemed very solid, rides nice, no rattles, goes like a rocket with that 6 speed and the VR6.

    One question I do have.. It has the 17" wheels with the michelin tires. Living in the great white north (SE Wisconsin) I'm wondering how these tires will do in the snow? Anyone have any experience with this?

    Thanks..
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Congrats on your purchase! I think you are the first one of the board with a GLI, but not sure. :)

    The 17s do pretty well in the wet, but we don't get much snow here in Maryland, so I don't know about that. Last winter, it snowed like an inch, and my handled pretty well. But that was only an inch. :)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    http://www.perfectimagecreations.com


    Check out the site, ask for info to be sent via mail/email about prices. I asked, but none set yet since about 3 days ago.


    http://www.kaotica.com/bora/dashkit


    What it looks like... I think it would look neat, especially with the black interior I have. Take a look and let me know what you think.

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