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40 mpg in city and 50 mpg highway in my Jetta TDI Wagon.
Edmunds.com, today when I looked did not carry the TDI pricing. So as a point of departure here are the invoice prices for the VW Jetta GL (manual):
1. TDI 17,448 epa 38/46 #2 diesel
2. 1.8T 17,285 epa 24/31 unleaded pre
3. 2.0 15,949 epa 24/31 unleaded reg
Comparing across model GRADES would tend to obscure the differences due to the engine option. So the premium is 163-1499 over the 2.0 engine model. So depending on how you figure BE;
TDI BE is app 60,000 miles over a 2.0 (almost a wash with the 1.8T, or app 3,000 miles)
Jetta owners have reported accidentally ripping their bumpers off when parking too close to parking stops or curbs. A class action suit is forming.
Please contact Jeannine Fallon - jfallon@edmunds.com today (June 2) if you want to share your story about this.
Spoiled Jetta spoilers lead to class-action suit
A lawsuit against Volkswagen alleging a design flaw in 1999-2002 Jettas was recently certified as a class action by a Miami-Dade Circuit judge.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/8822482.htm (registration required - free)
This is my first post in the VW Jetta forum. I have a mid year 94-95 5 speed Jetta. Recently it has been jerking/shaking frequently. I had 5W 30 oil in it but was told that 20W 50 was preferable for Jettas and that would make the shaking go away as summers make the engine run hotter. I dont know what oil was there last summer but winter went off just fine. The car has 115K Miles on it now and the clutch was replaced at 93K miles..I am lead footed in my driving but do respect the clutch. Did any other people face the same problems and if they did..what was the solution? Please help me out as I dont want the dealers to rip me off. Have had some bad experiences with VW dealerships. Thanks for all your help:)
Is the dashboard headunit for its stereo the same as the one in the GLS "Monsoon" systems? A VW sales rep told me it is the same, it just does not have an amplifier connected to it.
The sound is a little tinny. I would like to upgrade it, but preferably leave the dashboard unit in. Can anyone suggest the most cost-effective way to do this? Just add an amplifier?
New speakers? I'm not an "audiophile" nor do I play music very loud, I just want it to sound a little better.
They are everywhere here in my city, if I stand on any street corner for 15 mints I bet more Jettas drive by than any other brand.
To be fair, in my opinion The Jetta is very attractive and that 1.8T is sweet, but does that outweight the negatives?
in short, what is it that makes people buy these cars like hot cakes?!
The Jetta combined driving fun with remarkable value. When I bought mine in 1999, there were competing cars that were more solid, or had a more reliable reputation, but they just didn't communicate with the driver at gut level the way the Jetta did. So I bought one.
My wife didn't like the car at first, but after half an hour driving it at 100 mph on a deserted freeway in Arkansas, she came back home and bought an identical Jetta.
We've had a few of the problems that people mention on this board, but the company has covered the costs, even when the problems were not covered by the warranty.
I haven't had as much trouble with mine as some of the folks who post on this board, and the fun factor has really made me forget about mechanical problems.
Now, you may read this post and decide that the virtues of the Jetta could not outweigh the negatives. For you, that could be true. Some people can't see the utility in owning a dog -- how could it be worth the fleas, the mess, the barking etc.
But dog owners, like Jetta drivers, are responding to something that's hard to describe and impossible to ignore. If you don't get it, nobody can explain it to you.
I can only speak for my own purchasing decision, but these are some of the factors that influenced me:
1) fuel economy in the TDI version (the Jetta wagon, which I bought, is the most fuel-efficient small wagon on the road, probably by far; all models are among the 3 or 4 cheapest cars to fuel on the road.)
2) safety features (good crash test results; air bags all over the place, including head curtain; 4 wheel ABS; available Electronic Stability Program for just $280; correspondingly low insurance rates)
3) the "fahrvernugen" factor ( they are fun to drive )
4) durability of the diesel engine
5) European, un-Japanese styling, and (slightly embarrassing to admit) a hip marketing image
In addition, they are available in a wide variety of configurations, over a wide price range that approximately straddles the popular $20,000 mark.
On the leg room thing, you're right. But usually we'll have only one or 2 people in it. It's a very nice 2nd car.
As for cost, run the Jetta TDI wagon through Edmund's TCO calculator. $.36/mi, pretty good!
As for reliability, if you dig a little deeper than the "glitches per 100 vehicles" surveys, you find that reliability is not necessarily a big problem. First, cars in general are much more reliable than in the past. The spread between best and worst is something like .5 problems per 100 vs. 1.75 problems per hundred. Second, many of the reported Jetta problems over the past few years apparently were due to just a couple issues (window roll-ups and ignition coils) which reportedly have been addressed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I have not had any vehicle (Ford, Subaru, Volvos, Honda) that kept me running to the shop very often, so I hope this won't be our first.
2. Thinking of replacing the two yellow side decals at the front of the car, on both sides, from yellow (stock) to white. Any problems - saftey or otherwise? I see them sold everywhere on the net.
Thanks!
I heard that there are small bearing type things in the fuel pump and when they start to go they start seizes up?! possibly true cause when my car cools down it works alright again until it gets warmed up again! ANY IDEAS
Annoying and frustrating on the patience
This is FARR easier than with most American-named vehicles wheras you would have to remove the fuel tank.
You can check out the cost of fuel pump here ( http://www.impexfap.com )
Depending on what you need, the cost seems to be anywhere from $52 to $333
I thought at first that it was an electrical glitch in my new car.
Then I saw it in a list of features on VW's site.
What is the reasoning for having this?
As I recall, an owner's manual for one of my old cars (Volvo maybe) recommended always leaving doors unlocked while driving, for easier rescue access in an emergency.
Many car-jackings take place because a door is unlocked and anyone can jump in while you are stopped at a red light. Also, kids may have a tendancy to pull at the door handle causing the door to open. (did you ever notice the rear doors require 2 pulls to open them when they are locked?)
I would not worry about rescue access, all EMTs carry a tool that will instantly shatter a window to gain access if they need it.
If you dont like the autolocking, just disable it. There are all kinds of "options" that can be enabled/disabled to meet your preferences.
I am writing to get some of your opinions on a 2004 VW Jetta GLI 1.8T (Black Magic Exterior). Some of my friends argue the GLI is a chick (girl) car, what do you think?? I personally feel it is a guys car.
~Erin
VW's in general are for smart people that want safety, style, and performance in one package.
Drive what pleases you... not what other people think you should (or should not) drive. If you let others dictate your choices in life, you are not being yourself and may end up not being very happy about it.
Also, I want to get a AM/FM/CD stereo to put in the car to replace the standard cassette deck. The dealer told me not to do it through Best Buy, Circuit City, or the like because installation might mess up the car's sensitive electrical system. However, he said through VW it would run $350 - $600 depending on a single disc or 6 disc changer. Is this true or is the dealer trying to make some more cash?
-Gary
The 1.8T and VR6 require "premium" gasoline.
The TDI requires Diesel oil as a fuel.
Thanks,
Kyle (2001 jetta GLS wolvesburg 1.8T)
Octane: I use either 91 or 93, depending on the octane offered at a specific brand station. For the 2.0 engine, 87 (which is offered everywhere) octane is good enough.
Stupidity (sorry, I'm including myself here).
Getting caught up in the car's appearance and speed.
After 4 years of trouble, I'll never get another one. The dealerships are incredibly unreliable as well (see my postings under Jetta maintenance today)
Too bad I won't be able to get anyone to buy the one I have!
1. Power windows and locks
2. Trunk latch motor (including when the the key was inserted)
3. Interior lights
Immediately, I assumed a fuse had blown and went to the manual. I was very surprised to find that there was no list of fuse function nor amperage ratings. The small 'fusecard' inside the fuse compartment door is fairly worthless as the pictures really don't seem to make much sense and again amp ratings are not there. I also noticed that the tweezers were missing as if someone had been in the box messing around (I know they were there when I was checking out my new car, and to my knowledge have never had an issue for someone to open it).
Internet searches did not reveal any fuse information for the A4 Jetta (there was a link to an A3 scheme). I did find an article posted on a repair website that descibed my symptoms. So, based on that article, I checked fuse #14 and sure enough it was blown. I replaced it which allowed me to roll up the windows and make it back to the dealer (where the fuse blew again). They found a faulty "Comfort Control Module" and replaced it under warranty.
While at the dealer, I asked for and received a fuse information sheet (Edition 9/03, USA.5102.15.21) for this car. Worried that someone had been in the box, I checked it against the fues in place and found a few inconsistenies:
1. Fuse #6 is missing, altough it is listed as controlling "cental locking system" (one of the major problems listed above)
2. Both headlights (fuse #s18 & 19) should have a 10A fuse. Right one does, but left has a 15A in place.
3. Fuse # 32 is for the Engine Control Module (ECM) on the diesel engine (injectors on the gasser). It is listed as a 15A fuse, but I have a 30A in place.
Can anyone tell me if the manufacturer sometimes uses other fuses or changes the specs for the fuse ratings? I always thought this had to be kept very consistent to avoid electrical problems. Should I go back to the dealer (the only people to ever work on or drive or otherwise be alone with my car) and point out these inconsistencies? Or am i worried about nothing?????
Thanks in advance for any help.
Danielle
1. 1990 Jetta, seized engine
2. 19882 Jetta, engine (rebuilt with only 70K km on it) runs well, automatic tranny.
My question. What major components (if any) are interchangeable between these two cars? (I got them dirt cheap but had to take both of them).
Can I take a turbo-diesel engine and standard tranny out of a 1982 Jetta (body is rotten) and put it in a 1990 Jetta?
I pretty much have my mind made up that I will be getting an 04 jetta with in the next month, so now its really just deciding on what color and style