Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

blackjetta18t1

I don't even know how to read the dipstick...Appreciate your help if you could tell me.(I'm a teenager living with my mom in case you're wondering how I'm such an idiot...)

flaca

read the manual.

fpgt93

The 2002 prices were released at the end of July. You should be able to find them at vwvortex.com. I know the MSRP for the 1.8Ts is $250 more, but don't remember the numbers for the GLS VR6s or GLXs.

Although some people have already bought a 2002, you won't get the 24-valve V6 until February or March. Also, the standard CD player is another one of VW's stupid mid-year changes.

fpgt93

Sorry to hear about the problems with your two-month old Jetta, and that the service department didn't fix things properly. But, you bought a Jetta...what did you expect? Below-average build quality and poor dealership service is not exactly a secret...it's well known!

If you did any research before buying this car then I assume you knew exactly what you were in for, and were willing to deal with this in exchange for having a car this is supposedly so much fun to drive. You probably thought you'd get lucky, the problems lot of people have been reporting wouldn't happen to you, etc.

I honestly wish you the best and hope these problems are the last you will have for a while, but don't be surprised if your car will be back at the service department again sooner than later.

blueguydotcom

I drove everything, read consumer reports, JD Power, etc. I expected problems with my Jetta and that's why I leased it and why I purchased the platinum warranty. But, I never expected so many problems within the first two months of ownership.

If I could part ways with my car right now and just absorb the $1000 I put down on it as the only financial penalty, I'd happily do so at this very second. It's a fun car, but I have the sinking feeling these niggling problems are harbingers for bigger problems.

rockribbed

VW's web site says the automatic transmission is standard with the 4Motion option (actually, the standard is NOT available with the 4Motion)... (This may have been answered earlier, but I don't want to wade thru all 2K+ posts) Will it be the A4 package (1.8T), when will it be here?

moparbad

No 4Motion on Jetta, not in the USA and not in 2002.

balticjetta18t

The dipstick has that crimped offset deal near the end that itself has a metal stamped range on it. That stamped length is the oil range allowed. If the oil when (engine is cold) comes up to the top of the range then it is topped up full. If U check after running the motor, then it will be of course above and seem overfull. The low end of the stamp reading when cold means U need up to a quart but no more. As long as U are in that stamped range after dipping/wipe clean a couple of times, then all is fine.

piceno

BLUEGUYDOTCOM:

You should have bought a Honda Accord...Consumer
Reports magazine rates the Jetta as a RELIABILITY
RISK....now you know why.

In the 13 months since I bought my 2000 Accord
EX V6 I have only been back to the dealer twice.
I have not a SINGLE problem (not even a rattle),
since August, 2000! The reliability of these cars
is beyond belief...

blueguydotcom

Accords are solid cars but they have a few shortcomings that for my money cannot be forgiven:

No stick on the V6. Kinda defeats the purpose of having 200 HP. I abhor Honda's Vanishing Torque in the Engine Compartment with their 4's, so I'd have to buy a V6. But without a 5 speed, why even get a car?

The handling does even less to impress me than my WE. Also, I don't feel safe in Hondas. They lack that solid German feel that my car needed to have. And far too many teenagers zooming around with tricked-out, flaired-fendered, swoopy spoilered Hondas have turned me off to the entire product line. Should Honda/Acura lose favor with teens, maybe then it'll be viable again.

You really couldn't name a German/Japanese car under 35k that I didn't drive.

justin

I know about the new VR6 and standard CD. Any costemtic changes, interior or exterior? Have they found a way to make a few more inches of legroom in the backseat?

blueguydotcom

The VR6 gets the 201 HP VR6 and a much needed 6 speed mid year. The CD player is a running change - current 2002s won't have CD's built in.

Also the 1.8T jumps to 180 HP. Must be intoxicatingly fun.

Last and certainly the most important for people who don't keep cars long, the warranty now covers 4 years instead the the dismal 2 year one.

jayjun

Anyone hear of a dealer incentive going on right now? A sales guy just called and told me they have dealer incentive cash back on 2001 models. Alas, he was dodgy when I asked how much and he just said it varies. Edmunds is a little out of date -- in case a moderator sees this.

bluejetta

blueguydotcom said:
Also the 1.8T jumps to 180 HP. Must be intoxicatingly fun.

Oh yes. Very much so...Here's our new 2002 1.8T: http://members-http-1.rwc1.sfba.home.net/nwvw/CoolWhite/

-Jim
http://www.jettaownersclub.org

inky

Just went by local dealer. A 21600 1.8 WE with roof and monsoon is $18,995. That is below cost.
Nice deal on a $21,700 MSRP car. Tulsa
INKY

bluejetta

Good price yes, but not the deal of the century. People were buying them all day long for $19.3-$19.5 before the year-end stuff started.

kyleknicks

hey, very nice car! can you take more pics of the interior so we could see what's the diff between the 01's and the 02's?

thanks

justin

I want to know - are their any cosmetic differences in the 02's? More chrome? Nicer leather? Bigger/smaller VW logos on outside? Anything at all?

nwvw

No major changes really. I don't think there's anything different on the outside -- If it ain't broke... And nothing really obvious on the inside other than I didn't have the multi-function steering wheel before. I'll really have to investigate this one though as there always seems to be something different.

Oh yeah. There's the new cruise control light and a light indicating that you are in 'park' in the middle of the tach. Ummm...I'll have to see if I can find anything more.

Major diff is the new 180hp upgrade on the motor and the new auto-trans, aka. tip-tronic.

-Jim
FKA: BlueJetta

zmanusaf

Hello, I was debating on getting the Leather interior. I have never rode in or drove a car with leather in before, other then a '78 Pontiac.
Are there any downfalls to having a Leather Interior. I heard it's softer then when it was in the 70's and 80's.. I'm concerned about it ripping or such. What are your opinions of Leather over the Velour Interior? Zman

nwvw

I can't offer huge insight as this is my first car with leather. First impression is that it will be very durable. The seats are very comfortable and all the bad things I had heard about leather vanished over the first weekend with our new baby.

It was hot, humid and nasty out and the ride was very comfortable. I was wearing shorts and there was no sticking to the seats or anything like that. From what I have read on this and other forums from people that know leather is that VW's leather is very good quality.

All I know is that I'm pretty durn happy to get rid of the velour seats that we had with our 2001 model. They were an absolute chore to keep clean from lint. And we have 4 cats, and my wife loves her sweaters.

We coulda made a few pillows with the lint we pulled from those seats. But, the leather also offers its own maintenance issues.

The key thing here is that a VW is a car lover's car. If you want a car you don't want to care about, get a Honda or something along those lines. If you love cars, and don't get your shorts in a bunch when your car needs some good old TLC, then something along the lines of a VW, BMW or Audi is for you.

-Jim
FKA: BlueJetta

shawnw365

I just put down a deposit/ordered a Silver GLS with a TDI engine, 5 speed Manual, Luxury Package with Moon Roof, Monsoon Sound, and the Cold Weather package. Should be here in 5 weeks. They billed me at $20764 before taxes et al. Was this a reasonable price? They guy seemed nice and straight forward but I'm not the best negotiator. Please forgive me for what may be a stupid question.

justin

My 99 GLS VR6 beige leather was nice looking, but two seats faded to a pinkish color. They were replaced twice, and each new seat looked great. They just ended up doing the same thing. It happens where your lower back rests on the seat. Hopefully they fixed the problem for 2k models and newer.

nwvw

Edmunds' TMV price for that car, with those options is: $21260, which is a price that Edmunds considers to be a fair price for the consumer to pay. You're $500 below that, so I think that's a pretty fair price. There are many variables such as location, availability, etc to consider too.

-Jim

moira_vw

I bought a 2002 Jetta GLS 1.8T two weeks ago and passed on the 7-year extended warranty (the 2002s come with a 4 year warranty now, so the 7- year plan would really amount to a 3-year plan), but now I'm having second thoughts, particularly given all the electronics in the car (e.g., power sunroof, windows). Does anyone have advice on extended warranties, and in particular whether it's better to get one from AAA or some place like that? (I apologize if this has already been covered to death -- I haven't fixated on the post-purchase issues yet!)

blueguydotcom

That's the big issue. If you're gonnna keep the car for 7 years, then it seems logical to spend the extra 500-600 for the platinum option...by 2006 a broken window regulator will probably cost you that much to fix!

Trust me, you're bound to have issues later on with your VW. Mine is only 10 weeks old and already it rattles like a box of nuts carried by Michael J. Fox.

silvertdijetta

I have a question about the engine fan in my '01 TDI. On occassion, after driving, the engine fan trips on as I'm exiting my car. Is this normal for this car? The engine fan is coming on after average, non-spirited driving and stays on for about 30 seconds. Any thoughts?

vwguild

Beautiful name!!! You need to determine how long you REALLY plan to keep
your Jetta...It is important to understand the reasoning behind this Huge change
in Warranty was to capture *Conquest* customers from MBZ, Honda, BMW,
Toyota, etc. folks that typically do not keep cars for 10Years/100000Miles...

If your timeline on ownership is 2006 Model year & 50000 Miles; keep your
money in the bank...

nwvw

I had no intentions on buying a warranty. And I thought I was going to keep my 2001 for 10 years. I sold back that extended warranty.

With how fast cars are changing these days, I know I'll be ready in 4 years to just turn this bad boy in and get something new, so the 4/50 is absolutely perfect! The car will be under a B2B warranty the entire time I own it.

That's a very good thing.

-Jim

venus537

Has any body driven the 2002 Jetta with the 1.8L turbo and 5 speed automatic? This combination seems appealing to me. With the increase of 30 bhp to go with the more efficient automatic, what will the 0-60 times be? What are the RPM's when cruising at 60 mph? Many thanks to anybody who can answer my questions.

In addition to a new cruise control light indicator, the actual column stalk for the cruise control is different. To increase/decrease speed is now on one mechanism now. An improvement from before in my opinion.

nwvw

I just bought one last Friday. You can see it at: http://members.home.net/nwvw/CoolWhite/

I just traded my 2001 2.0 GLS for a new 2002 1.8T, maxed out GLS last Friday.

One word: Thrilling. I cannot tell you how 0-60 times would be as I'm still in break-in mode, but I will tell you that it's an entirely different car. I expected some differences for sure, and I have driven a 150hp 1.8T, but man! This is freaking incredible.

It is very difficult driving this car during break-in. It is just screaming for throttle! Absolutely fantastic!!!

Cruising at 80mph, the tach is at 3100, a far cry from the blasting 4000 with the 2.0. This engine is sooooo quiet, it's hard to judge when to shift.

And yes, the cruise control buttons are now on the steering wheel. You turn it on via the turn signal stalk, but then control it from whe wheel, along with radio/CD controls also on the wheel. Sweet.

-Jim

blueguydotcom

"And yes, the cruise control buttons are now on the steering wheel. You turn it on via the turn signal stalk, but then control it from whe wheel, along with radio/CD controls also on the wheel. Sweet."

2001 GLS Jettas had that feature too. Save for the WE.

nwvw

Not on all models they were not, or the early 2001's.

baronsdaddy

Really good shots of your car. My 1.8t (baltic green) 5 spd has just tripped the 17K mark. It's 9 mo old. Not a snap, crackle, or pop. Tight and nimble.
Ohhh....and don't mind BLUEGAYDOTCUM. He's always critizing someone, something, somehow. He may sue his hand for lack of affection? Who knows!

nwvw

Yeah, thanks! We're like in total love all over again, man! This car's incredible and it's nice to have all the goodies too. ;-)

BGDC doesn't bother me at all and I'll not get into a personal bashing here as it's not proper for this forum, but he does have a pile of nits to pick and is thoroughly dissatisfied with his car. I do hope he can sell it soon. ;-)

-Jim
FKA: BlueJetta

inky

Could I ask what price you paid? Does your car have leather also. Enjoy.
INKY

edmund2460

I have an 82 Diesel with 235K. Of course it doesn't compare with the TDI's, but it hardly ever runs hot enough for the fan to come one. I'd have to idle for hours on a hot day for that to happen. I believe the old engines never got hot. That's what my mechanic says. I only recently changed the trans oil Do the newer engines run a lot hotter?

justin

congrats on the new purchase. i notice you have the big 17 inch wheels. do they affect how supple the ride is. my 99 gen 4 VR6 was so smooth, yet taut. do those bigger harder wheels make it rougher?

nwvw

Price: After a long haggle, we got it for $1100 under MSRP, which I think is awesome considering this car had not been on their lot long. They only had 5 2002's on the lot and I smashed one of them in a test drive! See that picture at: http://www.members.home.net/nwvw/crash2.jpg

It was a road hazard thing....Anyway, so yeah, we have leather and everything else. It's a totally maxed out GLS. and we got it for $23,475.

As for the 17" wheels: Well, we do feel the road a little more, but with having more rubber on the road with the much wider 235's, the ride is actually smoother and the car with all the sports options is incredibly nimble.

It's an entirely different car as compared to my other Jetta.

-Jim

blueguydotcom

Just pointing out one could get the steering wheel controls on the GLS 1.8T and VR6 in 2001, if one was willing to pay for it. I'd not sure about the 2.0 or the GL as I never looked at those.

BTW, does the new cruise light come on when you've actually set the cruise? May sound silly, but I've heard the the light shines after one has turned on the cruise but not actually set it.

BTW, I can't sell my WE. I'm only 2 months into the lease. In a year or so I should be able to part with it for a minimal 1k or so loss. Unless my prayers are answered and the car is the victim of major parking lot accident, I'm stuck with it.

nwvw

Comes on when the cruise system is active, whether it is activated or not. This was never an issue for me as I am aware if I have my cruise control on whether I have a light or not. Maybe it's me, but I think Americans get all wound up about stuff like lights and cup holders...And that's not pointed at you either BGDC.

blackjetta18t1

ive got a 2001 GLS 2.0 and the controls were on the steering wheel for the cruise control so I guess maybe it was a later 2001 upgrade

balticjetta18t

Did they sell U that car with the busted windshield for 1100 off MSRP, or did they at least throw in a new windscreen to sweeten the deal? (lol) Oh yeah, BTW what kind of road hazard thing are we talking bout here eh? Hopefully not a person or big animal...

nwvw

Yes, the steering wheel controls became a standard feature at mid-year.

Road Hazard: We never did find out exactly what it was. It looked like some suspension piece or something. Maybe a tie rod. It was a chunk of metal about 3 feet long and 1" in diameter. The car in front of us kicked it up and smashed the windshield at 60 mph. It literally exploded in my face and we were all covered in glass from head to toe...well, me anyway. It did $3500 damage and no, I didn't buy that car.

They gave me a sweet deal on my new car and on my trade in. Oh yeah, and a free set of Monsoon speakers for my computer too.

-Jim

kyleknicks

that windshield accident happened while u were test driving? wow......... so the dealership took care of the problem and you just walked away? wow.. i always wondered what would happen if something goes wrong when you test drive.... i thought "if you break it, you buy it"

minelaka

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a 2001 Jetta 1.8 Turbo. I know that the new 2002 Jetta is suppose to have an extra 30HP than the 2001 Jetta. When the 2002's are available, and I go into the dealership to buy one the of remaning 2001 models, what kind of " price reduction" might they give me considering the fact that the 2002's are available and the 2001's have 30HP's less than the new 2002's?

Thanx for any help.

nwvw

The 2002's that is. I bought mine last weekend. So, minelaka, now's the time to make your best deal on a 2001, if that's what you want. You should be able to get it right at cost, plus a tiny profit for the dealer.

xud

Check www.cardirect.com. Right now they are offering 2001 Jetta's $450 below invoice. The reason they could sell the car at that price is that there is now a manufacture incentive to
dealer -David

nwvw

The workers went on strike as of today!

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010818/wl/autos_mexico_volkswagen_dc_1.html

blueguydotcom

I like the light only because it's a visual cue that the cruise is officially working or not working. On my 01 WE click the cruise button and then remove my foot...at times the cruise doesn't take but the only way to discover this is to stop applying gas. Not a big deal but seeing as every other car seems to have a cruise light, I've just gotten used to a visual affirmation. The same can be said for tapping the clutch at speed...on my old car, depressing the clutch in any fashion disconnected cruise instantly. The WE seems a tad more mercurial. It's a minor quibble in the scheme of things.