Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

vwguild

Is this Jetta at a Volkswagen store? If not pass.

If it is then it should be a Certified Pre-Owned;
if it is not pass as well...

If this is the TYPE of Jetta that you are looking
for, you can also go to www.vw.com and search a
National Inventory of Certified Pre-Owned Jettas...Just put in your Zip Code and a mile radius that you are prepared to travel and click!

Anakin

GLS Seat Fabric:
I noticed that the new 2002 GLS models coming out now have a new seat fabric. It looks like the new design will not be such a lint magnet like my seats. Has anybody else notice the new seats?


Which 2002's are these? My Jetta 1.8T has the velour seats and it's a real pain to try to get the lint off. I say "try" because I have never been able to get all of it off and it makes me CRAZY.

vwguild

go to www.petsmart.com they have a *sponge* pet
hair remover that is supposed to be terrific...

bluejettalx02

Hey, Here in New York the Driving Age is 16 but you can get a night lisence when your 17 ONLY if You Take Drivers Education Through the school and not private lessons. Otherwise it is 18 to drive after nine, which is really a dumb law, I don't understand how sitting through a highschool driving course qualifies you to drive at night but...

Also, has anyone noticed the lack of Customer Appreciation in Upstate NY Dealers? When I got my car they could care less that they just made a 25k sale. So now I'm going over to the other dealer in town that at least will wash the car when its in for service.

Anakin

I have the sponge. It just pushes the lint around.

These dang seats just WON'T let go of the lint. >_<

blackjetta18t1

I've been complaining some time now about rattles but I'm thinking we should all put some definitions on everyhting

I think reliability in a car should mean whether the car will always start when you need it to, never leave you stranded, keep you safe, have drivetrains, transmissions, suspensions, etc that are all in working condition and continue to be so for as long as possible,

Things like rattles, creaks, etc are quality control issues which all though VW uses high quality materials, they need to be assembled better as to stay quiet..therefore as most of us know, VW needs to work on quality control

I know these are pretty broad, any comments? Criticisms? I dunno, these are just thoughts of mine, probably not right in them, but oh well....

blueguydotcom

I agree with you. My Jetta is not unreliable (so far), it's just noisy.

I could be worse off, I could own an American car or a Mitsubishi.

divewreck

My mother-in-law was up from Florida & she constantly slammed the doors - every time she got out of my car I cringed until I finally told her to gently close the doors. What do you want from an 80 year-old who also tried to lift up the door lock to open when told her door wasn't locked.

Can anyone explain why the camber on the wheels cannot be adjusted, only toe in/out. One of my wheels was off the mark by 1 degree & the shop (Not VW) could not find the adjustment - said there wasn't one. So how is it adjusted?

Anakin

I got my Neuspeed 25mm rear sway bar installed today. It makes a BIG difference in the behavior of the car. No more dramatic leaning around corners! Woo hoo! The cornering is almost flat now. If I installed a front sway it would probably be completely neutral.

Next up... shocks and springs! :^)

benjaminh

I was the second owner of an 87 Jetta that soured me on VW's long term quality. The first owner had garaged it and performed very careful maintenance, and kept every receipt, but also had a significant number of additional repairs beyond maintenance. I loved the handing and the 5 speed transmission, and the trunk on the car was huge, but things that should never break on a car broke on that Jetta once I owned it, such as the odometer, the hood release (twice), the driver's door handle, etc. There were lots of other problems with the engine, ac, etc. I bought in in 96, and granted it was old even then, but after 4 years of non-stop trips to the VW dealer for repeated repairs I stopped lusting after a new Jetta. When I had the $ for a new car I got a 2000 Ford Focus ZTS 5 speed, which in many ways was similar to a Jetta but a lot less (plus I had a Ford credit car that took more than 4000 off of the price). Quite possibly the new generation Jetta's will not have any of the problems I had, since they are completely different. Anyway, I admit that VW's are cooler than a Focus, but I'm not sure if the long term reliability is going to be any better, and you sure pay a premium in initial price, cost of service and maintenance, and insurance to own a VW these days.

blueguydotcom

I almost bought one through a deal at VWVortex. I've heard great things about the swaybars.

Anakin

I bought mine through a group buy on VW Vortex. I got it for $165, which is just a little over half price.

benjaminh:

Deciding against a new Jetta based on the reliability of an 87 model seems a bit silly, don't you think? Not to mention you bought a Focus, which has had numerous recalls. You may have no problems with your Focus, but then, you might have had no problems with a new Jetta either.

bluejettalx02

About the quailty control of rattles, I have noticed recently that if you close the door firmly (not slamming, but just hard enough) that it does not rattle. Of course you have to do this with all four doors and the glove box but I did it today and had the quietest ride in my Jetta to date.

fischda

A funny story - yesterday I tied a MADD ribbon onto my anten and forgot about it. Next ride I heard a strange new sound coming from the right rear. I thought, "great, I've been bragging about how my Jetta is whisper quite and tightly built, and now I have a ohantom rattle I know the dealer will refuse to hear!" My wive drove it today, and came back telling me about the same sound. I looked in the trunk, under the car, in the wheel well -- nothing. I took off the ribbon!! The sound was gone - the ribbon was slapping against itself.

As for closing my doors, I get so peaved when people slam them - I always say something to them. If I just give the door a little momentum, it closes itself with a nice soft yet solid feel.

venus537

You most likely don't have the new seat fabric. I just noticed the new design only a couple a weeks ago. VW doesn't seem to wait for the next model year to make changes, they just go ahead and do it. When they came out with the new CD/radio, the window sticker wasn't even updated to reflect this. I've liked all the changes they have been made since my 2001 VR6 Jetta: 5 speed auto, 180 bhp for 1.8t, standard CD player, curtain side air bags, simplified cruise control switch, increased sound insulation and the new seat fabric on GLS models.

vocus

After all the lint drama with the seat fabric, I am surely glad I got leather in my GLS! Also, how effective are the seat heaters on the cloth seat models? I know they work VERY well on the leather seats.

justin

stay on now that it is in the 50's during the day and 30's at night. i don't even bother to turn them off. love it. now if only they would come up with a heated steering wheel.

vocus

My wheel is plenty warm for me. I am always hot anyway. My friend will get in the car and turn the seat heater on 5 for like 20 minutes. Mine will stay on 5 for like 2 mins., then I have to turn it down. It gets too hot for me.

vwguild

is optional on W8...

blackjetta18t1

do all your heated seats work if on anything other than 5? Mine seems to wor only on 5, I mean I've kept it on 4 for 20 minutes, and nothing..I told the dealership and they said everyhtings fine...

adamk919

Could use a little help. I am in the process of finalizing details on a 2002 1.8T Jetta w/17-inch wheels. However, the dealer, not having one in stock, proposed taking a 1.8T from his lot with 15's and swapping on the 17's. Any thoughts on whether this will create problems with steering, speedometer accuracy, or my warranty? Thanks.

vwguild

First of all does your Jetta have the Sports Lux.
Package??? And I do not understand the terminology
of "swapping on the 17s"...Please explain more
clearly...

Anakin

You should not have any trouble with the different wheels, because the tires on the 17s are lower profile, which maintains the overall diameter of the wheel + tire as compared to the 15s. It also should not affect your warranty in any way, since it's all VW factory equipment.

adamk919

vwguild

My local dealer has in stock a 1.8T/Lux with 15-wheels. He is proposing having the dealer mechanic replace the existing 15-inch wheels with 17-inch ones. I am not sure whether this will create any problems with steering/speedometer/ etc, or whether it will void my warranty. Hope that better explains my previous message. Thanks.

adamk919

Thanks for your response. Do you think that the width of the larger wheels may have any impact on steering, etc?

vocus

I would think it wouldn't be the same as the Sport Luxury Pkg. equipped model, because those have sport suspension. I hear there is alot of body lean without the sport suspension. I don't know, because mine has it. It's up to you though.

justin

I think it would be a little silly to get the 17's without a sport suspension. If you don't want to sport suspension, you should just pay less and get the car as is. The car will ride just like mine - luxurious, but with road feel!! And yes, a little lean in corners. Coming from a Honda Civic, I WELCOME lean and soft ride. To each his own though. Do they have any new 17" wheels with a different design yet?

vocus

The 17-inch wheels that have been coming on Jettas are the ones I have on mine, and it's a 2002 model. So I think the wheel designs are pretty much the same as always.

Without the sport suspension, I don't see a point in getting the 17-inch tires either. They work together.

vwguild

What is this retrofit going to cost you? To
your question...Skywalker is correct...The *fitment* will be the same. Thus no dangers of
any kind in terms of warranty, etc. if, in fact,
these are *Real* VW 17's. I raise this point due
to the fact that for a dealer to do this is quite
out of the ordinary.

The Window sticker(Monroney)is a legal document
that lists ALL features and options...I am having
a tough time figuring out why the dealer would put
your 15s on a car that clearly states 17" wheels
$400...

Very strange...

justin

i have the 2002 GLS Turbo, non sport suspension, with just the 15" base alloys. i LOVE the wolfsburg wheels. If i wanted those, are they available, and are they the same size? or would it mess up my speedometer rating and stuff. how exactly does that work?

i would have got a wolfsburg if automatic was available.

vwguild

the wheels on the *Wolfsburg* are BBS, and may
possibly be found at www.tirerack.com They are 16"; not
15"...

If not the "exact" wheel; probably something very
close...In addition, you will find there information regarding correct *Fitment*...

These folks are the best for wheels & tires...

jrosasmc

There is an odd, eccentric old man in my town who has one of the first, original Jettas VW ever made; it's a 1980 two-door. He has told me that he bought it brand-new in Dec. of 1979. It has a 1.6-liter FI engine hooked to a 5-speed manual. This Jetta currently has 241k miles on it; the engine has been rebuilt twice, the clutch replaced once, and the body looks shot, with quite a lot of surface rust. Of course, being the eccentric person he is, this man says that his '80 Jetta is better than the new VWs or any other new car on the road today (including Jags!).

desh1

Adam- I talked to my dealer about swapping standard steel wheels on a passat for the "real ones" on another vehicle & they said it would through the ride out of wack. might have been BS but since I was getting a Jetta hey may have been on the level. I'd stick with the stock set up.

Note to jrosa. I'd worry about the guy who thinks an 80 Jetta (or 80 anything) is better than a new car. I think he has a leak in his exhaust system near the passenger compartment.

jrosasmc

The guy with the '80 Jetta is seriously bushwhacked, mentally. I try to steer clear of him whenever possible.

I have one question for the VW gurus here: When will the 2.0-liter naturally-aspirated four-cyl. in the Golf/Jetta end its production run? It seems as if this engine has been around forever; is it a descendant of the first Rabbit engines that appeared back in 1975?

Anakin

Changing the wheels and tires will NOT "throw your ride off." Here, read this:

http://www.discounttire.com/helpDeskPlusSizing.html

When you select a larger wheel, the tire profile is decreased proportionally so your gauges aren't messed up. However, selecting a larger wheel and lower profile tire may cause a firmer ride. I suppose if you like a Buick ride, then this might be considered "throwing the ride off."

Getting wheels off another Jetta on the lot won't harm your car or mess up your gauges in any way.

vocus

I took my car in for its 5000-mile service today (yeah, 7 weeks after I bought it!). They were nice enough to give me a loaner, because I had a little rattle they are going to fix as well. I left the car there last night, so they set me up for a loaner. Well, I get to the dealership and they tell me there are no more loaners. No problem, they call Enterprise to come and get me. I get to the rental office, and they are out of cars too. The only thing left is a brand new (55 miles) 2002 Dodge Ram 4x4 Quad Cab pickup. So they give me that. This thing is like driving someone's house! At least they gave me a free rental (and paid for the gas too, because I told them it would use too much for my needs). I am definitely happy with VW service thus far.

fischda

What dealer is that? Alexandria VW is the only one I've ever heard of offering loaners in the DC area. Springfield VW gave me one once because I demanded it.

vocus

The dealer was in Pasadena, Md. and it's called Antwerpen. I think they only gave me a loaner because I have a rattle in the door of a brand new car. Also, I am just getting my service done while I am there for the 5000 miles.

blueguydotcom

I've got plenty of rattles and left my car plenty of times. The lazy scumnbags have only given me shuttle service ONCE. Oh, but they do wash the Jetta upon its return...rattles still going.

vocus

They only gave me a loaner, I think, because the car is so new. The first time they gave me a loaner because the radio died on my month old car. They either could give me a free loaner or listen to me rant and rave in the dealership's sales department. I always get my way.

mo1ra

I am think of getting a 2002 jetta 1.8 Turbo......... I just wanted to know how you all "really" like your car. I've had a Maxda MX-6 for 13 years and I think it is time for a new car.... I am torn between the Jetta and a RAV-4. I know I am comparing apples and oranges..... If you had to do it all over again, would you still get the Jetta or would you consider something else? Thanks for any replies.

vocus

DEFINITELY get the Jetta! The RAV4 may have a better reputation for reliability (Jettas have gotten alot better lately though), but the Jetta is definitely more fun. It's also better on gas too, and about the same price as the RAV when similarly equipped. There is also a refined feel (to me, anyway) behind the wheel of a Jetta, like it has some weight to it. It's also safer than a RAV (although it's difficult to compare them, since they are in separate classes altogether).

If I were you, I would take a nice, long test drive in each car and see which one you like the best. But if you are asking for opinions, definitely the Jetta.

fischda

Jetta gets my vote over the RAV. My other car is a Toyota and it's great. But I think the RAV is ugly with all those wierd angles and lines. I second everything vocus said.

My 2000 Jetta 1.8T has 18,000 mi. and has been a gem. Luckily, mine has no little annoyances like rattles, or anything. All it's had done under warranty is glove box door replaced and two air exchange valves to the emissions system replaced (the valves do not effect the engines performance). It's a great car!!

p.s. Don't listen to anything blueguydotcom says - he picks on his Jetta because he really wanted a BMW in the first place

desh1

Definatly the Jetta. My wife wanted a Rav4, but for that kind of money they are an expensive "TOY". She ended up with a Volvo S40 for less $ and it is so far superior as to be a joke. My Jetta is far ahead also in ride, handling and safety. Not to mention my VR6 would run rings around the Rav4's puny 4.

greggt007

i just dont understand how a ford produced protege can be compared to a german jetta. they are so different on so many levels. the volvo s40 (also ford, so questionable), sentra-s, acura cl/rsx, etc; these are comparable cars to compare.

btw, my wolfsburg 16's are nice looking but extremely time consuming to clean, i'd say dont bother.

blueguydotcom

I would pass on the Jetta. It was a big mistake. Safe feeling and a fun little turbo engine, but the car's not that great of a handler, I've got rattles, a broken center console and the driver's side lower dash panel is falling out. That's after 7 months and only 7300 miles. VW service is useless and the car's defroster is slow to dead...I live in San Diego, so it's not like it's THAT cold or misty at night. I won't even touch how buzzy the 1.8T is at freeway speeds (80-90 mph).

Test every car you might consider and then test them again. Really put the car through the paces you expect your car to handle. I regret my decision every day and every time I leave for a business trip I pray someone will steal my blue 1.8T.

Anakin

I've had my Jetta for almost four months and 3700 miles and I have had no problems or noise whatsoever. I got a sway bar installed (less than $200 for the bar plus install) and it tightened up the cornering.

blueguy is correct about testing every car thoroughly, however. Be sure about what you're buying. That's only smart.

jodar96

I used to own a Jetta. Loved the car, put 183K miles on it. Once left me stranded with bad fuel pump under warranty. That car was the most solid car in icy/snowy weather than anything I have ever owned. at 2400 Ibs, it was very sure footed. Its 80hp engine was willing but loud and buzzy at highway speed. there was too much road noise. I felt the same road noise and buzziness with 2000 Jetta GLS 2.0L I drove last year.

I find road noise very annoying. I guess with German cars you FEEL every tar and crack in the road AND somepeople like that. Now, I have a 96 Camry XLE V-6 and a 92 BMW 325i. These cars are truely apples and oranges. They have nothing in common, but both are great cars. When it comes to fit and finish, I must give to the Japanese though.

Every time, I drive in bad weather, I still think about that 85 Jetta. It had 175/70-13 tires!!

fischda

He just won't concede that his problems are atypical. He says VW service is useless. I find it very good. Maybe he gets poor service because he's rude to them - I don't know, just a guess...

He also sounds like he thrashes his cars so his idea of handling is different than ours. In it's class, the Jetta is a good handler. Also, I find the defroster very efficient and I live in Ohio. I find the engine quite smooth at 80-85 mph.

Blueguy is knowledgable, but his tastes are for much more expensive cars, and when it comes to the Jetta, he comes off like a malcontent.

vocus

I have to kind of agree. I will say that I am mad at the rattles (still not found by VW) in the passenger's side door. But they are trying at least. They gave me a free loaner car yesterday and looked at the car all day. I picked it up last night, shining in the parking lot, with the oil changed and the car cleaned inside and out. They did forget to rotate my tires, darn it!

I am very happy with the car, although I do wish they would find the darn rattles in it, because it gets annoying. I am going to take the car on a test drive with one of the mechanics (which I should have done a bit ago) for the first time, and get this fixed once and for all.

I have 4475 miles on my 2002 GLS 1.8T right now (in only 7 weeks!) and LOVE it!