Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

sarah233

Did your seats not heat up at all on settings 1 - 4? I think I have a problem with my seats too.....work REALLY well on 5, but there isn't much heat coming out on all the other settings. It only heats up a little bit.

blueguydotcom

If you want reliability, go with the Corolla or the cheaper and identical Geo Prizm. Those cars are near bulletproof.

dudka

i hope you haven't gotten the 91 jetta yet. i am a past owner of a 91 tornado red jetta gl. it is a anwesome car as far as handling and pick up, but it sucked in the reliability department. it needed to see the mechanic on a weekly basis. you name it, it needed to be replaced. i ended up learning how to fix it myself to save up money. they are easy to work on if you know how to use the wrench. but if you need reliable transportation get a honda or toyota, even a 10 15 year old honda or corlooa will give you less trouble than a 5 year old VW.
just my 2 cents

vocus

I tested my ASR tonight in the grocery store parking lot. I have a 2002 GLS 1.8T with Tiptronic. It was in auto mode, and I stopped on this large icy section (water mane broke and the parking lot froze). I pushed the pedal and the ASR light went crazy. The car moved and did not spin ONE time! I was amazed. When I got to clear pavement, the car took off pretty ferociously, so I must have had the gas down a good distance. I was truly shocked, and not worried about winter driving now.

vocus

I got my first ding on my almost 2-month old GLS 1.8T. It's a little space on the back bumper where the paint is chipped away. It's only about the size of half a dime, but it's still noticeable. I am so MAD!

blueguydotcom

I used to turn mine off as the little light always came on and retarded my cornering. Now I just put up with the flashing yellow light. Too lazy to nudge the switch off.

Vocus, I've got a weird scratch on my lower front bumper. It looks like someone curbed the airdam on my car, but I know I didn't! I've let friends and family take off with my car so it seems someone hit something parking or doing a u-turn. Oh well, maybe it will wax out.

vocus

You let someone else drive your car? That's why I don't do that. I got a parking ticket one time in the mail for $150 with fines and all, and couldn't remember where I'd gotten it from. Turns out, a good friend of mine got it and just wrinkled it up and put it in his pocket. Two months later, I had fines up to $100! I was hot, and no one else never drove my car again without me in it with them.

teo

Two things in life that you should never lend:

* Your car

* Your girlfriend

Happy new year too all!

vocus

That is too funny! Like I said, I will let someone else drive my car with me in it, but never lend it (anymore). Don't wanna take the chance of it getting damaged. Also, if someone's driving your car and has an accident, you will be the one being sued since the car is in your name. That's the way it works here in Md. anyway. Not sure about any other states.

Happy New Year to all, and may you all have a great one!

blueguydotcom

I'd loan pretty much anything I own to any friend or family member. Just material objects.

I'm not mad about the scratch, just curious about where it came from.

As for the girlfriend thing...she's not really mine to loan but she can certainly go where she pleases.

vocus

Like I said before, if someone smahes into something in your car and it's their fault, you are in trouble. To me, that's compromising your financial being (you all know what I mean, I can't think of what I am trying to say right now!). Too risky for me. It's up to you what you do with your car though.

Did you ever think maybe that's why your car rattles like crazy, because it's being abused when you are not in it?? Hmm....

blueguydotcom

I've got insurance and a family filled with lawyers so the last thing I'm worried about is liabillity should someone crash up the Jetta (god bless them if they do - although ideally the crasher will emerge unscathed).

As for the rattles, there is no amount of abuse that should produce so many interior rattles in a 7 month old car. The rattles started in week 4. I know because I've written it down. The cars are poorly assembled IMHO. Great feeling, fun engine but poorly assembled and sloppy handling. I'm still waiting for a good swaybar group buy at VWVortex. $200 clams on a swaybar, $300 on the eibach lowering and $500 more on the chip could at least make the car a hoot to drive!

427435

I'm considering a Jetta for my commuting vehicle (130 miles round trip on non-freeway 4-lane @ 72 mph). How reliable are these engines (is one better than the other)? Has anyone put many miles on 1.8T without turbo problems?

My current car ('94 Topaz with a 5-speed) has 215,000 miles w/o any major repairs (and that includes the exhaust and clutch). Can I expect the same from these cars? I don't abuse a car and change oil (Mobil 1) every 6,000 to 8,000 miles.

Comments and things to watch for please.

moparbad

If you are driving a long commute you should consider a TDI. The TDI returns 50 mpg and up and is reliable, very quiet at highway speeds, and 150 lb ft of torque makes it enjoyable in city driving. It is not for those who want to race from stoplight to stoplight, but it is nothing like diesels of old either.

vocus

If you are coming from a Topaz, you will definitely find more power in the Jetta TDI. It has pretty good power, although it doesn't rev higher than about 4500 rpm redline (I think that's what it was). It does get 50 mpg though, so you might consider it. Also, the GL TDI might be the best model, because it doesn't have extra power stuff to go up after the warranty is up on it. Test drive one!

justin

I am dropping my car off tonight about the heated seats. Yes, they work quite well on setting 5, but 1-4, nothing to speak of. Service manager says something about a switch or relay....easy fix. We will see. I will keep the board posted.

As far as loaning my car out, I personally don't keep friends that I can't trust, so it is not an issue. If I thought for one second that a friend wouldn't own up and pay for repairs/medical bills/ etc if he wrecked in my car, he/she would not be borrowing my car, because they would not be in my life.

427435

In another life I managed the engineering for off-highway vehicles with diesel engines. Even with my commute, I don't want to deal with a diesel engine's oil changes, starting at below 0 temperatures (common in Minnesota winters), and injection issues. Diesels are meant to be started and not turned off for hours (sometimes days).

I bought the Topaz because that's what I had the cash to do and its been a good car. My next commuting car is going to have a much better power/weight ratio, however. By the way my handle refers to the cubic inch and horsepower of my first car (which I still drive on nice days).

Anyone with a 2.8 V6 or 1.8T that can talk about these engines?

teo

The Diesel engine also requires expensive timing belt changes at 30K mile intervals..

Anakin

I have had my 1.8T for 4300 miles. So far it's been great, and no complaints, with the exception of the velour seats. Get the leather... the velour traps every piece of lint and hair imaginable and it's a royal pain to try to clean it.

Sure is fun to drive, tho. I have the Tiptronic, and it's fun to shift or just leave it in D when I'm feeling lazy. Apparently GIAC has a "Tip Chip" you can have installed that will make the Tiptronic shift more immediately.

Good luck.

moparbad

The timing belt requires change at 80,000 miles for both manual transmission and automatic for 2002 TDI. For 1998 to 2001 ALH TDI the interval is 40,000 miles for automatic and 60,000 for manual and the new belt and tensioner used on 2002 is applicable to the ALH motors so the interval at the first change is then 80,000 miles for both the auto and manual.

the interval has never been 30K teo! As to the expense it is $350-400.

moparbad

I respect that a TDI is not for everyone but I want to respond to your comments.

You do not want to deal with a diesel engine oil change. Why? The oil change requires 4.4 qts. of synthetic diesel specific oil and is as easy as a gasoline vehicle. Oil cost is $20 or less and the change interval is every 10,000 miles after the initial 5K and 10K mile oil changes. No big deal.

Starting at below zero temps..
Starting in 40 below zero is absolutely no problem for my TDI and it is not even garaged and no plug in heater used either. I am familar with Minnesota winters brrr and there are many owners of TDI in MN and even more in Canada. Cold weather will not stop the TDI.

Injection issues.
I do not even know how to respond to this one. There are no injection issues I can think of for the TDI. The pump is very reliable and it is very uncommon to have problems with the injection pump. This is REALLY a non issue. Window regulators and MAF's are prone to failure on the newer VW's but they are problems with gas and diesel.

It is a TDI and not a Freightliner and the TDI is very different from what is expected in a diesel.

The 1.8T with 180HP for 2002 would be what I would drive if I could not have the TDI.

vocus

I have a 2002 1.8T Tiptronic Jetta GLS as well. I also have leather inside, so can't talk about the cloth seats sticking with lint or anything. It's also nicer to have the adjustable lumbar support and nice smell inside the car of the leather.

I commute about 70 miles a day (have 5500 miles on the car since 11/3/01), and I always put premium gas in the car (have since new). I get about 23mpg in 70% highway/30 city driving. I am heavy on the gas though, and travel at speeds of 80-95 mph most of the time on the highway. The car is not too bad on gas for the amount of power available. This car will VERY easily spin its wheels, even with automatic and traction control. I have not had any service issues with the 1.8T yet (it's only got 5500 miles, I hope not!), so can't say anything about bad experiences/reliability yet. There is some lag at low speeds though, but you get used to it when driving the car for awhile.

I would think the V6 is smoother than the 4, but it's got less power out of the box. I am sure it has more low-end power though, at the risk of increased fuel consumption. Also, the V6 is a lower tech 12-valve unit too. I would pick the turbo (and did), but the decision is up to you.

fischda

With a '00 GLS 1.8T that has 19K miles, I may represent the long-term owner in this forum. It has been a very good engine. Power and torque are excellent, winter starts are no problem, although it runs a tad rough for a few minutes until all the oil circulates. I use Mobil 1 synth every 5K. Early on, I had two air exchange valves that burned out caused by a mistakenly installed air shield that belongs on the 2.0 but not the 1.8T. The valves are related to the emissions system and the turbo, but engine performance wasn't affected.

I'd highy recommend this engine. Just the fact that it's used in several other models is tribute to its quality (Audi TT and A4, VW Golf, Beetle, Passat). The low-pressure turbo should be very durable and gas economy is good, too.

mvs1

Question for any consumer and/or persons directly involved with VW. I'm looking at purchasing an extended warranty for a 2000 Jetta 1.8t, the vehicle has a little under 23k miles. I'm looking at the 48k Platinum with 0 ded. What should I expect to pay for this type of warranty. Please contact via e-mail provided through user profile. Thanks in advance for any help.

akangl

I traded my 01 GLS 1.8T in November. The car had 20K on it then. Great car, only 2 problems with it in the 8 months I had it. One was the throttle body control unit and the other was the battery. The clutch was getting really weird right before I traded it, but the dealer said it was fine.

My car averaged an easy 33 mpg on highway trips and 28 mpg around town. Once or twice with very careful driving I could sqeeze 38+ mpg out of it.

I wish I could have kept the car, but after hubby's accident he couldn't ride in it or drive it anymore and considering our only other vehicle was a worn out 96 GMC, the Jetta got driven a lot.

I bought a 98 Grand Cherokee and while its nice, I do miss that little Jetta. I would buy another 1.8T in a heartbeat, if I could. BTW, I live in Alaska and it was a great winter car, good in the snow and a heater that would run you out.

vocus

I have the 2002 1.8T, and it takes like 5-7 mins. for the car to heat up effectively and start blowing hot air through the vents. That's about normal when the car sits outside all night. I have the nice heated seat to keep me warm until the heater is ready, thank God. But that heater will fry you if you keep it up on high while driving for a long time.

vocus

What happend with your husband's accident if I may ask? Was it in the Jetta or not?

akangl

No, it wasn't a car accident. He falls trees for a logging operation part time and in a moment of inattention he was hit by a tree that came down behind him. Nothing was broken, but he was badly banged up. The Jetta was just too hard for him to get in and out of, as for driving, the clutch got to him quick and also the driving position.

mynewvw

I have a 2002 Jetta Wagon V6 with 2,000 miles on it. After it warms up, I can hear a knocking/sucking (more of a knock though) coming from the engine compartment while in park. The knocking doesn't seem to speed up when rpms increase. When I press the gas down, the knock goes away for about 10 seconds. I have worked a lot on cars, and the knocking doesn't sound like it's coming from the engine though it is very hard to locate where it is coming from. One other thing - when I have the gas cap off, I can hear it quite loudly coming from the gas pipe/cap entry. It strikes me as something vacuum related but I should would like to know what it is. Any ideas are appreciated.
Thanks

sprouty1

To the person who asked about the V6 Jetta versus the turbo four, this is an old topic in here and has received lots of attention. I have the V6 and love it--great low-end punch and it's ultra smooth. I average 25 mpg overall with 28-29 on the highway. No probs in 16000 miles. I admit that the turbo four handles much more crisply due to better weight distribution and it will get better milage, but the turbo also revs higher at speed and is less smooth/quiet. As such, the VR6 might be the better highway car, whereas the turbo 1.8 is probably superior around town. For 2002, with the 180 hp engine, the 1.8 and the 2.8 will perform similarly, but the V6 hits its power peak earlier in the rev band. Bottom line advice from me: get the turbo four if you're buying now. If you can wait 6 mos, get the new DOHC V6 which will be far better than both the 1.8 and the current SOHC VR6.

vocus

I was worried when I got my car that it had been test driven to death because it had 119 miles on it. Well, I looked at the price sticker last night closely for the first time, and realized the car came from another dealer. I got on Yahoo! and put the address in originally, then my dealer's address. It's ecactly 119 miles! So I guess no one test drove my car. It was all wrapped up in plastic and all when I got it, so I thought it to be weird to have 119 miles on it and still wrapped.

fischda

Yeah, but the problem could be WHO drove your car from the other dealer? Sometimes they send the snotnosed gofer kids at the dealer and they drive the transfer cars like they're in an off-road rally!

Mine came from NJ to Congressional VW in Md. I asked the salesman to go get it and he did.

BTW, I recently got a screw in my tire. Changing a tire is cake on the Jetta, and my dog could figure out how to work the jack! It sure was nice to have a full-sized spare to drive around on too!

vocus

I was originally looking for a Blue Lagoon Jetta 1.8T with Luxury Pkg., leather, and automatic but the dealer didn't have it. They were going to have a driver (they said a "professional" driver moved all their cars) go get it. I got the Cool White with Sport Luxury Pkg. and Monsoon in addition to the equipment I wanted, because I wanted the car that day to drive. I did that so I wouldn't have to worry about someone else driving the car, but maybe I should have gotten another color. The only thing they had were dark colors though, and I wanted a lighter one to keep it clean without washing longer, and also cooler in the summer months.

blueguydotcom

I've heard the term used but i'm not clear on if this grind occurs going to 2nd gear or from 2nd gear to 3rd. Anyone know?

My Jetta's clutch and shifter have always felt odd, but suddenly if I shift to 3rd at over 4500 rpm the shifter won't go in but pause and rumble against its slot. My brother-in-law and a friend both tried it too. Same results. Weird. We're all long-time manual drivers (I've been slogging manuals since I was 10, 17 years for those counting at home) and know we have the clutch fully depressed.

sarah233

i only have problems shifting out of reverse. it seems to really grab and not want to let go.

synistyr

Hmm.. I'm almost positive that I read that the heated seat settings vary in degree depending on how cold it really is.. ie: a '2' on a cool day will be different than a '2' on a really cold day.

I can't be sure.. anyone memorize their owner's manual?

vocus

I am about to go out and look in mine. My car is parked right outside my office, so I might go check it and post if I do.

mynewvw

1. Does anyone know of a very good VW service branch in the NYC or Northern NJ area?

2. Does it matter which service location you go to if your car is still under warranty?

3. Where can I get a technicians manual for my 2002 GLS V6? I want to do a lot of the work myself.

4. Does anyone know of a great service station that is not registered with VW in the NYC/North Jersey area?

Thank you

vocus

I can tell you that the engine you have in your car is the same as all the 1999.5+ Jettas. You should be able to get a service manual for the car pretty easily.

Also, no matter what VW dealer you go to in the US, they will honor your warranty. You do not have to go to one specific dealer at any time.

With the other two questions, I don't know. I live in Maryland.

sarah233

i just read my manual...said nothing about temperature being a factor in how warm the seats get.

justin

For the record, I have had both Jettas. A 99.5 Gen 4 GLS VR6 auto and now a 2002 1.8T auto Tip. Honestly, the only thing about the VR6 that I can find that I miss is the noise it made when I would first start it up. It sounded like an old prop plane. Yes, the turbo has that inital lag until your revs get to 2k, but honestly, the VR6 did too. It has more to do with that automatic than the engine. The new 180hp turbo is smooth, as was the VR6. Not Accord V6 smooth, but I actually want my car to have personality, not appliance like efficiency. The VR6 was a gas PIG. I will not soon forget that. This turbo takes 89 octane, and I average about 25 in my city driving. Have got 34 on highway trips averaging 70-75mph. Not sure about the pre-2002 turbos, but this engine is a good highway cruiser. Does not rev too high, but it has plenty of power to spare, even without messing with the tiptronic.

My recommendation - get the 1.8t, a reliable and fairly economical engine, or wait for the new VR6. The current VR6 is tried and true old technology, but you won't win any races with it anymore.

tom197

My son's 2000 Jetta GL has 50,000 miles on it. 5 speed, standard engine. This car has been to the dealer on numerous occasions for rear brakes. In addition, this vehicle is hard on tires. VW is giving me a reimbursement for one set of brakes and tires. The front pads have never been replaced. They tell me this is normal. My wife's 95 Mitsubishi Diamante with 78000 miles and anti lock brakes has had the front pads replaced twice and the rears once. I thought this is more normal. Now the starter solenoid is hanging up. I went to the dealer for an estimate. The service writer said it is very rare for the starters to go bad on VW's. The cost to replace the starter is over $450.00. He further stated it could be a defective ignition switch module. This repair would cost over $250.00. Has anyone heard of this problem? Is there any easy or temporary fix for the ignition switch? I suspect it is the switch because my son says it does not happen all of the time. Any input would be appreciated.

mvs1

I feel your pain with regard to repairs on these VW's. As I'm approaching the 23k mile mark and started to encounter problems with door locks, the car not starting, etc.

That's why I posed the question pertaining to an extended warranty, any help guys??? A price point for a Platinum, 48k total mile, 0 deductible.

vocus

Check out http://www.warrantybynet.com. They are cheaper than dealer extended warranties, and about the same service.

vocus

Actually, the turbo recommends 93 octane fuel, not 89. I use 93 on every tank, and average about 24 mpg or so with a heavy turbo foot and Tiptronic. What did the VR6 average? My boss has one in 5-speed, but only has 10K in a year so he doesn't drive it much.

dudka

as fasr as the manual goes go to any pepboys or autozone and they can order one for you if they don't have it in stock. For VW i would go with hayes rather than chilton.

and a non VW associated VW shop, try VW city in the bronx, it is on park ave (i think it is park ave, whichever has the metronorth rail in between the southbound and northbound lanes) and 2-3 blocks north off tremont, on the northbound side. the guy's name is moreno, he is cool. then there is another VW shop on tremont, off bronxdale ave, i think. i know where it is, but not sure on the address.
if you are not in the bronx, i can;t help you there.

mvs1

Funny thing is that the dealer warranty is significantly lower than the on-line quotes such as the above link to warrantybynet. The dealer quoted me $720 for a masterguard platinum, 0 ded., 60k total vehicle miles, which would be prorated upon trading in/selling the vehicle. I contacted a few other dealers via e-mail and await a response. What do you guys think, any suggestions?

moparbad

http://dealer.vw.com/vwpress/fullStoryA.html?release_id=5444

Earlier I posted info. about the Jetta GLI with 200 HP VR6 and 6 speed manual transmission. VW today made the official press release. I bet even blueguy would like the GLI.

Also announced was the Passat W8. Any Jetta owners thinking of moving up? The Passat will reportedly do 0-60 in 6.5 seconds.

newcar31

Even I like the GLI. Like some people, I was scared about the annoying problems that afflict some VWs (I still am actually) but that GLI sounds awfully tempting. 6sp, 200 hp, 195 ft/lbs of torque, 17 inch wheels, sport cloth seats, leather 3 spoke steering wheel...what else could you ask for? Hmm...maybe an indepented rear suspension, but besides that, the new GLI Jetta sounds like an awesome car.

venus537

I noticed that the latest 1.8t jettas have chrome tips at the end of the exhaust pipes. It looks pretty sharp.

moparbad: is there any chance that the new VR6 engine will make it to the GLS models with the 5 speed automatic?