Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

aem1979

blackjetta are you talking about the airbags?
thanks

blackjetta18t1

i found out its regarding a faulty 02 sensor which elevates emissions, the call has to do with the sensor/exhaust system, they are voluntarily recalling 324,000 1999-2001 Jettas, Golfs and Beetles with the 2.0 engine...

Not positive about the TDI 0-60, but I'm pretty sure it's about 11.5 seconds and up
The new 1.8T was tested at 7.2 with stick I believe, but I'm pretty usre it'll be able to get sub 7...Motortrend will definately be able to get I'd say 6.8-6.9 out of it....Don't know how they do it, but they are always like a good .5 to 1.0 seconds faster than edmunds

justin

I am not saying that the manual in the Jetta does not state that 91 octane should be used. I know it says 91 octane. What I AM saying is, it makes no sense to actually spend money on 93 octane. I mean, sure it only comes out to equal a couple hundred dollars over the life of the car. But, that is a coupl hundred dollars.....why give it away? I can think of lots of better ways to spend that money than on 93 octane.

vocus

You need to get in touch with the NHTSA (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov) because that is definitely a safety problem. I would also talk to my lawyer about it too.

fischda

Hey people, I moved from Dayton to Omaha. I actually have to go back again and am looking forward to the 700 mile drive in the Jetta - it's such a sweet ride. Weather's no different yet - usually get lots more snow in NE, so we'll see. Getting 20K service this week and all's well.

blackjetta18t1

just wondering, has anyone with a 1999-2001 Jetta gotten any letters or postcards from VW regarding the issue?

venus537

if you knew it was in the manual, why do you say the engine could be HARMED using 91 octane gasoline? You keep thinking you're going to save money by using the lower octane gas. You're NOT. because your gas mileage suffers from using 89 octane gas not to mention a slight loss in performance.

justin

can you read? i don't know how many times i have to say this:

the manual calls for 91 octane. 91 octane is not available in my area. only 87, 89, and 93. i NEVER said the engine can be harmed by using 91 octane. i said it can be harmed by using a higher octane than needed, not to mention, why waste the money? i know from experience, 89 octane works just fine. NO LOSS IN MPG. NO LOSS IN POWER. why is that so hard to understand? i am not a writer, but i really don't know how much simpler i can type the message....

and why, oh why, are we still on this topic???

justin

outside of "quattro" and suspension components, what's the big difference? haha. kidding (kind of). congrats on your new purchase!

i do believe the jetta turbo is higher output than the a4 turbo. why?? same for Passat...

vocus

This is the second move you have made since you got the Jetta, right? You trying to see how many cities you can populate the Jetta with? Just kidding. Good luck on the new surroundings.

vocus

As far as this octane war, it's going nowhere fast. People are going to put into their cars what they want. You can't change a person's mind about that. You might not agree, but unless you are paying their car payment it's really not your business. It's good to be helpful, but bad to keep beating a dead horse.

boobmbl

I'm looking at purchasing a new 2002 jetta 1.8t, should I ask the dealer to do anything to car before I purchase it?

teo

To do exactly what? Wash it? Wax it?...

boobmbl

That's what I'm not sure of. What exactly should I get in addition to the new car, when I purchase the car. You know, full tank of gas, wash/ wax, if the door rattles have them fix it, make sure it isn't a model that needs to fixed in someway. I'm a first time buyer, and I don't really care to get screwed, if you know what I mean. Thanks.

justin

i agree. i could care less what someone else puts in their car. i don't understand why anyone would care about what anyone else does with their car, period. the fact of the matter is, large mass market car companies can't sell cars with engines that will self-destruct, even with 87 octane. they would have so many warranty claims that they would go out of business. no way to prove what type of gas someone uses. i do agree that putting 87 in a turbo engine probably is pushing your luck, but the 1.8t doesn't actually have the highest compression ratio from what i have heard, so even 87 would be okay if nothing else was available. you know, emergency situations and all that.

vocus

I am sure 87 would be ok in an emergency, but even the website says premium is recommended for the 1.8T. I am just too scared to use anything but in my Jet.

zenzikora

I'm having trouble finding info on the 99 Wolfsburg edition, the last one before the design change. Does anyone know what engine these had? Any reliability problems? I love the way it looks and am thinking about buying one, haven't driven it yet tho. Thanks!

vocus

That model had the 2.0 115-hp engine, and that model (2.0) is usually nicknamed the 2.slow. I have driven one, and I think the acceleration is slow to adequate. I am a fast driver though, so it might be just me. (I have a 2002 1.8T Jetta.) I have heard that the 2.0 is known for oil leaks, but have no info to back that up. And also, older Jettas are not the most reliable used cars available either.

justin

Is just the same as any other 99 Jetta....except the GLX or TDI. Fair to poor performance. Average relibility. But, yes, they do look good!

moparbad

Earlier there was a post asking when the 200HP VR6 would be available in the GLS trim in 2002. At this point it does not look like there will be a GLS VR6 in 2002 with the 24 valve 6 cyl..

The 2002 Jetta GLS VR6 has been out of production since week 32/01.

There are only two models offering the 200 (not 201) HP engine.

The Jetta GLX with 5 speed Tiptronic transmission only, and the new Jetta GLI.

The new Jetta GLI is essentially a Jetta version of the GTI VR6 with the 200 HP engine.

It will be available sometime in April/May and will be available only in Reflex Silver Metallic, UnIBlack, Blue Lagoon Metallic and Tornado Red.

zenzikora

Thanks guys, that was what I was afraid of. Can't quite afford a new one just yet though; think I'll be looking into the homelier but fairly reliable 99/00 Nissan Altima.

venus537

i agree, this isn't rocket science.

you did state that using gasoline with 93 octane could be harmful to your 1.8t engine. which is a silly statement. you do lose gas mileage using 89 octane gasoline. could a VW guru back me up on this. PLEASE. i'm not trying to convince anybody on what gasoline to use. just want to point out that there isn't any advantage to it. you're right, 89 octane will probably not hurt the engine. you'll just be driving a less efficient car in performance and mileage. i guess the only thing we might agree on is that it is strange that the minimum octane rating is 91 and most places either offer 89 or 93, not 91. i will not beat this dead horse any more.

moparbad: i was the one who asked about the GLS 24 valve VR6. thanks for the info. you're a VW guru right? i don't think i'm going out on a limb when i say you lose gas mileage using 89 octane in the turbo. am i?

justin

do you hear, or re-read your posts? you are telling ME, that I lose MPG's when I use 89 octane. i am not being rude or anything here, but do you understand how strange that must sound to me? i actually own and drive my 1.8t Jetta everyday. and you are going to tell ME what MY MPG's are with 93 vs 89 octane? i realize you don't know me, but trust me, i have long been a VW fan. have had two jettas - done plenty of little informal studies....the fact is, i am not getting any better performance or mpg's by spending more on gas. for you, it might be different. for me, it is just not the case.

vocus

Okay, all this talk about 89 vs. 93 octane gas is giving me gas now. I mean, come on. Be done with it already. Who cares what one decides to put in their car? Venus, you aren't going to be responsible for Justin's car if something happens to it, right? He makes the payments on it, right? Well, there you go.

I almost put in 89 octane for the first time yesterday, because I had to put in 13 gallons to fill my tank (the light was on for a long time!). At the very last second, I just couldn't do it. I don't know why, the inside of the fuel flap says Premiun only and every time I see that, I can't bring myself to put anything in the car but 93.

vocus

Does anyone get people coming up to them, asking questions about the Jetta? I have had people stop me at intersections, the bank, red lights, in shopping malls, parking lots. One valet almost salivated over the car. Am I the only one that endures this? I mean, is this normal?

Anakin

Maybe it depends on where you live. Seattle is a fairly yuppified city, so Jettas are almost as plentiful as Camries around here.

Maybe if I get some nicer wheels or something

blueguydotcom

Yet I still get many comments from passerby and lots of people asking me about the car. I try to be honest with them, but if I'm in a hurry I simply tell them, "I hate it and won't buy another VW." People tend to be shocked when you tell them the car's not all that.

I talked to a guy about his S2000 in a parking lot once and he point-blank told me he couldn't wait for his new BMW to arrive as he hated every moment in the S2000.

vocus

You wanna see Jettas galore? Come to Washington, DC. Every other car you see on the road is a Jetta. I have only seen like one or two with the Sport Luxury Pkg., and none in Cool White with said package. I live in Baltimore, and most of the attention to the car is paid there, not in DC. Also, most of the Jettas I see on the road are basic GL/GLS models with the plastic wheel covers, or VR6 GLS/GLX models.

In my workplace alone, there are like 6 people (including me) who have Jettas. Most of them are VR6s though, and one 2.0. I have the only 1.8T here, and the only white one too (three have the Galatic Blue though).

vocus

I have a couple rattles in the interior of my car, and I just turned 6500 miles today on the way to work. It does annoy me that this happens sometimes (the package shelf in the back, the passenger door, and the left corner of the dash are the main things), but I still love the car. I mean the way it feels, drives, and looks just win me over. I just hope this time they find all the issues with the car and fix them.

Also, my dealer has been really good about it (like I said before). I get a free loaner every time I take it in, and they also wash, wax, and vacuum it before I get it back.

vocus

VW Credit sent me a package in the mail a couple days ago, but I just opened it yesterday. It was a thick terrycloth rag, some wash and wax liquid, some window cleaner, and wheel cleaner (I think). Anyone else get this?

mynewvw

My 2002 GLS V6 makes a knocking/sucking noise while idling. The noise doesn't seem to be connected to engine rpms. But it is very audible and is intermittent (being on more than off).

I can't imagine other's hearing this noise and not noting it, so I expect someone hear to know what I'm talking about. A service man told me it's probably one of the many vacuum related pumps which are loud though functioning normally - he said a lot of people complain about it. Has anyone else heard this noise?

mynewvw

Does anyone have any ideas why vw would stop making the gls v6?

justin

I got it as well. Also got a CD-Rom that talks about VW Club. Every month VW Credit also sends a bill. They can keep that

I have only been approached about this 2002 Jetta once. A guy asked about the color...I guess this year the silver is a different shade than last years...or something along those lines. He also commented on never seeing a silver/gray leather combo. I wanted silver/black, and that is what everyone has, except when I was looking, I couldn't locate black leather anywhere. Oh well, the gray is growing on me.

I still think about getting different wheels sometimes. Still on the fence about it.

bhamjet

I have had my 2001 Galactic Blue Jetta GLS 1.8T for 1 year now. Today the odometer turned 8400 miles. As you can see, she doesn't get out to stretch her legs as much as she would like! I am incredibly pleased with the performance, reliability, and looks of this car. Everyday when I get in the car I get the "perma-smile" and look forward to rowing through the gears. I came to the Jetta from a Saturn SL1, a very economical and dependable automobile but not very inspiring. Whenever I hear that turbo spool up I am glad I made the switch!

Problems to date:
1) intermittent right rear door rattle that disappeared ~5000 miles ago
2) occasional buzzing from rear tweeter/door handle area
3) dealer didn't wash the car at the 5000 mile service (not really the car's problem)
4) that's it; that's the whole list

I also enjoy the Panasonic cx-dp610 cd changer I put in the trunk a month after purchase, and getting out on the weekends to wash and wax; that Galactic Blue can really shine!

Thanks for your time,
Brett

vocus

Makes no sense to me either, as that model seemed to be the most popular on the road next to the basic GL/GLS.

Anakin

I think it just has to do with trim level distinction. VW wants people to pay more to get the VR6 in the GLX model. With the current 1.8T putting out as much power as the previous VR6, I think they just used the opportunity to make the VR6 exclusive to the top trim level.

justin

VW is not known for making too much sensem model wise, in my opinion. I mean, the HP in the 1.8t for the Passat is 170. The Jetta turbo is 180. The Passat is a much bigger car. Not sure what that is about. It is not like the 180 hp standard engine could compete with the 225 V6 due out soon, if not out already in the Passat. Plus, VW never offered a real engine in the Cabrio. I don't know how many thousands of sales they might have lost because of that.

venus537

i've had no comments made about my car (from strangers) since i got it. but i did come up to people asking them about their jettas before i got one for myself. only one had the view point of blueguydotcom and the others were positive. strangers have made postive remarks about my last car (red honda accord coupe lx v6) though. sports car red makes a difference maybe. I've had comments like "that's a honda".

phishockey

The new 24v VR6 now is available in the GLX trim and will ALSO be available in the GLI trim level, hopefully by May. The GLI can be optioned up to a GLS trim level with luxury, cold weather, and leather packages. So, essentailly you CAN get the GLS trim level, it just isn't called the GLS anymore.

The theory behind the GLI trim is that it's for VW drivers who want all the sport features, (the 17" wheels, sport suspension, 6-speed tranny), but without all the luxury items found on the GLX, (auto dimming mirror, wood trim, etc.)

blackjetta18t1

here in northern jersey, there are 7 Jettas in the student parking lot of my high school along with audis, bimmers, jeeps, civics, infinitis etc...I don't really gety approached mostly because there are sooo many around here. As for the sucking knocking noise, I to hear thaty when idling, when tunring the car on and going,(the first few minutes) and even when sitting in my car after its been off for some 20 minutes...I was told once it was the exhaust cooling down but that doesn't make sense especially when i hear it after turing oin a car thats been parked outside overnight in 20 degree weather...I think it probably is fuel tank related, cause mine sounds like its coming from the rear

debr1

I've been lurking on this board for awhile now trying to decide on whether to purchase a Jetta. Thanks to all of you I finally took the plunge and am getting the 1.8t with leather/luxury/monsoon and a rear spoiler. It was a tough choice between the blue and the silver but the blue is available now and I don't want to wait for up to 3 months for the car. Anyway, if anyone lives on Long Island, I'd be interested in your thoughts as to where is a good dealership to take my new baby for servicing. Thanks!

rae52

I'm going to try to answer the discussion regarding gasoline.
If your car is designed for 91 octane, and you use 89 because you don't want to pay extra for 93 octane if you don't hear pinging and/or knocking under acceleration or going up a hill you 'should' be ok. If you don't intend to keep the car for a long period of time then don't worry about it. Just hope that your engine doesn't develope an engine problem because your trying to save a few pennies per gallon.
I'll close my statement by stating that I wouldn't want to buy ANY used car if the owner(s)refused to follow manufacurers' recommendation(s)

blackjetta18t1

as im sure youve all experienced, when you first got the jettas, the steering wheel was nice and heavy feeling with a substantial thick feel, and turning had a fair amount of resistance. Mine has not been like that since form what I can remember, about 4-5 months after I first my car. My cousin has had his 02 1.8T for about 5 months now and his still has that feeling. Do all yours still feel fairly new or like new, or have they lost their resisrtance? Is it normal? The steering feels very loose and nothing like prior months....Am I just being paranoid?

justin

that is strange. my first Jetta was as solid as the day i bought it, and i sold it after almost two years of hard driving. in fact, to this day, even with my new Jetta, i think steering effort is a little much for a four door economy/luxury sedan. i know it is supposed to be sporty, but i like to use one finger when turning if i have cell phone and or coffee in my hands. the jetta makes it virtually impossible to do that. i guess it does force me to be a more "involved" driver though

i would get it looked at if there is lots of freeplay in the wheel.

vocus

You shouldn't be on the cell phone driving and you definitely shouldn't be holding hot coffee! Shame on you!

My steering is pretty tight too, but not a significant amount tighter than my 2001 Protege ES' was. I love being able to make complete U-turns without having to back up. This car feels like it has a really tight turning circle.

target3

FYI - I just spoke to a dealer yesterday who said I could get the GLS VR6 (174hp) via special order. They are just not stocking them on the lot.

Does anyone have an opinion on reliability for the turbo vs. VR6? I want to buy a car that I can put over 200k on. Will the turbo last, and will repairs be more expensive for it?

moparbad

There are still 174HP VR6 in port and this is not a Special Order, just the dealer getting a car from port that is already built. The 174HP VR6 is out of production for the Jetta Sedan. FYI some dealers will not see any 200HP VR6 on certain dealers lots until they take their allocation of 174HP VR6.

vocus

I would think the turbo would be more expensive to fix due to its greater complexity. I have heard problems already with the VR6 though. My co-worker has a 2001 GLX, and said the dealer told him his complaints of a 1000-1500rpm hesitation could not be fixed because it was a fluke in the VR6 engine. That's the reason I got the turbo engine instead of the VR6, and also it's alot better on gas I hear as well.

If you really want a car that you can put 200K+ on, I would look at the TDI. Diesel engines, particularly VW diesels, run forever.

justin

the VR6. Some car mags mention "flat spots" in performance in a certain higher rev range, but again, I would not listen to a dealer that says all VR6's have issues like your friends. Just not true. Not based on any factual information. Manual transmission cars, by nature of the driver, can have various dead spots. Depends on shift points, clutch use, etc. Automatics can have dead spots too, if the transmission is not on the ball. The VR6 has actually proved to be one of the most reliable engines VW makes....

antnyp73

Hey! I am planning on purchasing a Pre-Owned 2000 or 2001 Jetta GLS. Anyone have any suggestions - i.e. engine size, options, questions for the dealer, etc. I want to go into this purchase with some knowledge about the car from other owners.

Thanx - I appreciate any and all feedback.

P.S - Very excited to become a JETTA owner!! :-)

You can also e-mail me at antnyp73@aol.com