Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

blueguydotcom

What state are you in? In CA rattles don't qualify under the lemon law. The problem has to impair the vehicle or make it unsafe here.

vocus

I am in Maryland. It said something about that in the text I was reading as well. I am not totally sure, but I am tired of dealing with this crap.

xud

hkny - if you can tell the rattles come from
weather strip of the doors, it's good news because
they can be easily fixed. My car had rattles from weather strip of doors too (it took
3 visits to two different dealerships before
they really identify the source). My dealer fixed them by applying Silicon spray richly inside/outside the strip. It took less then 10 minutes.

baronsdaddy

Just a posting to let you know at 36K on my Jetta 1.8t it's just as good as new. Besides oil changes, I had to replace the rear brakes, I chose Ceramic pads at Merchants. I run premium grade fuel as it is RECOMMENDED, not REQUIRED. Regular nets me a slighty slower car. I wish everyone the great luck I've had with my Jetta. I glad to say I which from a toyota to a vw.

self_mechanic

My friend's Jetta (2 1/2yr old with 25000 miles)air condition went bad, and dealer slapped her with $500.00 repair bill. According to the dealer the air con seal is leaking and the air con warranty is only 2 yr/24000 mile. Should air con warranty be covered under the 4yrs/50000 miles basic warranty or is the dealer telling the truth about 2yrs/24000 miles for air con only? Thank for your reply in advance.

A. Chee

samsvr6

Pre 2002 VW models only have a 2yr./24k bumper to bumper warranty. As such, the air-con repair would not be covered. The 4yr. warranty only applies to 2002 model year and beyond.

coolwhite

Checkout posting #4145 and get the product from your local GM dealer. It works much better than silicone spray.

awino

New 2002 Jetta. The left balance is off. We have had it back 4 times now . So far they have replaced the left front speaker closest to the floor assume this is the woofer. Last night they replaced the front higher speaker on the left side. The dealer does not hear the difference. my wife brought the car home last night and I listened to a cd as well as AM radio. I still notice the difference. Supposedly the Monsoon pepole indicate that the bass comes from the right speakers. Not sure what this had to do with it. To balance the sound we have to turn the balance control about 1/2 way to the left. Anyone have any clues about this or have a similar problem and how it might have been resolved.

hkny

I left my Jetta this morning at VW service for rattles. Its definitely coming out from the weather strips. They said they would fix it by the end of the day. Thanks for advise. If they don't fix it today I will try method described in #4145.I really don't want to get rid of the car because of this. I finally found the car that I love.

vocus

I am telling you, call VW of America customer service. The phone number's on vw.com under "contact us". Open a case. How many times have you been to the same dealer? If it's more than 2 or 3 times, then you need to call them and tell them you are tired of it. I did, and they have been almost kissing my rump in order to make me happy. I was shocked, but it definitely works.

Kirstie_H

Which costs more, the $12,000 car or the $15,000 car? Sounds simple, but as we all know, the purchase price isn't all that's involved in the true cost of a vehicle. Check out the article and new tool at Edmunds.com:

True Cost to Own (TCO): Revealing the Hidden Costs of Car Ownership

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/specialreports/articles/59897/article.html

kirstie_h

Roving Host

Edmunds.com

hkny

This is first time I took my car to service for rattles. The guy was very nice and said he would fix it. Lets see what they can do. I bought the car only 3-4 weeks ago.

flacoman

Think I'm gonna get a 2002 1.8T for the wife , wonder which dealership I should be using in the Ftlauderdale/ Miami area
TIA
Jorge

galogvi

hkny -

I had the same experience you are having.

Check out my solution at posting #4262. I've had my 1.8T for 3 months and 3K miles and so far so good.

BTW, my experience with all car dealer service departments has been less than favorable. I'd rather try to fix it myself than to bring it in and have a technician pull the car apart and then say we can't find anything wrong. Look at all the "success" Vocus has had. Not to mention the grease stains on his leather!! No thanks! I'll stick with my own solutions until I get totally desperate.

Let me know how you make out.

vocus

The grease stains were not on the leather actually. They are on that little piece above the driver's window, the molding that runs from there down next to the dashboard by the roof pillar. They will be replacing it I think.

And all I did was write a letter to VWoA and give them a call. The rest is history. I still have not gotten a call about my car yet, as of today. Wednesday made one week it was in the shop. But at least it will be right when I get it back.

And I do have to add, contrary to popular belief, VW's service (for me, anyway) is excellent! They went far and beyond the "call of duty" for me. I am very impressed.

justin

almost 8k miles on the clock, purchased my 2002 Turbo in Oct of 2001. no probs except for a door rattle. fixed with tape in a few minutes.

car is great

moparbad

I too am enjoying my 2002 Jetta turbo diesel. Not even a door rattle. The turbo is good for 50MPG too.

protege_fan

Mopar, I'm not sure where you live, but I was interested in how the TDI performed in the winter. Is it a pain to start in the winter? Any other diesel specific problems?

vocus

I always wondered that as well. I have read that people don't generally have trouble with the TDI's starting conditions in the winter though.

http://www.tdiclub.com will provide you with all the TDI info you ever wanted to read, BTW.

protege_fan

Thanks for the link

moparbad

Not a pain to start in winter. And my boat has the garage with the car outside so it does get the full effect of winter. The diesel does take longer to warm up than gas, but that is what I have heated seats for.
I always add an anti-gel additive in winter and a different additive in summer to the fuel. The motor initially runs rough and then smooths out when you start moving the car. The biggest difference to me is that you do not let the diesel sit and idle to warm up in the winter. The diesel is so thermally efficient that you need to actually drive it to get it to proper operating temperature. Other than that I have no issues with starting or running the diesel motor in winter.

protege_fan

I just read some info from that link that Vocus put up. Sounds like the TDI is a great engine!

mseals

I don't have the TDI nor have I driven or ridden in one, but I did ask my coworker about it. He is from Romania and knows a lot about diesel cars. He told me that the TDI has been in Europe for a long time and that it has been a rock solid engine. He even said that they race them over there on the weekends at tracks. He said the main reason that they use diesel in Europe is because it is so efficient and gas is extremely expensive over there. Plus with proper maintenance, diesel engines will last about twice as long as a normal enginer if not more. It is not uncommon for diesel engines to get well over 200k to 300k miles on the clock. What normally goes is the body of the car or something else before the engine. Just a thought, I have heard nothing but praise about the engine.

erinjetta

Hi All!

I have a 2002 jetta 1.8T, automatic.
According to the sticker the jeeta mpg should be city: 22mpg and highway 29mpg...
However I am getting 22 mpg, and i never drive in city/stop and go traffic....My driving is more a mix of Highway and suburban roads...I would expect my mileage to be about 25mpg not 22...

My pure highway mileage is 24mpg, which is still bad...I think 22mpg & 24mpg seem to be VERY LOW!

I read (www.fueleconomy.org) that driving over 65mphour can decrese your fuel efficiency a great deal. And I have not been driving over 65mph
(although most drivers seem to drive faster), and have not been accelerating suddenly which can also decrease fuel efficiency.

I'm pretty disappointed in my jetta's mileage cuz i expected better,
(i didnt expect the jetta to be a gas guzzler) and coupled with high gas prices for premium gas it gets expensive. I noticed most people on this group get better than 22/24mpg.

Has anyone else had similiar problems with gas mileage?

Is it possible that there is something wrong with my jetta?

Thanks in advance!

automan227

I am looking to get a VW Jetta GL with the Automatic Transmission. What do you people think a decent lease should be on a jetta? I need 36 or 39 months between 0 and 1500 down, 12k miles per year.

Thanks.

justin

i don't think anything is wrong with your car. you have the 1.8T, right?

vocus

I get about 22-25mpg depending on driving style, with my 1.8T. I drive aggressively most of the time though. Speeds up to 90 or 100 on the highway, and hard starts here and there. You can also use regular gas in the Jetta 1.8T if you wish. It recommends premium, but does not require it.

schulsel

Is there enough legroom for a 6'2 driver to fit in comfortably??

Anakin

I'm 6'3 and I fit fine. I even let my 6'6" friend drive and he fits too.

vocus

My friend is 6'4 and he fits fine in the Jetta 1.8T I have. He would like if the steering wheel went up higher, but he says the legroom is fine.

Since my car has been in the shop 2 weeks this coming Wednesay, I drove a 2001 (old) Passat V6 and now a 2001 NB. The NB has more comfortable seats than the Passat, and the Jetta has more comfortable seats than either one of them. Turns out my friend thinks the same thing, after a long ride in all 3 cars.

justin

i read an article in a local paper that says that it is normal for new model cars to USE, not BURN, 1 qt/thousand miles. due to thinner oils and engine designs. all meant to help MPG's.

thought that was interesting.

does anyone know, have the 2.0 engines for 2002 had oil burning problems like the other model years?

vocus

I think that's crap though, but I guess it's normal. I have a friend who has a 1994 Cougar with the 3.8V6 and it doesn't use hardly any oil between 4K changes. The car only has 60K on it though.

But still, this is an engine that's about a decade old in design, using an OHV drivetrain. A newer engine using more oil doesn't make sense to me.

newcar31

Please explain the difference between "USING" oil and "BURNING" oil.

IIRC, the VW 2.0L had a problem with the oil control rings.

8u6hfd

That's funny, my manual says 91 octane minimum for the 1.8T

protege_fan

Does it say recommended or required? If my manual said either recommended or required, I would use whatever it said. But I can see how some would take recommended as "not really needed."

justin

what does "IIRC" mean? and what are "oil control rings"?

And, have they been fixed for 2002?

protege_fan

IIRC=If I Recall Correctly

newcar31

Oil control rings are just the oil rings. They keep the oil from being burned in the combustion chamber.

BTW, "using" oil is just a euphemism for "burning" oil.

justin

if using oil is the same as burning oil, then that means all cars burn oil.

so what's the big deal? hondas, toyotas, fords, all cars use/burn oil. all of my cars have.

why is VW being singled out? because of these oil ring things?

again, does anyone know if that problem was fixed for 2002. it was happening in ALL 2.0 models for Golf, NB, Jet, and Cabrio? or just some? did they get to the root of the issue and fix it?

protege_fan

Are they all using the exact same engine?

newcar31

You are right. All cars burn oil. I know my Mazda burns oil, but not enough to detect on the dipstick in 3000 miles. It is the AMOUNT of oil burned that is cause for concern. Most manufacturers say that 1 quart per 1000 miles is acceptable. I've never had a car that burned that much. My Integra with 130,000 miles had a full dipstick all the time without adding any oil. I worked at an oil change joint for 7 years through college and high school. We did "fluid checks" and all other things being equal, the VW 2.0L was an oil hog. If you go by VW's recommended 5000 mile oil change interval, you have a good chance of running your engine completely out of oil unless you check it and fill it. You don't even have to check the oil on most cars. With a VW 2.0L, checking the oil is a life or death matter. That is why the VW 2.0L was signaled out. I don't know if they have fixed them yet.

vocus

Justin & Newcar: The VW 2.0 engine has been known for using a quart or more of oil in 1000 miles. They say a quart's normal, but it doesn't sound it to me. The rings are what cause the car to burn oil. I have not heard of any 2002 cases though.

PF: The 2.0 engine in the Golf, NB, Jetta, and Cabrio is the same engine. Basically the same since like 1994 or something.

vocus

In the owner's manual, it says premium is RECOMMENDED for both VR6s, the 1.8T, AND the 2.0 as well! No way I would be putting premium in the 2.0 engine. I had been using regular in my 1.8T (I say "had", because it will be 2 weeks on Wednesday since the car went in the shop and hasn't come out yet), and with no problems. Still the same performance and fuel economy. Premium is running $1.75 or so a gallon in Baltimore, compared to $1.50 or so for regular. That adds up when you drive about 500 miles a week, as I do.

8u6hfd

It says it recommends to use 91 octane minimum (for best performance).

Using 87 is fine though, because it has knock sensors.

johnny282

For what it's worth, my 96 Plymouth Neon DOHC has never consumed a detectable amount of oil. I developed a leak which was repaired, but other than that my dipstick has always shown full for 93,000 miles. If Chrysler can manage that, than I don't see how VW can't. I also recall that when I lived in Germany most of the 80s model BMWs used oil, the tell tale blue smoke being the evidence of this. The ultimate oil-burning machine?? I've read in other forums/threads that the v6 in the Passat and older Audi A4 used alot of oil, and the dealer technicians said it was normal. My sister has never complained about her 1.8t using oil, and I've never heard of it being an issue with the VR6, least I hope not since that's what I'm getting.....
J

newcar31

You are right, the Audi/VW 2.8L V6 is also an oil hog. I think oil consumption is understandable in a super high performance motor like what is found in a 911 Porsche. I know that 911s use oil, but they also hold more than 12 quarts so it would be next to impossible to run that engine out of oil. OTOH, the VW 2.0L is far from a high output motor and it only holds 4 quarts of oil. If VW says that 1 quart per 1000 miles is acceptable and recommends 5000 mile oil change intervals, you will run out of oil before it needs to be changed. IMO, that is REALLY messed up, especially since most people don't even check their oil.

vocus

You know, I never thoguht about that. The 2.oL VW engine does hold 4 quarts, and I hardly ever check the oil in my car. I also didn't know that the Porsche held so much oil either.

Also, the 2.0L engine is recommended to have oil changes at 10,000 miles, not 5000. One of my co-workers has a 2001 2.0 Jetta, and the manual said to change the oil every 10,000 miles.

justin

for the info. i understand better now. to me, as long as the car isn't LEAKING oil, or making blue smoke, then i don't mind. checking the oil is a good idea. i check mine every weekend. if people choose not too, regardless of the car, they are just begging for trouble in my opinion.

newcar31

Paul, is the 10,000 recommendation for "severe service"? If the car was using a quart every 1000 miles, you would have changed the oil 2.5 times by adding when 10,000 rolls around. Maybe thats why VW is so confident in such a long interval. Just a thought.

Justin, checking your oil is a good idea. Even though I never had to add any to my old Integra, I checked it anyways every time I got gas. You never know. With the VW 2.0L, checking the oil is just as important as putting gas in the car. I won't speak for anyone else, but to me, this is unacceptable in a brand new car. I expect to see oil containers in rusted out 78' Grand Torinos, not brand new Jettas. The thing is, many people don't have a clue about cars and never check anything...that's where the trouble starts.

8u6hfd

The 10,000 mile oil change interval specified for 2.0L & TDI. There's no "severe" schedule.

The 1.8T and I think VR6 (might be on the 10,000 mile), call for a 5,000 mile oil change.

With the 2.0L, there is a TSB, which requires an engine rebuild, which puts in thicker piston rings to reduce the oil comsumption.