Volkswagen Jetta 2005 and earlier

L8_Apex

Welcome to the continuation of the Volkswagen
Jetta - Part 2 topic. Those of you joining us from
that topic are welcome to continue your
discussion.

If you're new to this topic, you may want to
follow the above link for additional archived
posts.

Thanks,

L8_Apex
Sedans Host

justin

Have not had any experience with them, but any VW in the country is REQUIRED to service your car for any warranty and oil change work. If they were not wanting your business, then I say don't give it to them. Plenty of other nice salespeople out there that would be a little more appreciative.

vocus

My boss got his Galatic Blue 2001 Jetta GLS VR6 there last weekend. He said they were pretty cool and he didn't pay much more than invoice for the car. Also, he bought a 1996 Civic new back then, and said the Jetta didn't cost too much more than the Civic did. Considering his has leather and sport suspension and all, he must have gotten a really good deal.

fischda

Moira, did you call Anthony Brown at Congressional VW in Rockville? As I said a few posts ago, they really went to town to find me the exact car I wanted and at a nice price too!

Justin, I can't believe you work accross from a VW dealer! Does your window look out on the lot? Poor guy. I don't know why VA dealers stick to that stupid processing fee. $169 for paperwork? My [non-permissible content removed]. So I just said, "okay, will you come down $169 on the price of the car?" "Sure, we can do that." Stupid, stupid... I was wondering, Justin, if you're financial strategy of giving up the Jetta is temporary for a year or two, why did you buy a new Hyundai and not a used car that you could have bought outright??

Anyway, I'm SO glad to be out of DC! Unfortunately, chances are good I'll get sucked back into the Pentagon before my career's over.

vocus

When you go to trade that Hyundai in in two or so years, you are going to take a big hit in what the car is worth. They don't hold their value well, even though they have a nice warranty and all that stuff.

justin

Vocus -

Duh!! I know that!! Teasing.....I am aware of that though.

What I am planning to do is, with a car payment of around $200 a month, just keep the car until it dies. A third car is always nice to have in the household. I know I could never get anyone to buy it.....but if it proves simple to repair and maintain, then I might as well just keep it and tool around in it. That way, if I want to later, I could LEASE something, and have a junker to put the extra miles on...:)

Yes, my office window overlooks the VW dealer. Life is not good ;(

fischda

Scary. What does that 10/100 warranty cover? Is it b2b? Well, at least VA is a cheap state for insurance. Hey Vocus, I got a ten spot says Justin owns another Jetta within 6 months. Justin, I don't mean to pry, but do you have a wife driving your sensibilities rather than you driving your Jetta? He he...

justin

I don't have 2 cars now. I only have the Hyundai. There is another car in my household, but a wife is nowhere in sight. And I don't pay anything for the other car - it is not mine. I could not afford a $30k+ Pathfinder even if I wanted to right now.

Seriously, the Hyundai covers 5yrs/60k bumper to bumper and 10yr/100k on the engine/tran/drivetrain. Keeping it and having a nice car as well later makes sense. Like Vocus said, I would never get for the car anywhere near what I paid for it, so might as well dog it out and see what happens. Kind of fun driving a car that you don't care about. The coffee spills and door dings don't matter nearly as much....

Have a good holiday guys! Catch ya Tuesday!

delta5

Has anyone actually seen a 2001 Jetta in the states with the new steering wheel that incorporates cruise and stereo controls?

I've seen pictures, but not in person. Also, do the 2001's have the curtain airbags...in addition to the front and side?

I am still shopping for a 2001 black/beige leather 5 speed Jetta TDI/GLS, but these are important options to me and I am willing to wait a few months if they are a mid-year addition.... thanks.........

cac5

Hey, does anyone out there know if all of the US Jetta's are made in Mexico? Everything I've read says they are, but my dealer insists Germany. I'm in the Northeast. Does that make a difference?

harry26

US VW's are made in mexico. you can check a particular car by opening up the drivers door and looking on the inside. there's a sticker that tells you where it was made and when.

Harry

venus537

There is a sticker (that's required by federal law) on the car with information about where the car, the car's engine, and the car's transmission was assembled. It also indicates what percentage of the car's parts come from North America. The big three (now big two) lobbied congress to pass this regulation in hopes that new car buyers will buy more domestic cars. Now they're complaining that this regulation costs to much.

Justin:

Your enthusiasm for your Jetta rubbed off on me and build on my excitement on getting my own. Now you're driving a Hyundai!!! Say it aint so. Hope your investments work out well.

orlandoguy

My door says assembled in Mexico. I have another sticker that says parts made in Germany and North America. Port of entry Brunswick. I love my Jetta. I paid $200. over invoice and a dealer fee of $395., which is normal here in FL. Yes, dealers here will let you walk if you don't pay the fee. If you are trying to get a Silver one here, expect to pay full Retail. I was told Silver is the High Demand color and they do not sell Silver for anywhere close to Invoice. Mine is Cool White, with Light Beige Leather. Sticker was $25,8 and got it for $23, w/o tax. 2 years of oil changes and anything that needs replacing from a light bulb to a wiper blade. I bought mine from Royal VW on Lee Rd. Friendly and Professional. Did I mention I luv the dash at night, and the passenger side Mirror that angels in reverse so when backing in I can see the curb, and how the drivers seat and mirrors move in position for me when I press the remote key to unlock the car,or how the Windows open and shut by the door key? The GLX is better than any Mercedes C class and better than any BMW 318,325, and ties the 328I. How many thousands did I save? I also purchased a SUV. Did I mention my Mercedes C Class did none of that, except for closing the windows? The E class does the same, for $47K.

justin

I had a feeling I would hear from you! Don't worry - I will not try to persuade you do get a Hyundai I am the only person that I know, that when I see something that I want, I will make even the most horrendous sacrifice, like giving up my VW But, it will all be good in about a year. Then, hopefully, I will be able to get something else. Though - at this point - there is not a car in the low $20k price range that I would rather have than the Jetta.

I am excited for you! You get to have a Jetta soon! You will be quite happy with you purchase, as most people in this forum can attest to...

Like I said - I don't think it will be long at all until I am back in the "family"....

And for the record - All U.S. spec Jettas are build in Mexico.

eclipsegs

I just returned from a second Jetta GLX test drive. That 6 is one sweet sounding and torque throwing engine. I took it for a long haul test drive and found that the suspension was not as tight as I would like it to be or thought it was. Maybe I'm just spoiled from my Eclipse's handeling characteristics. How do you GSX owners feel about this?

vocus

I am sure you meant GLX and not GSX.

harry26

I've never driven an Eclipse so I can't compare. But I'm perfectly happy with my GLX's handling. Can't beat German engineering....I drove a Jetta for four years before this one and that's why I bought another.

Just my opinion though.

Harry

alex75

To answer a question everyone has, the reason silver vw's built in mexico are always sold msrp is because they are painted in mexico at high altitude and the silver paint has an additive which combined with altitude give a 30% success rate on the paint so to keep costs lower with fewer loss in bad paints jobs VW dealerships can only order 20% of there cars in silver which means 5 other colored cars for one silver. oh and I'm picking up my 2001 jetta glx vr6 on wednesday it's got those wicked 17" mags! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

eclipsegs

Opps...see what I've gone in done. Confused the Eclipse model names with Jetta model names. In any case, the Jetta GLX was a blast to drive. The only thing I would do is tighten up the suspension. Definately can't beat German engineering!

rmg2

I am cross-shopping a Jetta and an Audi A4. The Audi comes with a 4yr 50,000 bumper-to-bumper warranty. The Jetta (I was very surprised to learn) only has a two year, 24,000 mile warranty. Anyway, I figure that to accurately compare the price of the Jetta and Audi, I should add to the cost of the Jetta the price of a two year extended, bumper to bumper, warranty. Does anyone know what that would set me back? Or where I can find out -- short of asking the dealer? Thanks.

BTW - All you VW fans. Can someonw explain to me how VW gets by with doing a 24 month warranty, when the Japanese vendors have been doing 36 month warranties for years??

vocus

The VW has free maintenance for the first 2 years/24,000 miles. I guess they figure since they do all the basic maintenance (basically oil changes), that makes up for the shorter warranty.

justin

Also - they give you 10 yrs 100k miles on the engine, tranny, and drivetrain. Who else does that besides Isuzu and Hyundai? If it is the 2 yr/24k warranty that concerns you, I don't think you would be happy with a VW......I would go for a Lexus or Infiniti or something that has a longer B2B warranty, and a car that is "supposed" to be bulletproof reliability wise. VW's have made HUGE strides in reliability, but for some people, they will worry about that anyway. You would probably be better mental health and anxiety wise to get an extended warranty, or another car. Of course, you probably would never use the warranty....:) Hopefully.....:)

fischda

Can you give a reference for your information about VW silver paint in Mexico? I own a '00 silver 1.8T (paid $400 over invoice, not MSRP), and I sudder over thoughts of paint going bad. What defect do they expect out of the 70% of the silver cars? I have to read to believe.

BTW, I just installed splash guards - it was an easy job, and they look sweet!!

shawnmalone

In case you're interested, here's one owner's experience with a 1999 Jetta GLS, with the 5-spd. stick and 2-liter, four-cylinder engine.

The odometer just turned over 24,000 miles. So now I'm on my own with respect to all maintenance issues that are not drivetrain-related. And I do have one. There's been an intermittent problem with the remote locking/alarm. About one time out of three, when I lock the car, the alarm is armed, but the driver's door does not lock. If you open the door, the alarm does go off. Sometimes I have to unlock and then lock the Jetta again for the doors to lock properly. I brought it to the dealer before the warranty expired, but I couldn't get it to fail while the mechanic was watching. They checked it out and could not find the problem.

Related to this, there's this gimmick on the Jetta that you may have seen on the TV commercial. If you put the key in the driver's door lock and hold it, all four windows are supposed to roll down. This worked perfectly for about 20 thousand miles, but now it only works some of the time.

Despite these glitches, I still love the car. I've taken two long road trips, and I commute 15 miles each way, five days a week, during rush hour. I plan to keep it at least ten years.

Mileage is 31.7 highway, and about 29 in a mix of city-highway.

harry26

I bought an extended b2b warranty through VW not a third party since some dealers won't honor those. It extended my b2b to 5yr/50,000 and cost an additional $1100. Not a big deal since after using it twice past the initial 2 years, it will probably pay for itself. And considering the GLX has so many electrical parts, I thought it was worth it.

harry

fischda

If you have documented your visits to the service department prior to the warranty running out, you should get warranty repair when/if you are able to get the locking/window problem to occur in front of the service manager.

On the down side, several posters here have had rough times with service and/or VWoA in resolving these "touchy" kind of problems...best of luck. Let us know what happens.

eclipsegs

I do not own a Jetta at this time but have been following this thred to get all opinions on my soon to be purchase of a Jetta GLX. Just for the record, I have a 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS with 36,000 unfeathered miles. I hear and read horror stories about this car all over the internet and wonder why it is so. Is it the turbo models that have these reliability problems? Is it uncared for or automotive abuse that has distilled upon such a great car.

I say these words, because not all the apples in the bunch are wrotten. I say this in defense for the new Jetta because I love everything about it. Maybe it was the sweeping european lines or the cool blue interior lighting, I just don't know for sure. If I could buy a new Jetta with the luck I've had with my Eclipse, I would be fanatic.

vocus

I have read in Consumer Reports that the Eclipses aren't too reliable too. My co-worker has a 1995 GS stick he has never had a problem with, and he has like 80K on it I think. I also have read about the bad rep of Neons. My friend's ex-wife has a 1996 sedan and she has never had trouble with it, but she only has 29K on it too. Yet he has a 2000 and it's had all sorts of problems in just under 16K miles. Guess it's just the luck of the draw.

fischda

Starting with the first family car I can remember...
1966 Ford Esquire wagon - bulletproof car, survived engine fire
1975 Volvo wagon - great winter car, fun to drive stick - many problems with exhaust
1985 Nissan Sentra - Tinny POS - blew head gasket
1971 Pontiac Bonneville (my HS car) 455 engine, 4 bbl carb, positraction, faster than friend's 350 vette - sold it before college when it blew a water pump (why didn't I keep it?)
1985 Mazda RX-7 - bulletproof engine, fun, hard driving wore through brakes and struts, died young at 100K mi. in accident
1993 Ford Ranger STX 4X4 - great truck, only repair in 85k mi. was clutch, brakes, new exhaust, did them all myself
2000 Jetta GLS 1.8T - MOST fun of any car, so far no problems at all, I won't be doing my own wrenching on this car!!

Hey Justin, how many Jetta did you watch drive off the lot from your office window today? He he.

justin

I don't look anymore

All I can say is, around here, no one keeps their Jettas in pristine condition like I did mine, even after a year and a half of ownership.

Hey - after 500 miles, the Hyundai is still a Hyundai! Haven't had to use that great warranty yet!

shawnmalone

Dave, I did have the dealer note on the invoice that at 20,000 miles I had identified the problem with the locking and alarm system.

We shall see what happens.

elazarus

Taking your advice, I called Anthony Brown at Congressional - he is looking for 2001 Jetta GLS with our options/color for us as we speak. Didn't realize that Md. has outlawed the processing fees we have here in Va. - actually they capped them at $25. Can you tell me what kind of deal you got on your car so I know what to expect in terms of a deal if he finds the car.
Did you encounter the dreaded "advertising fee"?

wwevans

I just drove my 2000 GLX Jetta on a 800 mile trip this weekend....results of this first time on the highway adventure.
1. Seats are way to small and uncomfortable
2. Car looses composure past 80mph. Too much wind noise at 75mph.
3. Engine is geared very well at highway speeds. plenty of torque without downshifting.
4. 31.9 MILES PER GALLON when I slowed down to 70mph for the last 480 miles. This car is really efficient if driven patiently. But then again who can really do that with a VR6. 27MPG at 80mph.
5. No major problems except for my trunk release having to be replaced. I was locked out of my trunk for 4 days until part was ordered.

Having fun with the Jetta.

rmg2

Harry,

Thanks for the info on extended warranty.

RMG2

fischda

Good. Congressional's advertising fee was $175. There were a few others - port prep, inventory, the $25 processing fee, on top of which I paid $460 over the invoice. Throw in $350 for CD changer install. I should have worked on the fees a little more, but at the time, 1.8T's were rare (especially in silver) so I was happy. Tell Anthony I refered you (my first name's Dave), and I bought my car from him last March. Keep me posted on your progress! Oh, make sure you pay the VA 3% tax and not MD tax (if you live in VA).

elazarus

As I was reading your previous message, Anthony called from Congressional. He says he remembers you. He called to say he had found 4 Jettas meeting my son's specs. We'll probably go over there tomorrow. Based on your fees, our offer will probably be very close to something he can accept; unless those port prep and inventory are significant.

I've been reading quite a few posts under other topics arguing whether VW has a holdback. Edmunds claims they do. Many folks say they don't - that they stopped holdbacks in 1999.
Do you have any knowledge one way or the other?

fischda

I've concluded two things: 1) Dealers don't like to bargain away holdback - they need it to pay for cars that have been on the lot over 90 days and are costing them money. 2) Edmund's says VW has 2% HB, but in the end there are so many bargaining factors, arguing over HB seems trivial.
Ex.: Maybe dealer wants $1000 over invoice. He can bargain away his HB ($400 on a $20K pure invoice Jetta) to offer $600 over invoice. You think that's a good deal, but dealer still gets his $1000 because the car you bought just arrived and didn't cost him a dime to the bank. Confusing, isn't it.

So I say, be aware of what holdback is on the car you want and try to factor it out on your deal without actually saying "hold back." I'd be interested to hear what they say if you try to bargain against HB overtly. They all have their answers, but I've never really found the sure fire method. Doesn't Edmunds tell you to delete HB from the invoice price of your car, then add 5%? All considered, once you get all the fees factored into whatever deal you strike, I'd think you're close to that 5% or better.

Cooper

You'd asked about CD changers.

There's the same discussion under "VW Golf" in "Hatchbacks". I think it's topic 370, and the comments are in in the 30-40 range. Two owners had Kenwood and Clarion units installed and were pleased.

fischda

Hey, what happened with Congressional. Did you make a deal on the Jetta you wanted?

orlandoguy

I also have the GLX VR6 '00, 5spd. I've had 24 cars, not including Company Vehicles. So far this is one of my Favorites. Yes, the seats are firm but, I expected that. Its a sports car #1, and #2 they shouldn't be broken in yet. I experienced some wind noise. Every car I drove under $30K had some wind noise.... Ever drive a Taurus or a Buick Century? Instead of Hoover windtunnel..(company cars)..anyways, it was minimum. Especially after closing the Moonroof : ) I hit alot of rain, and the Wiper Sensor worked like a dream. I can't believe Mercedes hasn't done that one yet. Not a creak, rattle, and very secure feeling at 80mph. I actually put towels over the floor mats too...I never did that for my Mercedes... Yep, I'm a Proud Jetta owner : ) da da da da.. Oh, and the Monsoon System is Great, go ahead, really crank it up and you will be surprized with the clarity and the surround acostics..: )

gregj777

I was driving back into town this afternoon thinking the same thing. The VR6 is really quiet at that speed, and you can tell the whole car is solid and well made as you fly along. Then I'm thinking, thank God I have Michelins. :-)

fischda

I have them too, and so far they are very quiet at 80 mph. In fact the whole car (with 1.8T) is impressively quiet on the hwy for a small displacement engine. Anyway, my question: I'm about to take it in for the 5,000 service. I know tire rotation isn't included, but would it be prudent to have them rotated anyway? I'd like to get as much life out of these Michelins as possible!!

justin

YES!!!!! Get them rotated!! Spare yourself the expense and agony later. The tires if rotated at 10k miles might make this annoying warping sound. The dealer told me that they would not have made that sound if I would have gotten them rotated at 5k. Of course, the 5k service does not include the rotation, so how was I supposed to know???

randdog1

Sorry to hear about your electrical problems. I just bought my 2001 about a week ago and I'm crossing my fingers thinking about all these potential electrical things that could go wrong. I love this car though!!!!!

2001 GLS
Luxury package
Galactic blue
Monsoon sound

stufffins

I've got a 1996 Jetta GL that I bought new and I've had no serious problems from it. Great gas mileage, smooth ride, dependable (except with the battery died)and an all around good car. But what is the deal with stuff falling off the car? I've replaced the front reflectors twice. They just pop right out! And why are they $20 a piece? The molding has fallen off my car too. These are little things but they make a difference in whether or not your car looks like a hooptie (especially when you're trying to sell it)! The problem is that I've seen other Jetta's, same model, with the same reflectors missing and or the same molding missing (passenger side)!

I'm beginning to wonder if people are actually stealing my reflectors to replace theirs! At $20 a piece, I might consider stealing some myself! Just kidding. But I think I'll glue the reflectors on this time.

Anyone else have this problem?

vocus

It seems like when I see the Jetta III models, the side moldings or the front reflectors in the bumpers are missing. Maybe they just aren't made to hold up or something. I noticed that many of them are missing these things. Weird.

modality

I just bought a:

2001 VR6
Luxury Pkg
Leather Package
Monsoon
Black/Black
$500 over invoice

I've never owned a new car before and I want to keep it nice. I live on a busy street and I don't have a garage so the dust accumulates quickly. Does anyone have any advice on car covers and windshield visors? And any recommended products/ washing routines to share?

I'm in love with this car.

harry26

We could go on forever on proper detailing....so I recommend you check out vwvortex's forums and specifically the Detailing forum:

http://www.vwvortex.com/forums.html

You should also check out:

http://www.carcareonline.com

and

http://www.autopia-carcare.com

Harry

gwd17

For the person getting ready to bring their Jetta in for the 5K service, in addition to getting the tires rotated, I would also recommend getting them aligned as well. Somewhere back in Part 2 of this post, someone made the remark that a lot of times cars get banged around pretty good while being transported to the dealership and that it can easily throw the tires out of alignment. I'm gearing up for my 5K service, too, and am planning on getting them rotated and aligned. BTW, is the 5K service the first time you're getting the Jetta serviced?? It is for me, but I'm just wondering if I should've done anything earlier on to help in the long run. Oh well, car is running beautifully so far.

justin

No, you should not have done ANYTHING prior to the 5k service, that relates to the engine anyway. VW is very plain about NOT changing the oil for the first 5k miles. It used to be 10k miles.....

I guess they put some additive in the oil when the engine is assembled or something..

fischda

I've always been a 3K oil changing man, but when I ask a trustworthy service manager at VW, he said it's really not necessary, however with the 1.8T you don't want to let it go past 5K. I will use Mobile 1 synthetic from here on out. It's proven to contribute to an engine's long life if you use it in the beginning while an engine's still in its infancy. I'm usually pretty good on maintaining cars, but I do get lax on tire care. Thanks for your suggestions - I will rotate and align.