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Comments
Usually, my wife and I trade days driving. This morning, she started walking out toward the Jetta. I asked her why she wasn't taking her car, and she said "You car has more gas... and um.. we'd have to scrape my windows."
She just likes the seat heaters and the turbo. She's not fooling me. :^D
make your car right or you get a new one...make
sure that you keep a *narrative* regarding this issue...He said, she said stuff...word for word...
Trust me on this...
as far as creaks and having to check your oil - like i have always said - if checking your oil and buying some tape at home depot is all your car requires, then consider yourself lucky!! think about it. what other car out there compares? nothing. not without MORE problems. safety related or engine turning over related problems. not to mention the whole "boredom inducing" problem. i say keep home depot in business buying the tape stuff, and enjoy the jetta! sure, in a perfect world, a $20k would not require any work to make it perfect, but this is not a perfect world. i prefer knowing what problem my car has, and what the really easy fix is. pity the Honda and Toyota and Mazda owners who have no idea what is coming....seized motors, transmissions falling out just after the 36k mile mark, airbag problems, etc. i bet those owners would be happy to just have to deal with a creak here and there and a little harmless oil consumption.
Are you implying that the above mentioned problems happen more often on Mazda, Toyota, and Honda cars than VW cars? If so, then you need a reality check. Hmm...On VW cars, all you need to do is buy some tape at home depot and check the oil. If you have a Honda, Toyota, or a Mazda OTOH, you will have to worry about seized motors, transmissions falling out, and airbag problems. Thanks for breaking it down for me Justin. I'm getting a VW for my next car!
Appreciate your Jetta for what it is, but don't make it out to be something it's not.
and a seperate *Moonroof & Monsoon* Pkg.
In addition, any enterprising Dealer should be
able to order the car any way that you want it...
Only thing required from you is a little patience.
I know this is true because I do it everyday...:)
a 1989 VW Jetta GL from 1993 to 2000. Both are
5 speed manual. I would
like to make some comparisons betwen the two
models. I hope VW will read this!
While the new model is better in certain areas (e.g. safty, power, apperance) than the
old model that I owned, to my disappointment
in several important areas the new model is worse than the old one. I hope VW could address the
problems and improve them in the future
models. Here are the details:
1) Suspension: the suspension on the new model
is too soft and caused too much body roll.
The car wavers like crazy on bumpy and uneven road!
It makes me very nervous and uncomfortable!
But my 89 Jetta's suspension was perfect, no
body roll, I drove it with a feel of
control and confidence. Why VW change a good suspension in a 89 model to a bad suspension in 02 model???
2) Rattles - The 2002 model has several annoying rattles on the doors since new. My 89 model had none for the 7 years I owned
from 1993 to 2000. Why VW
cannot solve a rattle problem in the new
model which was not an issue in the old model???
3) Manual Shift - It's more difficult to
use the 5 speed manual shift in the 02 model
than the 89 model. In the new model that
shift is not smooth, it seems that there is something blocking the path. Occasionally it
refuses to get into the 1st gear. The old
model shifts perfectly. Why VW no longer makes good manual shift?
4) Steering wheel: The 02 model has less
precision feel and is less responsive than the
89 model.
5) Interior and Trunk space: Although the
new model is much heavier than the old model,
it's less spacious in interior and trunk
space. Many people complain lack of leg room
in the rear seat. In my opinion it would be
great if VW can increase the length of
Jetta by 4 inches - 2 inches for the rear leg
room and 2 inches for the trunk. With the
increase the length I believe the Jetta will
appeal to more potential customers who do
not buy the current model due to its lack
of space.
Overall, i think the performance and space of my old 89 Jetta was better than my current 02 Jetta. I regret that VW did not improve on these areas but make it worse!
I am not saying that the 02
Jetta is a bad car, it's still a good car compared
with other Japanese and domestic cars in the
price range. And I still prefer Jetta over other
makes. But it could have been better!
Which model Honda, Toyota, or Mazda do you drive? How many transmissions have fallen out? How many airbags have you replaced? How many new engines have been installed due to engine seizure? Just curious....
-Larry
On another note, I called Goodyear about taking my VW to them for its 10K service. (The dealer charges $65 for this, and I don't think it's worth it personally.) Goodyear said the oil filter for my car will cost $27! I almost sat right down on the floor when he told me that. I can not believe it! $27 for an oil filter? UGH! This car will be going before the warranty runs. I can just imagine how much other parts will cost...
So of course, no resolve AGAIN. This is getting sickening. The 1.8T is alot of fun to drive, but I will be unloading it as soon as I can and getting something else that doesn't need 20K for its dashboard parts to seat. That is the dumbest thing I ever heard too, and (like I said before) a poor excuse for poor workmanship.
If you like VW so much, get a Golf. My sister's Golf is quiet, tight and rattle free. I don't see this rattle complaints on the Golf boards as much as in the Jetta boards. I think the Mexican "Engineering and Manufacturing" is catching up with them.
If buying a VW, avoid the Mexican made models at all costs. Stick with the German or Brazilian made models.
Parts need to seat? Yeah right! Classic service balooney. My Impala LS at almost 12K miles does not rattle, creak or squeak...tight and quiet the way any new car should be.
VW parts are more expensive than Chevy parts, but did you check anyplace else besides Goodyear?
An oil filter at autoparts store such as AutoZone is a whopping $2.86.
Blueguy: Our posts are starting to sound similar. I can ignore the rattles, but am still mad because this car is doing this. I will keep it, but this will more than likely be my last VW.
i have owned a 94 Sentra LE, a 96 Protege LX and 96 Integra GS-R, a 97 Civic HX, a 98 Altima GXE, a 99 Jetta GLS-VR6, a 00 Elantra, a 01 Civic EX, and a 02 Jetta GLS 1.8T. All purchased new.
The only cars that have not given me real problems have been the VW's, a close second being the Nissans. I have OWNED and DRIVEN all of the cars listed above. So, guess what, I can speak to how reliable they are, from my own experience.
My point is that, YES, the Japanese manufacturers have many SERIOUS reliability problems, and lawsuits. I am NOT saying that VW does not, but VW is not ANY WORSE than the others. HELLO, I came back to VW for reliability purposes.
Why do you get so defensive? I am not in your Protege board dissing your car. Don't have to....you know what your car is like, that is why you are here. Why are you here trying to ruin the Jetta experience for others, when you have no credibility? Instead of just lurking in here, you should go get your Jetta and just be happy, instead of insulting it because you settled for less. That is all it ever boils down to, guys and girls. The only people that see fit to diss other cars are the people that are jealous. I know it sounds bad, but think long and hard about it, it is true. I mean, BlueGuy and Vocus have legitimate beefs. They own the cars, and I believe their problems. So far though, lots of others here just need to bite the bullet and get a Jetta instead of being so miserable.
Does anyone know, with 2002, has the 2.0 liter oil issue been resolved? Speaking from a Cabrio point of view. Or for 2002, do you still just need to make sure that you check your oil? It woudln't differ between the Jetta 2.0 and the Cabrio 2.0, right? Same engine specs, right?
P.S. Don't *ever* tell me to shut up.
On the reliability of different marques, I disagree that Toyotas and Hondas have severe issues more frequently. Just go to the NHTSA and look up recalls the last 10 years. VW/ Audi/ Porsche has many more problems than Toyota or Honda, although the margin is shrinking. I'll admit recalls can be a misleading metric, though, since the North American business units hesitate to post recalls. This is the case with Toyota and their 3+ million motors with sludge potential- their abusive North American group blames it on the cars' owners.
Just be glad you don't drive Jeeps, people!
you aren't going to respond to my posts anymore? somehow, i think i will live seriously, your call. probably a good idea.
everyone:
don't get me wrong - i am NOT saying that the Japanese brands are problematic. but, i have to defend VW when people say that VW is more problematic. in certain areas, maybe, but it all evens out in the end. not only does toyota make good sturdy and reliable cars, but they make cars with engine and MAJOR tranmission problems. not only does VW make stylish and safe cars, but they make cars that rattle and have engine light problems. i prefer the rattles and engine malfunction lights over engine sludge and transmission problems. just my preference.
Looking at JD Power & Associates' comparisons, I priortized Long-Term Reliability as "Very Important", and Mechanical Quality as a close 2nd most important trait. All other traits, I left under "Not Important". The resulting recommendations, based on the 8 cars I selected:
1. Toyota Corolla
2. Honda Accord Sedan
3. Honda Civic Sedan
4. Toyota Camry
5. Nissan Maxima
6. Nissan Altima
7. Volkswagen Passat
8. Volkswagen Jetta
Apparently, VW receives good marks for initial quality, but they drop off the map for long-term reliability. Hey- at least they beat a few Hyundais and Fords when I went back and tried again ; )
Can you imagine the only Yugo owner ever with two trouble-free cars proclaiming to the world that all Yugos must be good cars because neither of his have exhibited any problems? I couldn't fathom such a scenario until I bought a VW and met a handful of delusional types who deny evidence and point to personal experience.
I even like the rough idling with the explosion of exhaust until the engine gets warmed up. It reminds my first car I got 20 years ago (1.3L Toyota) and this kind of trait almost extincted in this era!!
However, I must admit that I become more and more scared by so many posting in the "jetta problems" section and my Jetta starts to have problems too...
Now I am thinking two things. If I got two major problems (I mean more than $500), I would immediately get rid of my Jetta because I've never got such multiple problems in my 20 years of experiences with Japanese cars (more than 10 cars including those ownd by family members). Second, my wife is about to buy a car and Passat wagon was one of the top lists, but I remove the name.
Every car has pros and cons and the greatness of my Jetta outweights anything so far. However, some people (like my wife) does not appreciate a penny for such "greatness" in driving experience. She just wants a spacious yet compact automatic car.
It is a FACT that Toyota is more reliable than VW in terms of probability. But I found something in my Jetta, which I can never expect from Toyata and I would love to take the risk for that. I guess things boil down to this point isn't it? If Toyota looks better, drives better, and more reliable than VW, VW should have extincted long time ago.
Likewise,many of the popular Japanese cars are built by Americans, so there is no reason to hang on to some kind of nationalism where quality is concerned,
I got tired of having to floor it to get the car to MOVE, and I had the V6. I just don't like the high-revving engines, I guess. My 1.8T puts down max torque at 1950, which is a welcome change from the Honda, where I had to wait until 4700 before the car started to pull.
I'll admit that the Jetta has too soft a suspension, but I blame this on the American soft butt, not on Volkswagen. VW is just building things so they'll sell well. Most Americans want a squishy, soft butt ride. I was talking about getting a sport setup on the car and my wife asked why I would want to feel the road.
I guess that's why she drives a 95 Accord. It's been a good appliance for her. Personally, I think it's torture and I try to avoid driving it at all costs. Not only is it totally devoid of character, but it's slow too. At least my Coupe could get out of its own way.
Anyway, drive what you like, but I thought it might be interesting to provide a perspective from a former Honda owner. I've had some nice reliability, but I decided to take my chances and go for some fun.
$.02
I just visited my second car show this year and left once more thinking that unless the G35 turns out to be a real blast to drive, I can't see myself parting with the Jetta until I can afford an M3 or something akin to that.
It's a trade off. Small back seat, weird rattles, horrible handling at the limit, but yet there's a solid, safe, near-luxurious feel to a VW that's a refreshing change from the staid cars churned out by Japanese and American nameplates. How weird is it to attend a car show and realize there's nothing under 33k that you can see buying at the moment?
BTW, anyone else find it funny that the MB coupe seems to be a fizzle in the sales department? They're not as hideous as Acura's Civic-clone RSX, but good grief the c-coupe's interior does not feel like an MB or even of VW quality.
Color replacement: Alaska Green; new color: Platinum Grey
Two trims (GLS, GLX, no more base GL)
Standard cold-weather package for all Jettas
Standard sport suspension for GLX, not available for GLS
Standard side-curtain airbag protection
VR6 for GLX only, no longer for GLS
No more Monsoon stereo upgrade as stand-alone option
No more grey interiors (includes cloth, leatherette, leather)
Although at my age I start to appreciate luxuary over driving fun, I'm thinking about WRX or STi for my next car. In this way, maybe I can feel that I'm younger for a while :-)