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2008 Volkswagen Jetta

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Comments

  • retta75retta75 Member Posts: 5
    Hey everyone,
    I'm picking up my new 2008 city Jetta tomorrow, fully loaded (except for the cold weather package) and the salesguy said the latest ones that have come in have 16" wheels with different rims. Since I'm not totally crazy about what's on there now (online brochure shows 15" 5 spoke wheels) he said I'll definitely like the 16" wheels better. I found a site with the 2008 city Jetta specs and with the comfort package (which I got) it shows 6.5.J X 16'' alloy wheels "Las Vegas". Anyone know anything about this? I'm just curious as to what they might look like but I haven't been able to find any pictures. Thanks! ;)
  • topgun7topgun7 Member Posts: 412
    Anyone purchased or leased an 09 Station wagon? How do you like it? What is the pro and con of the stateion wagon compare to the sedan? I am thinking about getting one instead of a compact CUV and wonder how does Jetta SW compare to a CRV or RAV4?
  • jsprayberryjsprayberry Member Posts: 1
    anyone know how the Jetta Sportswagen or for that matter any of the VW's will hold up on rough roads? Also how comfortable will they be? We live 4 miles down a dirt road in the mountains and need something sturdy that will 'take a beat'n and keep on tickin' :) wish a Timex would drive! Thanks!
  • steven39steven39 Member Posts: 636
    hi folks,today i took a 08 jetta S model with 5sp out for a test drive...about 4 miles into the test drive i noticed some condensation dripping down from the ac vents onto the console below....the salesmen who was with me also noticed this as well..
    he said that the condensation was probably due in part to the a/c working nice and cold and that i should not worry about it...by the way,the condensation was dripping into the radio area as well....i found the salesmens response as [non-permissible content removed] and returned to the dealership...this test drive was over for me as far as i was concerned.plus i also factored in the premature rear brake failure that alot of people on this website seem to be haveing....hello honda civic.......
  • ndmike88ndmike88 Member Posts: 155
    Don't blame you one bit. I would have walked away also. That being said we have had our Wolf Jetta almost 2 weeks already. I can't find a single thing wrong with ours.
    If I were you, before I looked at a Honda Civic I would give VW one more chance. You might find that the one you drove was a bad one that got through. For every bad one that gets through they build 99 that are great.
  • steven39steven39 Member Posts: 636
    your right mike,i think i will try another vw dealer before i commit to the civic....
    i really like the standard safety features that the jetta offers but i just don't want to get stuck with a problematic car given the jetta's past reliability issues..ive been reading the owners reviews on this site for the model years 05-08 jetta and it seems there are alot of premature brake wear with the jetta with under 20,000 miles...on the rear brakes.......now if i mentioned the brake issues to the salesmen who is trying to sell me the car he would probably say something like oh no the brakes are just fine don't worry about it...........steve
  • asaasa Member Posts: 359
    Any more owners of the '08+ Jetta SportWagen? I just found out about this model on VW's website and am interested. My wife has an '04 Subaru Forester which has been the worst car we have ever owned. We both love manual trannies and the SportWagen is the only vehicle that comes close to the Forester in having a manual tranny option, in size, in capacity and in fuel economy. But, we don't want to buy another lemon car. I'm happy to see too that VW has eschewed the usual small displacement turbo on the S and SE trims; no way I'm pumping premium gas. Thanks for any SportWagen thoughts anyone has.
  • steven39steven39 Member Posts: 636
    asa,i would think twice before deciding on a jetta,be it a wagon or otherwise....i have been doing my research on the model years 05-08 jetta models by reading the owners reviews for those cars on this website.....many problems still continue in the jetta tradition such as premature brake wear on the rear brakes within 20,000 miles,electrical problems,ect....so in my opinion you would be going from worse with your subaru forrester to much worse with the jetta...don't take my word for it just read the owners reviews on this site...good luck....
  • asaasa Member Posts: 359
    Thanks for the heads up -- I'll look here and at some forums. We stopped by the dealer yesterday and they had no SportWagens, but did have a sedan. The build quality was impressive, but I guess there's more to the story. Thanks.
  • steven39steven39 Member Posts: 636
    yes you have heard the old phrase don't judge a book by it's cover,well that definitly holds true with the jetta..infact,i was watching a video review of the 08 jetta on you tube by the guys at car and driver....they said that they don't recomend a purchase of a jetta unless you also get a extended warranty...that leasing one is the way to go incase you get stuck with a bad one....they also went on to say that if you purchase a jetta most likely you will experience mechanical and electrical breakdowns soon as the warranty expires....
  • adelviceadelvice Member Posts: 2
    Your comment about the Forester being the worse car you've experienced caught me by surprise. I currently drive an '04 XT Forester turbo and I have had not one single problem with it and it's at 55,000 miles. Of course, the gas mileage is another story.

    That said, sorry about any problems you've had w/ yours.

    I am personally looking at the Jetta as my next car b/c it's a lot of car for the money. I would invest in an ext. warranty if possible.
  • ndmike88ndmike88 Member Posts: 155
    My wifes Wolfsburg is 1 month old. We decided to take it on a trip from Nashville to Rochester New York. We returned last night, put on over 1800 miles. The Jetta performed flawlessly. Very quite, good pick-up, lots of room, XM radio worked great and the mileage was unbelievable.
    Going out I set the cruise for 72 and averaged 32.8 MPG. Coming back to Nashville, set the cruise for 70 and got 33.2 MPG. This is a great little car.
    If I wanted car payments I would buy either the Jetta or Passat.
  • asaasa Member Posts: 359
    Yep, I think we got the one lemon Forester made -- a real dissapointment because we keep our vehicles for 12 to 15 years and always put in excess of 200K Miles on them. I wish we'd have leased it and dumped it. Leasing a Jetta SportWagen might be an idea, but that choice comes with a financial sacrifice too. Santa Fe, Mazda5 and Xterra are also on our manual transmission shop list.
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    A friend had an Xterra and said it really sucked gas. You might want to check that out.
  • ram215ram215 Member Posts: 1
    Can anyone tell me where I can locate the oil filter on my 2008 Jetta 2.0T?

    Ram215
  • asaasa Member Posts: 359
    Yep, the Xterra won't be anywhere near the fuel economy leauge of the Jetta. The Xterra Off Road is worst, as it's rear end ratio is set up for low end power. The Xterra X and S grades, especially in 4x2 aren't super terrible. My '06 Frontier 6-Speed has the exact same powertrain as these Xterras and I get 23 to 24 MPG on the highway at conservative speeds. But yes I agree -- I think the Jetta is a far better choice for my wife.
  • asaasa Member Posts: 359
    I'm uncertain, but perhaps it shares the same general location as the I-5. If so, you have to remove several fasteners to remove a large plastic shield under the engine. If the 2.0T is like the I-5, you replace only the paper filter element. It resides in a permanent (removable) metal casing with an oil drain to drain the oil within the casing before you remove it. The I-5's casing is equipped with a little toggle valve.

    I'm not a Jetta owner (yet), but I saw something on this topic on a forum somewhere. It seemed pretty clear that you'd need to raise the front end on jack stands or ramps before beginning.
  • mblover2mblover2 Member Posts: 6
    what is a fair price to pay for a 2008 SE at this time when 2009 are in already.
  • kentj2kentj2 Member Posts: 1
    I'm considering purchasing this vehicle. I'm torn though—I own a 2000 Jetta 5-speed. At first I was really concerned with the oil consumption—1 quart per 2000 miles. However, as the engine ages it seems to have slowed a bit. The other problem is that nearly every interior piece of equipment has broke: cup holders, ash trays, glove box, console—you name it, it's broken. Wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience?

    Also, anyone willing to share what they paid for an 08 wolfsburg with an automatic?
  • susan1989susan1989 Member Posts: 1
    How to change cabin air filter?
  • jazzcola1jazzcola1 Member Posts: 3
    The 2008 Jetta basic 5 speed is a great zippy and good gas mileage car for the highway and city. It's my fifth VW. I now have 15K. Seats are a great improvement. Drivers display is fantastic for night driving. I have some minor problems. Mileage settings are a pain to activate or change. The sunglass holder lock will release and open. It' located next to the courtesy lights on the roof. I had to replace it once. Still releases. If you don't turn the headlights off, they will not automatically turn off i. e. battery loss. You can't jump start the car because of the electric fuel pump. The new rear driver side Continental tire side wall blew out. I replace both rears with Firestone.
  • mailitxmailitx Member Posts: 2
    edited December 2011
    Does anyone know, or have opinions on, getting an extended warranty through the dealership (mine has always been nice and does good work) - is it worth it? Are there any major issues for me down the road? I have just over 40K miles and about to get new tires... Is the 40k service worth it? Needed?

    Does anyone with this model at higher miles have any advice for PMaint? Issues? Problems? Any input is greatly appreciated!
  • bvdj84bvdj84 Member Posts: 1,724
    I would get the warranty. I did on our 2008. You just never know what may happen. We haven't had any issues, but I know that costs are high for repairs. The oil changes are high enough. I opted to have it. It is great peace of mind. It is more expensive, but worth it. We just got new tires too! Keep up with the regular maintenance and you'll be find. Then let the warranty kick in for other issues if they arise.
  • mailitxmailitx Member Posts: 2
    Thanks so much!
  • tigrone701tigrone701 Member Posts: 7
    edited May 2012
    HI All,

    I am a delicate driver of a 2008 VW Jetta. After just 46,000 miles, my rear brakes are out
    (so says my VW dealer). The pads have 0.3 mm on them.
    He gave me a quote for both the brake pads + rotors. ( whoopping 370 $).
    My VW does street parking.

    Is it a must to change both the brake pads + Rotor or only the pads will do.

    The pads are working fine and the car is braking fine as of now.

    Any help will be highly appreciated !!
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    If rotors are still in-spec, there is no technical reason to replace the rotors when the pads are renewed. (As long as the pad 'technology' is not changing... like Metallac -to- Ceramic...in these cases, the rotors should be lightly sanded to prepare the metal surface for the new pads)

    A dealer has other goals in mind. These may include:
    *) Make more $$
    *) In some cases, the person who *sold* you on the extra stuff gets a kickback too
    *) They want to make CERTAIN your vehicle will not come back in for the same thing anytime soon.
  • tigrone701tigrone701 Member Posts: 7
    Thanks bpeebles for your prompt reply.

    I just took it to another VW dealer to do a cross check.
    Just found out that the rear brakes are still 4/12 mm thick and the front ones are 6/12 mm after my 46 K on the Jetta. Should be good for another 5K miles.

    The other dealer even measured my tires and gave me a good figure on that.
    Pretty honest I would say.

    This just shows that VW Jetta owners have to be very careful from the shark type dealers providing VW Service. And VW is going to loose their market share for the reputation these dealers are creating for VW.

    Honda and Toyota takes care of this.
  • tigrone701tigrone701 Member Posts: 7
    Hi All,

    I have a Jetta 2008 and the 4 year 50,000 miles warranty is out.
    How do you get an extended warranty on this car.

    I am beginning to realize that any repair work on this car is going to be super expensive and the
    VW service dealers are waiting there to induce that fear in you.
    How do you get an extended warranty on this car and does it really help to have an extended warranty on this car :) !

    Any help would be greatly appreciated !!
  • bpeeblesbpeebles Member Posts: 4,085
    I have always believed that an "Extended warantee" is like "Insurance"... they are both gambling that something will go wrong.

    I prefer to keep my money in the bank and pay for repairs if they are needed... and KEEP my money if not needed.

    Do not forget that the companies selling "Extended warantee" are in business to make money. They are making that money off of your fear that your car will break.

    I like that my vehicles are paid for and I am banking the $$ I used to pay the bank for them. This will easily pay for any repairs or make for a great down-payment on my next car.
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