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Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • twig93twig93 Member Posts: 38
    I own a "00 Jetta TDI. I love the car! I just have a small problem. Both front doors are making a creaking sound. It happens when you accelerate, brake, or hit a bump. It is very noticeable. It is going into the dealer on Tuesday. He said the doors probably need to be greased. Anyone else have this problem? Could it be anything else?

    Still have a vibration coming from the right rear tweeter. Dealer can't seem to hear it...of course. Its like a bad child who never gets caught. Anyone else experience this? Was it fixed?
  • mtenamtena Member Posts: 58
    Ha! The creaking sound in my steering-wheel area comes and goes. I'm sure it will "go" when I visit the dealer :(
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    All covered under your first year of warranty. Don't let a little creak ruin the enjoyment of your new car.


    -Jim
    http://www.jettaownersclub.org

  • blackjetta18t1blackjetta18t1 Member Posts: 278
    i to have the exact same creak in the elft door and a rattle around the rear left tweeter, I took it into the dealer(not my dealer) and he said my bass was to hgih(on 5) and he adjusted it, i said it is a common problem and it shoud be fixed, instead of altering my music settings, he said no, and the creak on the right they didnt fix only cause i needed my car back, so now my car has been at my dealer since thursday and i am supposed to pick it up for the rattles and my brakes had alot of pedal travel and werent working very well(not even 4000 miles on the car... :T ) hopefully it will all be ok...
  • balticjetta18tbalticjetta18t Member Posts: 146
    I had the exact same issue. @5000 mile service the dealer re adjusted both front door striker plates and lubed. Problem so far ceases to reappear @6800 miles. Yeah It was annoying but I still felt even happier that it was nipped in the bud.
  • garypuccigarypucci Member Posts: 3
    I just bought a new Jetta 2 months ago, and I have had nothing but problems with it. I bought a GLS w/ sport package, and VR6. At about 3000 miles (a week ago) my car dies on the freeway, not to mention I almost get into many wrecks trying to get over to the side of the road. It turns out it was a laugher for the mechanics. Yes they were actually laughing at my misfortune.. I could have been killed, yet they still laugh.. It was my air flow sensor. My EPC light came on than my car started to stall. As I pulled over it did stall, than upon turning on my engine all my lights went on and it quit on me again. The only good thing was the nice AAA guy that towed me, after VW tried to give me the runaround on how to get my car towed to them. Oh and get this.. I have a new nice Kings keyring that my mother bought for me that turned up missing!!! YES THEY STOLE MY KEYRING!!! I accidently left it on the loaner keyring, and when I went to pick up my keys it was not there.. I asked if they knew where it went and they laughed and shook their heads. What a crock of BS. I will never buy a VW again, and I have told everyone that they suck [non-permissible content removed]. As soon as I can sell this pile of crap I will. Any takers? Black VR6 w/ sports package 5spd cloth seats. 19k and its yours.. 4k miles. Its either this or I will purposely wreck this car to get my money back according to the lemon law of cali.
  • balticjetta18tbalticjetta18t Member Posts: 146
    Other than your misfortune and the insensitive dealer, do you like your car and its performance? Sounds like a bizarre and out of the ordinary situation. Use a different dealer for service unless your car was towed to the closest dealer to your breakdown. Also, since u are in California just sue that frickin dealer up the [non-permissible content removed]. How about calling VW directly and file a complaint about the dealers attitude. It of course needs to be professional irregardless of the situation.
  • yettibuttyettibutt Member Posts: 98
    creak in my driver door was an adjustment of the door hinge mechanism, cost me 38 bucks b/c mine is out of warranty.
  • blackjetta18t1blackjetta18t1 Member Posts: 278
    if u recall, i had taken my car in for my brakes having to much travel and not stopping very well and some creaks and rattles, well they said brakes are fine, even though i know they are not, the creak on the right was taken care of, and on the left as well, but then one hour after i picked it up, the creak that i heard when id stop and go retuned but this time on the left side and same with the rattiling from the same area when music is up. i'm pretty disappointed...
  • bigdlnjoebigdlnjoe Member Posts: 1
    I just purchased a brand new 2001 Jetta GLS. Like two days (~ 200 miles) after we drove it off the lot, I started hearing this creaking noise in the rear. I took it in just out of caution thinking it was just a rattle that all new cars seem to make in some fashion or another. The dealer said it was the rear bushings (which was a whole bunch of BS). So they were gonna fix it only to find out that it wasn't the bushings but rather a bracket. The mechanic put the car on a lift and showed me the part that was bent. It was a small part tucked away under the rear tires and it was bent up and rusted.
    Pieces shouldn't be rusting on a car that new. Then the jackemo tried to blame the problem on me and said I ran something over. But I was thinking that if I ran something over that large, it would be big and I would remember doing it. Secondly, why weren't there scrapes on the bottom. And thirdly, why was the piece already rusted? I am never going to purchase a VW and to this day am still under dispute with the lemon laws, the company, and the dealership that we bought it at. E-mail me with any comments: bigdlnjoe@aol.com.
    Thanks a lot.
    Joe
  • bbravenecbbravenec Member Posts: 8
    Hi, y'all. I am thinking about getting a Jetta TDI in the very near future and was wondering if anyone could give me a quick and easy rundown on the types of problems these cars tend to have (TDI and gasoline engines). From what I can tell, the dealerships tend to be a major weakness as well as some electrical problems. If anyone could elaborate on these or other problems inherent to these cars I would appreciate it. Also, if anyone knows of a good dealership in Houston (especially service after the sale) please let me know. Thanks alot--bbrave
  • twig93twig93 Member Posts: 38
    I have a '00 Jetta TDI. So far I love the car! I have had a few MINOR problems..like creaks and rattles, but nothing like what is described in some of these posts. I have had my car for 1 year. I'm getting around 50 mi. per gallon.
  • nuridenuride Member Posts: 19
    i have had my 2001 gls 1.8t for almost 2 months i have had absolutely no problems with it;but i have noticed that occasionally i will feel heat coming out of the vents near my legs and on the dash. Is this normal for a turbo engine? If so, do I also have to let it cool down before shutting off the engine whether i am driving her hard or not?
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    Yeah nuride. Evidently that's normal. Seems there was a thread regarding this not too long ago. Just place your air on recirculate and it stops. It aupposedly effects all models though I have not checked mine.

    Unless you are racing your car for a length of time, you do not need to cool down the turbo. Standard highway driving, even at higher speeds is fine and the car is built for it in mind, though some of the kids are buying turbo-timers anyway that automatically run your car for a few minutes and then shut it down unattended. Kinda silly if you ask me -- Unless you are seriously racing the car that is.

    -Jim
    http://www.jettaownersclub.org
  • yettibuttyettibutt Member Posts: 98
    Well, we put some new tires on our car and BAM! It is SO freakin' quite now. VW nor the dealer wanted to help us out at all with our Goodyears, they have 30K on them and they said they were only doing something about tires with 25K, thats too bad, they should have sent a notice out, oh well. Goodyear and VW are getting nastygrams from me! We replaced the crappy Goodyears with B.F. Goodrich Touring T/As, man, they are great handling tires!
  • vwownervwowner Member Posts: 1
    I own a 94 Jetta GL. It has 158,000 miles. My problems have included: Central unlocking mechanism pump at 120,000, ignition switch at 120,000, & Dash lights 100,000. Everything else has been standard maintenance. Clutch lasted up to 140,000 miles! Keeps on going and going and. . .
  • coolnikcoolnik Member Posts: 5
    I had my 10K service done a lil early, and since then my car is giving me nightmares. The next day of the service, the car was smoking like a rocket! turns out I had a faulty turbocharger. Dealer fixed it for free as its under warranty. In the next few days, when I tried driving hard, I heard a hissing sound when the turbo came on everytime I pressed the gas pedal hard. Took it back to the dealer, and this time it was a loose hose, which was fixed in no time. After abt 1.5 months and 1500 miles after the service, the engine was stalling as I took off from a signal. It was a bad noise from the engine as I tried pressing the accelerator so I somehow got the car back home at speeds below 40mph. Under the hood I saw a rubber hose connected to its metal counterpart has come off, and I didnt have the right tools to fix it, so had to tow it to the dealer! This was my experience with my jetta. I hope its just the hose, if its the turbo again, I'l be driving a new car next week!
    -Nick
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    It's the Panasonic model and that's not unusual from what I've been told by all my friends who own trunk mounted CD changers. My changer will tell me CD Error and then a minute later accept the same offending discs.

    Karl Flaig
    www.blue-guy.com, Driven By a Different Point of View
  • moriyjomoriyjo Member Posts: 1
    I used to own a 1986 GTI, and originally I wanted to just buy a 4 or 5 year old Golf, but for some reason they are hard to come buy in the SF Bay Area. Jettas are more common, and I'm thinking about a 1997 5 speed Jetta. 50 mi. $9,500 asking price. Curious what you all have heard or experienced. Consumer Reports doesn't reccommend the 1995 Jetta.
  • inkyinky Member Posts: 370
    Is there a problem with these tires that is being taken care of by VW. The post about 25k miles and VW doing something?? What is up with these tires.
    I have not noticed anything amuck. Please advise.
    INKY
  • clulisscluliss Member Posts: 1
    I'm new at this, can anyone help me? I backed in to a stall and snapped back the drivers side mirror on my 2001 Jetta. Apparently I need to replace the whole mirror and the dealer is going to charge me $300-400 to do it. I don't know much about car repairs but that seems like a lot just to fix/replace a side mirror. Does anyone have any advice on replacing a manual mirror and how much it should really cost me? I just want to make sure that I'm not getting ripped off by the dealership. Thanks so much!
  • williadaywilliaday Member Posts: 10
    I'm driving a '94 Honda Civic DX now (one day I will be in a Jetta :). I too had to have my drivers side mirror replaced (husband hit a deer :(. The Honda dealership wanted $199 for the part and $38 for labor. But I ordered the part from SuperTrak for under $90 and got a body shop to put it on for free (after I got the part someone in van side swiped me and I had to put my little purple bomber in the shop for a week). All that to say.... call around for the part then see how much the dealership vs. bodyshop will charge to put it on.

    Good luck.
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    That does seem a bit of (*ahem*) creative pricing for the replacement of a non-electric mirror!!! How much for just the mirror? There's not a whole lot to it since it's manually controlled. I am sure you know someone with the skills to replace it, if you do not know yourself.

    -Jim
    http://www.jettaownersclub.org
    http://www.bluelagoonjetta.com
  • yettibuttyettibutt Member Posts: 98
    The tires in question are Goodyear Eagle LS tires on 99 and 00 Jettas. They wear on the inside tread and cause a VERY loud "roaring" noise. If you have these, get them checked out or end up like me replacing tires at 30K. That is the least amount of miles I have EVERY gotten out of a set of tires.
  • blackjetta18t1blackjetta18t1 Member Posts: 278
    so they don't affect 2001 Jetta's with those tires?
  • heatherejcheatherejc Member Posts: 2
    Hi all, like a few of the other folks on here, I am thinking about purchasing (or leasing) a new Jetta. Consumer Reports has taken it off of their "recommended" list due to its failing reliability. Apparently, it's got too many problems to stay on that list.

    After owning a extremely reliable '92 Geo Prizm for 8 years now, with hardly any problems, I'm a little frightened at the prospect of a new car that might actually (according to lots of owner comments as found on various websites, such as this one) leave me stranded on a highway or cost me lost of money in repairs, even during the first year of ownership.

    What I want in a new car is 4 doors, unique (non-vanilla, flattened-egg shaped) styling that stands out, lots of luxury features (things I never had on my Prizm, like leather seats, automatic this and that), safety, and reliability - all for under $20,000. The Jetta has all of that, it seems, except for the reliability. My Prizm's been good to me, but is it worth replacing with a Jetta? What do you folks think about the reliability issue?

    Unfortunately, I think my next choice would be the Civic... BUT IT'S SO BLAND!
  • balticjetta18tbalticjetta18t Member Posts: 146
    A GLS 1.8T auto is what u need to clear the casual cobwebs from your driving time and have some serious fun blowing the doors off of cars and being able to say yeeeehaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is good for the soul. Driving reliability will be fine. You can always keep the Prizm/ aka Toyota Corolla just in case since it is probably paid for and trade in could be an issue. I am having tons of fun with my GLS 18t. @7200 miles, reliability has been spotless.
  • inkyinky Member Posts: 370
    Go for the Jetta. Get a 1.8T--you will love it.
    Your requirements definitely out the bland Toyota and Honda products. I was impressed with VW as I have had only one problem with my Jetta 1.8T. The alignment was off (Goodyear tires) and the dealer was kind to quickly do a front end alignment no questions asked. Nice car check it out.
    INKY
  • heatherejcheatherejc Member Posts: 2
    thanks for confirming my desires to buy the Jetta. A few more questions, though.... what's the deal with the oil pan problem that I've heard about? I've heard that the position of the oil pan makes it the lowest point on the underside of the car, and thus it's prone to being damaged and needing replacement. I've also heard that it uses LOTS of oil.... And any thoughts on getting just the simple 2.0L engine, instead of the 1.8T? (I really have no need for a turbo).

    My husband is encouraging me to lease the car, which sounds kind of good to me for once. I think I could lease it for a couple of years. Then, if it hasn't given me any problems, maybe I'll purchase it then. If it has, I can trade it in for something else...."sigh"
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    The only problem I have had with my 2.0 Jetta was the third tail light was dim and needed replacement. She has her first birthday next month. My entire car history is online at: http://www.bluelagoonjetta.com

    The 2.0 has plenty of power and awesome low-end torque for good jumps off the line. And I have also driven a 1.8T and was not all that impressed. It's nice yes, but I didn't need a turbo or the need to buy premium fuel to feed it properly, or the need to pay for the extra maintenance. I love my 2.0!!!

    -Jim
    http://www.jettaownersclub.org
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    The 2.slow pulls like an 80 year old lady with walker. Additionally, most of the bad press associated with the Jetta's engines comes from 2.slow. The 1.8T is not some motorhead engine, but rather one of the top rated motors in the world. Audi/VW use it in the Beetle, Passat, Golf, GTI, Jetta, TT and A4. Obviously they trust this engine to power their luxury offerings.

    Don't just trust the opinions in here. Check out the stats on the cars and more importantly drive all three (2.slow, 1.8T and VR6).
  • hupperthuppert Member Posts: 4
    My 98 Jetta has been in storage for 60 days and when I started it the "check engine" light came on. It drives o.k. but I will have to take it to the dealer for trouble-shooting and that can get expensive. Any ideas to prevent going to the shop?

    Huppert
  • maryfarmermaryfarmer Member Posts: 1
    I'm not sure how this car can be rated so highly by Edmunds, Consumers Reports or any other car magazine. I have a 2001 Volkswagen Jetta with 14,000 miles on it. The car has been consuming approximately 1 quart of oil per 1000 miles since it crossed the 9,000 mile mark. When I brought the car to the dealer, they said that Volkswagen will not further investigate this issue because Volkswagen considers it acceptable for the car to consume up to 1 quart of oil per 1000 miles. I issued a complaint with Volkswagen Consumer Affairs and they admitted to this defect. However, this information, although considered acceptable by Volkswagen, is not officially published anywhere. So basically, Volkswagen has a defective system, knows about it, won't fix it, and won't publish the information so a consumer can be well informed before making a purchase. Now, aside from being outraged and cheated, I have to carry extra quarts of oil in my brand new car. I have a Honda Civic with 165,000 miles that STILL does not consume oil. How can Volkswagen get away with this?? By the way, the water pump in my Jetty had to be replaced at 6,000 miles as well. I'm too irritated to write about that episode. Do not but a Volkswagen.... ever!
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    If the car really burns 1 quart of oil every 1000 miles, then why do you need to carry oil with you? The engine on the 1.8T holds nearly 5 quarts according to the specs. Every month or so you could check the oil and add some if need be. Why are you carrying oil? Do you drive 3-4000 miles at time without EVER coming near a gas station?
  • flacaflaca Member Posts: 168
    I don't find my 2.0L slow at all. I really don't get it when some complain about the 2. being slow. I find it zippy to say the least. I can haul a_s anytime I want to! I just press down and go. I test drove both models and didn't see the need to spend an extra 2k for the turbo. But to each their own, I say. Happy motoring.
  • blackjetta18t1blackjetta18t1 Member Posts: 278
    ive got the 2.0 and the low end torque really gives the car some zest because it has a very good 0-40 time which I consider to be overall more important than 0-60. I'll admit, from 40-60 it could be faster, but hell, it really isn't a dog, I mean for 115hps, I really think it is very efficient in acceleration
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    0-60 is not a very realistic term, as freeway marging from those blasted metered lights or short on-ramps allows you a limited run to hit 70-75 mph to merge onto the freeway. Most of the cars I test drove prior to the WE just couldn't pull strongly enough from a standstill to 70 for my tastes. About the only three other cars that satisfied my needs were the WRX, 325i and the IS300.
  • newjetta1newjetta1 Member Posts: 1
    I think the point is that a new car should not be consuming oil....not how often do you pass by a gas station....I'd be outraged too.
  • k_h_bk_h_b Member Posts: 54
    The 2.0's have been notorious for burning oil since their inception in the early 90's. It's your own fault if you bought one before researching it. I researched the 1.8t for 4 months before I bought my wolfsburg.
  • zmanusafzmanusaf Member Posts: 12
    I'm in the midst of buying a 2002 Jetta GLS TDI (5M), and wondering if any one has had or heard of any problems with the Jetta TDI? I've heard people have had there engine die in cold weather, and there was a voluntary recall due to this. Other then that, does anyone have any PROS or CONS with this vehicle that I should know before making it final? Looking to purchase in December.
    Any info would be appreciated! Z-man
  • twig93twig93 Member Posts: 38
    I have had my TDI for a year now. In my opinion, it is a fantastic car. I have had basic new car faults...rattles, trunk lid not lifting by itself, etc. NOTHING MECHANICAL! I have never heard of or had any trouble with the TDI not starting in cold weather...I live in the east and while we don't have Alaskan weather, it sure does get cold. She started like a champ every morning. I've heard of older diesels having this problem, but supposedly not with the TDI. Go over to the www.tdiclub.com and explore. They have GREAT info....I could spend all day over there reading! Best of luck to you!
  • achadaachada Member Posts: 3
    Hi -

    I have 2001 VW Jetta GLS, and it has around 30,000 miles on it.
    Today Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Says "Check" on the dash board) came on.
    I checked the manual and it says some kind of engine malfunction (what a nice description!!!!!!!!!).
    I called the dealer and he says it costs $90 to find the problem by doing diagnostic check.
    Does anyone had this problem?

    No wonder problems start as soon as warrenty expires?

    Thanks in advance for any input.
  • onthyroofonthyroof Member Posts: 2
    My 30K Jetta has been running very bad lately, had trouble going up a hill. This is a real problem, 30K and I have to take it to the dealer, who can not take it for two week, cause he to busy fixing other Jetty Dogs, and will this will most likely cost more than I can stand. Has anybody else had problems. This was not the first problem, had air bag problems, power seat problems as well. I have worked on cars before, has anybody purchase shop manual, and does it give info on this problem.
  • balticjetta18tbalticjetta18t Member Posts: 146
    Of course we all here are happy with our personal choices of engine. I feel IMO that the 1.8T is much quieter than the 2.0. The Turbo is covered under the factory power train for 10/100 now and 5/60 for '02 models. I didn't think I would want a Turbo Jetta until my brother forced me to try it out. He turned me into a Monster. Yes, my biased opinion would be to get the "ONE POINT EIGHT TEE"
  • blackjetta18t1blackjetta18t1 Member Posts: 278
    why would you have to pay? why doesn't warranty cover it? shouldn't it be free since it's in relation the powertrain?
  • felama5felama5 Member Posts: 1
    Our 2001 Jetta with 17000 miles uses 1 quart of oil every 3000 miles. The service department we are dealing with agrees that it is unacceptable and said that volkswagen usually puts in a new engine. They have not done anything yet because we are still in the monitoring stage, however, they need to do something soon because we will be approproaching the end of our warranty soon. We are exploring the lemon law and looking at getting another vehicle. A new engine will lower the value of the vehicle in our opinion.
  • silvertdijettasilvertdijetta Member Posts: 10
    Congratulations on your upcoming purchase! The TDI is truly an excellent engine. Everything that you hear about how wonderful the TDI engine is, is true! I have had my '01 TDI for 9 months now and it has performed flawlessley. I have the auto and love it! I live in the Pacific NW and have never had a problem starting it in cold weather. The engine will NOT die in cold weather. There is a heating element near the fuel filter to prevent the diesel from gelling in cold weather. I average about 38 MPG city/45 MPG highway. Great torque! I love this car!
  • stickman3stickman3 Member Posts: 11
    Had to replace the odometer at 36,000. Th e dealer claims that I start at zero miles...they place a sticker in the door for actual miles...I have put another 4,400 on it...go to trade it in and the dealer...a different manufacturer knocks the price down big time for they can't stand behind actual mileage now...did the VW dealer screw me? What recourse...at the time I asked about having it set to what it should read and they told me the sticker would suffice...I feel like I have been had.
  • blackjetta18t1blackjetta18t1 Member Posts: 278
    I need help, I was taking off my Jetta sign off the trunk and after it coming off(I used a hair dryer and floss) there was still about 90 percent of the adhesive on the trunk in the shape of JETTA and I've been trying ewverything to get it off(alcohol, INVISIGLASS, WD40, a razor, and rubbing compound and there is still residue left plus the rubbing compound has faded the paint alittle, but my friend and his knowledgable father both say that by polishing the car with 3M Hand Glaze, the scrathes, imperfections, out and it will bring back the black shine of my car. And suggestions , input?
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    blackjetta18t1: You'll want to pop over and ask the kids at VWvortex what to do to de-glue your Jetta from removing the badge. You might also try denatured alcohol, which can be purchased at a local (home) paint supply store. You could also try calling a body shop and see what they use.

    -Jim
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