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Volkswagen Jetta Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • meaghan1meaghan1 Member Posts: 6
    All done with my tank...the gas lite came on...and im at a whopping 210 miles!!!! let me remind you i have a 4 cyl manual transmission...and my mechanic said my car was fine??
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    ...a second opinion. Your car needs to be put on the VAG, Meaghan. There's (obviously) something wrong.

    -Jim
  • balticjetta18tbalticjetta18t Member Posts: 146
    Have U been running your A/C heavily since it is the middle of summer? My mileage on my 01 1.8t 5sp has dropped about 3 full mpg's since it is about 95-100 while running the A/C and still driving the same way. Maybe your car is also running a bit on the rich side or the O2 sensor needs replacing. The computer at the dealer should help pinpoint it out.
  • kajonesxkajonesx Member Posts: 2
    My son has a Jetta VR6 with automatic purchased new in February 2000. Repairs since under warranty have been to glove box, panel lights, leaking coolant due to water pump and noisey left rear axel. Since new there was a gear whine at 35-45 mph. I thought the noise was somewhere in the drive train, but replacement of the left rear axel eliminated the whine. The car now has 28K on it. I drive the car rarely but especially notice the handling when I do. It is a fun car to drive.

    Does anyone know if an extended warranty is still available for this car? At what price?
  • meaghan1meaghan1 Member Posts: 6
    yea, i didnt want to deal with the pains at VW, but i guess i'll have to. I havent been using the AC too much. I like to drive with the windows down! so i guess we'll see!
  • meaghan1meaghan1 Member Posts: 6
    for the first time, i had this car last summer also, is that the the fan will turn on (at least i hear the fan go on) as soon as i shut off my engine. The car was not running hot at all, but i figure this would be normal in the summer...even though it didnt do it last summer. I DUNNO!!! any advice would be appreciated...or some liter fluid and a match!! JK ;)
  • fish8fish8 Member Posts: 2,282
    You actually get better gas mileage with your AC on that having your windows down the entire time. This really makes a difference when at highway speeds. Try driving with your windows up and AC on and see if you experience better gas mileage.
  • jettadorvaljettadorval Member Posts: 1
    I HAVE A 3 WEEK OLD JETTA 2.0L WITH 5 SPEED MANUAL 1057KM/635MILES ON ODOMETER.
    SHIFTED INTO 1ST GEAR AT A STOP SIGN AND RELEASED THE CLUTCH. SOUNDED LIKE A BUCKET OF LOOSE PARTS RATTLING AROUND, AND WOULD NOT GO ANYMORE. VERY WORRIED ABOUT LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF THIS TRANSMISSION. ANY COMMENTS OR ANECDOTES ON SIMILAR PROBLEMS? DEALER TOLD ME THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING HAPPENING!!!
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    Wow! Quite the grind there, jettadorval. Well, that's why they have warranties. I have bee following the VW forums for over a year and that's a first for that problem.

    -Jim
  • yellowjettyellowjett Member Posts: 10
    follow up to my previous message #1228, the mass air flow sensor just went out on my jetta. could anybody with '99 let me know if they are having to replace alot of sensors on their cars.
  • yellowjettyellowjett Member Posts: 10
    i had the same problem with my jetta when my o2 sensor went out, once the sensor was replaced everything was fine.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Thumping on corners, window rattling and buzzing from the passenger door. The VW dealership managed to only fix one problem. This is a car with only 2k miles and less than 2 months old.

    Guess I'll try another dealership next week. :(
  • hachlhachl Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 2001 Jetta in October of 2000, it now has 8k miles and it's been in numerous times because of the amount of oil it uses. The dealership now wants to "re-ring" the engine (install new piston rings). Has anyone else had this problem? Get back to me personally at hachl@hotmail.com
    Thanks!
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    Let 'em do it. There were a slew of bad oil rings that went out and some people got 'em, some people didn't. It's been a big issue and it's nice to hear that they are finally admitting that it is an issue and doing something about it.

    I'd also push for an extended powertrain warranty. If you push gracefully, but firmly, I'll bet you they'll do it.

    I also have the 2.0 (I'm assuming you do as the other engines don't have a history of that issue), but I have not had any oil consumption problems at all.

    Let us know how all that goes for you, please.

    -Jim
    http://www.jettaownersclub.org
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    Went out to check oil last night. I have been kinda lax as there was no oil usage in the first 5K miles. Well, we're 3500 into this oil change and it's down 3/4 a quart. Not horrible by any means, but the oil-use bug has finally hit my 2.0. I just started shopping for a 2002 last night. ;-)

    -Jim
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    Heheh....

    http://members-http-1.rwc1.sfba.home.net/nwvw/CoolWhite/

    Love it!!

    -Jim
    http://www.jettaownersclub.org
  • flacaflaca Member Posts: 168
    nice....so are we changing our name to coolwhitejetta?
  • daniele13daniele13 Member Posts: 1
    I am interested in buying a Jetta but a tow truck driver recently told me that he tows them often. He said that 2000-2001 Jetta's are plagued by electrical problems. So, basically, I was curious if anyone has experienced this.
  • lugwrenchlugwrench Member Posts: 213
    VW has had numerous problems with the electrical components of cars produced in Mexico. Namely the VW Beetle and the VW Jetta.

    Maybe this is why VW has a 24 month/24K warranty?
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    No. Not changing name. I've had this one too long to change now...
  • bluejettabluejetta Member Posts: 272
    ??? This is a weird one. There have been some isolated electrical problems with the New Beetle and New Jetta, but not to the extent that a tow truck driver would be towing an excess amount of cars.


    I personally know a truck driver here in the Portland, Or area and he says they rarely tow any of the newer VW's. Now, for some of the older Jettas then yes, they had some pretty crappy builds back in the 90's before the plant in Mexico opened up, which is super high-tech and very impressive. You can get a virtual tour of the plant at my website: http://www.jettaownersclub.org


    You've had electrical problems lugwrench?

  • nwvwnwvw Member Posts: 88
    flaca said:
    nice....so are we changing our name to coolwhitejetta?

    Actually, I changed my nick to my personalized license plate. Now I can change VW's whenever I want and it won't effect my nick! ;-)

    NWVW
    formerly known as: BlueJetta
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Electrical problems pop up but the bigger annoyance seems to be rattles and the window regulator issue. The VW is a trade-off between low-level luxury and great interior components to just average reliability. Safe, comfortable, and pleasing to drive/touch...that's a VW. You won't hear rattle-free or problem free mentioned.
  • iown2iown2 Member Posts: 6
    My 1999.5 Jetta (the silver one) has 37,000 miles on it, so the bumper-to-bumper warranty had expired by the time the remote door locks finally failed (after functioning only intermittently for a year).

    But I wrote to Volkswagen Customer Service in Auburn Hills, MI, and yesterday they paid the dealer to repair the car as if it were still covered by the warranty. Charles Maund VW Service in Austin, TX completed the repair in a day.
  • mencius01mencius01 Member Posts: 6
    Hi all,

    I recently purchased an '01 Jetta GLS VR6 5-speed and am about 1300 mi (about 1 month ownership). After reading these forums I've been convinced to wait until 5,000 mi for the first oil change. For the first oil change, however, I was wondering if I could bring the oil I want to add to the dealership (e.g. Mobil 1 Synthetic) or if I had to use their oil. Also would it void the warranty if I changed the oil myself; is it more advantageous (and better for the car) to go to the dealership to get the oil change (at least on the first one)?

    Also what weight oil should I use (i'm new to oil changes and self-maintenance and would like to start learning by learning how to change the oil in my car).

    Thanks!
  • nwvwnwvw Member Posts: 88
    Have the dealer change it. It's free, and they'll also rotate your tires. When you have them change the oil then you'll have proof of the oil change in case there's some warranty issue down the road. Ask your service manager if they'll take your oil. Most will. Changing over to synth at the first change has been debated a million times and it's just a personal choice. My dealer says yes, no problem whatsoever. Some people say wait until 10K miles.

    Either way, definitely wait until 5000 miles for the first change.

    -Jim
    FKA: BlueJetta
  • mtenamtena Member Posts: 58
    Not a maintenance problem, per se, but strangely, none of the stores in my area carry the viscosity (5W 40) recommended for my 2001 Jetta.

    Fortunately 5W 30 is plentiful :)
  • balticjetta18tbalticjetta18t Member Posts: 146
    Mencius... After all, u paid for a car that has all the scheduled maint. for free for 2/24. Basically that comes to 4 total times.(5k, 10k, 15k & 20k) Have em do any warr. issues at that time also. Don't even take a wrench to the car except for a vaccuum and a car wash mitt. Enjoy what U have paid for in advance. My dealer installed Castrol GTX 5W-40 @5k. Yeah, U can bring in your own synthetic oil and it will cost U $20-25 extra for your own and the dealer still gets paid for the materials anyway. Basically it kinda defeats the purpose of free maint. I will wait till the 25k service to install synthetic since I will just be paying the difference in upgrade cost. Or, I might bring them my own oil at $4-5 a quart instead of the dealer's price if it is packed with profit.
  • nwvwnwvw Member Posts: 88
    And allowed under warranty. Most oils are not available in 5w40.

    -Jim
  • flacaflaca Member Posts: 168
    When I had the 5k oil change - I had the tires rotated and balanced. I was charged $34.95. Was this too high?- should have it been free? Just curious.
  • blackjetta18t1blackjetta18t1 Member Posts: 278
    just curious, is a wheel alignment included in any of my services? if not, when should i get it and how much does it cost?
  • mencius01mencius01 Member Posts: 6
    Hi all,

    Thanks so much for the advice regarding the oil change - I guess I will wait till after the basic warranty is expired to start learning to change the oil, eh? =) I was wondering about the VW Platinum Extended Warranty and what exactly it covered, and how it differs from the 2 yr/24,000 mi basic warranty (other than length and cost) and how much it should cost and whether it was worth purchasing? Also, does every VW dealership offer this extended warranty?

    From these forums it seems that in addition to the basic warranty-covered time period, a number of problems crop up soon after the 24,000 mi has been exceeded, hence the interest in the extended warranty.

    Thanks!
  • rr15rr15 Member Posts: 2
    Key & remote lock clicker was not staying attached to keyring at 9,000 miles. VW has since modified the ring that attached the clicker to the rest of your keychain. VW and the Dealer told me that they were "doing me a favor" by fixing it. It was a dealer defect!! Not to mention the real reason I was there was because my engine light came on 5 days ago. Dealer said "it's common". Has anyone else had these problems?
  • nwvwnwvw Member Posts: 88
    VW rotates for free. Why balance? Are you having vibration problems at 5000 miles? If they are balancing, they should not charge for a rotation! They have the tires off anyway! So yeah, you kinda got ripped off, but a balance should be about $6 to $8 per wheel, so maybe it's not all that bad after all.

    -Jim
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    My understanding of the platinum is that I've got a $0 deductible on my Jetta through all 45000 miles. After 24k I'll have to pay for oil changes and the routine stuff, but if anything malfunctions - windows seem likely - then VW repairs it for free. Given that the tranny, the rattles and the electricals all seem to be vexing issues with a Jetta, it seems likely my $500 investment will be recouped on the first malfunction outside of 24k.
  • mencius01mencius01 Member Posts: 6
    Hi,

    Thanks for the info - do you know if all VW dealers offer the MasterGuard warranty? If I press and ask for it should they provide it? I called VWoA and the lady kinda hedged and said that not all VW dealerships carry that particular brand's extended warranty.

    Thanks!
  • prixgrlprixgrl Member Posts: 2
    I have had the check engine light come on and the dealership took a month to fix it and had to replace the entire computer (if this happens to you, make sure you give them both keys or one will not work--if you have a dumb one like mine they won't mention it)
    Both the window regulators in the drivers and passengers front windows have gone out
    My trunk release also went out.

    It seems like these are common problems. I am trying really hard to keep this car--I cannot find any other car I like to drive nearly as much (looking at Accords, Acura RSX's, and as last resort Civics)

    The trade in value is very bad and i will lose lots of money. I have purchased an extended five yr warranty (which VW so nicely paid for me when I raised much heck over repair work.

    I am really looking for reasons to keep the car and I was wondering if I have already experienced the worst.....HELP me keep my baby car
  • nwvwnwvw Member Posts: 88
    Best reason for keeping your Jetta: (Free) 5 year warranty. Second best reason: Wow factor is way higher than any of them Honduh-type cars you mentioned.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    ...to your local VW dealers. I had no idea some VW dealers don't offer it. Odd.
  • mike1pktmike1pkt Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone have been having trouble with their O2 Sensor. I have a 99 jetta and at 5000 and 17000 miles the sensor has been replaced. Lucky under warranty. But now I'm at 38000 Miles and my check engine light just went on again. I think it might be my O2 sensor again. Can this be covered under warrenty? Or am I in trouble? Please Help me with this problem.
  • balticjetta18tbalticjetta18t Member Posts: 146
    Tire rotation and balancing does not fall under the 5K mile free maint. service while the 10K does include the bal/rotation. So, Yvette U specified it early and paid for that service and it will be done again for free at 10K. Ask your service manager at your dealer why they did not ADVISE U of YOUR OPTION to actually wait till 10K unless they are hard up for $35 of extra labor. Tell your service manager that how can U truly trust they would help to avoid uneeded repairs in the future even if U slightly mention something U are not sure needs work... ESPECIALLY when 2/24 B2B is over...
  • divewreckdivewreck Member Posts: 50
    I've had my 2001 GLS now for 3 months & have driven 5000 miles. No problems with the car at all & no oil consumption, except for maybe 1/2 qt
    Besides the bad rings I've been reading about, is it possible that once your oil turns black that it loses its viscosity, hence the need to top it off? And what is the advantage of using synthetic oil?
    Scheduled 20k service (bought my car used) in 3 weeks. Can't believe I have to wait this long. I get faster appointments with my dentist!
  • sammy7sammy7 Member Posts: 3
    The ML light keeps comming on The local dealer said if the VW works fine
    ignore the light. VW engineers don't have a solution.
    They said drive with the light on. Place black tape over the light.
  • sammy7sammy7 Member Posts: 3
    I had wheel bearings go at 80,000 km.
    Tried to deal with VW over problem but they don't care.
    I don't think I would ever purchase another Vw with lack of customer
    concerns shown by head office.
  • nwvwnwvw Member Posts: 88
    You'd be hard pressed to get any automobile manufacturer to do any repairs waaaaay out of warranty, whether it be VW, Ford, Mercedes...It's just not smart business. Granted, that's early for wheel bearings, but that's also far and removed from being close to being under warranty.
  • nwvwnwvw Member Posts: 88
    The workers are now on strike, as of today!


    http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010818/wl/autos_mexico_volkswagen_dc_1.html

  • yellowjettyellowjett Member Posts: 10
    i would say that the extended warranty is worth it. i paid over 800 for mine. i have had many problems with my jetta and the warranty has paid for itself now.
  • yellowjettyellowjett Member Posts: 10
    my o2 sensor went out also. i have the extended warranty so it was covered to replace. when my engine light came on the second time it was the mass air flow sensor (also covered), when i called a dealership to ask if it was normal for these sensors to go out he said the o2 should be replaced every two years to keep the engine tuned but the mass air went prematurely and i should call vwoa. if you take it back and it is your o2 (or any other major sensor) i would call vwoa).
  • mariiomariio Member Posts: 5
    I have a 2000 jetta with aprox. 18k miles the problem is that i have to put about 1/4 or more of oil every month to the engine because if i waith till the next oil service...the car losses about 3/4 of oil...the guys from the dealer told me that it was normal....but i think they don't want to fix it.... what should i do....
    tanks....
    mario
  • nwvwnwvw Member Posts: 88
    Ask your dealer about the Volkswagen Technical Service Bulletin # 1701-01 that was issued on March 1, 2001, regarding the evaluating oil consumption program and that you'd like to participate.

    -Jim
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