1996 Volkswagen Jetta GL review from North America
"German engineering gone bad"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
All the side door moldings (except the rear passenger side) have fallen off. I have noticed upon reading the other reviews that this is a common problem with other Jetta owners.
Both the driver side and passenger side windows broke off the tracks and could not be rolled up.
The sunroof also broke off the tracks and could not close.
The car had problems shifting into gear. The entire transmission had to be replaced (luckily this was covered under the powertrain warranty).
General comments?
I had convinced my wife to buy a VW Jetta because I had previously owned a BMW and we both wanted an inexpensive car with quality German engineering. The headaches involved with the poor craftmanship of this vehicle, however, leads me to the conclusion that I had made a bad decision on purchasing a Jetta.
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  | Fun to drive! |
| Economical for a 6 cylinder, fast and fun, but not cheap, and almost unreliable sometimes |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 4/10 |
| Reliability marks | 4/10 |
| Comfort marks | 4/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 45 miles |
| Most recent distance | 80000 miles |
| Previous car | BMW 5 Series |
| Date of Entry | 7th October, 2003 |