Faults:

The A.C. has a funky smell on the left side of the car.

Premature wear on the brakes.

General Comments:

Good car, needs some refining, expensive when parts break, hates the cold winters of the west. In general it is a car for everyone's needs.

Faults:

Cooling fan sensor which also controlled the air conditioning switch. Not an expensive item.

Transmission stripped out first gear due to "drive by wire" tension slipping - covered under extended warranty. Cost about $2,000. I also replaced the clutch - not under warranty for $425 at about 80,000 miles.

Replaced coil pack again covered by extended warranty. Believe about $400.

Had problems with tire shops stripping out the hub - which I understand is not unusual if they don't take care. Need to be careful with whom you use.

General Comments:

With 125,000 miles the 2001 GLX VR6 with the sport option has performed excellently. It's loaded with everything that VW offered in 01. Since day 1 it's been upgraded with a great deal of high performance equipment, driven hard, raced, but maintained as required.

My 18 year old son checked out the crash protection in a wreck and found out that the air bags work well - and protected him much better than most Japanese cars would. The body shop told me that if he had been in a small Honda or Toyota he might be dead.

VW makes a very safe car.

Faults:

Climate control light burnt out, but easy to fix.

Left headlight burnt out, easily fixed.

Air bag light on.

Hazard switch for blinkers was faulty, but was covered under a recall.

Drivers side lock has had a burp once, but continues to work fine.

General Comments:

So far for my car having 72,000 miles, I have no problems what so ever, other than average wear and tear. More satisfied people like me need to speak out because all the negative reviews are listed and it scares people into not buying them or automatically assuming their car is a piece of junk. Believe me, after reading the reviews it had made me nervous. My engine has mass power, it doesn't hesitate when you hit the gas, the doors sound secure when you shut them, gas mileage is great, seats are comfortable, drives smooth, well lit, steers and handles well. I can honestly say, I have had no problems with oil consumption, interior breaking, brake pads wearing out, electrical problems... nothing!! I would highly recommend buying a Jetta.

Faults:

I note four items that had faults.

First of all the rear brake pads had to be replaced at an early stage; about 10,000 Miles.

At 64000 miles the following items needed to be replaced.

1) The belt tensioner bearings froze up & replaced with Neuspeed pulleys all around and new belt. (5-7 HP increase)

2) The high flow valve on the intake manifold on the VR6 engine broke and will have to be replaced. Understand this is a common item and isn't too expensive. Only the top end performance is lessened.

3) The cruse control had a recall and was replaced. Actually the most accurate cruse control I've ever experienced.

All the above items were on the extended warranty or a recall (except for Neuspeed replacement parts).

General Comments:

The Bora/Jetta is a lot of fun to drive. It is sporty, fairly fast and economical with the 5 speed manual. (Could use a better clutch and a smoother shifter- which they have done now).

There are certainly other cars that are faster, but at what price? The faster Nip cars are much more expensive and some have questionable crash ratings. The Jetta has an excellent crash rating -and has airbags all around.

Highway mileage (average speed around 70) is just short of 30 MPG.

The original Michelin sport 17 Inch tires lasted about 50,000 miles and handled very well in both wet and dry conditions. However, very expensive to replace (USD $215 Ea). Went with an alternative tire.

The 2001 GLX came loaded with electric seats on both sides which were leather, heatedl. The driver seat also had a 3 way memory setting.

The Monsoon Radio and CD were a very noticeable upgrade from the factory.

This car also had the sport option which included stiffer spring setting, performance wheels and tires. Close, but not really getting there. Went with aftermarket 1.5 inch Lowering springs and swaybars from Neuspeed which made a big improvement in handling. (This is a must if you are a driving enthusiast). Coilovers are an expensive step up from the lowering springs - expect to pay minimally USD $1,000 +. As mentioned above also replaced the pulleys which were less than $400 installed. Also, the AEM High Flow Air Intake was added for around $250. (7.5 - 10 HP) Other notible additions were the Neuspeed Cat-Back exhaust system along with the p-flow chip. You do notice the performance gain and you really haven't touched the engine. There are a variety of quality aftermarket options, but Neuspeed is at the top.

The big problem with the car, if comparing to the Passat is the back seat. I'm 6 ft and can set back there, but not on a long trip. It is a bit too cramped.

Faults:

Trunk release.

Climate control illumination.

Inner tie-rod ball joint dried out.

Stereo audio functions went bad.

Previous owner only had windows fall in and Air flow meter replaced.

General Comments:

Great car, no problems yet at all. Dealer is great! Fixes everything for me and even gives me a loner car.

My only problem is the transmission, getting out of first sucks and going into second sucks, rest are fine. Suspension is sloppy, but hard at the same time. Seats are a bit uncomfortable. Gas mileage not the greatest. Otherwise the car is great. I will always buy a Volkswagen, Always have!