Faults:

The dash in my Jetta has about 3 vertical cracks in it that stretch from the defroster vents to the steering wheel. This is the first Jetta that I've ever seen with any mentionable cracks in the dash.

Everything in my Jetta rattles or creaks a little. The headliner tends to creak over large bumps, and the dash and door pouches rattle when the car is in drive setting still.

The black plastic areas on the bumpers, fender wells, door trim, etc take treatment at least three times a year to keep looking black instead of gray.

After the windshield was cracked by a rock in the hands of the previous owner, the new windshield was improperly reinstalled. The weatherstripping now traps water at the bottom slowly creating small rust places in the Cal-area below the windshield. This is the only corrosion on the car.

General Comments:

This Jetta handles exceptionally for a car from the early 90s.

Most passengers complain about front leg room and compliment about the rear leg room while riding in my Jetta.

The seats are to die for - very supportive in the front and rear.

The passive safety belts are a pain to those unaccustomed, however the addition of the lap belt (88-90 had no lap belt) is a comforting feature.

The body has no corrosion (except for that caused by a faulty re-installation of the windshield) and the paint looks terrific.

The 91/92 bumper style looks exceptionally well compared to the 85-90 style from this generation Jetta.

I was in an accident in my previous '89 Jetta, rear ended by a lunatic going 45 MPH who never touched his brakes. I walked away without a scratch and the cabin was not intruded by glass, metal, etc. These Jettas are very safe cars.

Faults:

Well for 200,000 miles I have had new tires, a clutch and a water pump.

All are normal wear and tear parts for a car of this age. It handles like it's on rails. Awesome handling, quick and sporty. A blast to drive!

General Comments:

I love this car. It's super fun to drive, looks good and it's reliable. It pretty quick for the low GL engine.. Love that torque!

Faults:

Leaky head gasket when purchased.

Black plastic trim falls off regularly.

Rear wheel bearings replaced.

Exhaust system replaced due to holes rusting through the muffler (in Texas).

The headliner is falling down.

General Comments:

A great riding car that is fun to drive. Excellent handling for a family sedan and nice steering feel. I look forward to driving it.

It has nice styling that I like better than the current Jetta.

Not much power until over 4000 RPM though, but 30 MPG around town makes up for it. Getting onto the freeway can be scary at times.

The front seats don't adjust back far enough.

Don't even think about trying to do major engine or transmission work on these cars though. I am in the process of replacing the clutch with only hand tools and it has turned into a week-long adventure. The transverse-engined, front-wheel drive setup leads to a cramped engine compartment with no space to work and hundreds of "how did they get that there?" bolt locations. Other than that it is a very simple car to work on compared to other early 90's cars.

The interior on this car (minus the headliner) has held up nicely considering that it has spent all its life under the Texas sun. If you take care of these cars, they will last forever. Or until some idiot runs a stop sign and totals it (my previous, mint 1987 Jetta).