Faults:

The interior is cheaply made and falls apart.

First was the interior door handle that opens the car.

Then the interior door handles that close the car on 3 out of 4 doors!!

Glove compartment door fell onto my lap when opened.

The driver side window regulator needs replacing.

The fabric on the doors are peeling off. The headliner is falling onto my head. The console cover is broken off completely.

Everything is made of plastic that is painted, so eventually the paint comes off, leaving a dingy worn look.

Hoses need to be replaced ideally at 100,000 miles... at 150,000 miles you'll realize why.

The ball bearings and calipers started grinding at 159,000 miles, and needed to be replaced in the rear.

General Comments:

The paint is not good quality.

The interior is cheaply made, and falls apart everywhere!!

Mechanically this is a good car.

Faults:

(1) Automatic windows stopped working due to either switch, motor in door, or the mechanism holding the window breaks - this is a known issue with the windows on this model. After the 3rd year, needed to replace 1-3 windows every couple years, until I stopped using them as much as possible. Dealer replaced for money, but gave me a break once or twice. On the upside, the sunroof runs like new and is 12 years old.

(2) Alternator needed replacement - so far just once. Always go to the dealer. Lots of American shops do not know how to properly fix VW's. It's not VW's fault, that is the shop's fault for being ignorant.

(3) A few times it has issues with the engine getting wet on the highway, and I needed to get towed - was usually nothing major like needed a tuneup - one time was the alternator job I mentioned before.

(4) The radio eventually gave out a couple years ago, and the 6-CD changer ate the CDs in it, and stopped working. Near $200 to replace.

(5) Rubber strips on the outside of the doors start to come off after a few years - easily fixable by cleaning with Goop and soap, and re-attaching them with some strips of 3M double-sticky automotive tape.

(6) The dashboard glove compartment latch broke, so I just don't use the glove. Cost too much to get fixed.

General Comments:

For most of the life of this going on 12 year old Jetta Wolfsburg Edition 99.0 model year Mark 3 body (like the 1998), it has been a rugged workhorse for me, getting me 70 miles round trip to work every day, mostly highway travel. And it mostly just keeps on going.

For the most part has been a reliable car, and it feels like a solid car. And for the most part the interior and trunk looks in good shape - no ripping or tearing or coming apart of anything like seats or rubber strips and such.

The car feels like a more expensive car. I had a Honda before that, back when Honda was rated better than Mercedes, and the Jetta was a definite upgrade.

And at 185,000 miles, with a bit of servicing, I am sure this car can go another 100,000 miles. Not too many cars can do this.