2000 Volkswagen Jetta LX 1.8 turbo from North America

Summary:

Money pit or investment..

Faults:

Replaced cracked oil pan.

Peeling finish on the middle console.

Replaced all four tires at 10,000 miles (still have consistently low air on front tires.)

Excessive front brake dust (it looks as if you're missing a hubcap.)

Turbo seems to have no pick-up (at only 30,000 miles on my car.) Dealership said that the turbo never ever goes out so there isn't anything wrong with the turbo.

Loud and shaky idle.

Rattle in driver-side front door.

Speaker wires were loose.

CD player inconsistently performs (turning player off before starting the car does help, though.)

Air Conditioning makes whirring and clacking sound.

Front panel lights are out.

Check Engine light is on. It's on constantly, so I just got used to it. It makes up for the light that is out behind the air conditioning controls.

Warranty repair: Windows fell into the doors (lucky for me, it was during a flash flood in Texas, so I saw that the leather seats recovered well. That was a plus.)

Current Repairs Needed as of Friday (not including labor) :

$375-Worn out rear brakes at 31,800 miles.

$375-Broken wheel liner panel

$170-broken spoiler, lower engine cover

$210-Check Engine light due to leak in the vacuum lines

$30- replace emblem that fell out of the cracked plastic grille.

General Comments:

I have low mileage on my 2000 Jetta because I only live 3 miles from work. Additionally, I lived overseas for a while and during that time, it was driven once a week about 10 miles total. SO...I'm just now edging into the 30,000+ mileage mark and am beginning to wonder if this car can last for another 5 years.

I was always told - if you get a Jetta and have problems in the beginning, then you got a lemon and it will ALWAYS be problematic. If you get lucky and have a Jetta with minimal-to-no problems in the beginning... then you're probably safe for the long haul.

I do like the style of the car and I'm comfortable driving it. However, the constant little things going wrong are annoying.

Should I invest the $1,000+ to fix my car's problems or simply put that money toward a new car?

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 16th February, 2004

2000 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 2.0L from North America

Summary:

A fine car that is in fact a Volkswagen

Faults:

Oxygen sensor recalled.

Driver side window regulator replaced 2 times (2nd time seems to be last).

Passenger side window regulator replaced 1 time and so far the last.

Trunk latch broke.

Center armrest console broke and replaced under warranty the first time. Have yet to replace the second time.

Rear pads wore prematurely which caused the rear passenger side rotor to be replaced.

General Comments:

Dependability seems to be the strong point.

Car does weird stuff sometimes.

Plenty of performance for a 4 cylinder.

Seats are incredibly comfortable.

Very appealing aesthetically both inside and out.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th January, 2004

2000 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 2.0 from North America

Summary:

Very unreliable

Faults:

Driver's side window has fallen out of place 4 times.

Engine constantly burns oils so you must add a little oil on a weekly basis to maintain minimum oil level.

O2 sensor replaced 3 times.

Air Flow mass meter replaced 2 times.

Premature rear brake wear. Had to have the pads and rotors replaced.

Check engine light randomly turns on when theres nothing wrong at all.

Locking mechanism for the armrest compartment broke off.

General Comments:

In my opinion this car looks great and drives/handles well on the road. Unfortunately the quality/durability of this is car is well beyond poor. Also the cost to maintain/repair this car has been very expensive. The dealers in my area charge a flat rate of $95/hour.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 26th January, 2004

2000 Volkswagen Jetta from North America

Summary:

Never again

Faults:

Air mass flow sensor.

General Comments:

They sent out a letter stating they extended the warranty to 7 years/70,000 miles.

Unfortunately, you also need to have wiring done, due to the "additional stress" put on the wiring by the sensor being tripped.

Needless to say, the wiring is not covered under the warranty, and costs $160.00 to repair.

I visited a web site called www.BigClassAction.com and filed a complaint. If you wish to join me, please do.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 15th January, 2004