2000 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 2.0 from North America

Summary:

Fun every time, and never gets old!

Faults:

Yes, window brackets.

Light bulbs (every 6 months).

Radiator rotted out @ 230k miles.

Spark plug popped out at 130k miles (I guess I should have given it a tune up! LOL!)

Some gasket... 8 hr job... but worth it!

Hit and run... dent... rust 4 yrs later... and I live in the north east!

General Comments:

This is the best VW ever! I have had this car since it was only 26k miles old! It's now 248k miles old! Everything is original from the factory, from the shocks to the clutch! Except for the things I have mentioned from before.

I had 2 problems with it.

1) I never gave it a tune up, up until the #2 plug popped off after going through a toll.

2) One of the engine seals cracked over time. All engine oil was drained in my driveway and on the highway. The car was running on no oil for 3 miles. My mechanic (he's like Jesus) replaced it and the car runs fine!

If you want a car, go buy an American or Japanese car... this is not a car! This is like another life form. It has a pulse, it responds to you, it keeps your ass warm in the winter and will give you speeding tickets in the summer... and after you change the oil 20k miles later... you might even wash it and tell it "I love you!!!"

And for all of you that think this car is crap, you should have bought a BMW or Mercedes.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 27th January, 2010

31st Jan 2010, 13:57

I know what you mean - I've owned Japanese, American, and Korean cars before but I am a Volkswagen owner and it's true, they're the only cars with personality, if not just an outright soul.

2000 Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.0 from North America

Summary:

My worst nightmare come true

Faults:

What things went wrong with the car... Gee where do I begin?

How about we start with the Mass Air Flow sensor. Which is a $200 part if you do it yourself.

Then the bumper literally fell off, I'm sure it was because it gets pulled every time you get near a curb or a parking stop. But what the hell, if they make a bumper so low and so far forward?

Then how about the engine mounts are broken, the inner wheel well fell off, the shocks went, both of the half shafts (CV joints, boots, and axles) went bad. The tie rod ends sound like they are bad, but I'll be honest, I haven't actually looked because I am afraid.

The dashboard and center console are falling apart, the fancy cupholder rig, that is ridiculously expensive has been broken since I bought the car. The glove box broke, the big plastic "tab" that holds it in is pathetic. The sun visor broke, and the grabber that hold it in place.

Oh, and the trunk doesn't open because the solenoid broke, and neither does the gas cover (so we can never close it all the way, or we won't be able to get it open again).

Then the doors stopped locking with the remote, then they stopped locking altogether. Now the front and rear drivers doors have to be locked manually. The interior lights don't come on when you open either door either. Also now the door chimes as though it were open if you rest your arm on it for 1 second. It is REALLY irritating if you are in the car for more than ten minutes.

There was no armrest ever, and the seats are made of the most stain attractant material known to mankind. The seats were tan colored, and I got a good deal on the car when I bought it (or so I thought, until I went to the insurance agency and they told me I paid book value) so I didn't really think anything about cleaning it as a result. The seats were absolutely filthy when I bought it, I thought for sure a mechanic owned it and didn't care about the seats. I eventually ended up steam cleaning the seats professionally just to have them end up getting filthy again when a single drop of WATER hits them. Now they are completely embarrassingly filthy looking.

Also car eats oil like crazy, and now the engine light is on and the code read that cylinders 2,3, and 4 are misfiring.

General Comments:

It is a shame that Volkswagen didn't include a self destruct button with the Jetta.

Every time I stop for a red light, I pray someone plows into the back of the car and end my misery.

I will NEVER EVER EVER buy another Volkswagen as long as I ever live.

It gets decent gas mileage when coasting.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 5th November, 2009