2014 Volkswagen Jetta Bluemotion Tech SE 1.6 TDi from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Disappointing

Faults:

Clutch.

Fuel cap disintegrated!

A/C dead.

Random stalling / hard starting. Booked in for diagnostics at a local independent VW specialist (VW main dealer was not interested and wanted £££'s just to look at it!), hope it's nothing serious!

General Comments:

The Jetta is basically just a Golf with a boot. A bit more practical.

Not a bad car, but I think I got a bad one. Clearly not been looked after well, VW's are usually OK of this generation.

1.6 TDi isn't very fast, but with over 55 mpg, I am not complaining. Surprisingly noisy on the move however, refinement is not this car's strong point.

OK to drive, comfortable interior, Tech SE is mid range and has all the electrics expected from a 2014 car.

Smart looking in grey with alloy wheels.

Hope it proves reliable after the problems are sorted, but I do not think VW are as good as they used to be, and I have had Golfs and other cars from them since the 1980's and 1990's, and they were all way more reliable than this 2014 car!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 1st November, 2025

2014 Volkswagen Jetta Highline TDI from North America

Summary:

Terrible build quality

Faults:

I would never buy another one of VW's products in any of its lines (even in sibling companies owned by them) after this vehicle. What a piece of junk.

Something is always going wrong with it -

1) The back up camera works when it feels like it (dealer replicated issue) - the dealer said they think they may have fixed it, but I'll have to wait and see.

2) The car almost stalled out in an intersection, nearly causing a collision where I would have been deemed at fault (I was turning left). This issue was not replicated and has been experienced by many other TDI owners of this generation, DSG and manual.

3) The doors have recently started unlocking-locking-unlocking-locking over and over while I drive for no apparent reason. Clicking the button manually has no effect on this and the car continues to do it. A ridiculous issue, and I hope one that the dealer can replicate. I can't find many other owners that have had this one, but it's annoying.

4) The button for the air recirculation next to the A/C has stopped functioning, even though I have barely ever pressed it in the life of the vehicle.

In short - this car is junk. I bought the Highline and it is fraught with poor quality cabin issues as well as electrical problems.

General Comments:

WHEN the vehicle runs properly it's awesome. The car returns better than advertised fuel economy, and actually has really good pick up. Two things that you never get together in other brands, and what attracted me to VW in the first instance. The vehicle in my opinion also looks really good, inside and out.

Having said that - I don't have that many kilometers and the electronic issues this car is suffering (most replicated by the dealer) are absurd! Even when the dealer replicates an issue, they can't always seem to find a fix either, which is very frustrating. Oh, and according to a service tech - VW does what they can to turn down warranty repairs. Luckily my car is not modified in any way or I would have been declined I was told. Good stuff to know if you're considering the brand.

This is a really nice car when it operates well. But for a $30+k vehicle it has WAY too many issues and is not reliable (see above).

I would never again purchase another.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 23rd May, 2015

14th Sep 2020, 08:52

The one constant with car companies is, if it was bad for the past 20 years, it will be bad for the next 20 years. You can be sure of that, no matter what new models they make. Also be aware of brand fans, people who come here saying 150,000 miles and no problem. These are usually young people who don't have a mortgage so have money to spend and don't mind about repairs. And I'm not even mentioning those who have a neighbour, a brother and three friends, all of them with cars with hundreds of miles and never a single problem. You get the picture.

In reply to 14th Sep 2020, 08:52

11th Feb 2021, 21:55

And you can predict the future, apparently.

28th Jan 2023, 21:22

Absolutely you can predict the future from the past. A very large company doesn't change. At least, one should not assume such a situation. Company culture is a very long standing thing.

29th Jan 2023, 18:48

The TDI have troubled high pressure fuel pumps and injectors leading to costly repairs. It seems the low sulfur diesel cannot lubricate adequately these pumps, leading to failure.

In reply to 28th Jan 2023, 21:22

30th Jan 2023, 03:42

I disagree. Look at Ford for example. In the 80’s and 90’s, their quality was abysmal. They realized around 2005 or so they needed to step it up on the quality side, or they’d go out of business. They’ve done exactly that. Nissan on the other hand went the other direction if you compare pre/post 2000.

In reply to 30th Jan 2023, 03:42

1st Nov 2025, 16:41

It all depends on many factors. I'm not defending any company, but to be fair they have all had to deal with tightening emissions controls and had to do things to their modern engines that make them complex and expensive to fix when they go wrong. Especially cars in the last 20 years.

1990's was the sweet spot for me, I never had more reliable and simple cars since then, most post year 2000 cars have been a disaster for me. Always something going wrong related to emissions, a sensor, electronics component or whatever.

2014 Volkswagen Jetta SE 1.8 TSI from North America

Summary:

An economical entry level sports sedan. Stealthy performance

Faults:

Nothing!

General Comments:

I was a little unsure about this car until I drove it. Some of the reviews I've read of this latest version of the Jetta were unflattering, while others were excellent. Some reviewers have been apoplectic that the dash on this model is hard plastic. Seriously? That's a problem? I guess people spend a lot of time touching their dashes and this offends them. Deeply.

What matters more is that VW put their excellent suspension back on the 2014s, mated it to a great new engine and continue to provide manual transmissions. Fun in the corners and in a straight line.

I have to say that the new 1.8T (not to be confused with the older, problematic, 1.8T) is incredible. It really moves, especially paired with the manual. This is like a stealth sports sedan. I am getting an average MPG of 32, and on one 3 hour drive managed 40 MPG according to the on-board computer. It's comfortable, and the passenger area is larger and more comfortable inside than my old Volvo V70! (Can't compare the trunk to my '99 V70 though, not many cars can beat what that wagon could haul).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th May, 2015

10th Feb 2016, 17:29

I'm not sure what you mean by "older problematic 1.8T". I have a 2004 Jetta with almost 160000 miles on it and have had no issues whatsoever.

In reply to 10th Feb 2016, 17:29

10th Feb 2016, 19:45

The older 1.8T and 2.0T engines have been known to have oil consumption problems, and the 1.8T has had some engine sludge problems. Of course, not ALL engines will be afflicted by them as evidenced by your car, but there are enough of them out there with problems enough to be discussed in many forums.

5th Mar 2017, 17:56

Indeed that old 1.8 turbo wasn't that problematic, but it was very sensitive with anything but synthetic oil.