1999 Volkswagen Jetta GL review from North America

Numerous mysterious "sensor issues" that probably cost me about $3,000 in total -- mass airflow sensor (twice), transmission speed control sensor. Took 3 tries to fix that last one. Turns out the 99 1/2 Jetta has a 3rd transmission speed control sensor under the motor mounts, but of course VW techs and their manuals know nothing about this.

Windshield wiper motor/linkage twice.

Catalytic converter.

Constantly changing light bulbs.

Front fairings under the grill both lost on the highway due to inadequate bolts.

Pretty much everything in the interior broke very shortly after I bought it -- cup holders, glove compartment door snapped right off its hinges.

I've owned 2 Rabbit GTIs and a Quantum Syncro wagon over the years, and I loved those cars. The Rabbits were cheap, reliable and easy to fix, while the Syncro had the reliability of the mid-80s Audi Quattro's and the wonderful worry free 2.3 inline 5.

I will now never buy another VW after the constant nightmares I had with this car's quality and reliability. I cannot count the times I was stuck on the side of the road due to another mysterious sensor problem. And the service at the local VW dealer was abysmal, to say the least. Repairs that I knew for a fact to be no more than $200 would run me 3 to 4 times that. I finally confronted the service manager after getting 3 estimates from local repair shops for the same repairs, and I even wrote a letter to VW of America -- they could have cared less. Never again. Too bad, they could have had a customer for life.