Many unresolved electrical issues.
Oil light/alarm would come on all of the time. I had both sensors replaced and the problem became less frequent, but never really went away.
Windshield wipers would fail during the rain. This problem was investigated by mechanics, but went unresolved.
Transmission would always grind when shifting into second gear. This issue was investigated by mechanics and never resolved.
Car would stall occasionally when you came to stops, and would have a difficult time starting again.
Timing belt, distributor cap and rotor, plugs and plug wires, brakes all needed replacement. These are all things that are expected to go, but I figured I'd mention them because VW parts are notoriously expensive and the dealership charged $85/per hr to do the work.
This car is very comfortable to drive; however it was completely unreliable and spent more time in the shop that it did on the road.
The 2.0 4cyl engine lacks power for a sedan that size.
The factory wheels are very small in comparison to other cars.
I concur! When my ex-wife and I met, she had recently purchased a Jetta 1999 (before we met). It was quickly renamed "the WETta", because the sunroof leaked. The leak was contained with the body, and the water found its way to the brake switch behind the brake foot pedal within the passenger/driver compartment. As soon as we were married, I traded this car in on a Honda Civic. If you want to keep your costs down and are looking for a safe commute, then I would consider a SCION (this is the Toyota Brand Name that is marketed toward younger customers, and these are reliable and cheap vehicles ~ Plus+ young people can then spend the monies they saved on a new car on a new BOOM BOX to mount within the rear half of the vehicle - teehee).
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