1996 Volkswagen Jetta GL review from North America
"The affordable German engineered sedan"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Transmission died at 13,000 miles.
A/C worked sporadically for a few months.
CD player works one day and not the next.
General comments?
I bought this car based on the merits of my 1994 Jetta. That car saved my life. I was in a horrible wreck and walked away with only a broken collarbone.
This car had growing pains the first year. The transmission and the AC had quite a few problems the first summer I had it. I complained to dealer and then to VW. VW ended up tacking on another year onto the warranty.
Growing pains aside the car has been a joy to drive and still runs great.
Gas mileage is 25 city / 34 highway.
Never burns oil.
Recommended reviews
| Comfortable, Cute, Mechanical Money Pit |
| Economical for a 6 cylinder, fast and fun, but not cheap, and almost unreliable sometimes |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.0 gas Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 40 miles |
| Most recent distance | 83000 miles |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Jetta |
| Date of Entry | 1st June, 2001 |