1999 Volkswagen Jetta GLS from North America - Comments

You can't blame the car for a unreliable diagnostic from the garage. Next time, take it to someone who knows what they are talking about!!!

I'm still interested in why my 1998 Jetta locks itself, sometimes when I'm in it, and driving! I sympathise with the guy in one of the early posts said he is embarrassed to get out of the car because it sets the alarm off. Like him, I've learned to keep my driver's door open slightly while I'm scraping ice off the windshield.

It seems somehow to relate to the driver's side REAR door. the self-locking feature continues until I open and slam that door shut... but I don't know what's causing it or how to keep it from happening.

Oh, incidentally. I've replaced three window regulators and two window motors... the one last week, the local VDub dealer (David Michael, Freehold NJ, bless their soul) quoted me $980 to repair and replace the motor... motor wasn't bad (which I told them when I arrived)...had it done aftermarket by a local gas station for $180.

Could not believe what I am hearing about the regulators. I have 1998 Jetta GLX VR6. Last year, right rear went out. On vacation in SFO and paid $369 to replace. This weekend in Vegas the left rear went out. Drove it home in 110 deg temps. Took it to local VW dealer at home and paid $350 to replace the regulator. Get this, as I am pulling out of the dealership, the front driver side regulator window went out. Going to do it myself to save money. I guess misery does love company. And from these posts, I have a lot of company.

I am from Europe and have owned nothing, but VW since a lad. The problem with the VDUBs out here is they are made in Mexico and Brazil.

You get a poorer product, at a considerably lower price than you pay for in Europe. Definetly a case of you get what you pay for!

My advice is get a VW made in Germany, and build quality, reliability and overall satisfaction will be far better.

This is crazy to see familiar sounding problems with the newer VWs. I had my heart set on getting a Jetta, but it looks like the quality issues haven't been addressed.

I used to own a 95 Golf GL -- it was my first car - so much fun to drive, but so unreliable. It had manual windows and guess what -- the rear passenger window 'fell' into the door in the middle of winter in Ontario. When driving friends around, their job was to lean against it to keep it lifted up :).

The alarm would go off whenever it was unlocked from the hatch. The driver's door lock stopped working so it had to be unlocked from the passenger door. More than once I was stranded and had to call a friend / family member to pick me up when the only working keylock would freeze up in the winter.

Finally, I had to replace the wheel bearings on the front wheels ($500 CDN) and then the rear wheels 1/2 year later (another $500).

It breaks my heart cause these cars are just so much fun to drive.

I've owned my 1999 Volkswagen Jetta Wolfsburg for about two years now and have experienced the same window regulator problems like everyone else, I also replaced the instrument cluster and I'm starting to notice new things, like my car seems to never heat up, the temp. sensor is always on low and my car is burning way more gas than usual, but no check engine light, I predict about $1000 in repairs, that's what I get for buying the Mexicano version I guess.

Hello All! I've read all your comments. I own a 2003 1.8L turbo. I bought it used last year in March.

I as well wanted a VW for a very long time. I heard that they were gas economic and reliable, but expensive on parts if repairs are needed.

The day I went to go pick up the car I smelt a sweet smell coming from the car, they said they would get their mechanic to look it over for me. They said the cap on the radiator was loose.

I drove the car for 2 weeks when the engine light went on. Had to replace 1 coil and the boot. I drove the car for a few days and the engine light went on again. I chose to ignore it... It got me by for awhile. Until about a month ago. My car started to stall on my way to work and stalled about 4 times until I was in the parking lot at work.

Towed it to the VW dealership. They said 3 cylinders had to be changed and the sensor. The prices for the parts were cheap, but they over charged on the labor. It only takes 5-10 minutes to change the cylinders, they charged 1.5 hours for labor. I brought it up and they said they had to diagnose it. I told them what the problem was when I walked in there before my car was repaired. They also charged me 1.5 hours for the sensor replacement. Total bill 500$. Few days later what happens??? The engine light on again, of course... I brought it in today and it's the catalytic converter... The part is apparently 1500$ but they say I'm lucky, it's under warranty...

They also changed the brake light switch or something like that, it was a recall... I asked them why it didn't pull up on the first engine check because this is supposed to bring up all the error codes... His response, there could be 50 different things wrong with the car and it not show up right away...

Not to mention that this car takes 40$ in the tank every couple of days, just going to work and back. I don't work that far. I wonder after this repair, how long before that light will appear again... My dad says the German cars were great, but now all are made in Mexico... VW are garbage now... Toyota or Honda are the way to go... I can't wait to pay this off and buy myself a new car... Good luck to you all...

In September of 2007 I purchased a used 2002 Jetta GLX 4dr "The luxury" version at 68,000 miles.

I have only had this car about 10 months and it has been a nightmare.

To begin with the moon roof cover did not open, and 5 minutes after driving it of the lot, the check engine light went on. I returned it to the dealership who guaranteed me it was just a fuse, which was replaced and I was sent on my way.

The first thing that occurred were some very loud, jerky misfires that resulted in having to replace the spark plug covers for $120 not including installation.

Two months ago I was driving on the freeway and my drivers side mirror cover, flew off inexplicably ($80) not including installation.

One day I opened the glove compartment and the handle fell off! For the months following the "replaced fuse" my check engine light turned on and off, and I was repeatedly told there was nothing wrong with the engine; it was just the same fuse, even by a VW dealership!

Recently my car made a horrible noise starting up, not every time just sometimes. Very quickly after my car started making noise when it accelerated, after a while I noticed it started wasting a ton of gas. One day I started my car to find it only accelerate to 45 mph and made the scariest noise I've ever heard! I thought for sure it was going to blow up. When I stopped on the side of the road, the brake wouldn't work properly, (It felt like when you pump the brake in an emergency).

After having it towed (the engine wouldn't even turn), having diagnostics and a compression test ($145), it came back with 9 codes, 3 broken cylinders, one blown gasket, and apparently a very damaged engine. Estimated cost 1500-2000. I was even told that it wasn't even worth replacing, I should just buy another car! Or that I should fix it and sell it ASAP!!! Don't make the same mistake I did!!!

Some other things wrong with it:

- Fuse for controls on steering wheel, dead.

- Heated seats only have one setting (5,Hot!)

- Random areas off the rubber-like plastic coating have scraped off.

- Control for the driver side mirror broke off.

- Etc...

I have a Jetta GLS 99 new body style... in other words 2000... I see that I'm not alone... Windows and sunroof work when they want to and they even open themselves. There is definitely an electrical issue.

Not to mention ASB problems, shift getting stuck in "Parking", and interior parts breaking very very very easy; this is stupid.

Next car won't be a VW... I don't know if the latest models have the same issues.