1999 Volkswagen Jetta GLS VR6 review from North America

Problems:

10/99: antenna base rotting out... not in stock asked to return. miles 15,600.

01/00: gas door broken- replaced fuel door actuator.

Antenna base now in stock- replace antenna.

Driver's door has water leak around door gasket at highway speeds in the rain- adjusted L/F door. Miles 18000.

03/00: Recall on trim covers.

4/01 (the fun really starts) : passenger side front window broken (probably been up and down 50 times!) and rear window intermittent!- replaced power window regulator in front and said rear OK, but in comments section tech added "if problem occurs again-will need a motor"...yeah, whatever. miles 27500, car is out of warranty (24k miles or 2 years). Tech, now the TECH told me to call VW customer care and get them to pay for because they have had many problems with them... do call, and VW pays for it.

04/01-12/01: Rear window breaks (you know the one they said was OK) - Motor replaced.

12/01: driver's side door window falls in-regulator cable broken, replaced regulator. miles 32041, again VW pays for it after a call. Dealer damaged window tint... frankly at this point I don't care.

Brakes are squeaking-VW dealer say OK...

05/02: A/C dies-dealer replaces, compressor, clutch, and 2 O-rings. Call to VW this time and a ton of hell raising yields a 50% coverage of parts. My total $560! Miles 37900.

08/02: Passenger window falls in again! Fixed with new aluminum clips (only took VW 3 years to redesign them). Miles 40700.

10/02 Front bumper repainted by dealer under warranty, because clear-coat chipping off. Driver's window falls in again! Fixed with new aluminum clips. 43200.

1/03 A/C insulation foam has come loose internally and will not be pulled into the fan when fan setting is either 3 or 4. Which in turns starts to shred the foam and send it all over the passenger compartment in very small pieces. 46000.

OK, now for stuff that has broken and I have not bothered to have fixed (this is a lease remember).

Both seat springs have broken out of seats in mid 2001 and the joke of a metal tab with them. Dash light for A/C controls died last year. Window control panel on driver's door started acting up about 5 months ago. Push for window to go down and sometimes it will go up. Push for window to go up and it will go down! This is if the window is only half up or down. Trunk light no longer works! CD Changer will now jam and you have to manually eject the cartridge to reset it.

Sunroof is possessed! Will tilt open when ever it feels like it! Park car go in house come out next morning and it will be tilted open!

Paint is chipping off the front of the roof where it meets the windshield. About, 6 inches long now. The metal trim piece between rear right window and quarter window is rusting (friend had this same problem too) on both sides!

Brakes still squeak. Rear right door has vibration noise and has for the past 2 years. Right front door has vibration noise now after the 3rd window regulator repair, tech says he doesn't hear it...whatever. The steering rack is starting to make clunking noise. The front headlights are so "checked" and "fogged" from exposure it isn't funny. Cheap plastic.

This POS is no better than a Yugo, hence my handle and to hell with a part recall there needs to be a car recall like the US gov. did to the Yugo.

I have owned other VW in the past they where both great cars, but this jetta is the biggest repair\junker it isn't funny. I read on another site some guy with a 1999 has spent $8000 in repairs (water pump go bad= engine went boom!) I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER VW! Blame it on VW for having the cars built in Mexico if you want, but they are junk!

Good things?

Exterior styling, blue and red dash lights. VR6 is peppy. Other than that there isn't anything. The seats are to narrow for someone 6' 210lbs = uncomfortable on long drives.