I have a 2001 VR6, and from day one this certified pre owned VW has been a nightmare.
First day of ownership, I had to request a new radio as the one in the car was disabled and locked out as the dealer put it. But was first told that they could make it work by entering a code; two weeks later I finally got a new radio. I bought a cpo VW because it was supposed to meet higher standards than a regular used VW and also had a warranty (useless).
Also had to get a new gear shift knob right off as the one in the car was cracked and falling off the gear shift (dealer said oh you want that fixed?) Of course I would want the car fixed, I paid $13998 for this car used and expect it to run and have everything in it work.
Roughly before 40k I had to have emissions work done as the emissions workshop light had come on non-stop, yet the dealer said they couldn't duplicate it until I was beyond persistent and proved the light was in fact coming on. Then and only then did they look at it and say oh yeah there was a problem and now it's fixed.
Had so called "newtires" fail; all four at once while on a trip. Had one tire blow out at 70mph (lucky I didn't kill someone or myself). I had to purchase 4 new tires because my so called "newtires" were dry rotted and not new at all. This happened to me at 60k; keep in mind when I bought the car it had 31815k on it.
When I called the dealership to inform them I was stuck 5 states away from home with no tires, when I was told that my CPO VW had all new tires when I purchased it, the manager said I was a liar and that they never said I had new tires. I never talked to the mgr while I was buying my car, and as a matter of fact he wasn't even on the lot when I purchased the car. I was sure to ask about tires and belts and warranty before signing off on anything. I was told everything from the tires to the belts had been changed out and was all new as they had to for it to be a certified pre owned VW.
Now I have another problem with my cat. convertor and the warranty has been extended; however the extended warranty doesn't cover the VR6 models because of the engine. What a crock. The dealership is asking over $1500.00 to do the repair and VW of America offers no assistance.
My car has been a let down from day one. The little lights on the doors have all broken and fallen off, the glove box has broken, the latch on the center console broke right away from normal use. All of these minor repairs I have had done at another repair shop.
Sometimes my car won't go into gear, I have to roll it forward to put it in gear sometimes.
Never got an owners manual for the car (was suppose to come with one). Still waiting for VW America and the dealership to mail them out, which they assure me they have (should ask USPS why it takes 2.5 years to get mail from less than a mile away).
Had to fight with the dealership to get the spare key to the car as they never provided me with one.
Have had to replace the battery in my car 3 times in 1 year due to some electrical problem draining the battery. I took it to an electronics specialist and he said it was the radio that was draining the battery, and that if I removed the fuse for it that I wouldn't have to get jumped started daily. That I could do this quick fix until I could replace radio. Came to find out it's not the radio, but some random glitch that shows up from time to time. (that's reassuring to know haha). Luckily haven't had that issue in a while (touch wood).
The car does smell like crayons, no matter what you do.
I have been treated so badly by the dealership that VW America offered me a loyalty check for 1k to purchase another VW because, as they put it, you are a loyal VW owner and we don't want to lose your business. First off, what an insult when they have documented everything wrong with this car from day one, including the dealership and how they treated me, which is they never have an appointment for any service when I call, so I go to their rivals and get way better service and it's a little cheaper as well. I could go on about how the dealership has treated me but that's another story in itself. Still it doesn't make the fact of owning a money pit any easier.
VW used to be great cars that you could depend on; what happened? When did VW stop considering the safety of their customers? Seems to me the dealerships and VW America are more concerned with making money off us consumers than to make a quality product that consumers can trust.
This wasn't my first VW, but it is MY LAST VW. Wonder if BMW or Mercedes treats their customers this way, or is it only AUDI and VW that could care less.
It seems to be the trend of the VW Jetta. I vowed never to buy another American made car, but my experiences with my Jetta would push me back to American made if my choices were the VW or American...
I have the goo issue from the front driver door and the rear driver door.
The engine light coming on for no reason, seems to happen more when the humidity is higher than normal for me.
The temperature light came on the other morning, so I figured that it was because the car was too cold. After I went a block or two the temp light went off.
Then my favorite is the delayed go in the morning that many of you have committed on. I have even had it happen after driving an on the highway and exiting.
Then the window issue. I have experience at fixing broken clips from my Honda days which are a breeze. But the VW it is murder... After you have taken off the door panel which has a super secret way of taking it off with no revealing screws, there is yet another panel that covers the window compartment... No wonder the dealers really don't want to fix the window issues... I have had my driver window fall twice on me, the first time the dealer took care of it and this last time I did...
Then we have the bumper issue also. Holy cow, God forbid if you try to go over a bump more than 3 inches, it will grab it and rip it right off. I am waiting for the bags to deploy one of these times when either I am trying to put it back on or pulling it off... Doesn't take much... Next car will definitely not be a VW... Back to Honda or Toyota for me... 300K miles and far fewer headaches...
Let's see: 2001 VR6
Ignition coil $800
Air flow sensor $250
Intake rod runner $280
Plug wires $130
(all in the last 2 months)
Then there was:
Windshield wiper linkage $100
Serpentine belt $130
Trunk latch $90
Cat converter/warranty
Alternator/warranty
Seat frames, countless brake light & hazard switches
And as I write this it is in the shop, possibly for a fuel pump.
You couldn't pay me to own another one.
BTW, crayon box smell, door goop, broken glove box, broken center console, check engine lights too many to count. I've had it all.
Life lesson - DO YOUR HOMEWORK. I didn't!!!
OK. let me add to the onslaught - Jetta VW VR6 2000
: cat converter, serpentine belt, water pump, inner and outer tie rods, left and right bushinhs, trunk latch, hood latch, goo like everyone else, right window, bumper, glove compartment.
When my 2001 Jetta VR6 is running well, I love it. It's zippy and comfy. I wish that it wasn't in the shop all of the time.
I bought mine with 700 miles on it. 3 days after I purchased it I had to take it in to have work. I was told that the "computer needed rebooting".
I have had 4 batteries in 65k due to a "drain" from the radio.
My check engine light is consistently on and off.
I have to replace lights on the car monthly.
I had a coolant leak and had to have 800 worth of work to fix it. It didn't take care of the entire leaking issue and they had to remove the front of the car to replace another pipe and thermostat. Another 500, as my shop was kind enough to give me a concession on labor.
The rear oxygen sensor had to be replaced.
The air conditioner doesn't work and has a leak.
The glove compartment has fallen off.
The paint has swirls.
The passenger side door inside is loose.
The back ashtray has broken off.
The interior finish peels.
I had the window fall in and then fixed.
I was stuck in park one day and couldn't get out due to some little glitch.
Now the car pulls and stutters when I accelerate.
I have to have sound panels taken care of as well. I have yet to leave the shop without a recommended fix.
This is the worst car I have ever owned. Luckily I like my mechanic, cause I see him a lot.
I just purchased a 2001 VR6 from a "friend". It has 76000 miles on it and we have not driven it for 1000 miles yet. We have had to replace the catalytic converter. The manufacturer wouldn't touch the car under warranty because a high performance air filter was installed and it voided it. They said I could put the original air filter on ($100 air filter, $200 hoses,??? labor) and they could flush the "incorrect" anti-freeze ($200) and then the guy would look the other way (Hey, thanks a lot!). I took it to a buddy's garage and he fixed the cat for $250.
Now we took the car on a 400 mile trip, enjoying the ride I might add, then the car suddenly popped out of fifth gear and it will cost over $2000 to get it rebuilt! Hate it.
Bought my 2000 Jetta VR6 new in September of 99...this is a torture car because I have always loved the way it handles and drives, the car is a true pleasure to drive... which is why it is torture... because it has had most of the problems mentioned above, some of which I had forgotten its been so long...
Passenger window fell in, glove compartment broke, center console broke, mass air control sensor broke, all very early in the cars life. They fixed the window no charge, luckily never had a repeat of that...Didn't have the car drain problem. Goo is endless... rear ashtray broke, but I have kids... they stomp on it endlessly...won't blame them there.
Check engine light has always been on... when it was new I would bring it in to get fixed... but after I paid big $$ to get the mass air control sensor fixed... noticing no difference before or after, only to have the light go on again, I said forget it... and just left it on. After the car got a bit up in miles it failed inspection because of the emissions codes, it was the catalytic converter... over 1000 to get that fixed... then a while after they mailed me a recall notice, which stated there was a flaw with the VR6 that caused cat converters to fail prematurely, and to bring it in for a fix, and if I had replaced a cat theyd refund. So I brought it in immediately... only to have them tell me that VW told them to stop applying the "fix" since it apparently didn't fix it... I did mail in for the refund however and got it.
Car is up to 170k now.. still goo amazingly.. the "goo fairy" one reviewer said, indeed. The trunk release went at one point, dealer took it apart to get it open only to find they didn't have the part, told me theyd order it and call me, they never did... trunk doesn't lock now, but whatever.
Had the "thermostat red light coming on in the morning" problem for a while... eventually my car started overheating (we're talking 160k miles) and they replaced everything related to coolant... water pump etc... and I haven't had the thermo light since.
Had to have the brake calipers replaced on the last iteration of getting the brakes done... big $$. Then I was driving home from Lowe's the other day and it as making a LOUD creaking sound when turning in... when I got home BOOM and green fluid started spewing everywhere... Had to have the steering rack replaced... big $$
A few reviewers have mentioned coil pack arching... one reviewer mentioned stalling in high humidity, and lots have mentioned the hesitation in the morning... I think the arching coil pack is the issue here... My car would (and still) refuse to start if I left it outside at night and we got a REALLY heavy rain... It would try to start, and I'd hit the gas and it would stall... it was obviously misfiring... if I pop the hood I could see it arching somewhere down there... visible sparks...which was causing the misfire... I had to just keep trying... eventually the engine block would get warm enough that it would dry up and the arching would stop... I garage park it now, so I don't have the problem as much, but it still happens from time to time, now at least I know its the coil pack.
Now the cat is fried AGAIN, and just got out of the dealer... they won't pay for the repair, and there still is no "fix" so I have a car that they admit breaks cats... but they won't do anything...
The torture is I love the car, so I'm STILL thinking of fixing it... when common sense tells me its long past time to cut my losses.. should just trade in for a Civic and save myself a ton of money on gas and repairs.
2003 VW Jetta VR6
My car's currently at the dealership right now and they just called me to let me know that my original 80k mile service charge of $421.00 will now be over $2000 because of a horribly long list of things gone wrong on my car.
So of course I google "2003 VW Jetta problems" and come across this site. I have all the horrible issues aforementioned too; and mind you, I noticed the other posts were regarding pre-2003 models... the geniuses at VW apparently still didn't fix their glitches... idiots:
Crayon smell, oily residue at bottom of both passenger and driver doors, passenger window doesn't not go all the way up to close at the first try (and has been for the past 3 years now), rear door (behind passenger) does not coordinate with my key-lock button, rear trunk latch cracked, windshield proves temperamental, replaced my transmission after 4 years!!!, and my stupid arm-rest latch broke off (I don't slam the damn thing or anything!).
Never EVER going to buy a VW/Audi again!!!
I bought a 2001 VR6 in January after I got home from Iraq. I've always wanted one of these cars, and I finally had the money to go out and get it.
I bought it with 90k miles on it, which is a bit much, but people said they hold their value pretty well.
It ran great for the first 3 months, other than the dry rotting tires I had to replace from it sitting too long.
After 3 months it started misfiring pretty bad so I get new OEM spark plugs (40$), just to find out it was the spark plug wires (170$). They where retardly hard to put on because they didn't have the little handle the OEM wires had on them, but after 3 tries the car was running great.
This lasted maybe a month till my check engine light came on. Found out it's my catalytic converter; $450 with my doing all my own work to the car.
A week after I replaced that, my car starts sputtering and acting retarded, and I find out something's wrong with my fuel system, so this time I have to take it to a shop and it cost me almost $700 for them to run it on the computer, clean my fuel lines and replace injectors.
Car starts running good again for about a month till the check engine light comes on yet again. Hmm random misfire.. oh and now my car starts getting hard to start or doesn't start at all. Sometimes the engine will turn over once, sometimes it wouldn't at all and I have to pop start it.
So I park my car for the weekend, and go out Saturday and buy spark plugs and change them.. again. I get to my car and go to pull the wires off, remember the ones without the handles.. and out comes the wire.. yeah just the wire. It happened to 4 out of 6 of them. I guess it's my fault for buying those wires? But yeah how did I know. So I run to the store and get new spark plug wires ($220), but hey they had a lifetime warranty.. and HANDLES. So I change everything out.
Well my car finally starts.. but with hesitation. Like it got better but something was still wrong. It still had a random misfire. So I do some research and come to find out the coil pack has some issues with moisture, and it's been raining here for 2 weeks straight. So my coil pack is bowed and cracked, and just plain sucking. So I buy a coil pack (350$) and I have yet to install it.
On top of all that, I have all kinds of interior problems. Center console latch is broken and the bottom part of it has collapsed due to my resting my forearm on it. Keep in mine I weigh 130 pounds.
All of my paint in the interior is pealing off of stuff like my door handles and the area around my shifter and ashtray. My car smells like a crayon box, yup mine too. My passenger side door opens when it wants to. Which is every other time I go to my car normally. I can't get it in to reverse half the time unless I let the car start rolling.
Just gah; I haven't had the car for a year yet.. its been 8 months and I've spent $2500 plus on it just in replacing parts. I pay a $200 car payment on top of the average of $250 a month to repair parts since I've gotten it. $120 to fill the tank a month. I might as well be driving a 09 GT Mustang and have a $450 car payment.. at least I wouldn't spend my weekends working on the damn car.
I do not know what is going on with all of the above comments. I bought my '01 VR6 in early 2004, and it had about 33K miles on it. I still have it, now with 119K miles on it.
In the 4 years and 81K miles I have put on it, the only thing that has been replaced is the water pump (well, both pumps) and thermostat - which I had done all at once when there was about 95K miles on it. Pretty much average for most cars.
Otherwise, I had to have the oil pan replaced since I hit a ramp to fast. That is it! Not one single mechanical issue, no more than 6 hours total in the shop, everything is original including the clutch (except the tires and audio system of course), nothing broken, nothing replaced.
This is the only car I have ever owned in my 25 years of driving - American, Japanese and German - that I have had over 100K miles on it - and for a very good reason!
^^^^^ You my friend... are lucky...My mom has the same problem as everyone else stated. We have not taken the car to get the Cat checked out... possibly could be bad, but who knows. We don't have emissions where we live so never had to worry about it. Car runs fine, but that damn light still is on. I told her to give up the fight and quit worrying about the light. Sell the piece and move on with a lesson well learned.
I own a 2001 VR6 Jetta. It has always had problems, the only reason I still own it is because I work on cars (for fun) and it has saved me considerable money. If this car was in a shop for all the repairs I would have traded it in a long time ago. With that said it is now in my driveway leaking fuel for some unknown reason and has destroyed part of the asphalt. I will tow this car to my buddies garage, fix it, then sell it or trade it in. I AM DONE. I bought this car because my wife really liked it. It does drive very well when its on the road. But not well enough to keep any longer. I have had all of the problems you all have had, 2 water pumps, 4 batteries, passenger side window fell in, countless electrical problems, catalytic converter, 02 sensors, MAF sensor, interior peeling, center section broken, glovebox broken. My mother had a VW beetle when I was a child and I loved that car, this VW I own has been a total nightmare. I can't wait until my wife gets home and I tell her she will NEVER see that car again. I'm not asking her what she wants to drive, I'm just gonna buy her the Toyota Camry.
Wow! I'm reading the previous comments and am amazed. As the owner of a 2000 Jetta TDI, the only issues I've had from the aforementioned comments were both passenger and driver-side windows falling in, the check engine light issue/emissions issues, and electrical issues, especially during rainy and/or cold weather. Otherwise, the only problems I've ever had are the usual wear and tear that comes with age and high miles. Car still runs like new at 273,000 miles and going.
All of the problems I'm noticing in the aforementioned comments, you can find similar in the other European brands as I used to own a Volvo and a BMW, and name a American car, especially the recently built ones, that can run in excellent condition like my Jetta at 250k+ miles?
FYI to you all and future readers just by reading some of the aforementioned comments above, European Cars are not the "drive and forget" like Japanese and some American Cars. They require a significant amount of care and maintenance, tend to be a bit defect heavy, especially on the electrical end (especially the earlier models), and are a considerable investment, hence why even Volkswagens are pricey compared to their American and Japanese counterparts.
It seems to me that all the bad things are only happening to the VR6's. Is that the case, that only the VR6 is bad, or is it occurring in all models??
I've had my 2001 Jetta GLX VR6 for 6 months now and although it does need to have the timing chains redone (original chains with 176k on the clock!), it runs wonderful. Only issue I have with it is the battery has some sort of draining ONLY in cold weather. I absolutely love this car and wouldn't trade it for anything.. Except a 24v GLI! Volkswagen is definitely my favorite car company by far, and I think the problems most of you are going through are your own faults. These cars do come with extensive owner's manuals that tell you when you should do certain maintenance on cat. converters/chains/belts, ect. If you don't keep up on maintenance with these cars then yes, you will have problems, as with every other car out there. These cars are definitely not for the cheap, they need to be well taken car of and babied. Keep up with all regular maintenance, getting work done at VW shops, and you'll be golden. I actually read all these reviews before I purchased my car, but upon further research I learned that they're only lemons if you let them be.
I would recommend a VW to anyone over most (except maybe a BMW or Benz). Especially the VR6 model.