2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS review from North America

First 2 weeks: stereo wouldn't work. Had to replace the fuse. Said it was a common problem, they even knew what it was before I said it. Bad sign number one.

3 months later: Found piece of black plastic on my chair, but didn't realize a piece of the sunroof had fallen off.

2 months later: armrest latch broke off causing it to not close properly.

One month later: Right front window cables broke causing window to fall into door as I was trying to roll it up. Also noted as a common malfunction of the Jetta.

5 months later: Car started, but wouldn't shift into gear. Drive shaft had to be removed and re-installed. Axle inner joint component failed. The car was not even a year old!!

Current: upholstery on left driver's door is peeling off. Understandable if I came into contact with it often, but I never rest my arm there!

Current: Since the drive shaft was re-installed, car makes a winding down noise when the brakes are applied. Doesn't sound normal and is very discomforting. Sound was not there before it went in for the drive shaft.

Bottom line: As much as I love it, I don't feel comfortable driving in a car where things just break off, even if it is just a part of the sunroof. It's a brand new car with only 12,000 miles on it. It is unsettling to know that this car has these "common" and not so common problems. Who's to know that something more important won't just "fall off" or another axle joint will fail while I'm actually driving. All this being said, keep in mind that safety was a number 1 issue when purchasing this car. It's not a good sign that my service guy knows me by name. And what's worse, if you take a look at the 2001 reviews and even back to 2000, the SAME problems occur!! If anyone has had any success in returning your Jetta, please advise!