Faulty rear speaker in the Monsoon system had to be replaced after 1 day.
Squeaks and rattles in dash and rear deck.
Replaced leaking lens cover.
Cup holder broken three times, and was replaced once by the dealer.
Oil pan was punctured by a tiny rock and had to be replaced.
Engine has had a ticking noise between 2700 and 3200 RPMs that started at 4k miles. The dealer finally (at 60k miles) admitted to the problem and wants to tear the engine apart.
The transmission grinds when shifting between 1st and 2nd gear.
The windshield was defective and fractured in the cold.
The rear brakes wore out at 25k and had to be replaced.
The coil pack went bad and needed to be replaced (this was not covered as part of their recall)
The mass airflow sensor also went bad and had to be replaced at 25k.
The catalytic converter had to be replaced at 58k.
The front-end's tirods, bushings, etc. had to also be replaced at 58k.
All of the interior surfaces have had their plastic / rubber coatings peel off.
The latch on the center arm rest snapped off.
The driver's side power window flakes out intermittently.
The headlights dim excessively for a moment when the cooling fan turns on which is most noticable during night driving.
The keyless entry system went haywire and had to be reprogrammed.
The trim on the shifter knob peeled off leaving a sharp edge behind.
The brakes generate excessive brake dust that takes hours to clean off.
The car has been through 3 sets of 30k mile tires in only 60k miles of driving.
The seats collect lint, hair, etc. and are nearly impossible to keep clean.
This car has been a maintenance nightmare. Had I not bought the extended warranty when I bought the car, it would have cost me over $6k in repairs. The check engine light is constantly on. Every repair, no matter how small, is a monumental expense. The dealerships often have to order the parts and it's an exhausting effort to even get them to "see" most of the complaints that are described to them. Everyday I drive the car, I can't help, but think what will go wrong.
I like the styling and performance of this car, and it is fun to drive. Unfortunately, though, the build quality on the car is lousy. Everything breaks on the car 10 years before it should. This car has had more problems in 4 years than most have in a lifetime! It's really lousy when you pay as much as VW charges for their cars and then have to dump thousands of dollars into yearly maintenance.
This car has cost Volkswagen my business, I will never again buy another one, nor will I ever recommend one to anybody. In fact, I will always make sure to tell everybody I know NOT TO BUY a Volkswagen. Thankfully this car is being traded in next month for a new car... I can only pray nothing else major goes wrong with it until my new car arrives from the factory.
Pilot Error seems to be a contributing factor here too.
If you address the issues as presented you would find.
1. Faulty speaker, OK well things happen
2. Squeeks, a little tough to cure
3. Leaking lense, not usual
4. Cup holders are not for "supersize"
5. Oil pan is plenty thick, Pilot Error.
6. Timing chain tensioners are prone to pressure leaks
7. Transmission grinding could be caused by many things, pilot error is at the top of the list.
8. Windshield defective! After how long?
9. Rear brakes only wear with the brake applied, most people get over 80k from them. Pilot error
10. Coil pack, not uncommon.
11. Air mass meters were all bad
12. Converter problem was likely caused by coil pack failure.
13. Tie rods, Tire modifications or rough driving accelerate wear, signs are it is not driven sanely.
14. coatings peel, never have seen that
15. center latch is junk
16. Power window could be many things.
17. Reprogram keyless entry is a simple thing and can be caused by a dead battery.
18. shifter was picked away by little fingers
19. Brake dust is caused by using the brakes like EVERY other car. Like #9, You have a lead foot on the brakes.
20. My bet is they are crappy tires, can't blame the car.
21. seat lint? should have sprung for the leather.
I thank my lucky stars this guy (or gal) is not one of my customers!
Wrong, wrong, wrong. You're obviously a salesperson for VOLKSWAGEN. Let me reiterate on this car that I now finally got rid of.
1. Faulty Speaker - Discovered this on the first drive home from the dealership. They should have caught this in their pre-delivery inspection.
2. Squeaks - We're not just talking about once and a while. It was a constant rattle, pop, etc. even on smooth roads. It was enough to drive me crazy.
3. Leaking Lens - Also defective on day 1 of ownership. $5 fix, but was leaky from day 1. They should have caught it on the pre-delivery inspection (as should have I).
4. Cup holders - Since when is a 12oz can of soda "super size"? I've taken the cup holder apart and fixed it myself, it's made of cheap plastic. Why couldn't it have been made of something a little more durable?
5. Fine, pilot error... Ever driven on a New England dirt road in the winter with frost heaves? The rock was tiny and the car wasn't moving more than 5mph.
6. Timing tensioners prone to leaks - Well, this first started making noise when the car had only 4k miles on it. The dealership couldn't fix it, I brought the car in several times.
7. Transmission Grinding - Well, I learned to drive on standard and owned 3 prior to this Jetta. Last I knew, you should be able to release off the accelerator, fully depress the clutch, and then move the shifter from 1st to 2nd without having a grinding noise. Pilot error? I think not.
8. Windshield defective - After less than 12 months. No signs of chips, etc. It simply fractured under standard winter temperatures.
9. Rear brakes - Sure, the front ones probably will last to 80k, but the rear brakes went out at 24k. There are numerous records of this on VOLKSWAGEN forums.
10. Coil pack - No, not uncommon for VOLKSWAGEN; they could have at least included the 2000 VR6s as part of the recalls, but no, they didn't.. why? because it is a single coil pack rather than one per cylinder and it costs more.
11. Air mass meters - All bad? hmm.. why didn't VOLKSWAGEN issue a recall on this pricey part?
12. Converter - Agreed, this was due to the faulty coil pack and VOLKSWAGEN had to pay the $1600 for a new one.
13. Tie rods - Umm, the car has absolutely no modifications. The car was never driven roughly; the dealer admitted that they've seen the seals "dry up" and start to make squeaking noises, as mine were.
14. Coatings peel off - Well, all I can say is there are numerous reports of this in the VOLKSWAGEN forums also.
15. Center latch is junk - Yes, it is. Obviously made of the same cheap plastic as the cup holder. VOLKSWAGEN should have made this more durable or at least offered to fix it free of charge.
16. Power window - The regulator is on recall, another "fine quality" part in the car.
17. Dead battery - Nope, the car was less than 1 year old. The keyless entry system was sporadically locking and unlocking all on it's own while sitting in the driveway.
18. Shifter was picked away - Nope, I'm the only one that ever was in the car, and it was only touched to shift gears.
19. Brake dust - Check the VOLKSWAGEN forums, the pads they use simply generate a lot of dust lead foot on the brakes? nope.. wouldn't the front brake pads have worn out too?
20. Crappy tires - Agreed, the original tires were junk. All of the replacement tires were over $100 / tire and had warranties of 50k, they all wore out in less than 1/2 that time.
21. Seat lint - It was annoying that there was no way to ever get the seats clean; they were embedded with lint.
Well, you can thank your lucky stars, because I never will be one of your customers. This car was absolute crap and I'd expect nothing less from you, a VOLKSWAGEN dealer, than to try to blame all the problems on me. That is exactly what VOLKSWAGEN does, they blame everything on the customer and find every possible way out of covering things under warranty. The quality of the cars is pathetic. I drove this car conservatilvely and it literally fell apart before my eyes. If the car is so wonderfully built, then why are there so many negative reviews on it?
I noticed how the cloth seats attracted lint, when I was shopping for a new Jetta. That made my decision easy-
I opted for the leather interior.
I'm not so sure about some of your other complaints though.
A "pebble" puncturing the oil pan? Windshield breaking by itself?
I think some of your complaints are legitimate, but others
are either normal wear & tear or a little bit of nit-picking. Based on the list you compiled, I think you are even more of a perfectionist than I am.
Having said that, you're probably not the only one happy that you got rid of your Jetta. I'll bet the guys in the service department at the VW dealer are pretty happy too.
I bought the Jetta with best intentions myself, also a 2000 VR6. On the way home the check engine light came on, we ignored it because of the excitement that rushed through our bones. After months of visiting our "friendly" dealership down the road and THREE catalytic converters, the dealership agreed that there was a problem and replaced $6000 of stuff under the warranty. (stuff= engine modulator, catalytic converter (again), coil pack, all keys were reprogrammed, the mass air flow sensor, and oxygen sensor. We were only responsible for around $700. ONLY. Now our car makes a grinding sound whenever we start it. The car whines everytime we run out of washer fluid, every five minutes, until we can fill it up as soon as possible. It is a love-hate relationship that is now being won by the fact that we just can't afford to love it any more!
The volkswagen dealership in Carlsbad, California cannot figure out why a 2000 Jetta stalls and has electrical problems. Over $600 in diagnostics, and the car has the same problems. Appartently even the dealership can't fix the 2000 lemon Jettas. It has been in # times - I finally gave up on them - too expensive..
I was going to look for a jetta tdi, but after the OVERWHELMING negative reviews I think I will stick with my honda civic and sacrifice about 10 mpg to save the high maint costs and problems. Thanks for all the honesty.
2000 VR6 owner here. I've gone through 2 oil pans due to them being too close to the ground. I'd say it's a good long distant car for gas mileage, but when you get into city driving and speed bumps, be careful.
WOW! Obviously, the salesman disputing the claims of yet another dissatisfied customer has not read enough of these forums. It only takes 5 minutes to go down the lists and see that for every satisfied customer, there are 10 HORROR stories!! And when you read them it's like a broken record... or shall I say Jetta. I am the unfortunate owner of a 2000 VR6...I never thought I would be so miserable to have paid off and own a car. I have had all the same problems as everyone else. Interior integrity sucks, electrical nightmare, mechanical joke!!! If you are filthy rich and looking for a car that looks cute... go ahead and buy one. You may as well buy two so that you have something to drive when the other is in the shop. After all the expense though, you may as well buy a beamer.
I own a 2000 Jetta GLS, which I purchased new. I have never owned a car that spent more time at the dealership in my life. The best part is, they never seem to be able to fix the problem.
The O2 sensors have been replaced 4 times.
The windows (both driver and passenger) have fallen into the door.
The center console latch broke.
The overhead light switch broke.
I could go on and on about how the check engine light has never really turned off, or how every time I go to the dealership it costs me $500, but something else always needs fixed.
I stumbled across this page looking up information about a recall on a catalytic converter for my 2000 Jetta GLS. After reading all the comments and nodding my head to everyones problems with the crappy car, I figured id throw in my horror story for everyone to see. I got my car a little over a year ago in what appeared to be good condition, even had it checked out by a mechanic. Probably about 4 or 5 months into owning the car, things started to go wrong. heres all the stuff that's happened to my car
1. I've had to replace the starter 3 times within the last 5 months and Volkswagon still can't seem to tell me what exactly is wrong with my car
2. my center console broke within the same week I got the car.
3. cleaning the lint on the seats is a PAIN THE BUTT! I understand where you are coming from completely!
4. my passenger door panel has become totally disconnecting causing me to not be able to use the door. the rear passenger door panel is starting to disconnect also.
5. driver, passenger and rear passenger windows all go crazy, the rear passenger more than ever!
6. car doesn't beep when locked or unlocked
7. if I lose the flip key, the regular key will not open my car.
8. newest thing wrong is my passenger seat won't move forward or backward. apparently its easy for things to get stuck in the track or something. I havn't had it checked out yet.
I got this car as my graduation present and am now a college student. I can't afford this crap. I love this car, but when stuff goes wrong with it I just wanna body slam the damn thing! does anyone know how good the Mazda 3's are... probably what ill be getting to replace this car.
I bought my GLS VR6 with 60,000 miles on it, and I haven't had any problems. It now has 107,000 miles and it runs very quiet and strong. I got about 40,000 mile sout of my tires, but I don't drive hard (kinda like a grandma). I also change the oil every 2,000 miles and air filter everytime I change the oil. Sorry to hear your problems. I plan on driving mine to 180,000 miles.
Hi, I can relate to these complaints about 2000 vw Jettas. I own TWO of them. They are expensive to repair and I've had the window, door problems too. Here is the real reason I love them. My daughter was driving at 40 MPH and some illegal immigrants from "south of the border" ran a stop sign and plowed into the front of the 2000 Jetta GLS. They fled the scene and the airbags deployed. My daughter had nothing more than a few minor abrasions and was a little sore from the seat belt. I hauled the Jetta home on a car trailer. Unloaded it and drove it up and down the road at 55MPH. It didn't pull right or left. It was not leaking any fluids either. It totally disabled a 1996 Ford explorer. That said, it is now in a collision repair facility. my son wants it next. Meanwhile I bought a 2000VR6 Jetta for my daughter and can rest assured that she is in a little tank on wheels. NUFF said!
I too have had a few problems with my 2000 Jetta VR6 with 77,000miles.
1. Latch on glove compartment broke.
2. Window regulator clips had to be replaced
3. Car does not always lock. Back door will unlock itself.
4. MAS / Oxygen sensor replaced twice.
5. Speaker/Soundsystem wiring bad. Everytime I go over a pothole, the speakers go out, as do the lights in the center console.
6. Lots of squeaking and creaking.
7. needed new upper strut mounts
8. Control arm bushings ripped
9. Grinds when going from 1st to 2nd gear (not driver error. Problem happens with multiple experienced drivers.)
10. Passenger window will not roll up. BUT if you push "door lock" button, window will magically go up.
11. Inner and outer tierods worn out on both sides
12. Car thermostat will suddenly drop drastically. Faulty.
13. springs from under both driver and passenger side seats have popped out.
14. Alternator bearing worn out. needed welding.
15. New high pressure power stearing hose because there was a slow leak.
Don't buy unless you are enthusiastic about repairing.
The terrible 2000 Jetta 2.0 GLS that we bought in Aug. 1999.
1. Mar. 17, 2000. B-pillar trim cover fall off.
2. Oct. 18, 2000. Left rear exterior door handle broken of no reason. Retainer for handle had fallen inside door panel. - Even we seldom use the rear doors.
3. Feb. 12, 2001. Driver outside mirror defroster not function.
4. Mar 2, 2001. Driver's door lock ring broken.
5. Mar 7, 2001. When AC on, both right and left turn signals stay on and not blinking. Windshield wiper streak away when wipers on.
6. Sep. 5, 2002. Front lower valance fall off of no reason.
7. Sep. 15, 2003. Engine light starts on and off. Replace O2 sensor. One week later, engine light on again.
8. Sep. 22, 2003. Passenger window fell. Replace ECU software to be less sensitive to trigger engine light.
9. July 07, 2004. Engine light on again. Replace mass air flow sensor. Replace brake LT switch.
10. May 23, 2005. Flasher dead due to circuit problem.
11. Dec. 5, 2006. Replace brake light switch again.
12. Mar 3, 2007. Brake squeaks. Replace rear disc, rotor.....We have regular maintenance and brake system still failed.
13. June 26, 2007. No AC due to high pressure switch broken. We only use AC 3 or 4 times each summer.
14. May 19, 2008. Oil pan leak. Replace the whole oil pan.
15. Apr. 12. 2009. Catalyst convertor burned inside. Muffler silencer broken.