2004 Volkswagen Jetta TDI review from North America

A very minor door rattle was fixed on the first oil change visit. The cause was reported to be the driver door panel not fully popped into position. Small problem. Simple fix.

At 22000 miles the diesel glow light came on while driving. The owner's manual indicated that this signaled a problem requiring a service check. The dealer quickly corrected the problem, reportedly due to a faulty brake system sensor.

I make frequent business trips by air, renting cars at my destinations. This allows me to try out all the makes of cars rented by Hertz, Avis, Dollar, etc. I therefore know their strengths and weaknesses in terms of performance, ergonomics, styling, fit-and-finish, etc. What a relief it is to pick up my Jetta at the airport for the 160 mile drive home. This car puts the others to shame.

Mine is a turbo-diesel, and I easily break 50 MPG on my highway trips. The first 10,000 miles of city/highway driving worked out to 44 MPG, comparable to the more costly, complex hybrids. And I don't have to wonder what a new bank of batteries will cost me in a few years. The diesel is a proven technology.

For a relatively small car, seating and comfort are impressive. Even my 6'-4" teenage son finds sufficient leg and head room (except in the rear seats, which are admittedly cramped.) He drives an older BMW 3 series, but is happy to take the Jetta anytime.

Reliability? I had one unnecessary trip to the dealer, for a failed break sensor at 22000 miles or so. That and a tiny door noise fixed during an oil change service visit are the ONLY problems I've experienced.

Apparently VW had a problem prior to the 2004 model year with over-use of plastic parts. Maybe those materials were suitable for the relatively mild German climate, and the VW engineers were slow to recognize that they had a problem in hotter and colder areas like the USA and Canada. Based on my experience thus far, they have successfully weeded out the defective parts. Now it's close to perfect.