2001 Volkswagen Jetta VR6 review from North America

The starter went on 115,000 km.

The front shock mounts had to be replaced.

The steering valve is making noise.

Front and rear suspensions squeak all the time.

Passenger window broke.

Ignition module requires replacement.

Oxygen censor is not functioning properly and the car stalls when idling.

Transmission shifter will not sit on the "D" unless yanked back hard.

Now you might think that for a used cat with 100,000 km on it, things break down. That is true, but all these break downs are a bit extreme for a 4 year old car.

I was told that the ignition module is a common problem on the VR6 and so is the suspensions and so is the coolant flange.

I had to leave the car at the dealers many times for repair and rent a car to go to work, and has been many times in only 4 months!

I have gathered that it is a very unreliable car and I would get more bang for my buck had I stayed with my old 1993 Dodge Spirit (3.0 lit. engine). The Dodge had double the mileage and during the period of 4 years I only had to spend 1/2 of the repair cost. It was even better on gas than this Jetta.

So here it is, sucks gas, not reliable at all, requires constant maintenance, having several failures (considered normal for this model). Shocks make it uncomfortable in bumpy roads. If you can put all that aside (I sure can’t see how) it’s a nice car and especially on the highway.

I would never buy a another Jetta or any VW again.