1998 Volkswagen Jetta GL review from North America

Somewhere around 50,000 miles, the clutch started failing. I have a reliable mechanic, VW specialist. he replaced the clutch. about 5,000 miles later, clutch was starting to feel crappy again, I've been milking it ever since, trying to avoid repeating the expensive job.

Right after I bought the car, both front hubcaps eventually came flying off the front tires, after hitting a bump or pothole. I have seen many other '98 Jettas with both front hubcaps missing. perhaps a defect of this model/year?

At 100,000 miles, inexplicably, the check engine light came on and has remained on. my trustworthy (non-dealer) mechanic tried earnestly to fix it. he couldnt figure it out, and basicly said, "ignore it".

This is hard to do after reading so many negative reviews of these Jettas. the Jetta seems like the car that was so close to being a new VW classic.

Unfortunately, VW quality doesn't seem to be up to par with the models of the 60s and 70s. they started to suck in the 80s, and that lack of assembly-line quality has apparently carried over to this generation. such a shame.

The engine has been reliable, but a car cannot run on a good engine alone. this becomes painfully clear when I'm in my girlfriends 2001 toyota corrola. perhaps a bit boring to look at, but light years ahead of VW in terms of internal and external reliability.

Of course, the seats are excellent, the trunk is the roomiest trunk in the buisiness, fits an entire drumset.

There is a good balance of zippy handling and engine performance.

The car still looks great, a simple, elegant, funtional design that sticks out amongst grotesque american bubble cars.