Engine makes horrible noise when first starting (sounds like diesel). Dealer says it's normal :( (secondary air pump?). Minor dash rattles from center speaker area. Lastly, door speakers overload at very low volumes (VW technical bulletin on this problem, dealer has ordered parts to repair this problem).
Car handles very well! Great/Fun to drive.. Heated seats are great plus. Love the car just wish they would fix the engine noise on start up (very annoying, somtimes frightening).
That noise IS normal. Wait for 10 seconds, and it will go away. Every new Jetta does it. Seriously.
Oh my... from an Accord to the first-model-year Jetta. Good luck!
Oh, on the engine noise, what do you expect for 1/2 of a 'Lamborghini' engine stuffed into a 'VW'. Remember when GM made the 'Iron Duke' 2.5l by lopping the 5.0 in half? ...not good ideas.
Our 2006 also has this high reving effect when you start it. I have read that VW wanted to make the car more "Aggressive" sounding, and this is noticeable not only when idling, but during any heavy acceleration. It is almost as if there is less insulation under the hood to deaden the sound. Otherwise we love our Jetta, and find that the overall quality is highly improved. We nearly bought a Nissan Maxima, but for the price this was the best deal for us. Also Note: The six speed Tiptronic is worth every cent, it is smooth, and sporty especially when in sport or manual mode.
Agree with all the engine noise comments. I've had my 06 Jetta for a couple of weeks now and that seems to be its only screw up. Don't really know why it sounds like that, but yes, after about 5 or so seconds it "settles down." The 5 cyl. manual transmission is very responsive and the car definitely has a lot of pep. The funny thing is, the engine noise at start up does NOT resemble anything with more "muscle" as some dealers have suggested (or another comment mentions). It just sounds like a malfunction or a defect. But yes, it's actually normal. Go figure the Germans.
I bought my 06 New Jetta in November, and found the car to be much better than the older model. This is my second VW, I just had an 01' Wolfsburg. That car was fine as well until I started having problems with the check engine light.
I also agree that the engine rattling is very annoying. Other that that the car is GREAT!! It's fun to drive. With the added satellite lite radio, I don't mind taking long trips. The car has a smooth ride and came so many standard features. Trunk room is spacious, and the manual transmission is so soft and easy to shift.
I was torn between the Honda Accord, and Pontiac G6. I am glad I went with the New Jetta..
Jersey Gurl..
The sound is normal during the startups. This happens only for the first time of the day or after engine has been idle for sometime like more than 4-5 hours. Its the hydraulic valves lifting system. Its not unusual. Believe me. I own a new jetta and did lot of research in that. See the VW forums.
The VW 2.5 engine is not just half the Lamborghini engine. The head is very similar, but the rest of the engine is all new. To compare this engine to the GM "Iron Duke" is laughable. Given proper maintenance, the VW engine should have no trouble exceeding 300,000 miles of service.
Too bad the car won't make it to 300,000 miles. Given Volkswagen's reliability history, the car will need an owner who is an electrical engineer to fix it up whenever it breaks down or you find the car alarm and brake lights on while driving down the road.
I have to agree, its only a matter of time until things start breaking on the car, unless VW has fixed their problems (I highly doubt this). If you need proof of all the problems VW cars eventually have, just take a look at some of the comments left for the older models.
I disagree that the car will be unreliable. The 4th generation cars built from 1999-2004 were indeed terrible. However, the new Jetta, and in particular the 5 cylinder engine have thus far proved to be very reliable, with only a few issues reported such as rattling speakers (which was subsequently fixed and hardly affects the drivability of the car)
I agree with the start up noise being very annoying. I've been bugging my local agency to find out what can be done. Eventually they told me VW is in the process of revising the software that manages the auxiliary air pump. (It adds more air to the cat. converter to reduce pollution during cold starts). They're revising the software in stages and whether your car will qualify will depend on the vehicle VIN.
Isn't the Iron Duke an inline engine and the 305 5.0 a Vee style engine?
How exactly are they alike?
I am on my 3rd set of brakes and calibers on the rear. They are lasting about seven thousand miles. I just took it in and they or worn to the 50% mark again. They keep telling me this is OK. I think having to replace rear brakes and rotors every three months is not normal. The front brakes have 80% left and they are the original set. Normally fronts wear out faster than rears. It also stalls all the time. Naturally they can find no problem. It blows fuses, has an ABS light that comes on, but besides that it is a great car. LOL.
I recently purchased a used 2005 Volkswagen Jetta 2.5. I think the car is great after it warms up for 10 seconds. The engine noise and rattling when you start a cold engine is really scary. It sounds like the exhaust system is going to come off. I sure hope they can come up with the software to fix the problem soon. This noise really hurts the cars image.
I'm very happy with my 06 Jetta, but the oddest thing happened this summer- the decal facing on all of the radio buttons is bubbling up and peeling off. I've never sprayed anything on them and I live in upstate NY where weather is not excessively hot- what is that all about?