1999 Volkswagen Jetta GLS review from North America
"Never again will I buy European!!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Air bag replaced.
MAF sensor replaced.
O2 Sensor replaced.
Cat. Converter replaced.
Window regulator replaced.
Throttle body replaced.
OEM tires replaced 20K miles (poor wear)
Moon roof fell off track.
Back middle seat belt stuck so tight I cannot pull the back seat down -- ruined the leather.
Interior plastic peeling.
Front cup holder broke.
Rear cup holder broke.
Rear ashtray does not shut.
Excessive oil consumption (1qt every 1500K).
Trunk light does not work.
Heated seats only work sometimes.
Blinkers only work sometimes.
Battery died in 2 years -- FYI VW OEM batteries are not maintenance free. You have to check and add water, which I thought was done when you took your car in for the service. Anyway I bought a new battery from VW that the service adviser said was maintenance free. Less than one year later (in the winter) I was having problems with hard starts. So I purchased from VW my own battery to install myself and I found out the so called "maintenance free" battery I had purchased was not "maintenance free". I just added water and it started every time with no problems for the rest of the time. Just a little irritated when I look back at that!!
General comments?
When not in the shop, it handles and drives great. It is a fun car to drive.
I had it regularly serviced at the "stealer"ship, but despite that it had too many non normal wear and tear problems.
I finally sold the car this past weekend and resale value stinks.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Model year | 1999 |
| Year of manufacture | 1999 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 0 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 0 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 1 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 4 miles |
| Most recent distance | 93000 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Civic |
| Date of Entry | 20th December, 2005 |