1994 Volkswagen Jetta GLS review from North America

I've owned and maintained this car since new. My experiences with the dealer service departments were really terrible. The parts depts are good, service departments are rotten.

Car sorta bogs down about once a year, but that goes away after a few weeks. It's like the motor is spinning, but you don't go anywhere.

The water pump went out once, coolant flange once as well.

I've replaced the coil and wires.

Distributor was replaced once, but I think the dealer's service dept took me on that one (I never went back there).

I put a new exhaust system on at 200,000 miles.

I replaced the lock cylinder in the driver's door at about 23,000.

I had to install a new driver's window regulator at about 250,000 (50 bucks from a wreck).

I also replaced a front wheel speed sensor once.

I've abided by a standard maintenance program- oil and filter changes at every 3k miles, timing belt at every 60k miles, new brakes all the way around every 100,000 miles, new wheel bearings at 200,000 miles, alternator brushes at 150,000 miles. Clutch gets replaced with the serp belt. Shocks and struts were replaced at 200,000.

Don't buy one of these unless you're good at turning a wrench and can keep an eye on it looking for problems.

I'm up to 290k miles now and still going strong on the original motor.

I get 35 to 37 MPG if I drive like a normal person. Mileage drops to 29 if I drive fast.

Nice car, so much so that I got a replacement 2004 Jetta with the intention of selling this one, but it still runs and handles great so I figured why sell it?

Handles great in the snow too, I leave my CJ5 at home unless the snow gets too deep.

Oh, I finally had a dash light go out at about 270,000 miles.