2000 Volkswagen Jetta GLS review from North America

Wife bought the car new and has always had it repaired at the dealership. Curiously I have suffered many of the same problems listed by others.

First week of owning the car the gas cap door would not open. Made it back to the dealership on fumes. Latching motor burned out. Replaced under warranty.

Glove box hinges broke twice.

Center console latch broke once.

Mirror control knob broke off.

Trunk hinges rusted solid. Dealer wanted $1700 to replace them. I managed to pry the trunk open and lubricated hinges with penetrating oil. No problems since.

Pollution control warning light came on a couple of times. Dealer used diagnostic computer to reset the switch. Next time light came on I read in the manual that this due to leaking hydro-carbons. Tightened gas cap. Light went out.

Handbrake lever extended right to the top and didn't lock the brakes. Rear brake pads worn out. Required new rear brake calipers.

Water collects in the rocker panels. Have had to drain water out several times. Drains don't actually seem clogged. Must be loose debris inside the panels.

Presently the left rear door does not open. Will need to get this fixed soon.

The car still looks great and drives great. Certainly form does follow function. Latest model looks fat and with lots of superfluous trim.

The seats collect lint and look messy. It takes a lot of effort to clean them, but once they are clean they look super.

Basic maintenance is more costly than most cars and parts like latches, hinges and knobs seem to be rather flimsy. I haven't had a lot of major problems, but a lot of minor, irritating and totally unnecessary problems.

Reliability is OK, but not anywhere near the level of a Japanese car. Perhaps I have simply been acclimatized to unreliable cars. I used to own a 1979 Dodge Omni! An oxcart would be more reliable than that.