2000 Volkswagen Jetta GLX review from North America

Hinges for glove compartment fell apart.

Hinge on centre console fell apart.

Stereo system won't send any signal to the speaker on the driver's side.

Rear passenger window opens correctly, but then without any intervention it closes it self.

Turn signal indicator switch failed at 93,000 km.

Exterior plastic/rubber components severely faded making the car look very old.

Seat-belt retainer button fell off rear, middle passenger's side belt.

Replaced Mass Air Flow Sensor around 60,000 km.

Water pump or thermostat died 106,000 km.

Leaking engine bay seal around 103,000 km.

I love to drive this car. The interior is finished well. The leather seats have excellent support and feel luxurious.

While the 2.0 only has 115 HP, I rarely notice this because the engine has nice torque and gets up to the 140 kph range without struggling.

This model was built in Mexico. My two biggest complaints are: (1) the plastic parts are cheap and fade or break well before one would expect these types of failures and (2) the engine is not nearly as smooth and quiet as comparable Japanese cars.

It's the lack of attention to details (or engineering trade-offs) that bother me the most. Individually, these items are tolerable, but when they start adding up and appointments are missed because of a broken-down car, one begins to question the overall quality of their vehicle.

At this point, I doubt that I'd buy another Volkswagen. I'll probably keep this one to learn how to tune cars (plus, I do enjoy driving it). However, reliability is the most important factor in my buying decision, which is why I will investigate other brands before making my next purchase.