2002 Volkswagen Jetta review from North America

The coils have been replaced

The windows clips broke

The arm rest latch broke

The rubber coating is peeling off the door handle

The suspension creaks and groans loudly

The rotors and brakes have been done (all 4)

The sway bar links were replaced

The water pump failed

The CV joint boots were replaced, as the boots were leaking grease

The car won't hold an alignment

The springs for the seat adjustment broke on both seats! ($600 per) to replace..won't do this!

And lastly, the SMELL. It is going into VW tomorrow

as the STENCH has now become unbearable.

Gee, where do I begin? I actually still liked the car despite all the issues and the horrid turbo-lag. That is until now. The funky "crayon" smell has only gotten stronger and considerably more offensive in my cloth interior! The AC filter was changed and deodorized to no avail. It is particularly harsh on warm days and all out obnoxious on hot days. I have to ride with my windows down or have 2 air fresheners (the kind that clip into the vent) blasting away at me to mask the smell. My son won't ride in the vehicle..he's 20, he has always complained about my car smelling awful. It wasn't until I read this forum that I put 2 and 2 together. I thought it was only a defect of my car. I will see what VW wants to do about it, as of right now, I don't see how I could possibly trade or sell the Jetta due to the overpowering smell.

This is my 5th VW. I have owned a Rabbit (loved it!). A Quantum, a Vanagan and a Passat. I have also owned an Audi A6 station wagon. This, sadly, will be my final VW. It's unfortunate, since they usually make a great product, for a great price.