2001 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T Wolfsburg review from North America
"This car is one nice machine to drive"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Check Engine light came on at about 20,000 miles.
Dealer Service changed ignition coil. Light still on.
Dealer Service changed Mass Airflow Sensor three times. Light still on.
Dealer Service changed Breather Tube. Light still on.
Dealer Service changed Catalytic Converter. Light was on and off intermittently for a few months, then finally went off. Still comes on every now and then, but doesn't effect engine's performance.
On cold starts, regardless of season (in MA), the engine would idle loudly and sputter on initial acceleration. This started at about 25,000 miles. You could not pull into traffic without fearing for your life. The engine sputter would cause the car to buck violently as I accelerated. The loud idling would stop after the engine kicked down. Not until the car was driven for a mile did it stop bucking like that. It was only during acceleration from a dead stop. Brought the car to Dealer Service and they attributed the problem to the Breather Tube. Once they changed the Breather Tube the sputtering ceased, but the loud idling still exists.
The loud idling sounds like there's a leak in the exhaust, but after the engine kicks down after idling for about one minute it stops and sounds normal again. When it finally does kick down there is a loud hiss that sounds like air escaping from a valve. Just a little louder than the turbo kicking in. It still happens and I need to find a solution to fix this problem Other than that the car runs great.
General comments?
The car is fun to drive.
It has quick acceleration and the handling is superb.
The 1.8T Wolfsburg blows away my previous standard 2L, 4Cyl Jetta.
The car is built solid.
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| The Jetta is a true Honda-Eater |
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| German engineering = Mexican Lemon |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 2001 |
| Year of manufacture | 2001 |
| First year of ownership | 2001 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2007 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8T Manual |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 6 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 6 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 5 miles |
| Most recent distance | 50000 miles |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Jetta |
| Date of Entry | 9th March, 2007 |