2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS from North America - Comments

These problems are all common:

(Immediately upon purchase.)

-- The transmission tends to downshift sharply at odd times, almost always when turning a corner. It is not a frequent problem, and I would not mention it if there were not other problems with the car. According to other submissions on this site, this is a software glitch.

(At around 10,000 miles.)

-- Driver-side window dropped like a rock into the door. Fixed both front doors under warranty, however the child protection feature no longer functions. I asked the dealership if this was a recall problem, and they said no. Then, I asked the man in charge of loaning out vehicles, and he admitted that VW knows the problem exists, but won't recall because it's too expensive. They handle it case by case.

-- Arm rest assembly broke. It now hangs down against the console. I was driving down the highway, resting my arm, and it suddenly dropped like a rock.

-- The clock has a strange glitch. It displays strange characters at random times during the day.

(At around 19,000 miles.)

-- Yellow wax began leaking out of my doors almost constantly, ruining the seals on all four doors. I called the dealership. The service representative told me that this is paraffin wax that is supposed to be in the door for corrosion resistance, and that it will normally leak. While it is true that the paraffin wax should be IN the door, it should STAY IN the door, and certainly not ruin the seals. Any statement to the contrary is an outright lie. His response when I pointed this out, and that the car was still under warranty, was that I could bring it in, and he would have to inspect to see if there was a problem.

-- The plastic handles on the driver-side door has begun to bubble and peel. It is a slight problem now, but I expect this will look terrible in the near future.

Every single item I have listed above has been echoed by every other Jetta owner on this and other sites.

I have never been notified of the recall on my model, which is the ABS Control Module. The module tends to start fires. I would think that this would be a good thing to let me know about.

I intend to sell this car after fighting to get the warranty work completed. I did not buy a new car for the fun of making a payment, and I am concerned about the resale value as these problems continue to degrade the car.

I also own a 2002 Jetta and have experienced most of the same issues. Some of the problems mentioned were fixed under warranty, however there were some issues not mentioned. For instance, at about 50000 miles my catalytic converter needed to be replaced. This work was done under warranty, but just barely. Another nasty little problem that has crept up is the windshield wiper motor decided to fail. I am really getting fed up with the problems and glitches with this vehicle. It is no longer under warranty and I foresee major functional problems in the future. My recommendation is to stay away from them.

From what I've read about your Jetta and others, the ABS module setting the car on fire might solve many of your problems.

It seem like the problem continues and not only in America. I am from Austin Texas on a long term assignment in Mexico. I have a Mexican 2005 Jetta, I have the same problems you had, or still have.

I received my car and the automatic locks did pop up, however I had to pull the handle twice to open the door. I brought it at the time of service and pointed the problem out to them. The service technician said he would have them mechanics take a look at this. When I went to pick up the car, there was another person delivering the car to me and there was a $90 dollar charge to fix the problem. After a lot of arguing I paid it.

Now I have too the pretty wax pouring out of my doors and a strange noise on my brakes when I stop after going in reverse. I brought the car in and pointed the problems to them and they kept my car for service and told me that the car was still under warranty. I came to pick up the car, and there was a $450.00 dollar charge on the invoice because I brought the car in at 30,975 Km instead of 30,000, and my car had NO warranty anymore because of this delay.

Next time I am buying another Honda.

Except for the current Jetta GLi, all Jettas for North America are made in Mexico, so you are essentially driving what the Americans drive with some minor trim changes.

It just continues to shock me that there is a such disparity between great engineering (and interiors) and overall quality.

Even CAR Magazine in England, a publication that was praising the new European-built GTI to the high heavens, had unbelievable problems with their long term GTI. In fact, they discovered that some Golfs didn't even have their "steering chocks" used for shipment removed, meaning their steering was seriously compromised.

In America, these cars are grossly overpriced for what they are, and there is no reason to buy them other than the fact you can say "well, when it works it's great".

"I received my car and the automatic locks did pop up, however I had to pull the handle twice to open the door. I brought it at the time of service and pointed the problem out to them. The service technician said he would have them mechanics take a look at this. When I went to pick up the car, there was another person delivering the car to me and there was a $90 dollar charge to fix the problem. After a lot of arguing I paid it."

This is normal. If your doors are locked, you pull the handle to unlock the door, and then you pull it again to open it. Every single VW does it. Read your owner's manual.

Also, the new Jetta GLI is not made in Germany, it is made in Mexico. All Jettas with the exception of the Jetta wagon have been made in Mexico since 1995.

Whoever made the comment that all Jettas after '95 are made in Mexico clearly doesn't know what they're talking about. It wasn't until the fifth generation that ALL Jettas were made in Puebla.