Rust bubbles have formed on the driver side door (four bubbles) and on the trunk lid (two bubbles) and around where the spoiler attaches.
Big rust hole by the gas filler neck area.
Transmission had to be rebuilt at 50,000kms.
$9,000 worth of warranty work (including $5,000 for the transmission rebuild) were put into this car in its first two years.
This car has been extremely reliable for me! Has yet to develop any mechanical problems.
The original Volkswagen battery even lasted six years!
The rust that bothered me I was able to get fixed for a very good price, so the body and paint are beautiful again!
The handling of the car is not as good as other cars I've driven, yet it is quick considering the engine size and automatic transmission.
The automatic transmission means that the car is not as good on gas as manual version, and in the past year fuel consumption has increased. I now do 11L per 100km in the city, which I am disappointed with and which is making me consider selling the car (for another, newer Jetta).
This is the author of that review again... I drove the car up to 128,000km before selling it in February 2006. Overall, I loved the car. It did, however, cost me $8,000 in body work and repairs in the 2.5 years I had it. Not all of this was necessary though, this was just me being extremely fussy and replacing everything when it just began to maybe need replacing. The body work was to stay ahead of all the rust bubbles (Canadian climate). I sold it because the car was, frankly, starting to get old (8 years) and beginning to cost a lot (would have soon needed new exhaust and new suspension, etc.). I upgraded to a 2002 Jetta TDI.
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