By chumani on 06/12/13 12:25 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
Review
If it makes you feel better I have a wagon. This car would be a great car if all the parts could be shipped next day from Germany. Good luck with your transmission. You can start thinking about replacing it at 60,000 miles. The tiptronic switch is easy to replace if you're a mechanical geek but if not it will cost you around $500.00 to fix. This is not the kind car you buy parts from your local part store. Be ready to get dirty and learn how your car works or pay a hefty price at the shop and I'm just talking about your regular maintenance. If you can afford the upkeep of an Audi then go for it because that's what you're buying anyway.
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By monkey801 on 05/29/13 23:57 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
Review
I bought this car 2 years ago because I've always loved Jettas. Fell in love with it right away, it's definitely quicker than most would assume. Bought it with 118,000 miles. Since then I've had to replace the fuel pump, ignition coils (recall), and the hoses. These cars are expensive to fix! Aside from that it's still running strong at 136,000 miles.
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By mikejones5 on 05/12/13 08:34 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
Review
Worst purchase I have bought! 135K and here is the work I have done:
O2 sensor
Catalytic Converter
Water Pump
Timing Belt
All bulbs
Bumper Clips (3 Times)
Hub caps (on going)
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2 of 4 people found this review helpful
By katwoj on 04/08/13 18:07 PM (PDT)
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
Review
This car is a piece of crap. I have had two VW Jettas that were both maintained well by previous owner. I bought my current one with 87,000 miles on it and it currently has 103,000. In that period of time I have literally purchased the car over again in repairs and went into debt. The only thing I haven't repaired thus far is the transmission, and I have reason to believe that is on its way out. The water pump was replaced before I bought it and yet it went out again at 100,000. Destroyed my engine ($3,000). Also had to get all new axles, tie rods, wheel bearings. Drives jerky, erratic acceleration. Not to mention it smells like a box of nauseating melted crayons. NIGHTMARE. DO NOT BUY.
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By trust_issues02 on 01/26/13 17:37 PM (PST)
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
Review
I bought my 2002 VW Jetta in 2004 used 40,000 miles. From day one nothing but problems.
Engines coils, water pump ( like 3 times), oil pan, hoses, transmission. The list can go on and on.. I put myself in debt trying to fix this car. So EXPENSIVE to fix. I felt the trans was slipping shortly after my purchase. I kept taking it to the dealer before my warranty went out they couldn't feel what I felt while driving.. A year later after the warranty went out so did the transmission. I paid $2,600 to fix it and it still wasn't fixed the correct way!!!! Every time the car went to the shop my bill averaged $500-800. DON'T BUY A VW PLEASE. You'll regret it!!! Also no mechanic knows how to fix them!
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By germancarlife on 01/16/13 18:59 PM (PST)
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS VR6 4dr Sedan (2.8L 6cyl 4A)
Review
I bought this car in 2011 with 56,000 miles on it and its been nothing but trouble. first the engine temp sensor went out ($400), next was the entire transmission at 65k miles ($4000) and then never ending issues with the electronics and engine internals. I change my oil every 3500 miles and drive 13 miles a day on the highway very gently so idk why this car is so bad. My wife has an 02 325i with 213k miles on it and its never given 1/15 of the problems the jetta vr6 has and she and I both drive that car very abusively to be honest, just regular oil changes, brakes and tires.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful
By theandyn on 03/14/12 11:04 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GLS 1.8T 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
Review
I bought this car 5 years ago after I graduated high school to have a more reliable car for driving back and forth to college. I have literally had this car in the shop for something new needing to be fixed every single month. I had a 96 mustang before this and it had about 50,000 more miles on it and I never ONCE had it in the shop for anything but oil changes. Not to mention, everything is TWICE as expensive to fix because its a foreign car
This car has been my worst nightmare and I just got done paying on it. Now the transmission is about to go and now I am forced to buy another car instead of having the luxury of no car payment. If you want something to last, please do NOT buy this car!
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By crewdawg63 on 10/25/11 07:49 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GL 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl 4A)
Review
Bought this 5 years ago hoping to get 30 mpg for a long commute to a new job. Had a 1986 Jetta once upon a time that was GREAT, so figured Id get another one BIG mistake.
Good: Heated seats are warm and cozy in the New England wintertime while waiting for the heater to warm up.
Its small and fits in tiny parking garages well.
The 2 rear seat reading lights are awesome for the kiddos they control their own light and it does not create a distracting glare for me.
Lots of airbags.
Good city car dont care if someone scratches nor dings it anymore.
Its paid for.
BAD:
Build quality is horrible. Replaced 3 water pumps in the past 3 years-they seem to last just beyond the 12 month warranty, of course.
Driving back from a long road trip up the east coast, all 4 brake rotors warped and I just got thru having all 4 brakes replaced (ouch!).
The car wash ripped the radio antennae off the top.
Dealer wants $1000 to remove/replace the headliner in order to fix.
The heater on the drivers side blows air on my shins, so my toes continue to stay frozen no matter how hot the rest of the inside is.
The exhaust just cracked behind the manifold, another $700 bill which had to be fixed in order to pass inspection.
Now the automatic transmission and clutch is starting to act up, shifting hard and not dropping in to gear without banging on the shift lever.
The auto door locks sometimes dont lock or unlock the back doors.
The key fob doesnt lock/unlock unless Im within 3 ft of the car, even after repeated battery replacements.
Rust is starting to show on the body, despite my attention to keeping the car clean.
Im going to give this car to my 16 year old son as his project car.
If he can keep it running, he has wheels.
No matter how I drive and keep the car tuned up, the best I can get out of it is 25 mpg.
Im going to go buy Toyota or Dodge truck.
Might as well have a quality built hauler that people will get out of the way of Im tired of people pulling out in front of me when they see this POS coming.
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10 of 10 people found this review helpful
By g2driver44 on 10/18/11 06:21 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GL TDI 4dr Sedan (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
Review
I bought my 02 Jetta new from the dealer and put 263,000 miles on it.
The Good:
I fell in love with gas mileage..700 miles to a tank.
This was my first import car and the handling was awesome.
I traveled from Washington to N. California and never broke down. The most comfortable seat I have ever sat in... maybe because I spent all my time in this car, it was custom fit to me. The resale value of this car only took me 24 hours to sell.
The Bad:
The cost of maintenance on the TDI was enough to drive you mad.
$500 every time they had to look at the car.
I had some check engine lights come on after 30k, 60k and 90k.
Burned through countless o2 sensors.
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful
By gumbo2 on 07/14/11 09:32 AM (PDT)
Vehicle
2002 Volkswagen Jetta GL TDI 4dr Sedan (1.9L 4cyl Turbodiesel 5M)
Review
I'm going on 316K miles with this car and averaged over 53 mpg on my last tank of fuel.
Yes, there are flaws in the interior design (cup holders in particular) and yes, it's difficult to perform maintenance on it sometimes but how can you find fault with a car that is so reliable?
Oil changes every 10K, timing belt every 80K and everything else like brakes, tires, filters, etc., are done simply as req'd.
I've had the clutch, water pump and other components each replaced once but this engine is a beast. Maintenance is certainly more expensive when required but fortunately, I have a local (non-dealer) repair shop that specializes on German cars and that helps keep the bill down.
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